LOOKS VERY NICE. QUESTION, YOU DID THE NO BACK REMOVAL REWIRE RIGHT? I WON'T BE DOING THAT AS IT IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN I AM COMFORTABLE DOING. WITHOUT DOING THAT REWIRE, WILL THE OVERHEAT SENSOR STILL WORK? THAT'S THE ONE ON THE INSIDE BACK WALL THAT CUTS OFF THE ELEMENT IF IT GOES OVER 302 RIGHT? I GET IT THAT I'LL NO LONGER BE USING THE MES ELECTRICAL PLUG, WHICH IS FINE, I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THE SAFETY WILL STILL WORK. THANKS FOR ALL OF THE INFO AND ADVICE.
mes cold smoker kit.
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The easy power cord mod you want to do doesn't have the safety snap disc in circuit unless you access it by taking off the back, cutting an access where it's at from the back or you have an access built in there already. If you want to access the snap disc you can include it in the circuit. With a mailbox mod and nothing combustible in the smoker, I'm not concerned with this PID like the stock on/off controller loosing control. The PID has a quick blow 15amp fuse for over amp protection. The Mes analog dial rheostat controllers don't have the snap disk. I cut an access in the back of my smoker incase it fails so I can jumper it or wire nut the wires together to bypass the snap disc or hook up the back up power cord I made like I expained to you to finish my smoke.
OK I see. I'm going to do the easy power cord mod and not include the snap disc in the circuit. Once I make sure how accurate the temp settings are with the PID controller, since I never need to cook higher than 260-275, it should be safe, and not go over 302. And if it does somehow get too hot, the fuse on the Auber will blow, right? Thanks. BTW I use chunks in my slow smoker attachment this weekend and the router controller, and it worked perfectly, only filled one time and lasted 4 hours. Cannot believe I've wasted the last few years using chips with stale smoke flavor. Now I know better, thanks to you and the great people on this forum. Very appreciative for all of the help and support.
The 15 amp fuse mayl protect the PID from a power surge I guess so it doesn't get damaged but not affect it's performance regulating electricity to the heating element. Since you have a Mes 40 when you run the default setting out of the box and autotune you may find like many of us that the controller flashes electricity to the element too soon maybe 25 degrees below your set temp which means it takes too long to get there instead of the green light on constantly up to a degree or two below set point. When I=0 and D=0 then it's in P mode and the instructions use P=7, I=0 and D=0 as the example so 7 degrees below set point the controller is at full output 7/7 =1 or 100%, green light on, at 6 degrees below it's 6/7 output 85.7% flashes green light , 5 degrees below set point it's 5/7 output 71.4% flashing green light till you get to set point is 0/7 or off. Green light off. So the PID comes in for a landing so to speak at your set point. With vent widr open at higher temps you need a fast response to hold temps within two degrees of set point so the fastest is P=1,, I=0 and D=0. 1 degree below set point is 1/1 100% output .5 below set point is 50% outut then off at set point. You need 50% outut 1/2 ° below set point to not drop several degrees at high temps with max air flow through the smoker. P=2, I=0 and D=0 is 100% output two degrees below set point, 50% output at one degree below set point and off at set point. So at high temps P=2 has a little more temp swing unless smoking at 200° or less. When preheating It'll over shoot the some without the cold sink of food but when you open the door to put in food it comes up to your set point without overshooting. If P=0 no matter what I and D are set to it's on/off mode like the stock Mes controller and won't hover around set point within two degrees but is better than the Mes controller because the PID sensor is by your food not low on the back wal near the elementl where your food isn't. After one hour of playing with the PID with default and autotune I reread the P mode instructions and got to P=1, I=0 and D=0 and never looked back and change to P=2, I=0 and D=0 for starting at 150 and ramping up ten degrees every hour for dried beef, jerky, sausages, fish and creating a draft for cold smoking just setting the controller 10 degrees above outside ambient temp. With the smaller Mes 30 others have different go to settings but with the Mes 40 others like the P mode I described above.
I forgot to mention that if someone is always home then a dual probe digital therm that has a pit probe with a range vs. Just a high limit alarm is your safety over temp. So when I smoke ribs, butts and brisket at 275 I set my high alarm at 290 and the low at 260 so if I doze off I'll be alerted if the temp is out of range like a power outage or grease fire.
WHENEVER I SMOKE, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE HOME. I DO USE A DUAL PROBE DIGITAL THERM, AND WILL PUT ONE NEXT TO THE MEAT TO USE AS A HIGH/LOW TEMP ALARM.
PID CAME IN TODAY! I'M HOPING TO INSTALL THIS WEEK, THEN TEST THIS WEEKEND. I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE INFO AND HELP.
GREAT NEWS!! We did the install today. Everything went great. I read the manual, and did the 1 set temp no timer setting, set it to 240', solid green light, watched it climb to 120', left it alone for an hour, came back out and it was at 240'! No green Light. Opened door, cooled down very fast to 219'. Closed door started to climb again. Turned off. Will smoke ribs next Tuesday and let you know the results after 5-6 hours. I am very happy using this manually with the 1 step if it holds up and stays consistent. I will put my dual probe in Tuesday when I do some actual cooking, and make sure the auber is reasonably accurate. I cannot thank you enough for the info and advice. I'll keep updating, and of course pay it forward.
