MES- Sportsman Elite 30'' Digital electric smoker with Meat probe.

[smokey bob]

Hey Guys-

My fiancé bought me a new smoker for my birthday on Monday.  I preseasoned it yesterday and I am not doing ribs....the beautify of working from home.  I set the temp to 225 and set up my ET-732 and there looks to be a 15degree temp difference.  When the smoker reads 225 my ET is reading 210.

Anybody else experience that?  I did have an analog smoker and that thing was off by 30 degrees so I relied on my ET-732.

Thanks,

Rob

 

[icyhot]

That's normal with a masterbuilt.

 

[cael]

I have a MES 30 and I find the results of my Maverick very interesting.    At times in the smoke they are wildly different (like when I put in a large amount of cold meat), and there are times when they sit within a degree or two for almost the whole smoke (just a few chicken breasts, or after my meat has been in there for several hours).    

I just think they are measuring different things.    The built in is measuring how hot it has gotten the part of the smoker where the sensor sits.  My Maverick which is dangling down from the first rack, closer to the meat, is measuring the air temp right around the meat.    So of course they will be different.   But measuring the air right around the meat will tell you what its cooking at for sure.   But don't be surprised at the big fluctuation.   Its isn't that the MES gauge is crap, its that its measuring something slightly different.    

I did move my Maverick right up by the MES sensor once and they were awfully close for the whole time.

 

[vwaldoguy]

My MES varys widely too.

 

[mummel]

What was the location of your Mav. Makes a big diffs where you place it. Put it right near the MES probe on the back wall and see if there is a diffs.

 

[Bearcarver]

Most built in therms in smokers are not very accurate. IMO

I would never rely on a built in Therm "from any smoker" for accuracy.

I rely on my Mavericks & I check their accuracy if anything seems fishy. They have always been within 2° when checked.

As for checking the accuracy of the MES digital therm, what do you do----Boil a 50 gallon drum of water & drop the whole smoker in??? 

  That could cause a serious electrical problem!! 

The only thing I use the MES reading for is once I know how much difference there is between the MES reading & my Maverick, I'll adjust the MES Temp setting the right amount to get my Maverick to the smoker temp that I want. Other than that, I just ignore what the MES digital readings say.

Just my 2 Piasters.

Bear

 

[GaryHibbert]

I totally agree with all the advice so far.  One other thing, my MES meat probe was WAY off.  Masterbuilt sent me a new one and it was still 30* off when I tested it with boiling water.  I just removed it and rely on my Maverick probes for both smoker and meat temps.

Gary

 

[chef jimmyj]

Yep, Go by the Mav. I have the MES Remote and the Mav in hand during the cook. I set the MES temp based on the Mav reading...JJ