to hang snack sticks or lay on the rack

[laserdoc]

Been making venison snack sticks for the past 2 months and still have another 20 pounds to make up. I have been sticking them on the racks in my MES 30 and rotating them during the 10 hours. My question is if I hang them on dowel rods what keeps them from getting done on the lower part faster than up near the top. Is the rack method the best way to go? How do you guys get a even cook since the lower end is closer to the element if you hang them

 

[dward51]

I had the same question and issue when I made an electric mod for my 18.5" WSM.  I have the WSM hanging rack, but noticed that the lower portion did not get done as quickly as the upper when making some kielbasa that I hung.  So now I end up just using the two grates and laying sticks and sausage on them flat.  I can get 5 pounds of sticks on the 2 WSM grates at a time.  I left the upper grate in place and use 2 pieces of 2x4 cut to about 2" long as spacers and set the upper rack on that. With the two grates that close together in the upper porition of the WSM, I do not have to rotate grates or move the sticks/sausage around and the heat evenly.

So I would move the racks in the MES as close together as you can in the upper part of the smoker.  I've also seen photos where MES owners have added additional rack supports to the MES so they can get extra grates in.

 

[laserdoc]

hmmmmm may have to try the spacer idea. Anyone have pics of the mods they did on the MES ?

oh yeah thats right. It is hotter up top than near the bottom,,,,right ?

 

[chopsaw]

 
hmmmmm may have to try the spacer idea. Anyone have pics of the mods they did on the MES ?

oh yeah thats right. It is hotter up top than near the bottom,,,,right ?

I think it depends on the smoker box . I just hung 6  1  3/4  x  12 chubs of summer sausage  . Two of them were over done on the bottom , but only on one side . Might have been to close to the side , Might have been the ones close to the element .  My thoughts are its  hot on the bottom , at least for me .