Maverick placement in MES

[goldmine1965]

I was curious where others place their Maverick probe in the MES. I typically place food on the second rack of the MES 30. I have the Maverick either on the same rack as the meat or the 1st rack. But the cold temperature of the meat really throws off the accuracy of the Maverick. I have tried clipping the probe on the top of the rack and clipping underneath the bottom of the rack. I was thinking of starting to put the probe on the 1st rack and cook meats on the 3rd rack.

Goldmine

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I was curious where others place their Maverick probe in the MES. I typically place food on the second rack of the MES 30. I have the Maverick either on the same rack as the meat or the 1st rack. But the cold temperature of the meat really throws off the accuracy of the Maverick. I have tried clipping the probe on the top of the rack and clipping underneath the bottom of the rack. I was thinking of starting to put the probe on the 1st rack and cook meats on the 3rd rack.

Goldmine

I like to do it like below.

That way I can put the meat right next to the cable, because the tip of the probe is about 3" away from the meat.

Far enough to keep the cold meat from screwing it up, but close enough to measure the heat in that area of the smoker.

BTW:  I have a clothes pin on the probe cable above the top vent----That keeps the Probe from moving up or down from where I want it.

Bear

Maverick Probe in position suspended to just below Rack #2:
http://s836.photobucket.com/user/Bearcarver_2009/media/Bearcarver_2009007/DSCN2356.jpg.html

 

[alwaysntraining]

I am really sorry if this is not the place to ask this but the pic is so perfect in relation to my issue. My new MES says it gets up to temp but does not and my probe was exactly where the one in the pic is for the whole cook. I sent Masterbuilt an email last night and it would be easier to copy and past my email that then explain. 

"Hi, I bought a Masterbuilt 40" smoker model # 20070311 a couple of weeks ago. I have used it 3 times so far. I also have a Maverick ET-732 dual probe thermometer that I use and have used in the past. I have done a low and high temp calibration on it and both probes are within one degree of each other and test out perfect. Yesterday I smoked 3-butts. I started out with the smoker set at 240. I had one maverick probe centered in the smoker and one in the center of one of the butts. I left it this way for 10 hours. The control panel would read between 138 and 142 on the smoker. The maverick probe read between 191 and 193 for the whole 10 hours and the internal meat temp was not climbing past the 130 mark very fast at all. I then turned the smoker up to 275 and the controller said it was there but again my maverick read about 48 deg. less. I left it there for another 5 hours for a total of 15 hours of total cook time. After 15 hours the internal temp of the meat was at 183. I believe something (smoker probe or controller) is way out of calibration. As slow as the meat temp was coming up it would have taken another 5 hours to get to the 205 I wanted but I went as long as I could and still feed everyone. The meat still had to much fat in it at 183 but still doable. Have you ran into this very often and is there a fix? I love the smoker but if it thinks it is at 275 but is really about 50 cooler it will not work. The coil would cycle on and off telling me it though it was at set temp. Thanks Chuck"

If anyone has any input I have open ears. Sorry for the hijack!!!

 

[alwaysntraining]

I am no expert but as I said I put my probe 100% exactly where Bear does.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I am really sorry if this is not the place to ask this but the pic is so perfect in relation to my issue. My new MES says it gets up to temp but does not and my probe was exactly where the one in the pic is for the whole cook. I sent Masterbuilt an email last night and it would be easier to copy and past my email that then explain. 

"Hi, I bought a Masterbuilt 40" smoker model # 20070311 a couple of weeks ago. I have used it 3 times so far. I also have a Maverick ET-732 dual probe thermometer that I use and have used in the past. I have done a low and high temp calibration on it and both probes are within one degree of each other and test out perfect. Yesterday I smoked 3-butts. I started out with the smoker set at 240. I had one maverick probe centered in the smoker and one in the center of one of the butts. I left it this way for 10 hours. The control panel would read between 138 and 142 on the smoker. The maverick probe read between 191 and 193 for the whole 10 hours and the internal meat temp was not climbing past the 130 mark very fast at all. I then turned the smoker up to 275 and the controller said it was there but again my maverick read about 48 deg. less. I left it there for another 5 hours for a total of 15 hours of total cook time. After 15 hours the internal temp of the meat was at 183. I believe something (smoker probe or controller) is way out of calibration. As slow as the meat temp was coming up it would have taken another 5 hours to get to the 205 I wanted but I went as long as I could and still feed everyone. The meat still had to much fat in it at 183 but still doable. Have you ran into this very often and is there a fix? I love the smoker but if it thinks it is at 275 but is really about 50 cooler it will not work. The coil would cycle on and off telling me it though it was at set temp. Thanks Chuck"

If anyone has any input I have open ears. Sorry for the hijack!!!

I would have to know more about it, as it could be a number of things.

It sounds as though you had something blocking the heat from getting much higher than the MES sensor, which is a little below the center on the back wall.

Did you have two of those butts on the same rack?

Were they in pans?

What racks were each item on?

Did you have any other Catch pans on any rack?

Any racks foiled?

Did you have water in your water pan?

Any pics of the inside while it was going?

Bear

 

[alwaysntraining]

No pics. 

No foil covered racks.

No water just water pan wrapped in foil.

Top pan removed and 3rd rack down removed..

1 butts on lower rack on the left side so it was not over the element. 2 butts on the upper rack closer to the front than the rear so that they were farther from the sensor.

No foil pans.

No other catch pans. Just 3 butts.

The sensor had open access to the air and heat flow

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I am really sorry if this is not the place to ask this but the pic is so perfect in relation to my issue. My new MES says it gets up to temp but does not and my probe was exactly where the one in the pic is for the whole cook. I sent Masterbuilt an email last night and it would be easier to copy and past my email that then explain. 

