New MES Bluetooth Digital smoker

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The control panel on the gen2 is set to where you do the temp then hours then minutes. On mine, once you have set that once and have it going you have to do all three again to get the temp to actually change. It really isn't a big deal. I don't use the remote anymore because I go by the Maverick for temps so when I need to change it I just walk back to the smoker, mash a few buttons, and we are good to go. 
That's really strange after all the years with my Gen #1.

Maybe that was the problem "Five String" had, and I was only telling him how I change my temp without having to touch the time.

But I guess he still should have been OK, once I told him to unplug it & start the settings over-----Unless his has a problem.

Thanks B !!

Bear
 
 
That's interesting.

With my Gen #1, I set my time at 20 hours when I start, and never have to change that.

Yet sometimes I might change my temp setting 6 to 10 times during a smoke.

However Five String PM'd me last night with his problem.

I told him how I change the temp on mine, but he said when he pushes the temp he gets weird readings instead.

So I told him to unplug it for a minute---Then plug it back in & start over, and see if that fixes it.

I had to leave the forum, so I didn't hear if it helped him.

Bear
I do the same thing with temp changes on my Gen 1 as well. As far as setting the time, if I plan to smoke for 6 hours I set it to 8; for an 11 hour smoke I set it to 14 hours.
 
I don't the MES 2.5 works that way. It took me a couple of smokes before I reread the instruction manual to learn that to get the heat started you have to select your temp, then set BOTH the hours and minutes on the Bluetooth panel. But as far as changing the temp up or down, I don't think you have to again set the time. Like Bear said...just set the time far enough ahead so you won't have any problems.
 
 
The control panel on the gen2 is set to where you do the temp then hours then minutes. On mine, once you have set that once and have it going you have to do all three again to get the temp to actually change. It really isn't a big deal. I don't use the remote anymore because I go by the Maverick for temps so when I need to change it I just walk back to the smoker, mash a few buttons, and we are good to go. 
Since my Generation 2 can no longer be trusted and my not having a Maverick, I place an oven thermometer on a shelf in the Smoker and check it periodically and adjust Smoker according to what the oven thermometer says. My Generation 2 varies from time to time, even on the same day in what it reads. One time it will read close to but still a bit less than my oven thermometer and the next time, it will read 35-50 degrees less than the oven thermometer. When not using the meat probe, it usually reads within 10-15 degrees hotter than what the oven thermometer reads. I hardley ever use the meat probe anyhow and use instead a Weber wireless thermometer that is approx 8 years old and still works perfect today.
 
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I do the same thing with temp changes on my Gen 1 as well. As far as setting the time, if I plan to smoke for 6 hours I set it to 8; for an 11 hour smoke I set it to 14 hours.
I don't the MES 2.5 works that way. It took me a couple of smokes before I reread the instruction manual to learn that to get the heat started you have to select your temp, then set BOTH the hours and minutes on the Bluetooth panel. But as far as changing the temp up or down, I don't think you have to again set the time. Like Bear said...just set the time far enough ahead so you won't have any problems.
I always set mine for 20 hours consistently. That way it will never shut off on me, and since I always use 20 hours, I always know how long I've been smoking by subtracting it from 20. I don't have to think about What I had set it at. That eliminate a CRS problem.

Bear
 
 
Since my Generation 2 can no longer be trusted and my not having a Maverick, I place an oven thermometer on a shelf in the Smoker and check it periodically and adjust Smoker according to what the oven thermometer says. My Generation 2 varies from time to time, even on the same day in what it reads. One time it will read close to but still a bit less than my oven thermometer and the next time, it will read 35-50 degrees less than the oven thermometer. When not using the meat probe, it usually reads within 10-15 degrees hotter than what the oven thermometer reads. I hardley ever use the meat probe anyhow and use instead a Weber wireless thermometer that is approx 8 years old and still works perfect today.
I would never trust any smoker temp therm that is built into a smoker.

I only trust my Maverick because I can easily check it for accuracy.

Other things can make temps vary too, such as if it's windy, where you have the sensor, how much cold meat is in the smoker, etc, etc.

Bear
 
On a recent smoke, I noticed the heat temp swings on the Maverick. Goes up a few degrees and then back down to about the set temp. I think it works like my jacuzzi...when the heat reaches the set temp, the heater element shuts off, and when it drops it cycles back on. Should average out I guess.
 
On my "untrustworthy" Generation 2 Smoker, I can set the temperature and then the time with my remote. I can then later move temp up or down any time I want without re-setting the time. I can move the time up or down without re-setting the temperature. That is one feature that does work on my Smoker.
 
On a recent smoke, I noticed the heat temp swings on the Maverick. Goes up a few degrees and then back down to about the set temp. I think it works like my jacuzzi...when the heat reaches the set temp, the heater element shuts off, and when it drops it cycles back on. Should average out I guess.
Exactly:

If it had a long run to get to the set point (Like at start), it will coast quite a bit past the set point, then it will drop pretty much below the set point after the element comes on. After it goes up & down a few times it will often settle down & not swing up & down so much. I find mine coasts above the set point more in the Summer, and falls more below set point in the Winter.

This is why sometimes if I want it to go to 230°, I'll set it for 220°. Then after it shuts off at 220° and then coasts up to about 232° or so, then I change my setting to 230°. This reduces the swing problem.

Hope that makes sense,

Bear
 
I don't the MES 2.5 works that way. It took me a couple of smokes before I reread the instruction manual to learn that to get the heat started you have to select your temp, then set BOTH the hours and minutes on the Bluetooth panel. But as far as changing the temp up or down, I don't think you have to again set the time. Like Bear said...just set the time far enough ahead so you won't have any problems.
Exactly right. With my MES 30 Gen 1 I first set the cooking temp and then cooking time; hours and then minutes. After you set the minutes the controller starts heating the smoker. After you've got it started you can reset the tem and the cooking time separately as many times as you want throughout the smoke. Like Bear, I adjust the temp several times to ensure it's staying around my setpoint.
 
