new with ?'s

[woody1960]

Well I did my 1st smoke tonight.I did batch of jerky tonight.Most of it came out really good.But the bottom right side got burnt up? The cip pan is right under them and I had it in place.Maybe to high of temp.I was smoking at 150-200 for 2 hrs.I used hickory chips for the 1st hour.Would water in the water pan help maybe?

 

[meateater]

I smoke jerky around 150*, any higher and your cooking. Post up what smoker you have and someone will help out that has that model.

 

[texacajun]

All MES have a hot spot on the Lower right side. This has been address many ways in the past by MES owners on this forum. So have used heat baffles to address this issue. I find it easier to just reposition your meat halfway through the smoke. This should alleviate your right side burn issues.

 

[hkeiner]

Does anyone know if the "hot spot" problem affects the top two shelves too, or just the lower shelves in the MES 40?

 

[eman]

It affects the right side of the unit but is much more pronounced on the lower racks. This is the area right over the element and chip tray.

 I took the advice of one of our members and got a 9" x 9" unglazed ceramic tile and set it on top of my chip tray and it solved the hot spot problem.

 

[woody1960]

It affects the right side of the unit but is much more pronounced on the lower racks. This is the area right over the element and chip tray.

 I took the advice of one of our members and got a 9" x 9" unglazed ceramic tile and set it on top of my chip tray and it solved the hot spot problem.

Thats a great idea.I was thinking maybe getting a piece of tin to put over the chip box.But thew tile would soak up and distribute the heat better.

 

[Bearcarver]

It affects the right side of the unit but is much more pronounced on the lower racks. This is the area right over the element and chip tray.

 I took the advice of one of our members and got a 9" x 9" unglazed ceramic tile and set it on top of my chip tray and it solved the hot spot problem.

Thats a great idea.I was thinking maybe getting a piece of tin to put over the chip box.But thew tile would soak up and distribute the heat better.

You probably have more trouble than most MES owners.

I believe your's has a 1500 watt element, and the walls are not insulated.

All I use (sometimes) is a piece of aluminum sheet stock, about 6" X 11", and I put it in the extreme right side, front to back. Once it gets up to temp, I usually remove it.

However, one that isn't insulated would run more often, causing that right side to get much hotter than the right side of the insulated models.

The heat from the element (on the right side) rises straight up, and leaves through the exhaust vent (also right side).

If I was a metal worker, instead of a woodworker, I would try to mod an MES (like my old MES 30) by moving the exhaust vent from the right side to the left side, forcing the heat (and smoke) to have to go across, inside the smoker & through the meat to be able to leave the unit!

I think that would be AWESOME!

Bear

 

[woody1960]

It affects the right side of the unit but is much more pronounced on the lower racks. This is the area right over the element and chip tray.

 I took the advice of one of our members and got a 9" x 9" unglazed ceramic tile and set it on top of my chip tray and it solved the hot spot problem.

Thats a great idea.I was thinking maybe getting a piece of tin to put over the chip box.But thew tile would soak up and distribute the heat better.

You probably have more trouble than most MES owners.

I believe your's has a 1500 watt element, and the walls are not insulated.

All I use (sometimes) is a piece of aluminum sheet stock, about 6" X 11", and I put it in the extreme right side, front to back. Once it gets up to temp, I usually remove it.

However, one that isn't insulated would run more often, causing that right side to get much hotter than the right side of the insulated models.

The heat from the element (on the right side) rises straight up, and leaves through the exhaust vent (also right side).

If I was a metal worker, instead of a woodworker, I would try to mod an MES (like my old MES 30) by moving the exhaust vent from the right side to the left side, forcing the heat (and smoke) to have to go across, inside the smoker & through the meat to be able to leave the unit!

I think that would be AWESOME!

Bear

Bear,that is an awesum Idea! But I am afraid if I started cutting into this thing already the wife would... well you know.LOL I will think about that though.It would be easy just plug one hole and drill another.

 

[Bearcarver]

The heat from the element (on the right side) rises straight up, and leaves through the exhaust vent (also right side).

If I was a metal worker, instead of a woodworker, I would try to mod an MES (like my old MES 30) by moving the exhaust vent from the right side to the left side, forcing the heat (and smoke) to have to go across, inside the smoker & through the meat to be able to leave the unit!

I think that would be AWESOME!

Bear

Bear,that is an awesum Idea! But I am afraid if I started cutting into this thing already the wife would... well you know.LOL I will think about that though.It would be easy just plug one hole and drill another.

I didn't really mean you had to do that. 

I just figured if I put that idea out there, one of these ingenious guys on this forum, who are always tinkering, would like the idea & try it.

Then they could tell us all how good it worked.  

Bear