Me with a MES 30 Gen 1 ???? First observations

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cmayna

Master of the Pit
Original poster
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Jun 23, 2012
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SF Bay Area, CA
OK, so I found this "what a deal"  MES 30 Gen 1 (no window) on Craigslist locally.   Couldn't pass it up but now I'm questioning that.  Extremely clean inside with signs of very little usage.  So yesterday, I ran one of my Maverick 732 probes down the fully opened vent on top resting the probe next to the MES's probe.  Both probes clean.  Fired it up starting at it's lowest temp setting of 100* Lower feed tube was open about 2".

Once the MES reached 100, the heating indicator light turned off and  I watched it climb as noted below:

MES temp gauge         Maverick 732

            102                       133

            113                       143

            120                       145

            126                       151

Since the lowest setting for this MES is 100 and based upon the Maverick 732 telling me it was temping at 151,  I am stuck with the lowest actual temp being around 150.  Not good if one wanted to do fish, etc.   Is there something that I could have done differently?   Is it going back on Craigslist tonight?
 
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From what I am reading you waited until the heat light went off when you first started the MES. On the initial start-up the unit will overshoot quit a bit which is what you are seeing.  When I use my MES I try to warm it up for no less and 30 minutes, 60 is better.  Very few smokers will match what the 732 says but the longer I let the MES run the closer the temps will get.

Gary
 
Are you saying that had I just let it run at 100 for awhile, the temp would have dropped back down to 100ish?
 
Craig I have the MES 30 gen 1 and the MES 40 gen 2.  It is a rare occasion when the 732 and either MES reads the same but the longer the units are on I do find the temps get closer to each other.  I live where it gets much colder and in the winter months never go less than a 60 minute start time.  Try to let it run longer and then check the temps, I am just curious if yours will act the same way.

Gary
 
Agreed...from a somewhat noob myself I have found that my MES gets more in tune with what the Mav reads as time goes on, but they

are usually different.  Try to go by what the Mav says.
 
my mes is running a consistant 15 degrees off from the maverick.

it was jumping all over the place til dave told me to preheat for an hour,

that's the trick to getting consistent  temps.
 
Thanks all.  Yes,   I will fire it up this weekend and let it sit an hour at a low temp and see what it does.  My 3 other smokers are a little ticked off and hope to heck the MES bombs out to force me to unload it.   It would never replace my two Big Chiefs for they are my favorite fish smokers.

Craig
 
Today at 4pm, I started the MES 30 at it's lowest temp of 100*.   At 4:30 it was 119 via the MES and 136 via the 732.   At 5:00pm it was113 via the MES and 126 via the 732.

Way too much BS to deal with when wanting to smoke at low temps.  Also, having to preheat for an hour before hand to allow temps to adjust,  just isn't sitting well with me.
 
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I guess I never use it at the low of level so never really cared about the difference in temp, once I got it set where I needed it with the 732 just let it run.  Not sure how much you want to spend on it but there a alot of users on here that went with a PID controller which will keep within 1-2 degrees from set point.  Now that my 40 is out of warranty I think that is the direction I am going to go.  World has been ready temperature digitally for years but for some reason companies that make the lower priced smokers can not seem to figure it out.

Gary
 
Now that I've cooled off from yesterday's fustrations,  think tomorrow, while I'm doing some ribs in my gasser, I'll do a higher temp test, such as 225-250* on the MES  to see how much variance there is.   I do have a Auber PID but don't know if it will work for this application.  My PID is a simple one which you simply plug it into your AC outlet and plug the smoker into the PID.   After doing a search, it looks like a fair amount of wiring needed to a correct PID.
 
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Now that I've cooled off from yesterday's fustrations,  think tomorrow, while I'm doing some ribs in my gasser, I'll do a higher temp test, such as 225-250* on the MES  to see how much variance there is.   I do have a Auber PID but don't know if it will work for this application.  My PID is a simple one which you simply plug it into your AC outlet and plug the smoker into the PID.   After doing a search, it looks like a fair amount of wiring needed to a correct PID.
As long as your Auber controller is rated to handle the watage of the MES heating element. It is easy to eliminate the the MES control. Just wire a 12 or 14 gauge extention cord directly to the MES element {after unhooking the factory wires} and plug it into your Auber! That's how I did my MES 40".
Keep Smokin!!!
Wolf
 
Unfortunately that will not work, there are a bunch of threads on this site with wiring diagrams might want to do a search and see if anyone has used that type before.  I hate to spend the money but I would like to get one that I can use to ramp the temp up slowly, I do a lot of jerky and sausage.  Will be interesting to see the difference at the higher temps, mine will still be off 10-15 degrees but will stay pretty steady so once I get it right with the 732 I can just leave it alone.

Good luck

Gart
 
Unfortunately that will not work, there are a bunch of threads on this site with wiring diagrams might want to do a search and see if anyone has used that type before.  I hate to spend the money but I would like to get one that I can use to ramp the temp up slowly, I do a lot of jerky and sausage.  Will be interesting to see the difference at the higher temps, mine will still be off 10-15 degrees but will stay pretty steady so once I get it right with the 732 I can just leave it alone.





Good luck





Gart
The threads you speak of are for wiring a PID control that does not include a SSR. The Auber is a stand alone unit that does not require any additional wiring other than what I said!! I just used mine wired that way yesterday!!!
Keep Smokin!!!
Wolf
 
here's what dave had me do.

1 hour at 100 to check against the maverick

1 at 120

1 at 140

1at 160 

1 at 180 etc.

it was always 15 degrees off. i can work with that.
 
Wolf,
Look what I have out in my shop collecting dust
766ee5108f2e1ac3ba3a7c93e90502e1.jpg


2bd5ed9f6dadd64a2ab90d98dc41a1a3.jpg




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