 
I always set mine for 20 hours consistently. That way it will never shut off on me, and since I always use 20 hours, I always know how long I've been smoking by subtracting it from 20. I don't have to think about What I had set it at. That eliminate a CRS problem.

Bear
There's where we part company, Bear. If I were to set it at 20 hours I might forget when I started smoking. I guess I could write it down but that involves more work. I'll think of something...
icon_rolleyes.gif
 
 
There's where we part company, Bear. If I were to set it at 20 hours I might forget when I started smoking. I guess I could write it down but that involves more work. I'll think of something...
icon_rolleyes.gif
I think you missed my point. If you always set it for 20 hours, you don't have to remember when you started smoking.

If at 2:00 PM it says 13:00, you started at 7:00AM.

Bear
 
 
I think you missed my point. If you always set it for 20 hours, you don't have to remember when you started smoking.

If at 2:00 PM it says 13:00, you started at 7:00AM.

Bear
Aha! After I graduated from college I stopped doing math. The truth is, I didn't think of that. I feel so shamed.
 
 
Aha! After I graduated from college I stopped doing math. The truth is, I didn't think of that. I feel so shamed.
LOL----There's what happened----Dumb Bears don't go to college.
icon_redface.gif


They go to Tech School for Cabinetmaking----More Math needed.

Bear
 
 
LOL----There's what happened----Dumb Bears don't go to college.
icon_redface.gif


They go to Tech School for Cabinetmaking----More Math needed.

Bear
I never took ONE math class throughout the 13 years it took me to complete college (I tended to drop out and go back a lot). I took other science classes like Acoustics (since I was also studying music theory and audio multitrack recording) or different anthropology classes. I've looked at the college catalogs for the schools my kids have attended and they don't let you get away with that anymore.
 
This was my first shot using my MES 40" Bluetooth. Issue was the Maverick reads 250 but I want 230. MES is reading 236. Tried to change just the temp setting on the fly but got involved in weird readings during the smoke - apparently MES can't see a temp lower than the actual temp of the MES. My engineering mind thought I could just change the temp as an isolated action, but it can't be done. My fix was to un-plug the unit, open the door to lower temp, plug it back in, and do a total reset on temp and time.

The ribs turned out great despite all this.


Thanks,

Five String
 
 
This was my first shot using my MES 40" Bluetooth. Issue was the Maverick reads 250 but I want 230. MES is reading 236. Tried to change just the temp setting on the fly but got involved in weird readings during the smoke - apparently MES can't see a temp lower than the actual temp of the MES. My engineering mind thought I could just change the temp as an isolated action, but it can't be done. My fix was to un-plug the unit, open the door to lower temp, plug it back in, and do a total reset on temp and time.

The ribs turned out great despite all this.

Thanks,

Five String
I would call Masterbuilt, because there's no way you should have to do those kind of things to reset your heat settings.

And Yes---Your Ribs Look Great !!

Bear
 
I ag
 
This was my first shot using my MES 40" Bluetooth. Issue was the Maverick reads 250 but I want 230. MES is reading 236. Tried to change just the temp setting on the fly but got involved in weird readings during the smoke - apparently MES can't see a temp lower than the actual temp of the MES. My engineering mind thought I could just change the temp as an isolated action, but it can't be done. My fix was to un-plug the unit, open the door to lower temp, plug it back in, and do a total reset on temp and time.

The ribs turned out great despite all this.


Thanks,

Five String
I agree with Bear with both the ribs looking great and that it should be easy to lower the controller temp no matter what the ambient temp inside the smoker is. I've got a MES 30 Gen 1 and I raise/lower the temp several times during a smoke if the temp has gotten too low or too high. One day when the temp skyrocketed because of a dirty hi temp cutoff switch I tried opening the door to lower the temp but every time I closed the door the temp would climb back up to 295°. After I cleaned the sensor the controller regulated the temp properly. My point is that even with the newer smokers you should be able to easily raise/lower the temp on the controller unless there's an electronic/electrical problem.  
 
I can raise and lower the temp on the basically useless Bluetooth device - as long as I go outside and within 15-20 yards of the smoker. That works fine as long as I am close.

By the way...I mentioned that I installed a faster modem and router to my computer a week ago - that didn't make a lick of difference in extending the range for the Bluetooth device.

I do like the Maverick ET-733 however, as recommended by others. Once I get the smoker temps stabilized I can monitor the meat temperature from anywhere. I'm smoking some stuffed chicken breasts now.
Dennis
 
I can raise and lower the temp on the basically useless Bluetooth device - as long as I go outside and within 15-20 yards of the smoker. That works fine as long as I am close.

By the way...I mentioned that I installed a faster modem and router to my computer a week ago - that didn't make a lick of difference in extending the range for the Bluetooth device.

I do like the Maverick ET-733 however, as recommended by others. Once I get the smoker temps stabilized I can monitor the meat temperature from anywhere. I'm smoking some stuffed chicken breasts now.
Dennis
Dennis,

I've allowed the high tech world to pass me by. I don't have Bluetooth anything because I don't see the need for it. I've already got a wireless computer network in my home which works great. If I were to buy a new Masterbuilt I'd get the standard newest model and continue to use my ET-733 to monitor temps from inside my home. So what if I have to walk outside to make adjustments on the controller. If that bugged me I'd buy a model with a wireless remote. The non-Bluetooth smokers are much cheaper than the BT models and that's what I care about.
 
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