Pulled pork and ribs w/Q-view

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jp61

Master of the Pit
Original poster
★ Lifetime Premier ★
Mar 6, 2011
2,882
189
NE Ohio
What a difference a week makes. Last Sunday was my first smoke (MES40), three racks of spare ribs. Results.....awesome! This morning I had a late start @ 9:30am. Three racks again and two butts with a combined weight of 17lbs. Put the smaller butt on the top rack, the bigger butt next rack down, then the two smaller slabs and the bigger slab on the bottom. Used the 3-2-1. Set the smoker temp @ 235° thinking if it's 10° off either way I still should be good. Well, the ribs weren't even close to being done.... they're in the oven @ 250°. Last time I smoked I used a cheap oven thermometer for smoker temp. I know it's pretty accurate because I checked it in my oven, unless they were both off it should be good enough for now. However, I didn't go by it this time and it cost me. I still have the butts in the smoker... had to raise temp setting to 275° to get a 225° reading on the cheap oven thermometer (located in middle of smoker) I'm not using the meat probe but, it also reads 225°, so I'm assuming that it's pretty accurate. I'm using a pyrex digital thermometer that I know is 4° off. Bigger butt is at 156+4° IT right now. Anyhow, I need to buy a good thermometer for smoker temps...... it would be nice if the MES was working the way IT SHOULD!

 
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Well the ribs sure look good. The MES controllers are not very accurate. They may be off by 30 or 40 degrees. Some read 250 & are really 300. Some read 250 & are really 200. You need to contact Masterbuilt & they will send you a new controller.
 
Btw, I used Jeff's rub and Q-sauce. Well worth the investment! Have   SoFlaQuerr's finishing sauce ready to go! C'mon 195-205°...
 
MES can be finicky when it comes to the temp.   You also have to make sure that yu dont have any meat or pans up against the MES internal temp sensor.

Like what was mentioned before.  Call MES if it continue's.  I have had two controllers take a crap.  Really liked my MES while it was working.. 
 
.... it's 2:20am, I'm tired and stuffed. In the end, everything turned out well. The sandwich was delicious and the ribs finished real nice in the oven. Good thing I had a pocket analog thermometer, the digital pyrex bit the dust!

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Well the ribs sure look good. The MES controllers are not very accurate. They may be off by 30 or 40 degrees. Some read 250 & are really 300. Some read 250 & are really 200. You need to contact Masterbuilt & they will send you a new controller.
Al, the ribs did look good, but they were chewy! They finished nice in the oven though. Right now I don't exactly know how bad it's off, but it came out of the box like that! I'm going to buy a good digital thermo(s) and find out. I don't think I've read one post on SMF where someone posted that their MES temp controller is working the way it SHOULD. Yes you're right Al, I do need to contact MB, but I have a feeling that a new controller will probably work as well as the new one they installed at the factory in my MES. Where is quality control?


MES can be finicky when it comes to the temp.   You also have to make sure that yu dont have any meat or pans up against the MES internal temp sensor.

Like what was mentioned before.  Call MES if it continue's.  I have had two controllers take a crap.  Really liked my MES while it was working.. 
I didn't check, but don't think anything was touching. It's hard for me to believe that they're having this many problems with temp control. I know there's alot of variables involved in maintaining a set point, but one would think, that they would work all those out before they put a product on the market. Anywho... we'll see what happens.
 
Joe, the pulled pork result looks great! I'm surprised that the MES unit don't give you that nice pink smoke ring that I'm used to seeing in mine. I wonder why that is
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Thanks Anthony! I don't know the answer yet, but I've read a post where it said.... you don't get much of a smoke ring with an electric smoker.
 
Just get a good dual remote therm & forget about what the MES says.

You can get them to send you a new one 10 times, and it still might not work right for you.

I don't think any built in smoker therm is accurate, especially one that costs so little.

Also the smoker box therm in the MES has a stationary sensor, so just because that is the temp of the air where the sensor is, doesn't mean that is the temp where your meat is.

With the remote units, you can put the probes any place you want (one next to your meat, and one in the meat).

Just my 2 cents.

Bear

PS: No smoke rings from electric smokers, but smoke rings are all show anyway. You can play games, by putting charcoal in your chip drawer, but if it's just show, why bother.
 
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Agree 100% Bear! Maverick ET-732 on it's way...
 
Got this used/like new FoodSaver from my mother..... After I glance over the owners manual I'll be busy for awhile with the PP.

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All done.... worked like a champ! In the freezer they go.... pulled pork on demand. I've truly been deprived :-)

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I know the pulled pork won't last long, but would it still taste fresh if frozen up to a year?
 
I have never had any last that long in the freezer. A couple of months at most and they were all good. Stick 1 package in the bottom of your freezer & report back next March.  
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