New MES Bluetooth Digital smoker

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Question about the MES heating element: does it ever have to be cleaned, or is it protected well enough to always project fairly consistent temp readings.
I think my new 2.5 is a 1200 watt.
Dennis
I have the 800 watt MES 30 Gen 1 and have never cleaned it in the 3+ years I've been using it. Look at this way: how often do you clean the heating elements in your kitchen oven? Yes, they're not exposed to smoke but I bet you use the oven a lot more than you use your smoker.
 
...but I bet you use the oven a lot more than you use your smoker.

I'd take that bet!!! I use my smoker way more than my oven (but not more than my grill).

Never cleaned my original 30" analog MES element in over 5 years. At 1500W that was the cleanest damn thing in the cabinet.
 
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    has anyone used an additional heat deflector in the BT 40 yet? Or is the water pan enough of a deflector for this? I was trying to find bears picture of the bottom of his smoker to reference, but cant seem to find it... talking about the heat deflector over the heating element, not the drip cover over his AMPS
I'm not sure, but I think Dr K might have a BT MES 40, and he uses a deflector that surrounds the right side of his water pan.

ON EDIT: I just saw a pic of Dr K's deflector, and it is also in a Gen #1---Not a BT 40.  Sorry.

The water pan is not a working heat deflector. Without a deflector the heat runs from the element on the bottom right side, straight up the right side. The water pan does nothing to avoid that. 

My Deflector pushes heat from the right side to the middle of the smoker.

Bear
 
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Hey, you answer when you can. I understand that. Look at you with your two ET-732s! I'd love to have a 2nd ET-733 but have to spend money on other stuff first. Why do you prefer rack 1? I just cooked three SL ribs on Sunday and the ribs cooked on rack 1 had the least amount of firm bark and was cooked slightly less than the other two. Still trying to figure that out. What you said about heat escaping through the top vent make perfect sense since I keep mine 100% open.

Thanks for explaining about the deflector supports. Special thanks for reminding me about the larger wattage heating element in the MES 40. I also forget to account for the larger interior size although I'm aware of it. My little guy gets crowded but makes up for it by being easier to use, I guess.
Rack #1 is just my second personal choice, mainly because I think it's less forced direct heat than #3, and more of a surrounding passive heat.

Kinda like the same reason neither of us uses Rack #4, but not near as much of a problem.  This one is just my Opinion, but I've seen some others choose 2 & 1 instead of 2 & 3. All a matter of personal preference.

Bear
 
 
Not sure what you mean by "connected", but the probes shouldn't touch any metal, like the rack itself.

This is how I balance the heat from left to right in my MES 40.

A Maverick probe on each side, and my adjustable heat deflector below.

​Notice how the probes stick through the rack & hang without touching anything. I tape the probe wire to the top of the smoker to keep the probes where I want them.

Then the meat goes on that rack when I'm only using one rack.

If you use the top rack too, it will be slightly lower heat, and the third rack would be a bit higher.
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/DSCN1562.jpg.html
I made RTV silicone pucks in an aluminum tea light candle form that the wax candle comes in.  I just throw a few on the corners of the rack and come up from underneath and punch through the center like in the pic below for a probe holder.  I had to use up the tube of 700*F RTV because it was hardening.  I just cut up the hardened pieces and put them in the mold with the liquid.

 
 
I made RTV silicone pucks in an aluminum tea light candle form that the wax candle comes in.  I just throw a few on the corners of the rack and come up from underneath and punch through the center like in the pic below for a probe holder.  I had to use up the tube of 700*F RTV because it was hardening.  I just cut up the hardened pieces and put them in the mold with the liquid.

I can't quite make it out, Kurt---Any clear close-ups??  Sounds interesting.

Bear
 
 
I closely monitor the temps in my MES 30 Gen 1 with my ET-733. Disregarding temp overshoots during the heating cycles, when I have a set point of 235° I see on both probe temp displays a temp of 235-239°. The probes are on two different racks, one probe positioned on the rear left, the other on the rear right. During heat up there's about a 10 degree difference between the two. One probe gets up to 251° while the other is at 241°. Other times the temps might drop down to 225-228° so a few times during the smoke I'll raise/lower the controller temp by 5-10 degrees. But time after time I've found that for the most part the temp stabilizes around my set point for hours at a time.