Did you try the default setting and autotune or P=1, I=0 and D=0 manual setting?
No, I only did the single step mode, which is manually set the temp no timer or variance. That was the test run 2 hours total. I was reading the manual a bit and a question, if I keep it this way, one step manual keep temp at 250-260 constant, no timer, etc. Will it damage the PID unit? Does it need to cycle other than just on off keeping temp at the setting I put? I'm reading manual and find one area says it could overheat the unit, and another stating it won't. Based on amp draw. Also will it damage the PID when I turn on initially, if it heats up too fast? Like constant heating for 45 min-1 hour til it hits 260'. Thanks.
The PID default setting it came to you out of the box is P=7, I=600 and D=150. With an empty smoker and you start heating to your set point at what temp does the steady green light start to flash (25° below your set temp, 10° below?) Nothing to do with the single stage mode. It's the performance of the PID. It's the section where you enter code 166 to autotune or manually change the P, I and D values. When watching it heat up and it comes out of full power and the green light flashes many degrees below your set temp you'll never get to the set temp with food in the smoker. This PID doesn't know what it's controlling so the default values I found need to be changed like in the posts above. This controller won't have over heating issues since the element is 1,200 watts.
I see. I only did the one stage setup with the manual, setting it to 240'. Didn't pay attn to the P I or D setting. Watched it climb to 120' solid green light , went into house for an hour, came back out and it was at 240', no green light. Opened the door, temp dropped to 219', closed door, green light solid temp started going back up. I can reset to your suggestion P=1 I=0 D=0 and see how it does.
I did all of this with no food in smoker. So I want to make sure it's right before I use real food.
Thanks
Ok now were on the same page. So it sounds like you tried the default setting. Turn on the smoker with the same setting and come back 15 minutes later and check the temp displayed and if the light flashes or solid. You want the solid light on right up to a degree or so just below your set temp with the Mes 40 and vent wide open. When you try P=1, I=0 and D=0 just write down those values before you try the above because you can always set it back. I removed all the metal chip burner assembly from around the element since I'm not using it. So the element is exposed and doesn't have to heat up metal or keep heat in the right rear corner and no clean up.
I have already removed the wood chip drawer and fill tube since I'm using the slow smoke attachment. You're saying also remove the metal that is around the heating element too? I can do that it seems easy enough. And I'll do another dry run without food with the P1I1D1 settings with temp set at 260' and see how that does. Thanks.
It's P=1, I=0 and D=0. Do the default setting again and note the temp the green light flashes, then open the door to let out heat and then the other setting to see the difference. Press and hold set till the red flashing light on the lower right blinks indicating input changes and press the up arrow till 166 and press set. It'll show P and change to 1, then press set, it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show D, then change to 0, then press set, then it'll show AT= 0, no change press set, then itll show T =2 , no change press set and done. This will keep the green light solid (100% output) till 1/2 degree below set point and will quickly coast up past set point where the green light is off. There will be over coasting when preheating empty a few degrees but not with food. The temp will drop and the green light will flash 50% output 1/2 degree below set temp and full output solid green light 1 degree below set point so you'll be a couple degrees around set temp with alternating 100 % output and 50% output vs. the default setting that flashes many degrees below set point so your waiting to preheat/recover. You should get to a preheatef set temp of 275 in 25 -30 minutes without food. Since you weren't around till after an hour you missed how the PID performed at the default setting.
OK. I see now. I will print these directions, which are much easier to understand than the manual. I will use this and let you know my results. Should I remove the metal left above the heating element? It's the enclosure the drawer used to go in to. So the element is totally exposed?
I will also stay with it the entire time so I can watch how it acts once it hits the set temp. I'll restore factory defaults first, then do this method.
I removed everything around the element so pools of grease and juice are farther away from the element on the bottom foiled pan. Not as much vaporizing smokey grease.
OK. Doesn't grease get directly on the element during cooking with it exposed? I could place as much of the food as i can to the left so it's less directly over the element. I use the second shelf from the bottom to cook, mostly.
I did it! Set p=1 I=0 D=0. Set it to 270'. Solid green light all the way til 269, then blinking light as it hit 270. Then off, Went to 272, then went down to 267 and green light came on solid etc. I also had my probe thermometer next to the Auber probe plus an oven therm, both the probe and oven therms were 15-20 degrees less like 250 mostly. they were on the same rack about 1-2 inches from the Auber probe. Does that much difference seem normal? I'm very happy to be getting 250-270 degrees to cook now, much better than the 220 max i had prior to this mod.
When I use food, should I set the Auber higher to achieve 260 degrees to cook?
So now I should be ready to cook some ribs Tuesday morning at 4am for an office party at 11am. Let you know how it goes.
Just tested my probes for my dual probe therm in boiling water. My main one I use in foods was 179', my other one was 204'. That settles the difference between the Auber probe and this one. I used today the one that is off 25 + degrees in the smoker. I'll get rid of that and purchase a new dual probe setup. Any recommendations? Inkbird?
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