Trouble with smoking times

[Myhippocket]

Hi Folks,

I am pretty new to the world of smokers and have had some issues with cooking times and temperatures. I think I may have finally figured it out, but wanted to see get thoughts from those of you far more experienced than me. I have a Masterbuilt Sportsmen Elite 30” smoker. The issue I have been having is it seems to consistently take way longer to cook something than what the recipes I have followed suggest. I set my smoker to 225F and the screen indicates that it is smoking at that temperature. I have only every smoked one thing at a time and it has always been on the upper rack. I am wondering if the temperature at the top is cooler than lower down? Is that where the built-in thermometer is too?

The other thing I have been doing which I think may be part of the problem, is because I am lazy and wanted to avoid a major cleanup, I have had a layer of foil on the rack below whatever it is I am cooking to catch any drippings. The foil lays on the rack directly below the meat and does not go all the way to the sides. There is at least an inch gap around all edges. But I am starting to think that even with the gap the heat is getting trapped below the foil, and the meat above it is quite a bit cooler than the area below where I assume the built-in thermometer is. Using a meat thermometer hanging in the air above the foil seemed to confirm this as it was almost 40F cooler than what the screen said.

Do you think cooking on the upper rack, or having the foil below the meat are contributing to my issues with extended smoking times? One final note – I do not open and close the door all the time so that’s not the issue.

Thanks kindly!

Hip

 

[pineywoods]

The first thing to do is check the accuracy of the thermometers. You said you had a meat thermometer hanging in the smoker test it and see if it is accurate. Get some water boiling and put the probe in the boiling water carefully using gloves or tongs just put the first couple inches in the water. You can also check it in ice if you'd like I usually don't. Once you know that thermometer is correct or you know how far off it is you should be able to determine the actual temperature in the smoker, factory thermometers are famous for being off and some way off. You can use a potato to keep the thermometer probe off the grate just push the probe through the potato to allow the probe to stick out about 2-3" on the other side of the potato. Temps will vary some from grate to grate so I would suggest putting the thermometer about the center grate. The foil on the grate below shouldn't affect temps as long as the heat can go up all the way around the outside edges of the grate. Some of us just foil the drip pan to make clean up easier that also allows you to use more than the one grate. Good luck and let us know what you find out

 

[pops6927]

I use foil pans to catch the drippings in my smokehouse. Inexpensive and just throw them away and replace with new ones. No fuss, no mess.

 

[radio]

get a decent remote thermometer with dual probes like a Maverick or Inkbird to monitor temps both in the chamber as well as the meat. As Pineywoods mentioned, factory thermometers are well known to be wildly inaccurate and the hanging meat thermometer may not be accurate either. I never smoke anything at 225° except maybe sausages that have cheese in them. My pellet grill usually gets set to 250° and my stick burners like to run at 275-280°. You wont tell a difference in flavor or results other than things finish a bit faster.

 

[uncle eddie]

I am on my second MES 40 and I rarely smoke anything at 225F anymore...250F to 275F is my normal range unless I have no schedule.

There are a few things you can smoke that will get done in a predictable matter of time, beer can burgers, salmon, ribs, fatties, single rib prime rib... But the bigger chunks of meat like pork shoulder or Boston butt for pulled pork, whole turkey, brisket...they seem to get done when the particular chunk of meat wants to get done. Leave yourself some extra time. Like others said, check your thermometers too.

If the meat does get done early, foil it and place it in a cooler. It will stay hot for a couple of hours easy.

 

[dr k]

When I checked the temps on the four racks of my Gen 1 40 the bottom two are the hottest being close to the element. Then the top rack where heat stacks waiting to get out and the coolest is the rack under the top rack. This is with an empty smoker. I put a small 11x15 disposable aluminum baking sheet on the bottom rack for drips and is not used for cooking meat which is butt up against the back wall. I'm using a PID controller so I'm not blocking the sensor on the back wall it's up by my food. I wouldn't butt the pan against the back wall using the Mes controller and I believe this sheet is too big for the Mes 30's. I do it to push heat off the back wall because it will come back to go to the top vent. If you slide the pan right/left over the element you can even out the heat. I don't have the Mes water pan in the smoker.

 

[Bearcarver]

Hi Hip!
You already have good advice above, but I'll add what I got:
You should have more than I" clearance around the edges for proper air & heat flow in an MES.
Get a Remote Wireless Digital set of Therms, similar to a Maverick ET-732.
Put the Maverick Smoker probe within about 3" of the meat you are smoking (Close enough to measure the Temp in the area of the Meat, yet not close enough to be affected much by the cold meat in the beginning of the smoke).
Adjust your MES control, going by what your remote Therm says---Not the MES read-out.
Best Racks to use in a 4 rack MES:
First Choice----#2
Second Choice----#1
3rd Choice----#3
Last Choice, if ever-----#4--Too close to Heating Element.

Bear

 

[Winterrider]

If foiling the grates, I just take a knife and cut narrow slits. Still allows heat thru and will still catch about 90% of your drippings.

 

[Myhippocket]

Awesome - thanks to all for the advice and tips. I will do some testing with a new thermometer and see what I come up with. I didn't realize that the factory thermometer could be that inaccurate. That could certainly explain some of my extended cooking times if I have always been cooking at a much cooler temperature than I thought I was. Much appreciated everyone.