I've written this many times before. I always clean the hi temp cutoff and the temp sensor each time I smoke. I'm convinced that it's because I keep them both clean that I the cooking temp remains stable, give or take 2-5 degrees. Again, we're talking outside of the heating cycles.
I played with the AMNPS today smoking ABT's.  This is the second smoke with my AMNPS in my 40" Gen 1.  I have found that it will not produce smoke unless the chip loader is pulled out 1/2" so the black flange is barely outside the hole, so there is a crack all around the hole to let in air in the pic below.  No other adjustments.    I counted six holes in the chip tray housing (three in a triangle like in the chip loader and found three holes in a line hidden underneath the triangle holes, looking up from the drip pan.)  It's not in the dump position because it won't turn in this position but it doesn't matter.  With my deflector shown below all corners on the second rack from the top are identical temps except the front left corner at the latch is 12*F cooler (since it's furthest from the heating element and vent.)  All is good. 


With the deflector, heat rises up the door and all walls except the part of the back wall where the MES temp sensor is.  When I baby step my smoker up with Bear's method I then set my MES @ 225*F and the MAV's low is 225*F to a high of 248*, averaging 236*F. 


-Kurt
 
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I played with the AMNPS today smoking ABT's.  This is the second smoke with my AMNPS in my 40" Gen 1.  I have found that it will not produce smoke unless the chip loader is pulled out 1/2" so the black flange is barely outside the hole, so there is a crack all around the hole to let in air in the pic below.  No other adjustments.    I counted six holes in the chip tray housing (three in a triangle like in the chip loader and found three holes in a line hidden underneath the triangle holes, looking up from the drip pan.)  It's not in the dump position because it won't turn in this position but it doesn't matter.  With my deflector shown below all corners on the second rack from the top are identical temps except the front left corner at the latch is 12*F cooler (since it's furthest from the heating element and vent.)  All is good. 

-Kurt
Thanks Kurt,

I'm glad you said you couldn't turn your dumper. I was playing around with mine one time to see what people were talking about, and mine wouldn't turn when part way out. I thought, "Hmmm wonder how they do that", but it didn't matter because my MES 40 Gen #1 does't need any games played with it's parts. I quit playing.
biggrin.gif


Bear
 
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Hey, you answer when you can. I understand that. Look at you with your two ET-732s! I'd love to have a 2nd ET-733 but have to spend money on other stuff first. Why do you prefer rack 1? I just cooked three SL ribs on Sunday and the ribs cooked on rack 1 had the least amount of firm bark and was cooked slightly less than the other two. Still trying to figure that out. What you said about heat escaping through the top vent make perfect sense since I keep mine 100% open.

Thanks for explaining about the deflector supports. Special thanks for reminding me about the larger wattage heating element in the MES 40. I also forget to account for the larger interior size although I'm aware of it. My little guy gets crowded but makes up for it by being easier to use, I guess.
Some rotate top and third racks when using three racks for even heating.

-Kurt
 
 
Some rotate top and third racks when using three racks for even heating.

-Kurt
Yup ... I do that ... 
icon14.gif


When using only one rack, it seems that many on here use the 2nd rack which I assume is the 2nd rack from the top.  I have always used the 3rd rack (3 racks down from the top) when only using a single rack.
 
 
I'm not sure, but I think Dr K might have a BT MES 40, and he uses a deflector that surrounds the right side of his water pan.

ON EDIT: I just saw a pic of Dr K's deflector, and it is also in a Gen #1---Not a BT 40.  Sorry.

The water pan is not a working heat deflector. Without a deflector the heat runs from the element on the bottom right side, straight up the right side. The water pan does nothing to avoid that. 

My Deflector pushes heat from the right side to the middle of the smoker.

Bear
I have the two 40" GEN 1's and made a flat version of your deflector.  I soldered on the power cord after I sent MB pics and they sent me a new one ( the first one looked as if it was delivered by covered wagon but works perfectly.)  I have the new one tested/seasoned and stored in my spare bedroom.

-Kurt
 
 
I can't quite make it out, Kurt---Any clear close-ups??  Sounds interesting.

