MES Bacon Temp problems! Please help.

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worktogthr

Master of the Pit
Original poster
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SMF Premier Member
Nov 3, 2013
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Massapequa, NY (Long Island)
So my game plan was this. Set MES for 100 and use the AMNPS for smoke. Now I knew my MES thermometer was low compared to my maverick. About 25 degrees lower. Maybe it's the really cold weather here but for some reason the MES therm keeps heating even though it's at and above 100. Which is causing my actual smoker temp to be about 140 with spikes up to 160.
My remedied this by putting a foil
Tray full of ice on the bottom rack. I wrapped the top really tight in two layers of aluminum foil to avoid moisture getting in the chamber which is bad for both bacon smoking and the functioning of the AMNPS.

With it wrapped tight like this will I be ok? If not, any other suggestions for me?
 
Turn the heat off.....    wait for the temp to lower....  turn the heat  on when temp around 50....   gets to 70, turn it off....  should coast up to about 80-90
 
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Yes turn off the unit. You ice trick won't work because the thermostat doesn't know why if is cooler it just knows it needs to heat.
Happy smoken.
David

Makes sense. Like I said I think it choked out the AMNPS anyways. Relit it and put it in without the tray of ice and it's smoking beautifully. Was hoping with my MES that I wouldn't have to babysit it as much but with my target smoker temp at 100-130 I guess I will. Unless that is if I shut it off at around 120, it's well insulated enough to keep it around that range
 
I leave my MES 30 unplugged when I cold smoke. I just use the AMNPS and yes, I've had problems with it going out during cold smokes. I usually place two half-gallon milk jugs containing frozen water on the 4th rack of the MES which is below whatever I'm cold smoking. I think part of the reason why the AMNPS went out both times I cold smoked was because I picked cold, wet nights when there was a constant drizzle outside.

But--and this is an important but, my friend--the AMNPS still produced more than enough smoke so that the cheeses I had in there turned out a bit oversmoked. The AMNPS did its job. The smoke remained even though I had the top vent wide open.

It's possible the milk jugs blocked some airflow and the coldness emanating from them might have also killed the wood pellets so I'm skipping them next time.
 
 
I leave my MES 30 unplugged when I cold smoke. I just use the AMNPS and yes, I've had problems with it going out during cold smokes. I usually place two half-gallon milk jugs containing frozen water on the 4th rack of the MES which is below whatever I'm cold smoking. I think part of the reason why the AMNPS went out both times I cold smoked was because I picked cold, wet nights when there was a constant drizzle outside.

But--and this is an important but, my friend--the AMNPS still produced more than enough smoke so that the cheeses I had in there turned out a bit oversmoked. The AMNPS did its job. The smoke remained even though I had the top vent wide open.

It's possible the milk jugs blocked some airflow and the coldness emanating from them might have also killed the wood pellets so I'm skipping them next time.
The milk jugs are forming a cold block.....  turn the heat on in the MES for 5-10 minutes to get a draft going....    bacon can be cold smoked very nicely at 70 degrees....   The cold air is stopping the air flow through the smoker.....
 
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I leave my MES 30 unplugged when I cold smoke. I just use the AMNPS and yes, I've had problems with it going out during cold smokes. I usually place two half-gallon milk jugs containing frozen water on the 4th rack of the MES which is below whatever I'm cold smoking. I think part of the reason why the AMNPS went out both times I cold smoked was because I picked cold, wet nights when there was a constant drizzle outside.

But--and this is an important but, my friend--the AMNPS still produced more than enough smoke so that the cheeses I had in there turned out a bit oversmoked. The AMNPS did its job. The smoke remained even though I had the top vent wide open.

It's possible the milk jugs blocked some airflow and the coldness emanating from them might have also killed the wood pellets so I'm skipping them next time.
The milk jugs are forming a cold block.....  turn the heat on in the MES for 5-10 minutes to get a draft going....    bacon can be cold smoked very nicely at 70 degrees....   The cold air is stopping the air flow through the smoker.....
yeahthat.gif
Dave has you covered on this one!!

Keep Smokin!!!

Wolf
 
 
The milk jugs are forming a cold block.....  turn the heat on in the MES for 5-10 minutes to get a draft going....    bacon can be cold smoked very nicely at 70 degrees....   The cold air is stopping the air flow through the smoker.....
I'll do just that, Dave, if I use those cold jugs again. The reason I've been using those milk jugs is because the first time I cold smoked mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheeses they wound up slightly melting into the MES 30 racks. Todd suggested using containers of frozen water and they did indeed work because the cheeses stayed firm the 2nd time I cold smoked.

However, I bought some QMATZ from him last month and that's where anything cold smoked is going to be placed. Perhaps I won't need to chill things down more since cheese shouldn't sink down through the netting of those mats.
 
 
The milk jugs are forming a cold block.....  turn the heat on in the MES for 5-10 minutes to get a draft going....    bacon can be cold smoked very nicely at 70 degrees....   The cold air is stopping the air flow through the smoker.....
I'll do just that, Dave, if I use those cold jugs again. The reason I've been using those milk jugs is because the first time I cold smoked mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheeses they wound up slightly melting into the MES 30 racks. Todd suggested using containers of frozen water and they did indeed work because the cheeses stayed firm the 2nd time I cold smoked.

However, I bought some QMATZ from him last month and that's where anything cold smoked is going to be placed. Perhaps I won't need to chill things down more since cheese shouldn't sink down through the netting of those mats.
 
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