MES 30. Temp issues

[donaltman3]

Hey gang, can someome help me determin if my issues might be an easy repair or something I just make due with? I have a MES gen2 I’ve had it a few years. Originally all the temps seemed to be accurate but the remote never worked. I was sent a new one and it too did not work with the smoker. That wasnt a big deal to me at the time a d since they had replaced ot once I decided to move on. I am now having problems with temps. My actually temps in the cooker are way under what it says it is on thr control unit. The prob reads way hotter than it actually ever is. The heating element comes on and off like it should according to what the smoker thinks the temps are but those temps are off. Not sure where to begin, any guesses?

 

[Nutshell]

My MES 140B was pretty innacurate out of the box. Got my Auber PID controller and haven’t looked back. Went with the WIFi one, keeps my temps spot on.

 

[bdskelly]

I emailed BearCarver for you. He’s very good with any MES issues that come up.

 

[Bearcarver]

Need more info:
Like if your smoker is empty, and it's set at ???, what does your MES digital read, and what does your Taylor read.
Where is your Taylor while it's getting that reading.

Do you have a digital wireless Therm, like a Maverick ET-732 or similar?

Bear

 

[donaltman3]

Need more info:
Like if your smoker is empty, and it's set at ???, what does your MES digital read, and what does your Taylor read.
Where is your Taylor while it's getting that reading.

Do you have a digital wireless Therm, like a Maverick ET-732 or similar?

Bear

The smoker has 30 pounds of summer sausage in it. It is set at 200 and is actually at 150 according to my in oven thermometer that is on thr middle shelf inside. I just opened door and snapped a picture. When the display drops to 190 it comes on and stays heating until it says 215 or so but in actuality it is 145-155. The inside temp stays pretty consistsnt, just cooler than what it reads. Like it is, I can bump it up the dispaly to 225-250 to get to 160 mark

 

[Bearcarver]

With 30 pounds of Summer Sausage in it, you can't really tell how well the Smoker is Functioning.
Could the Sausage be covering a whole rack, and blocking air & heat flow through the Sausage on that rack?
What Rack or Racks is the meat on, and where is the digital wireless smoker probe?

Before you start, give your Digital wireless Therm probes the boiling test.
To test your Smoker, put your Digital Probe close to the MES sensor (looks like a toggle switch on the back wall inside the smoker).
The Smoker must be empty, and set the Temp at 275°.
Watch what Temp it turns off at (Heating light on control goes off). What temp did both therms say?
How far did it coast upwards before the temp starts to fall again?
Next--At what temp did the heat come back on (Heating light comes on). What did both therms say when that light came on?

Bear

 

[dr k]

When the first remote didn't work did you try to pair the remote to the controller again as well as the replacement in the instructions? I missed that part when I originally read the directions since the remote was fine out of the box. Then use the remote at the beginning for the entire smoke or the controller but not both. I went with the Auber PID because at the Mes set temp of 275 I was actually only getting to 255. Seems like the positioning of the newer BT Mes sensor gets people to 275 or higher than lower with the Gen 1 or 2.

 

[donaltman3]

Bear.. I will try that tonight with the smoker empty and report back.

dr k.. I tried to pair them.... it never would work. I am interested in the Auber PID (I think) so I will do some more research on it.

 

[donaltman3]

Set it on 275 today , the heater cycled off at 273 displayed. Actual temp was only 235. The heater stayed off until it dropped to 260 displayed, it was actually 230. Click on and climbed back ti 273 before shutting back off. Never got hotter than 235 actual degrees. Vent closed. The internal meat prob shows 310 degrees now anytime you press the button.

 

[Bearcarver]

Set it on 275 today , the heater cycled off at 273 displayed. Actual temp was only 235. The heater stayed off until it dropped to 260 displayed, it was actually 230. Click on and climbed back ti 273 before shutting back off. Never got hotter than 235 actual degrees. Vent closed. The internal meat prob shows 310 degrees now anytime you press the button.

OK---So now we know the meat in the smoker had nothing to do with your problems.
I would Immediately call Masterbuilt. Tell them what it does.
That's all bad!
Set at 275°, the element should shut off at 275°.
Then after peaking & dropping, it should come on at about 273°-274°, and take it back to 275° again.

You paid for a Smoker that gets from 100° to 275°, and if it never gets above 235° you didn't get what you paid for.
They should either replace the problem (New Control or whatever) or they should replace the Smoker entirely.

Bear

 

[donaltman3]

I will try that.. thanks Bear.

 

[donaltman3]

update to an old post. I called after you (bear carver) suggested and was basically shut down. I was told it was out of any warranty They didn’t seem to want to help me. So I just gave up. It still worked for slow cooked low temp stuff and since I mainly do summer sausage and stuff like that I decided to just not bother with it. I got a new new 40 for Christmas and have some questions about it in a new thread.

 

[Bearcarver]

update to an old post. I called after you (bear carver) suggested and was basically shut down. I was told it was out of any warranty They didn’t seem to want to help me. So I just gave up. It still worked for slow cooked low temp stuff and since I mainly do summer sausage and stuff like that I decided to just not bother with it. I got a new new 40 for Christmas and have some questions about it in a new thread.

I was just on that other thread & did my best.
Sorry they weren't more help---They have often helped people, even after the warranty was over.

Bear