MES Digital Smokers

[cekkk]

Bear said: 

LOL----I used to have a "Skeeter" Bass Boat, and I learned a Boat is a Hole in the water that you throw Money into!!!

OMG!  I always tell the story about the bean bag ashtrays.  Thirty years ago you could get them for a buck, but at the retail Boats U.S. store up on Hwy 2 I found them for $5!  Of course, the bag had anchors or some such on it.  So for kicks I just now tried to find their stores.  Looks like they're just into insurance, or have a connection to a West Marine.  Anyway, sho 'nuf, the bean bag ashtrays?  They gottem.  And only $14.49!!!!!!!   

 

[tamathumper]

Cooked a 3.69 pound pork shoulder yesterday, but it took about 9 hours!  6 hours at 225 and three more at 250, to reach an IT of 205.  It should have taken only 5.5. hours, so I suspect the temperature readout is fishy already, after only three uses?

I'll retest the smoker temperature vs. the meat probe, an oven thermometer, and a laser thermometer for good measure.  I had a long smoke time last time, too, and both times I used a heavy-duty (12-3 stranded) extension cord 20 feet long of my own manufacture.

That might cause longer reheat times, but I doubt it would cause the temperature to read incorrectly.  But as I said, it's worth a retest.

 

[foamheart]

Cooked a 3.69 pound pork shoulder yesterday, but it took about 9 hours!  6 hours at 225 and three more at 250, to reach an IT of 205.  It should have taken only 5.5. hours, so I suspect the temperature readout is fishy already, after only three uses?

I'll retest the smoker temperature vs. the meat probe, an oven thermometer, and a laser thermometer for good measure.  I had a long smoke time last time, too, and both times I used a heavy-duty (12-3 stranded) extension cord 20 feet long of my own manufacture.

That might cause longer reheat times, but I doubt it would cause the temperature to read incorrectly.  But as I said, it's worth a retest.

How often are you opening the door?

 

[tamathumper]

I only opened the door twice during the entire time.

 

[ats32]

Your MES temp is probably off. I know mine is off by about 25 degrees but the probe is spot on.

 

[rtbbq2]

Your MES temp is probably off. I know mine is off by about 25 degrees but the probe is spot on.

Mine is off 25° also.

 

[rabbithutch]

I've got the MES 40 with the glass door that I bought from Sam's 2 years ago. I've had no problems with the unit. I was new to smoking so I learned a lot.

There must be thousands of threads on the subject of MES smokers. Use the Advanced Search and Bob's yer uncle.

 

[tamathumper]

Oh great, this is a known thing? @!@#&*

 

[tamathumper]

Loaded up several thermometers in the smoker in a small piece of potato set one inch from the internal probe, closed the vent and set the temperature to 225, and after two hours got the following:

MES 30 Display - 230

MES meat probe - 215

Meat thermometer - 190

Oven thermometer - 260 the entire time (clearly fried)!

And to top it off, I was in a hurry and forgot to test the temp with my laser thermometer!  Dang it! :(

 

[Bearcarver]

Loaded up several thermometers in the smoker in a small piece of potato set one inch from the internal probe, closed the vent and set the temperature to 225, and after two hours got the following:

MES 30 Display - 230

MES meat probe - 215

Meat thermometer - 190

Oven thermometer - 260 the entire time (clearly fried)!

And to top it off, I was in a hurry and forgot to test the temp with my laser thermometer!  Dang it! :(

I wouldn't trust any of those---I would get a Maverick ET-732, and trust that. IMHO

Bear

 

[terry d]

I received my new MES 30" yesterday and burned it in last night as per the Masterbuilt instructions (3 hrs @275 with chips for the last 45 min). I put a temperature gage on one of the center grills and it read about 310 degrees when the digital readout was at 275. Could be because the smoker was empty, or it could be the cheap thermometer I used. I'm going to be doing my first batch this weekend (pork loin, or ribs, I haven't decided yet) time will tell.

 

[sctdg35]

Terry D  it is not your "cheap" thermo. It is a common problem with the MES line. Be it the 30 or the 40 . Don't bother calling Masterbuilt and getting a new controller because you will be wasting your time with the install . All their controls are junk . See my post on the subject ,been there,done that . The only thing from Masterbuilt that works as it should is the Masterbuilt cold smoker attachment. Get a Maverick 732 remote thermo . Find what temp you want to cook at and set the control to shut down at that point,disregard what the setting says on the digital control  . In other words if you want a smoker temp of 225 you will probably set smoker control to something like 195 or a little less .

 

[tamathumper]

Maverick ET-732 ordered.

 

[daricksta]

I use a Taylor with a probe that I've tested for accuracy. With my MES 30 after the box gets up to temp it's within 2-3 degrees of the Taylor. However, I've already told the wife I want the Maverick ET-732 for my birthday this year so it's a done deal.

 

[ats32]

Terry D  it is not your "cheap" thermo. It is a common problem with the MES line. Be it the 30 or the 40 . Don't bother calling Masterbuilt and getting a new controller because you will be wasting your time with the install . All their controls are junk . See my post on the subject ,been there,done that . The only thing from Masterbuilt that works as it should is the Masterbuilt cold smoker attachment. Get a Maverick 732 remote thermo . Find what temp you want to cook at and set the control to shut down at that point,disregard what the setting says on the digital control  . In other words if you want a smoker temp of 225 you will probably set smoker control to something like 195 or a little less .

Mine runs cold. For 225F I set it at 250F. 

 

[terry d]

Thanks for the feedback. The Maverick is on my shopping list for the very near future. Until then I'll keep a close eye on the temps and figure out the offset I'll need to plan on.

 

[draken]

The first time I used my MES 30", the temp ranged wildly (+/- 20 degrees or more from set point).  The second time, I didn't use water in the water tray.  I used sand instead (clean play sand) and the temp didn't vary more than 5 degrees either way.  I haven't verified how accurate the set point is, but at least the sand heat sink did a better job of stabilizing the temperature inside the unit.

 

[themole]

You're gonna be happy!!!
 

 

[draken]

I already am.  My second smoke was ribs and chicken (sorry, haven't posted Q-view yet) and it converted a family member from "I hate ribs" to "When are you making those again?!?".  Here's a tease of the upcoming Q-view. 

SmokerRibs1.jpg

• draken
• Aug 8, 2013

 

[rtbbq2]

Maverick ET-732 ordered.

You will never look back....RTBBQ