MES still not right.

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patinlouisiana

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Jun 21, 2019
163
74
Baton Rouge, LA
The display went out on my MES and I just installed the replacement. Now my MES is running about 120 degrees hot.
Is there any way to calibrate these smokers. I have it set to 225 and it is 345 inside, (average reading of three thermometers)
Any suggestions?
Model 20070411 30" top control.
 
mes thermometers are notoriously off, but 120 degrees is a little( a lot) excessive. I'm not sure about calibrating them as far as I know you can't. sometimes mine will over run on temp so I just turn it off and reset it and then it seems to work fine. maybe someone with more knowledge will be around.
 
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The display went out on my MES and I just installed the replacement. Now my MES is running about 120 degrees hot.
Is there any way to calibrate these smokers. I have it set to 225 and it is 345 inside, (average reading of three thermometers)
Any suggestions?
Model 20070411 30" top control.


While Empty, I would put a wireless digital sensor on the second rack from the top, and make some settings & take some readings. Then I would compare those readings to readings from the MES control at the same time. If it's still crazy, I'd call Masterbuilt.
If it's within reason, I would just set my MES to whatever it needs to be set at in order to get my Wireless (Near my food) to read what I want it to.

And Never let it get above an actual accurate 320°. That Temp can ruin the insulation, and possibly burn up the Smoker.

Bear
 
And Never let it get above an actual accurate 320°. That Temp can ruin the insulation, and possibly burn up the Smoker.

Bear

Bear,
Are you saying that it's safe to go to up to 320. If so that's great! Once I get my PID controller built I was hoping to go to 300 deg. 310 would be even better.
 
No---I would say that a steady 300° would be safe now & then, like if you're making chicken, but that 320° Spike was time to throw the red flag & cut it back!!

I would only do the 300° occasionally for special items, and keep an eye out for higher Spikes.
Personally I rarely use 275°, and consider 260° my top, except on special occasions.

Bear
 
While Empty, I would put a wireless digital sensor on the second rack from the top, and make some settings & take some readings. Then I would compare those readings to readings from the MES control at the same time. If it's still crazy, I'd call Masterbuilt.
If it's within reason, I would just set my MES to whatever it needs to be set at in order to get my Wireless (Near my food) to read what I want it to.

And Never let it get above an actual accurate 320°. That Temp can ruin the insulation, and possibly burn up the Smoker.

Bear
Bear, I actually had three thermometers in it (2) digital and one analog. The analog shows 375, one dig shows 360 the other 358. I was under the impression 275 was as hot as the 800 watt would get?
I have sent an email to MasterBuilt.
Thanks for the advice.
 
Just curious, that model has glass front I believe. We're the temps that you experienced on initial start up or were they after several heating cycles? Was the glass facing the sun? When I first got my MES 40" , I fired it up set at 230° facing South (sun). It overshot to 310° quickly. I unplugged to cool completely, and tried agian. Temp was very high again immediately. Sun beading through the glass was heating it up. Just a thought...
 
Just curious, that model has glass front I believe. We're the temps that you experienced on initial start up or were they after several heating cycles? Was the glass facing the sun? When I first got my MES 40" , I fired it up set at 230° facing South (sun). It overshot to 310° quickly. I unplugged to cool completely, and tried agian. Temp was very high again immediately. Sun beading through the glass was heating it up. Just a thought...
Good thought but my unit was in the shade of a patio cover.
 
Bear,
Are you saying that it's safe to go to up to 320. If so that's great! Once I get my PID controller built I was hoping to go to 300 deg. 310 would be even better.

Steve shoot me a private message and I can give you some tips on how to hit a 300F temp for quick smokes once you have a PID going.
In short the safety rollout limit switch is geared to cut power off at like 301-305F even if you have a PID that can drive up the temp higher. There is something we can easily do while you do the rewire to allow you to hit the 300F temp without the switch causing issues for you BUT also keep the safety mechanism in the mix, you know... for safety purposes :emoji_blush:
 
The display went out on my MES and I just installed the replacement. Now my MES is running about 120 degrees hot.
Is there any way to calibrate these smokers. I have it set to 225 and it is 345 inside, (average reading of three thermometers)

Why do you think the limit switch is letting my MES get up to 375?

You have replaced the display and checked the temperature with other therms, and the temps are high....
The new display is an incorrect display for the existing parts in your smoker... Somehow that display has tweaked all the readings....
Part numbers can be wrong....

...
 
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Just curious, that model has glass front I believe. We're the temps that you experienced on initial start up or were they after several heating cycles? Was the glass facing the sun? When I first got my MES 40" , I fired it up set at 230° facing South (sun). It overshot to 310° quickly. I unplugged to cool completely, and tried agian. Temp was very high again immediately. Sun beading through the glass was heating it up. Just a thought...


I have found that when the Sun shines on the MES sensor, on the back wall, it heats the sensor up, which causes it to shut off the heating element, which actually makes the smoker interior cooler than it should be.

Bear
 
Why do you think the limit switch is letting my MES get up to 375?

I think it may be like Dave is saying. The wrong part is giving you a false reading.
If you are truly getting 375F then the only explanation for the temp to be that high is that the safety rollout limit switch was failing. The technology is really simple on those switches so I doubt it is failing. If it gets too hot the internals "separate" thereby breaking the ability for electricity to reach the heating element. The switch would have to be physically stuck like it was all welded or smashed together. Again I don't think this is the case.

I'm with Dave. The wrong model of controller is likely the culprit here. Double check with other reliable and accurate thermometers to see what your temps actually are :)
 
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I think it may be like Dave is saying. The wrong part is giving you a false reading.
If you are truly getting 375F then the only explanation for the temp to be that high is that the safety rollout limit switch was failing. The technology is really simple on those switches so I doubt it is failing. If it gets too hot the internals "separate" thereby breaking the ability for electricity to reach the heating element. The switch would have to be physically stuck like it was all welded or smashed together. Again I don't think this is the case.

I'm with Dave. The wrong model of controller is likely the culprit here. Double check with other reliable and accurate thermometers to see what your temps actually are :)


I would think if the 375° was accurate, we wouldn't be talking about a "Smoker" any more. It would be a "Smoked".

Bear
 
I would think if the 375° was accurate, we wouldn't be talking about a "Smoker" any more. It would be a "Smoked".

Bear

Hahhaa yeah, more like a fire pit than a smoker at this point :D
 
Here are the reading I'm getting!
 

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