MES 40 (I think - from Sam's last fall) with Electronics and Remote - Temp Question

[rabbithutch]

I've only used this smoker a couple of times last fall.  I'm old and I've slept at least twice since then so I can't remember how the set temp and the reported temps behaved.

I'm at 3 hours on a smoke of 4 chickens (BUBA) using apple pellets and an AMNPS.  Got a good blue wispy smoke coming out. 

Here's my question:  If I set the temp at 275* (highest setting it will take), should I be seeing temps flashed on the digi readout that are below 200*?

I've got probes in the breasts of 3 of the 4 birds but none have got to the 180* that I'm looking for.

How long am I gonna have to keep these birds in the smoke the get them up to IT?

TIA

 

[yrrndsmoker]

If you set the temp to 275* and hit the "set temp" button it should come up within 5/10 minutes if you keep the door closed. Also 180* in the breast is kinda high, will have dry breasts. I usually take to 160* in the breast and will coast 4-5 degrees up after you take out. Always comes out perfect.  Good luck!!

 

[rabbithutch]

Thanks!  I'll stop them at a lower temp.

I figured out what the problem was.  Apparently I had set the time wrong and it had expired so it turned off the heater.  I reset the timer and will watch the probe temps.

Don't know how long the heater was off, but the temps never fell lower than 180*.  The heat is back on.  I think the period without the heater coming on might have been as much as 45 minutes.

Is there a way to use the MES without the timer?

 

[smokinhusker]

If you want heat, you have to set the time. I usually set it at a random time in excess of the anticipated end time of the smoked item.

 

[hkeiner]

I think that when the controller is first turned on and the timer button is pressed, the display flashes 24 hrs as a starting time. Tap the " - " button a few times and your will have 23+ hours on the timer. That gives your plenty of time.