"Hi, I bought a Masterbuilt 40" smoker model # 20070311 a couple of weeks ago. That Model number is one of the Best Smokers they ever made.

I have used it 3 times so far. I also have a Maverick ET-732 dual probe thermometer that I use and have used in the past. I have done a low and high temp calibration on it and both probes are within one degree of each other and test out perfect. Yesterday I smoked 3-butts. I started out with the smoker set at 240. I had one maverick probe centered in the smoker and one in the center of one of the butts. I left it this way for 10 hours. The control panel would read between 138 and 142 on the smoker.  This is the sentence that really confuses me. Are you sure you don't mean 238° and 242°

The maverick probe read between 191 and 193 for the whole 10 hours and the internal meat temp was not climbing past the 130 mark very fast at all. I then turned the smoker up to 275 and the controller said it was there but again my maverick read about 48 deg. less. I left it there for another 5 hours for a total of 15 hours of total cook time. After 15 hours the internal temp of the meat was at 183. I believe something (smoker probe or controller) is way out of calibration. As slow as the meat temp was coming up it would have taken another 5 hours to get to the 205 I wanted but I went as long as I could and still feed everyone. The meat still had to much fat in it at 183 but still doable. Have you ran into this very often and is there a fix? I love the smoker but if it thinks it is at 275 but is really about 50 cooler it will not work. The coil would cycle on and off telling me it though it was at set temp. Thanks Chuck"

If anyone has any input I have open ears. Sorry for the hijack!!!

If I'm right about the 238° to 242°, then your problem seems to be a bad controller. When your MES is set at 240° it really only goes to about 190°. And if it's set to 275° it really only gets to 225°. You paid for a Smoker that can get to 275°, and that one can only get to 225° Max.

This tells me that your controller is off by about 50°, and they should either give you a new controller, or a New Smoker. Don't let them give you a Gen #2 replacement. If they give you a New Smoker, You want a Gen #1 like you have, or a Gen #2.5.

Bear

 

[alwaysntraining]

Yes you are correct about the 238/234. that is what happens when you send emails out when you are tired. Masterbuilt has received my email and is going to send me a new one. You can not beat that kind of service!

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Yes you are correct about the 238/242. that is what happens when you send emails out when you are tired. Masterbuilt has received my email and is going to send me a new one. You can not beat that kind of service!

Great !!

For the last few years they have really taken Great care of their customers.

They have their problems here & there, but they seem to really back their products!

Let me know any time I can help you in the future.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I was curious where others place their Maverick probe in the MES. I typically place food on the second rack of the MES 30. I have the Maverick either on the same rack as the meat or the 1st rack. But the cold temperature of the meat really throws off the accuracy of the Maverick. I have tried clipping the probe on the top of the rack and clipping underneath the bottom of the rack. I was thinking of starting to put the probe on the 1st rack and cook meats on the 3rd rack.

Goldmine

Goldmine,

Sorry about the Hijack.

Did my Post #2 fix you up?

If not ask me again.

Bear

 

[alwaysntraining]

 
Goldmine,

Sorry about the Hijack.

Did my Post #2 fix you up?

If not ask me again.

Bear

Very sorry myself.

 

[goldmine1965]

 
Very sorry myself.

 
Goldmine,

Sorry about the Hijack.

Did my Post #2 fix you up?

If not ask me again.

Bear

No worries.. I don't mind. I like reading posts on this forum anyways!!.. I got the idea, I'll give it a try on the next smoke and see if it helps.

Goldmine

 

[alwaysntraining]

 
No worries.. I don't mind. I like reading posts on this forum anyways!!.. I got the idea, I'll give it a try on the next smoke and see if it helps.

Goldmine

I hope it is more accurate then mine either way, lol.

 

[foamheart]

 
I was curious where others place their Maverick probe in the MES. I typically place food on the second rack of the MES 30. I have the Maverick either on the same rack as the meat or the 1st rack. But the cold temperature of the meat really throws off the accuracy of the Maverick. I have tried clipping the probe on the top of the rack and clipping underneath the bottom of the rack. I was thinking of starting to put the probe on the 1st rack and cook meats on the 3rd rack.

Goldmine

I am old school, I have a 733 still in the box from last year. I have two ET72's which work as long as the probe doesn't get weird.

I hate to say I think about placement but..... If I am trying to run a hot box, I go high with the probe. Your biggest problem will be too hot. If I am running low & slow, I place the probe lower because i want to ensure not dropping my low heat.

I don't know that matters, but it is what works for me.

 

[goldmine1965]

 
Goldmine,

Sorry about the Hijack.

Did my Post #2 fix you up?

If not ask me again.

Bear

Thought I would play around with it before I got to the next smoke. Do you run your probe down through the vent? Seems like when I run the probe down the vent and place it in the same position as yours, the probe wire seems to run across rack 2, getting the way of any meat placed there.  I'll keep playing around with it, now that I have the general idea of placement.

Goldmine

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Thought I would play around with it before I got to the next smoke. Do you run your probe down through the vent? Seems like when I run the probe down the vent and place it in the same position as yours, the probe wire seems to run across rack 2, getting the way of any meat placed there.  I'll keep playing around with it, now that I have the general idea of placement.

Goldmine

Yes---Through the top vent:

If you have another rack between the vent & the rack you're going to, just route it through that rack any way you want----Straight through or over close to the wall out of the way.

Then once you have it exactly where you want it, you can put a Spring clothes pin (or some other device) on the cable, just outside the top vent. Then it won't drop down or move around out of position. Nothing to it once you do it once or twice.

Bear