MES Wind Problem Solution

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Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Group Lead
Sep 12, 2009
45,279
18,182
Macungie, PA
OK guys, I wasn't going to post this, because it seems trivial, but I figured, "What the heck, it might help somebody".
I do my smoking on the front porch of my log house.

Every once in awhile the wind is blowing in just the right direction that the front porch seems to become like a "wind-tunnel".

Wind is a bigger problem than cold is, with an MES!

The last time it happened, I took an old quilted bedspread I keep in my truck for protecting stuff, and screwed it to the open end of my front porch to block the wind.

That seemed to work pretty good.

Last week when I smoked my Prime Rib, the same wind was blowing through the porch, and right across my MES.

The smoke, instead of floating out of the top vent and drifting away, was being whipped off of the top of the smoker,  taking heat along with it. When this happens, it actually sucks the heat right out of the smoker, through the top vent !

I had to stop this in a hurry, because my MES was having a hard time maintaining heat!

I remembered my son had borrowed my screwgun---And my portable drill, so I couldn't use my old fix!

I had to stop this some way, and soon! I had that beautiful Prime Rib in there!!!

I knew one time I tried to put an inverted tin can on top of the vent, with holes punched through the bottom.

I didn't like this, because it didn't seem to work very good, plus the smoke & moisture was condensing on the sides of the tin can.

Then that moisture was running down the inside of the can, and would have eventually started dripping through the vent, onto my meat!

I looked around in my garage to see what I could use!

There it was---The last USPS cardboard box I got from my last shipment of goodies from A-MAZE-N-SMOKER !

I took it out to the porch, cut a hole in the bottom with my "Old Timer", to fit over the top vent, and set it right on top of my MES.

It was too windy, so I put a couple of heavy old barn door hinges inside the box to keep it from blowing over to New Jersey.

Then I folded the ears of the end flaps at the right place, so as to allow the side flaps to be where I wanted them.

Then I cut a little slit in each end flap, tied a knot on each end of a rubber band, and stretched it from slot to slot.

As you can see, that rubber band holds the flaps in a position that will block the wind, but allow the smoke to pass through.

This may look primitive, but the heat settled down in my MES shortly after I completed this.

Also it worked good enough for me to save this box for the next time it gets too windy!

Bear

See pics below. Click on pics to Zoom In:

Very Windy:
c9e2e80c_DSC01568.jpg


Even swirling to the other direction:

be5e1d7c_DSC01563.jpg


Cheap (FREE) and easy fix:

07d088a6_DSC01561.jpg
 
I like it. Looks like you solved a common issue i had.

By the way don't let the post man pick up any delivery's he might take your box by mistake.
 
I like it. Looks like you solved a common issue i had.

By the way don't let the post man pick up any delivery's he might take your box by mistake.


I'm glad it will help at least one.

It's so simple, yet works good.

LOL on the post man.
 
Your describing drafting.  It can be a problem, and it doesn't have to be a high wind.  Since the MES exhaust if flush with the cabinet top, not only can MES internal heat be drawn away, the draft will cause your chips to burn faster, so as you pointed both heat loss and chip burn are potential problems.  Someone has built an extension on the exhaust using an aluminum dryer vent.  6-10 inches should be enough.  I have used a piece of KD pipe (galvanized knock down pipe 5 " diameter), another solution buy a 5" either alum or galvanized adjustable elbow, and bend the elbow about 45º then point it away from the wind and use a little tape to hold in place.
 
Your describing drafting.  It can be a problem, and it doesn't have to be a high wind.  Since the MES exhaust if flush with the cabinet top, not only can MES internal heat be drawn away, the draft will cause your chips to burn faster, so as you pointed both heat loss and chip burn are potential problems.  Someone has built an extension on the exhaust using an aluminum dryer vent.  6-10 inches should be enough.  I have used a piece of KD pipe (galvanized knock down pipe 5 " diameter), another solution buy a 5" either alum or galvanized adjustable elbow, and bend the elbow about 45º then point it away from the wind and use a little tape to hold in place.

Yup,

I tried the metal extension as follows:

One time I tried to put an inverted tin can on top of the vent, with holes punched through the bottom.

I didn't like this, because it didn't seem to work very good, plus the smoke & moisture was condensing on the sides of the tin can.

Then that moisture was running down the inside of the can, and would have eventually started dripping through the vent, onto my meat!

The cardboard box is much bigger than the exhaust vent, and it doesn't cause condensation to form inside like a metal extension does.

