MES 40 Problems

[nopigleftbehind]

So to preface a thread I started before.  Pork butt twice undercooked.  Cooked pork butt 275 for 10 hours.  Was more like pork chop than pulled pork.  Tested the thermometer both external and internal.  Both work fine within a small range of 2 degrees.  Then went back to MES and here is what I found.  

Ok here is what I have learned so far.  Topped MES 40 at 275 deg.  53deg outside temp 1100 foot elevation 33%humidity 6:45pm.  275 went to 286 degrees at start with no food.  back down to 266deg before reheating. 275 degree bbq probe had a meat thermometer temp (not in food) of 280 deg.  

Full vent open

ext mean probe        Ext Bbq probe         Meat prob on MES       MES bbq temp setting

280                            275                           276

277                            273                           272

277                            270                           270                                271

275                            270                           269                                271

half vent

275                           268                            267                                271

273                           266                            266                                270

280                           273                            276                                277

282                           275                            277                                277

*took two mins to go from low temp to high temp

What I have notice.

MES setting at 275deg on heating goes about 3-9deg warmer overall after shutdown

Reverse is true when it drops below 275 and re heat starts up.  

THEREFORE I would assume 275 is the overall "mid" temp

Question:

How does entering "meat" into the MES affect temp in theory especially with regards to location (have been smoking on second to top rack with open to 1/2 open vent?

Does vent play a role in heat control or heat level?

Will I see or has anyone seen fluctuation at lower temps with their MES (+/-???)?

Is there any ways for better temp management?

Any ideas then if the thermometer is working mostly accurate and my MES seems to function within 10 degrees either direction that my butt has "failed" twice now????

Thanks for your time

 

[Bearcarver]

Your temp cycling isn't so bad.

Your Pork Chop-like instead of pulling is probably because of what the IT was when you pulled it.

It should be about 205° IT for Pulled Pork.

Here's a Step by Step:

Pulled Boston Pork Butt    
Bear

 

[nopigleftbehind]

Awesome thanks!

 

[nopigleftbehind]

Just read your link bear.  You used a AMNPS?  I looked into this website on this.  Don't understand how they work or why someone would use it.  Tried contacting the site a couple of days ago and no response.  Also after 10 hours of smoking my temp internal never got above 175.  Any ideas why?

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Just read your link bear.  You used a AMNPS?  I looked into this website on this.  Don't understand how they work or why someone would use it.  Tried contacting the site a couple of days ago and no response.  Also after 10 hours of smoking my temp internal never got above 175.  Any ideas why?

How big was your Butt?

You got 4 therms reading between 266° and 282°.

At those temps you should have been higher than 175° in 10 hours, but it might have been a bigger than usual Butt.

Wrapping in foil at about 160° IT helps too.

Are you opening the door often?

The AMNPS is the only way I have found to get up to 11 straight hours of perfect Smoke.

I just fill it with Pellets, light one end real good, put it in & let her rock & roll.

I have to leave now, but I'll be back tomorrow.

I assume you aren't smoking right now anyway, but somebody else is sure to help if you need help sooner.

Sorry I have to leave now.

Bear

 

[klutzyspuds]

NPLB,

At 10 hours, that is not that uncommon of an IT for pork butt assuming it is around an 8 to 10 pound piece of pig.  I have a couple questions though.  Was the meat at fridge temp or room temp when it went on the smoker?  Also, is there water in your water pan.  And are you foiling the meat? 

When I do pulled pork I smoke at 250 throughout, and set the meat in a disposable foil pan and wrap tightly with a splash of apple juice and Capt. Morgan in the pan once the IT hits 165 and back into the heat without smoke until IT hits 195.  when IT 195 is reached, pan and all is out of the smoker and into a cooler wrapped in towels for minimum 1 hour.  I have done many over the past 5 years and never had what I would call a failure.  And, due to my own fault of sharing, I have to make a lot of these for friends and community events.

As far as time, this usually is between 12 and 13 hrs, but as it is often said here on SMF a piece of meat is done when it says its done. you cannot rush it.

Hope this helps.

