So here are the pictures that were requested earlier. As you can see there is no cookie tray in the smoker. I removed it before smoking this chicken. This picture shows how much I had the smoker filled for this chicken. At the very back of the first row it jumped to the second row before it turned. It didn't do too bad, but it did jump a little early.
Until now I didn't know you had a Gen #2 MES. That's why there are no support rods.
So here are the pictures that were requested earlier. As you can see there is no cookie tray in the smoker. I removed it before smoking this chicken. This picture shows how much I had the smoker filled for this chicken. At the very back of the first row it jumped to the second row before it turned. It didn't do too bad, but it did jump a little early.
When the cookie tray is in the smoker was the slanted drip tray with the little water pan in as well? If so, Maybe two layers of solid metal low in the smoker is trapping heat forcing it to rise up the walls. The bottom slant tray with the water pan butts up against the left and right sides, allowing convection only up the door and back wall. Then a large flat cookie sheet above it keeps air flow up all walls. Bear mentioned people removing the slanted tray and water pan and putting a disposable foil pan on the bottom rack, allowing convection up all walls without trapping it on the left and right sides as well as making it more similar to the Gen 1 and 2.5. Maybe 2-3 inches of space at the walls with a smaller foil pan on the bottom rack or second from the bottom rack won't trap as much heat which may be better for the heating element and electronics in the floor of the smoker. I have the Gen 1 40 and moved my oval water pan up to the second from the bottom level (it can be placed on any four levels.) It keeps air moving around before it hits the food rack, keeping temps more even across the food rack. Or if it's jumping rows toward the heating element, maybe lighting the bend in your pic above and letting it burn away from the heating element towards the left wall. The pic below is where I put my water pan. The cardboard is just a deflector I foil that doesn't apply to you since your top vent is on the left. It also keeps drips off of the chip tray roof.
So here are the pictures that were requested earlier. As you can see there is no cookie tray in the smoker. I removed it before smoking this chicken. This picture shows how much I had the smoker filled for this chicken. At the very back of the first row it jumped to the second row before it turned. It didn't do too bad, but it did jump a little early.
Good luck---And Let us know----We'll get you straightened out.
Exactly what I said in post #24 above, however that's still a guess until you try what I said in that post.