Bear
 
Your describing drafting.  It can be a problem, and it doesn't have to be a high wind.  Since the MES exhaust if flush with the cabinet top, not only can MES internal heat be drawn away, the draft will cause your chips to burn faster, so as you pointed both heat loss and chip burn are potential problems.  Someone has built an extension on the exhaust using an aluminum dryer vent.  6-10 inches should be enough.  I have used a piece of KD pipe (galvanized knock down pipe 5 " diameter), another solution buy a 5" either alum or galvanized adjustable elbow, and bend the elbow about 45º then point it away from the wind and use a little tape to hold in place.
I used a 3 inch duct to try the same thing. It works but i have to make sure i don't get any moisture build up like bearcaver. I have been using it for about a year with no issues yet.
 
 
I used a 3 inch duct to try the same thing. It works but i have to make sure i don't get any moisture build up like bearcaver. I have been using it for about a year with no issues yet.
 
Now that I think about it, I think it was Winter when I tried the tin can extension. Can was ice cold on outside, and hot smoke on inside.
 
I used 5", the additional diameter helps, I didn't have a problem with condensation. You can try a piece of double wall vent.  Or just make a square wood extension 5x5 or 6x6 about 10" long out of 1/4" plywood.
 
Last edited:
I used 5", the additional diameter helps, I didn't have a problem with condensation. You can try a piece of double wall vent.  Or just make a square wood extension 5x5 or 6x6 about 10" long out of 1/4" plywood.


Yup, Those would all probably work, but my cardboard box was an emergency 2 minute fix. I like your wood ideas, and maybe the double walled vent too, but up here in the Winter I'd bet even the 5" diameter would form condensate. It just wouldn't run into the exhaust hole until a small pond forms on the top of the MES. It's the big difference between Winters in PA & CA that causes that.

Thanks DD,

Bear
 
Bear,

Ot, From the pics, I love the look of your home.

Back on topic;  How about making a small log house about the same size as the box. It might look great on top of the MES.
icon_wink.gif

 
Yup, Those would all probably work, but my cardboard box was an emergency 2 minute fix. I like your wood ideas, and maybe the double walled vent too, but up here in the Winter I'd bet even the 5" diameter would form condensate. It just wouldn't run into the exhaust hole until a small pond forms on the top of the MES. It's the big difference between Winters in PA & CA that causes that.

Thanks DD,

Bear
 
Bear,

Ot, From the pics, I love the look of your home.

Back on topic;  How about making a small log house about the same size as the box. It might look great on top of the MES.
icon_wink.gif

 

 
Thank You,

LOL---That would be too cool. I could have the smoke coming out of the chimney of the little log house!

Too Cool !

Also TOO much work, because I would get too anal (my son calls it), and therefore it would take too much time.

Too many "Toos" ! 
wink.gif


Bear
 
Thank You,

LOL---That would be too cool. I could have the smoke coming out of the chimney of the little log house!

Too Cool !

Also TOO much work, because I would get too anal (my son calls it), and therefore it would take too much time.

Too many "Toos" ! 
wink.gif


Bear
see if you can find a set of lincoln logs???
 
 
Knowing you Bear, the cardboard box will be replaced by some permanent fix. I like the log cabin idea.
 
Wish I had found this a few days ago.  1st use of new MES-40" on a cold, WINDY day in Minnesota.  Never could get temp up.  Not sure if it was too much water from water pan (filled it per instructions, will go dry from here on) but knew the wind had a big impact.  Now I know the wind is a bigger problem and know how to fix it...
 
Wish I had found this a few days ago.  1st use of new MES-40" on a cold, WINDY day in Minnesota.  Never could get temp up.  Not sure if it was too much water from water pan (filled it per instructions, will go dry from here on) but knew the wind had a big impact.  Now I know the wind is a bigger problem and know how to fix it...
Would also help to heat your water before putting it in pan, if you're using water. I nuke mine to near boiling.

Bear
 
Bear,

I did use water and boiled it in a kettle before adding.  Wondering if that huge water pan acted as a heat sink / heat anchor...  Sits over the heating element holding a steady 212F as long as the water is simmering away.  Is this a lot to overcome?  Perhaps it was more the wind and outside temps (mid 40's).
 
Bear,

I did use water and boiled it in a kettle before adding.  Wondering if that huge water pan acted as a heat sink / heat anchor...  Sits over the heating element holding a steady 212F as long as the water is simmering away.  Is this a lot to overcome?  Perhaps it was more the wind and outside temps (mid 40's).
If you had trouble getting the heat up in your MES 40, it must have been the wind.

If you used cold water in the pan, that would do it too, but since you used boiling water, it must have been the wind.

Wind can suck the heat right out of your smoker.

Bear
 
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