Mark

 

[dr k]

At 1,100 ft. your non Mes probes that can be tested in boiling water should read around 210*F.  If they are accurate, then set the non MES air probe you tested next to the food and adjust the Mes controller till you get the temp you want on the display that is connected to that air probe.  Put the non MES food probe you tested in the meat and cook till the IT of the meat is 205*F.  Don't go by the Mes pit sensor or the Mes meat probe.  Go with what you can test periodically in boiling water.  My Mes meat probe reads 10*F high and the Mes pit sensor is not at the level I cook my food.  There's one pit sensor and four vertical racks with their own temp.  What temp was the meat IT reading on the undercooked butts? 

-Kurt

 

[nopigleftbehind]

Great advice guys.  The first butt was about 7 to 8lbs. Cant quite remember.  It was fridge temp.  I don't want to rush it but when you start in the morning and your family is hungry for dinner... you look like a you know what. HAHA.  

Can someone explain the whole towel for an hour in a cooler thing.  I don't quite understand why.  Also, what kind of towel?  Wont the threads of the towel just get on the hog?

 

[klutzyspuds]

If you foil the butt, it helps keep the moisture in the meat, and in my experience, it also seems to help cook the meat faster without raising smoker temp which can dry out the meat. As far as the cooler goes, wrapping in towels (I have a few cheap bath towels the wife bought on sale just for my smoking habit) would only be affective if you used the pan and foil. I can't speak with fancy scientific data as to what this rest time does, but it always seems to impart more tender meat with a better flavor. Also, with the cooler, you can start cooking a little earlier and put them in the cooler and keep them for up to about 5 hours allowing a cushion to get the meat done, and eat on time. It's a lot easier to start early and finish early and rest than having 15 hungry people waiting for you with a stubborn piece of meat that won't finish on your schedule. I wouldn't recommend wrapping a bare piece of meat with cloth. That might be messy.

I hope this helps. Not much knowledge available here to depart to you, but will share as much as this student has.

Good luck and happy smoking,

Mark

 

[dr k]

 
Great advice guys.  The first butt was about 7 to 8lbs. Cant quite remember.  It was fridge temp.  I don't want to rush it but when you start in the morning and your family is hungry for dinner... you look like a you know what. HAHA.  

Can someone explain the whole towel for an hour in a cooler thing.  I don't quite understand why.  Also, what kind of towel?  Wont the threads of the towel just get on the hog?

Newspaper is a fantastic insulator.  If you don't want to spill juices on a towel and wash the smoke out of clean towels, using loosely crumpled newspaper to fill the air voids in the cooler is great for hot foods and insulating foods that are frozen solid.  Kinda like foiling the waterpan,  bottom grease pan in the smoker for easy clean up.

-Kurt 

 

[Bearcarver]

Also if one doesn't have a cooler handy, or it's too much of a PITA to get it out, you can also do the same thing with the towels inside a Microwave. (Just don't turn it on)

Bear

 

[nopigleftbehind]

Great advice guys thanks

 

[chitown smoker]

 
Newspaper is a fantastic insulator.  If you don't want to spill juices on a towel and wash the smoke out of clean towels, using loosely crumpled newspaper to fill the air voids in the cooler is great for hot foods and insulating foods that are frozen solid.  Kinda like foiling the waterpan,  bottom grease pan in the smoker for easy clean up.

-Kurt 

hey I just noticed you're in Peoria.  That's my hometown.  I'll be there over Xmas.  :)

Actually from Bartonville.  Nice area.

 

[dr k]

hey I just noticed you're in Peoria.  That's my hometown.  I'll be there over Xmas.  :)

Actually from Bartonville.  Nice area.

I'm a couple minutes from the route 6 and War Memorial route 150 interchange. Its a fifteen minutes drive to Bartonville. Peoria Custom Cookers is just across the river from your hometown in North Pekin. When main st T's at Edgewater rd there's a Casey"s general store gas station. Its behind Casey's on a rock road. They have great all insulated commercial smokers I took a short tour through it.
-Kurt

 

[chitown smoker]

I'm a couple minutes from the route 6 and War Memorial route 150 interchange. Its a fifteen minutes drive to Bartonville. Peoria Custom Cookers is just across the river from your hometown in North Pekin. When main st T's at Edgewater rd there's a Casey"s general store gas station. Its behind Casey's on a rock road. They have great all insulated commercial smokers I took a short tour through it.
-Kurt

Awesome!  I know Pekin well.  Will have to check it out sometime.