MES 30 and Mav temp issues

smokindontcb77 · Dec 7, 2014

This is my first time using the smoker with meat in it.
I'm smoking baby back ribs. 3 racks cut into 6 half racks. I used the top 3 racks. Set it to 230.
During preheat it got to 230 and I loaded it with meat.
I filled the water pan with warm water and room temp apple juice.
I allowed the ribs to sit at room temp for about 20 mins.
According the MES 30 the temp is right at 230. My Maverick says the temp is at 174 and at times dropped to 159.
I had issues during seasoning but it was the other way around. The maverick was high temp and unit low.
I placed the probe dangling in the back left corner between the top and 2nd shelf.
I can't figure out which one is accurate. I'm hoping not the maverick.
I need some quick advice. Do I raise the temp on the unit so that the maverick says 230?

Any help or advice would be great.

Thank you

Ps it's in the 30s here today and I have the vent partially opened.
Also there is a steady smoke coming from the unit.MES

themule69 · Dec 7, 2014

SmokinDonTCB77 said:
This is my first time using the smoker with meat in it.
I'm smoking baby back ribs. 3 racks cut into 6 half racks. I used the top 3 racks. Set it to 230.
During preheat it got to 230 and I loaded it with meat.
I filled the water pan with warm water and room temp apple juice.
I allowed the ribs to sit at room temp for about 20 mins.
According the MES 30 the temp is right at 230. My Maverick says the temp is at 174 and at times dropped to 159.
I had issues during seasoning but it was the other way around. The maverick was high temp and unit low.
I placed the probe dangling in the back left corner between the top and 2nd shelf.
I can't figure out which one is accurate. I'm hoping not the maverick.
I need some quick advice. Do I raise the temp on the unit so that the maverick says 230?

Any help or advice would be great.

Thank you

Ps it's in the 30s here today and I have the vent partially opened.
Also there is a steady smoke coming from the unit.MES

I bet the Maverick is correct. Put the probe in boiling water not touching the pan anywhere. You are looking for 212° at sea level.The Mes is known to be off. Next time don't put water in the pan. Put sand in it and wrap with foil. Also keep the top vent wide open.

Happy smoken.

David

smokindontcb77 · Dec 7, 2014

thank you for the response. At this point at almost 2 hours in I'm not really sure what to do. I have 3 diff temperature readings. Smoking isn't suppose to be this stressful lol

Bearcarver · Dec 7, 2014

themule69 said:
I bet the Maverick is correct. Put the probe in boiling water not touching the pan anywhere. You are looking for 212° at sea level.The Mes is known to be off. Next time don't put water in the pan. Put sand in it and wrap with foil. Also keep the top vent wide open.

Happy smoken.

David

What David said.

Plus the back left corner of an MES is the lowest temp spot in the smoker.

Your MES sensor is in the hottest position.

I would move the Maverick smoker probe closer to the meat, but in the same height the way you have it.

However keep it at least 2" from the meat.

Bear

oldschoolbbq · Dec 7, 2014

Cook your BB's for the 5hrs. they usually take and do a tender test with a toothpick... judge from there and pull when you decide it is time...

Then , before each cook , calibrate your therms. ( even if you know them to be spot on , things can happen , drop , kids found and played with it , dog, ect.) , then enter the reading into

your "Log Book "of BBQing...

and watch your proficiency increase...

tropics · Dec 7, 2014

SmokinDonTCB77 said:
thank you for the response. At this point at almost 2 hours in I'm not really sure what to do. I have 3 diff temperature readings. Smoking isn't suppose to be this stressful lol

You would be best to test with boiling water at this time, don't wait takes only a min to get a better grip on the cooking. IMHO

daveomak · Dec 7, 2014

Take the water pan out of the smoker.... put it back in empty for now.... next time add gravel to the pan for thermal mass.... and preheat it and the smoker for an hour or 2....

smokindontcb77 · Dec 7, 2014

I pulled the Mav and I'm boiling. One says 210 and one 212 at a rolling boil

themule69 · Dec 7, 2014

SmokinDonTCB77 said:
I pulled the Mav and I'm boiling. One says 210 and one 212 at a rolling boil

Then put them at meat level and trust them.

Happy smoken.

David

smokindontcb77 · Dec 7, 2014

This is at 2.5 hours in

image.jpg

smokindontcb77
Dec 7, 2014

I'm going to assume they were cooking at under 200. Should I increase my cooking time?
Right now they are foiled with juice

daveomak · Dec 7, 2014

When the meat shrinks back about 1/2 - 3/4" from the end of the rib bone, they will be done....

Did you remove the water from the pan.... that will help.... It is sucking up all the BTU's the heating element is putting out.....

timberjet · Dec 7, 2014

It is normal for any thermometer to be 2 degrees off. Sounds like you might have this sorted out. Most of all, relax and enjoy. Ribs are fairly forgiving as long as you don't over or under cook them you will be fine. As everyone else said you really don't need water in there it does not add moisture to the meat in my experience anyway. You could just wrap some bricks in foil and acheive the thermal mass for heat recovery.

smokindontcb77 · Dec 7, 2014

I did not remove the pan.
I will remember that for next time. At this point i don't want to reopen the door.
If I have no liquid that how do I keep the meat moist?

Btw I upped the temp on the MES to 240.
I only put the BBQ probe in and its doing a steady climb. Currently at 223. I'm going with that one being the accurate one and will monitor it closely.
I just hope my ribs aren't undercooked in the end

timberjet · Dec 7, 2014

It sounds to me like you have had the door open quite a bit. If so it will take longer than you originally planned for sure. I would just keep going with them until they are toothpick tender. check them at 4 hours and if the toothpick slides in with little or no resistance they are done. If not keep on smoking. Patience is key to low and slow smoking. Happy smoking. timber

timberjet · Dec 7, 2014

Pork ribs and Butts are moist by nature. The connective tissue and fat in those cuts of pork have a lot of built in moisture. As long as you don't overcook those ribs they will be tender and moist. You may get a bark on the outside of you don't foil them but that bark is darn good stuff and seals in even more moisture. I usually foil my ribs with some apple cider and butter after 3 hours in the smoker but that your timing is skewed this day you might have to wing it and just make sure they get done right.

timberjet · Dec 7, 2014

The first mistake most of us made when we started out was probably to pull ribs off too early. I did it way back when I was green. Just relax and keep it low and slow.

smokindontcb77 · Dec 7, 2014

Being that my ribs cooked for 2.5 hours at 190 approximately. Should I cook them a little longer while foiled or after I remove them from tbe foil? Or does it not matter?

Thanks again for all the help and advice.

timberjet · Dec 7, 2014

In foil. That last hour out of foil is just to firm the meat back up a little bit so it doesn't end up all over your shirt. I do half an hour out of foil at the end as I like mine fall off the bone. Other folks like a little tug to theirs. Just be sure to watch for pullback and do the toothpick thing. The toothpick does not lie.

timberjet · Dec 7, 2014

How is it going? Pictures? Just wondering

smokindontcb77 · Dec 7, 2014

image.jpg

smokindontcb77
Dec 7, 2014

This was after about an hour and a half in foil.
After around 35 mins back in the smoker without foil I did the toothpick trick. It went in and about half way in it stopped. Not sure if it hit meat or bone. I added sauce and I'm going to pull them off in about 15 mins or so

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