Better temp regulation possible???

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Perfessor

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Original poster
Jul 14, 2018
5
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I searched on this but either used the wrong keywords, or don't know what I'm doing, lol.

I have a Masterbuilt 30 that I have had for a few months and used about 5 times so far.

I'm getting ready to smoke some ribs and trying to get the temp set to 225. I have 2 external probe set up in the box, one on each side of the box (no racks in yet). At the time of writing this, I had to lower the set temp to 205 and the probes are reading 232 and 221. When the box temp was set to 225, the probes were read in the 240's.

Is there a fix that Masterbuilt has that will fix this issue? After having read post here on it, I no longer use the built in bluetooth connection, just external probes.

Is there a modification or something out there that is more accurate that is easy to connect?
 
Just to add... I'm having to continuing to adjust the temp setting for my ribs at this time.
 
I'm not into electric smokers, but I do know that the therm that comes with the MES is usually unreliable. Go with the temps from your externals. Also temp swings are common in electric/most smokers - so don't worry to much about it. Unless it gets really out of hand. I don't believe there is a fix for the fluctuations. Even your home oven will over shoot the targeted temp and then drop down. It basically works on average temps.

Chris
 
There are dozens and dozens of posts in this forum about this subject. The key search term is "PID". Here is that search:

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/search/4861301/?q=pid&o=relevance

PID stands for proportional–integral–derivative. It is total overkill for smoking, but if you want absolutely perfect control over the MES temperature, you'll get it with this.

One small warning: it may screw up the MES's ability to create smoke. The MES is actually designed to let the temperature swing quite a bit so the electric element can get hot enough to ignite the chips. If you change the controller so the element doesn't turn on for more than a few seconds at a time, this will change the nature of the smoke you get.

The solution to that problem is to get an AMNPS and either put that in the MES, or build an external "mailbox mod." I highly recommend getting the AMNPS and building the mailbox mod, whether you get the PID or not.
 
Who'd a thunk it! Temp control = PID. It's no wonder I found nothing!

Thanks for the info.
 
Start a conversation, PM, with Bearcarver. He did some extensive experimenting with temp control and has some good info on adjustment. 20-30 degree swings are normal. The swings also get smaller as the box, meat, air all equalize. Your unit is pretty normal. There are only a handful of guys that report spot on units... JJ
 
agreed, if you put a graph on your actual minute-by-minute smoker temperatures you would see many Rises and spikes as the element stays on and then turns off and then turns back on to get within a sufficient range of your temperatures.

depending on the generation of mes if you have you will experience significant temperature differences from top and bottom racks and/or left and right side of racks

Generally in my opinion the thinking is the mes is a great all in all smoker after you make four or five small changes :-)
 
I've ran tests on mine from start to finish when doing butts and also checked mid cook on my first brisket using a thermal couple etc etc

There is no such thing as a spot on smoker, since it's an average ambient temp. And as others pointed out, if the heating element doesn't kick in, there is no smoke using chips in a MES. You know yours averages out to what you want, that's all you need. It's when you can't reach a desired temperature I'd worry.

You also have it gutted; there isn't racks to deflect the heat around, etc, etc. They also help as they get warm to maintain an ambient temp.
 
I should clarify. By spot on, I meant the MES temp display is the same as a therm placed on the middle shelf. There are always swings but some swings are less than others. This too is based on the on board therm accuracy...JJ
 
Cook the meat by IT temp and probe or bend to see if it is done.
Richie
Mine runs as much as 40°F hotter!!
 
I had the opposite problem with temps on my Gen 1 with the Mes sensor, being right under the 2nd from the bottom rack above the heating element. The Gen 1 hybrid sensor is one level up under the 2nd from the top rack above the heating element as well. A guy on FB with my problem made a video with his Gen 1 hybrid and drilled an 1/8" hole or so into a wine cork but not all the way through and slid it on the sensor to insulate the sensor, being so close to the heating element so that the conductive heat from the back wall to the sensor got him actual 275 at the 2nd from the top rack. This would be a mod that maybe best after preheating and tweeking with chamber alarms set. It would be an easy test, staying nearby. The PID and setting the sensor next to my food was my solution to get me to 275 at food level.
 
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That cork mod might be a good idea for those of us who don't put either water or sand in the water tray. That probably increases the radiant heat to the sensor from the heating element and I would think it might make the MES run cool.

Interesting thought ...
 
That cork mod might be a good idea for those of us who don't put either water or sand in the water tray. That probably increases the radiant heat to the sensor from the heating element and I would think it might make the MES run cool.

Interesting thought ...
The Gen 2 and 2.5 Mes sensors I believe are farther away from the element and no longer straight up above the element but off to the left side/middle back wall. More people with newer Gens are reporting higher actual temps than what's set (at middle/higher racks) which I couldn't get on both identical Gen 1 40s. I believe the light, porus, low density cork with micro air pockets is insulating the sensor sticking out over the element, slowing it's closer proximity heating compared to the higher location of sensors in the left/middle of the the Gen 2 and 2.5. All Mes with right rear elements have the most rising hot air up that corner where Bear says to place the Amnps on the bottom rack regardless of the top vent. You can see the torrent of rising smoke on all Gens when over loaded with chips at the bottom rack above the element. So getting the sensors out of that zone was a good thing.
 
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