Bear
You may have to click on the pic to enlarge it.  The pic below is from a thread I started without much interest.  I usually push the probe through the puck 1" up from underneath the rack so it's at food level.  I just made two more identical to this one.  It doesn't lose it's grip on the probe.  No potatoes or blocks of wood!


-Kurt
 
 
Thanks Kurt,

I'm glad you said you couldn't turn your dumper. I was playing around with mine one time to see what people were talking about, and mine wouldn't turn when part way out. I thought, "Hmmm wonder how they do that", but it didn't matter because my MES 40 Gen #3 does't need any games played with it's parts. I quit playing.
biggrin.gif


Bear
You Have a GEN 3?  Is it all glass with the heating element on top and the vent on the bottom with the controller on the left side!?........................... I bet Todd would have a tough time finding a place to put an AMNPS in that one.  Ha Ha

-Kurt
 
 
Yup ... I do that ... 
icon14.gif


When using only one rack, it seems that many on here use the 2nd rack which I assume is the 2nd rack from the top.  I have always used the 3rd rack (3 racks down from the top) when only using a single rack.
When I seasoned the smoker I had MAV therms on the third rack (one up from the bottom rack) since the MES sensor was at that level.  I was testing the MES temp sensor and three of my MAV therms next to the MES wall sensor, and all were acceptable at the same location.  I thought the next level higher would allow the smoke to disperse more evenly as well as heat, than where it originates.  The second rack from the top more closely matched the MES temp to the MAV on my 40" GEN 1. It appears to be in the center of the smoker.

-Kurt
 
When I seasoned the smoker I had MAV therms on the third rack (one up from the bottom rack) since the MES sensor was at that level.  I was testing the MES temp sensor and three of my MAV therms next to the MES wall sensor, and all were acceptable at the same location.  I thought the next level higher would allow the smoke to disperse more evenly as well as heat, than where it originates.  The second rack from the top more closely matched the MES temp to the MAV on my 40" GEN 1. It appears to be in the center of the smoker.
-Kurt

I just took two pictures of the inside of my 40 in BT smoker - one with a close-up shot. Are either of these 2 things I just now cleaned "heat sensors". And if so, should they be cleaned often?
Dennis
 
 
When I seasoned the smoker I had MAV therms on the third rack (one up from the bottom rack) since the MES sensor was at that level.  I was testing the MES temp sensor and three of my MAV therms next to the MES wall sensor, and all were acceptable at the same location.  I thought the next level higher would allow the smoke to disperse more evenly as well as heat, than where it originates.  The second rack from the top more closely matched the MES temp to the MAV on my 40" GEN 1. It appears to be in the center of the smoker.

-Kurt
I guess I need to try the 2nd rack sometime when using only one rack and see how it works for me in my Smoker.
 
 
    has anyone used an additional heat deflector in the BT 40 yet? Or is the water pan enough of a deflector for this? I was trying to find bears picture of the bottom of his smoker to reference, but cant seem to find it... talking about the heat deflector over the heating element, not the drip cover over his AMPS
The 40 " Gen 1 right rear heating element, putting heat up the back wall and corner, past the MES temp sensor out the right rear top vent (straight line)  needs heat deflection to the other sides.  If your Mes has a straight line but diagonal heat movement to the vent (along the back wall)  you need to move the deflector to the left and contour the water pan/back wall between the heat element and Mes heat sensor (the path of least resistance.)  It's up to the end user to evenly heat the other walls the electronics aren't on. 

The pic below shows how I resolved my dilemma in my first sentence with my 40" Gen 1. Let the heat rise anywhere except past the Mes heat sensor out the vent (make the heat work it's way to the vent.  That way it has to go past your food=cooking evenly. 


-Kurt
 
I just took two pictures of the inside of my 40 in BT smoker - one with a close-up shot. Are either of these 2 things I just now cleaned "heat sensors". And if so, should they be cleaned often?
Dennis
If you drag a cloth over them and they get shiney then your good.  Not every smoke but people with windows that clean every smoke hit 'em out of routine.  Usually when the smoker is warm. Two seconds of wiping when it's a warm smoker.  It's not necessary to clean a big area of the back wall around it (unless you want to.) 

-Kurt
 
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