MES Reverse Flow Design - Forum Feedback Wanted

[Cotosoti]

I have done a rewire bypass, installed a 1200w element, and have an Auber PID AW-1520H.
I have removed the slanted metal plate that comes with the Gen 2.
I have a mailbox and an AMNPS on the way.

I'm considering swapping out the snap-disc for one that goes to 347F so I can improve the skin on the chicken.
I plan on flipping the heating element and placing a stainless wire shelf (10" x 15") just above it with a 12" W x 10" D x 2" H baking pan on it to protect the element.

Is there anything gained by going through this extra work for the "reverse flow" as seen in the picture below?
Should I stick to feeding the mailbox mod in through the original chip feeder opening?
Should I plug the original vent and make a hole for a new exhaust on the top, back left corner?

FWIW, I did search for MES and reverse flow and didn't find anything like this. Maybe I didn't do it right.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Yea.. I'm just not seeing this working... As we all know.. Heat rises and when it does it will create a suction which will draw air in through the chip loader ... It will then want to exit out the original vent... I just don't see ya getting the air flow to go backwards...

 

[SmokeRing0909]

Is this an effort to get the meat to cook from the top down? I’ve had this idea once and realized it was probably not a good idea to try and defy physics

 

[Fueling Around]

There are reverse flow vertical smoker designs out there. No experience with them, my thoughts on the reverse flow concept the exhaust stack needs to be higher than the MES cabinet.

 

[Cotosoti]

Yea.. I'm just not seeing this working... As we all know.. Heat rises and when it does it will create a suction which will draw air in through the chip loader ... It will then want to exit out the original vent... I just don't see ya getting the air flow to go backwards...

Ah yes. I see that my previous experience with an offset smoker is clouding my design concept. I'm trying to make sure the MES is filled with smoke before I have even set up the mailbox mod to find out how it works. Thank you.

On my old Char-Griller offset I had to do a mod to keep the smoke from going right out the stack, having never touched the meat. I added a flex exhaust tube from the smoke stack vent down to the level of the grates. But both the heat and smoke don't come from the same place on my MES. Doh.