MES 40 Rack Supports

[jjblodg]

I have an MES 40 (20075515) that just stopped working. It trips the breaker when I start the heating element. Based on other threads in here (and what MB support told me), I probably just need to swap out the heating element. The back of the element (rear of smoker) was all corroded / rusted and the contacts actually fell off. I can do that part no probably but just need to order the parts.

However... My model has 6 rack positions and not just 4. So it has 3 slots in each of the 4 separate rack supports. But since I primarily do pulled pork, I end up having to skip a rack slot because the rack above would be resting on the top of the meat in the rack below. I would like to have something like part 9007120011 which should give me 4 rack positions but leave sufficient gap between them (https://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/search/part/2101179/270977). I'm fairly confident they'll fit because the picture matches the measurements from my existing rack supports.

So my question is where is the best place to get something like that? I can get 4 for $80 but didn't know if there's a better source. I did check local craigslist, FB marketplace, etc for used grills that might be good sources, but didn't find anything cheaper as of yet...

 

[tropics]

Do your mounting tabs have the same space?

 

[jjblodg]

Yes. I took my racks and measured the spacing and it matches the spacing of the images on appliancefactoryparts.com . So assuming those images are accurate, my tabs should be able to handle the other rack supports.

 

[tropics]

You are wasting money!! Leave the middle rack out when you use your smoker,it will be the same as the 4 rack.
Richie
I had 2 MES 40s

 

[jjblodg]

You are wasting money!! Leave the middle rack out when you use your smoker,it will be the same as the 4 rack.
Richie
I had 2 MES 40s

This problem is that I’m often cooking 60 lbs (8 butts) at once which requires me to use 4 full racks. Skipping the middle rack help with the bottom, but the top of the bottom set is still too close to bottom of the top set. So I’d still have an issue. Because the bottom hangs lower than the supports on a 3-grate rack, I guess I could just buy 2 of them and replace the top set only. I think that would accomplish the same thing...

 

[jjblodg]

well, so much for that idea...

This is what I'm working with. Note that the tabs (red) are actually at the bottom of the rack so it goes higher. This means that both the very top shelf doesn't have enough clearance and the top rack on the bottom set wouldn't have enough. The vertical spacing (yellow) is just too tight for taller meat.

What I had been doing was to use a couple of C-clips to create a way to "hang" the top rack on each set. That created the proper spacing but wasn't quite as stable, took slightly longer to disconnect for cleaning, etc. Just trying to find a more permanent solution. Because racks extend farther up, I'd have to still buy all 4 in order to get the clearance I need top to bottom.

 

[tropics]

I can't help with that,looks like you have it figured out Good Luck
Richie

 

[jjblodg]

I can't help with that,looks like you have it figured out Good Luck
Richie

Well thanks for giving it a try. :)

 

[cmayna]

If only you had a welder. The problem you have is that you use both rack spacing setups. Kinda hard to accomplish unless you do have both sets of racks. Maybe someone will chime in with an idea. Kinda serious about the welder, for you could buy an extra set of racks, used off of flea bay or Craigslist, remove the horizontal support rods and weld them where ever you need them onto the original support rack.

Yes there would be cost for the extra supports, but you would end up with more than 6 rows.

 

[tiros]

This problem is that I’m often cooking 60 lbs (8 butts) at once which requires me to use 4 full racks.

I want to know how you smoke that much meat at one time without overwhelming the heater. You say you do 8 butts, 60lbs, How long does your unit take to come up to the cooking set point of say 225 degrees? Do you have a temp probe? I find with only 4 butts/40 lbs my (40") MES struggles for many hours to get to set point once it is filled with all that cold meat. 1200 watts isn't that much heat. 70lbs of cold meat is quite a thermal load for a setup like this, I don't see how it can work for 8 butts when it barely works on 4.

 

[jjblodg]

I want to know how you smoke that much meat at one time without overwhelming the heater. You say you do 8 butts, 60lbs, How long does your unit take to come up to the cooking set point of say 225 degrees? Do you have a temp probe? I find with only 4 butts/40 lbs my (40") MES struggles for many hours to get to set point once it is filled with all that cold meat. 1200 watts isn't that much heat. 70lbs of cold meat is quite a thermal load for a setup like this, I don't see how it can work for 8 butts when it barely works on 4.

Hmmm. I didn't realize you couldn't do that... LOL Here are some pics from a year or so ago while doing around 50 lbs I think. I was experimenting with the baking pan to try to dissipate the heat better since the right side gets more heat than the left because of the burner placement. So don't judge me for that part of the setup. :)

But generally I set my temperature to around 210-215 maybe at first? That tends to keep the temperature in the smoker around 195-200 depending on where exactly the probe is. I have a 3rd party Bluetooth Temp Monitor with 6 probes. So I usually have 1 loose to measure unit temp and then the others go in various slabs of meat depending on what I'm cooking. I think it would take around 12 hours give or take to do that much. I just run it really low for a while and might bump it up higher towards the end to speed things up a bit. I think it does have to stay heating for quite a while but usually I just pop things in and then leave it alone for quite a while. The Temp Monitor has built in alarms on my smartphone if the temp drops below safe ranges so I know it's cooking at a safe temp. I also don't use a waterpan so don't know if that would have anything to do with it or not?

I do have the AMZN pellet smoker that I use in a mailbox at the source of smoke. That works WAY better than the onboard smoke box since the temp was never stable enough to keep chips lit consistently. But that also allows me to mess around with the smoke and refill pellets without having to open the door of the smoker. But I only have to refill every 7-8 hours so that's not even really an issue. But I also leave my vent wide open at the top at all times and vent out so the smoke doesn't fill up the inside of my fabric gazebo roof.

Not sure if that helps at all, but that's how I usually run it.

 

[jr_ece]

I want to know how you smoke that much meat at one time without overwhelming the heater. You say you do 8 butts, 60lbs, How long does your unit take to come up to the cooking set point of say 225 degrees? Do you have a temp probe? I find with only 4 butts/40 lbs my (40") MES struggles for many hours to get to set point once it is filled with all that cold meat. 1200 watts isn't that much heat. 70lbs of cold meat is quite a thermal load for a setup like this, I don't see how it can work for 8 butts when it barely works on 4.

Tiros, I believe I might have the same 40" 1200W MES (gen 1, I think). Just picked it up and had to do some work to get running. I've smoked a couple of things that turned out great. Sounds like I will have to be careful how much I smoke at once. Really seems the 40" space is unusable. Any further clarification at this point?

Thanks
JR