MES in cold temps?

[jteer]

We are doing our Christmas tomorrow and I was planning on smoking a spiral cut ham in the morning. Lows in the morning are supposed to be in the low 20's...will my MES 40 have trouble maintaining temperature?

 

[crankybuzzard]

Should be fine, just keep it out of the wind.

 

[jteer]

Good deal! Thanks!  It is under my south facing porch so should be out of the wind.

 

[cashxx]

I have the 30 MES and it was about the same temp and I couldn't get it up past 230.  Had it set for 275 or 285, whatever the max temp is.   Was my first time turning it on.  Or maybe defective, not sure at this point.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
We are doing our Christmas tomorrow and I was planning on smoking a spiral cut ham in the morning. Lows in the morning are supposed to be in the low 20's...will my MES 40 have trouble maintaining temperature?

Shouldn't be a problem. 

The MES is insulated ver good.

The only problem you could have would be if it is in the Wind---Summer or Winter.

The wind can suck the heat right out of the top vent, if there's nothing to block it.

Bear

 
I have the 30 MES and it was about the same temp and I couldn't get it up past 230.  Had it set for 275 or 285, whatever the max temp is.   Was my first time turning it on.  Or maybe defective, not sure at this point.

Keep trying it. Try it with no Wind getting to the top vent.

If it still won't get above 230° while set at 275° (MAX), you could have a bad controller.

Don't trust what your MES digital reads. They are often wrong. Get a Digital Wireless Therm, like the Maverick ET-732. Then you'll know what the real temp is.

Bear

 

[brickguy221]

 
Shouldn't be a problem. 

The MES is insulated ver good.

The only problem you could have would be if it is in the Wind---Summer or Winter.

The wind can suck the heat right out of the top vent, if there's nothing to block it.

Bear

Keep trying it. Try it with no Wind getting to the top vent.

If it still won't get above 230° while set at 275° (MAX), you could have a bad controller.

Don't trust what your MES digital reads. They are often wrong. Get a Digital Wireless Therm, like the Maverick ET-732. Then you'll know what the real temp is.

Bear

The SMOKE from Thermolworks ....   http://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke?ut...ent=inbox&utm_campaign=Dec2016-Smoked-Duck-cs ....  is another excellent wireless thermometer.  I had the Maveric ET-733 and hated it as it was overly difficult and sensitive to set up, so i purchased this SMOKE and love it. It is so simple to set up and use.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
The SMOKE from Thermolworks ....   http://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke?ut...ent=inbox&utm_campaign=Dec2016-Smoked-Duck-cs ....  is another excellent wireless thermometer.  I had the Maveric ET-733 and hated it as it was overly difficult and sensitive to set up, so i purchased this SMOKE and love it. It is so simple to set up and use.

Yup I agree---The ET-733 is too much of a PITA for my non-electronic brain too, but the ET-732 is easy. Got mine for up to 6 years & they work Great.

I heard the Smoke is good too, but I personally know the ET-732 is for many years.

Bear

 

[cashxx]

Keep trying it. Try it with no Wind getting to the top vent.

If it still won't get above 230° while set at 275° (MAX), you could have a bad controller.

Don't trust what your MES digital reads. They are often wrong. Get a Digital Wireless Therm, like the Maverick ET-732. Then you'll know what the real temp is.

Bear

That was my thought was maybe the air coming in the top vent and keeping the temp down. I had it half open. I have my MES on a covered rear deck, but is the windy part of my house.  I have a surface thermometer that lays on the shelf, I'll throw that in next time just to see.   The probe meat thermometer or whatever you want to call it was dead on.  I have a wireless one and stuck them both along with a third instant read thermometer into a glass of ice water and they all read the same at 32F.  Not sure of the thermometers I have.  Think I just picked them up at Lowe's.  

Thanks for the input!

 

[Bearcarver]

 
That was my thought was maybe the air coming in the top vent and keeping the temp down. I had it half open. I have my MES on a covered rear deck, but is the windy part of my house.  I have a surface thermometer that lays on the shelf, I'll throw that in next time just to see.   The probe meat thermometer or whatever you want to call it was dead on.  I have a wireless one and stuck them both along with a third instant read thermometer into a glass of ice water and they all read the same at 32F.  Not sure of the thermometers I have.  Think I just picked them up at Lowe's.  

Thanks for the input!

I know what you mean. Mine is on my front porch, on the South side, under roof, but at times that porch can be a wind tunnel.

The wind can blow over the top vent, and suck the heat right out, much like when someone blows on a soda bottle from the edge causing a musical note.

I've done various things to block the wind, including:

Hanging a tarp on the end of the porch to close off the third side, and eliminate the wind tunnel.

Taping cardboard above both sides & the back of the smoker, leaving about 8" sticking above the top.

Setting a cardboard box over the top vent, with the holes in the box at different ends of the box.

Actually these all worked.

Bear