Avoid Temp Swings in MES (By Bear)

[brickguy221]

 
Are you going but the temps on your Maverick or the smoker itself.  The smoker temps are way off in the beginninIg.

I haven't used my new Maverick to check Smoker temps yet, but do put my accurate oven thermometer on a shelf and don't find the Smoker Temps way off at the beginning nor do I find it taking 1.5 hrs to settle down. My Smoker climbs steady to the set point and then cycles from that point on, at 3-4 degrees over and under the set point.

 

[daricksta]

 
I haven't used my new Maverick to check Smoker temps yet, but do put my accurate oven thermometer on a shelf and don't find the Smoker Temps way off at the beginning nor do I find it taking 1.5 hrs to settle down. My Smoker climbs steady to the set point and then cycles from that point on, at 3-4 degrees over and under the set point.

I used my ET-733 yesterday. For the most part, the MES 30 controller displayed a temp about 20° lower than the ET-733. Since I was smoking ribs I used both probes to measure the interior smoker heat. During heating cycles there was about 10° difference between the two which settled down to about 2-3° difference. I had one probe clipped to the top rack facing towards the left side and the other probe was clipped to the 2nd rack and facing towards the right. My goal was to measure the heat variances in different areas of the smoker, a test I've conducted a few times before. It always starts off with one side and rack being much hotter than the other and then a few hours later settling down to just a slight difference. This has been consistent with the MES 30 Gen 1 and with the ET-733.

The proof of the heat temp being relatively the same from side to side and from rack to rack is that I smoked two racks of baby back ribs yesterday and they both turned out with identical doneness; both being extremely moist and tender.

 

[daricksta]

 
Avoid Temp Swings in MES   (By Bear)

How I avoid much of the annoying heat over-running (Temp Swings):

A lot of MES owners complain about the wide cycling spreads they get for awhile at the beginning of a Smoke.

The following method I use should work with all MES units, and probably any other electric smoker without a PID set-up.

When you start an MES by preheating it to a set temp it will run all the way to that set temp before the heating element shuts off. This could take in the area of one half hour. Then the heat will continue to rise for a while. I call that “Coasting”. The longer the run either up or down, the farther it will Coast. 

In other words, if you want your smoker to be at 230°, and you set it at 230°, it will shut off at 230°, but depending on things like Ambient Temp, Wind, etc, etc the heat in the smoker could Coast up to 240°, 250° or sometimes even more. Then once it stops Coasting, the temp will eventually begin to fall, and continue to fall until it hits one or two degrees below your temp setting, and then the element comes on. Then since it just had another relatively long run coming down from the over-run you just had above 230°, it will now continue to fall below the set point after the element comes on. It may fall down as low as 20° or more below your set point before the temp of the smoker begins to rise again.

This over-running can continue for a good number of heating & cooling cycles, before it settles down to only over-running a few degrees above and below your set point.

The best way I have found to avoid this annoying problem is as follows:

If you want your smoker to be 230° inside, set your control at 215°. Then let it run & shut off at 215°. Then watch how far it Coasts above 215° before it stops & begins to fall. If it runs to 230° or above, change your setting to 230°. Now that it won’t be dropping a long way before reaching the set point, it also won’t over-run much below the set point after the heating element comes on. Then since it won’t be making a long run to get back up to 230°, it won’t over-run much above that 230° shut-off point. 

This will cut way down on the Over-running above & below your set point in a much shorter time than it would without playing this little game.

Also if on that first run up, it only Coasts to 225° instead of 230°, just slide your heat setting up to 223° or 224°, and catch it at 230° on the next cycle.

Once you do this for a few smokes you’ll be able to fine tune it. I have it more fine tuned than the above, but it would take too long to explain it in type.

Note: For those of us who live in the North, you will learn that the heating tends to over-run in the Upward direction more in the Summer than in the Winter, and it will Over-run more in the Downward direction in the Winter than in the Summer.

I hope this helps some of those who don’t like seeing the big Temp Swings in their Electric Smokers.

Bear

I've looked at this a few times without really reading it. Now that I've read it I'm copy/pasting the text to Word doc and you can bet I'll be referring to it. I observed on my own the past few smokes how the controller temp rises and falls and then settles down to where you want it but this makes sense of it all. Thanks for the tips. I think I've already been doing it on my own but now I know why.

 

[bigd3077]

I can't wait for tomorrow at 4am to test this method, lol.

 

[Bearcarver]

I can't wait for tomorrow at 4am to test this method, lol.

LOL----My MES works good at 4am, but the Bear doesn't work so good at 4am !!!  

Bear

 

[bigd3077]

 
LOL----My MES works good at 4am, but the Bear doesn't work so good at 4am !!!  

Bear

This is the only part about smoking butts and shoulders I hate. Last 2 I did were not ready for dinner, so I'm getting up extra early, and using this pre heat method, as well as sand in my tray. I think this will prove to be the winning formula!

 

[daricksta]

 
This is the only part about smoking butts and shoulders I hate. Last 2 I did were not ready for dinner, so I'm getting up extra early, and using this pre heat method, as well as sand in my tray. I think this will prove to be the winning formula!

That's why I keep the size of pork shoulders, beef briskets and boneless chuck roasts down to less than 10 lbs. I've got a MES 30 Gen1 and I can smoke a shoulder or a brisket to 200° IT in about 11 hours. I'm trying my 2nd chuck roast next week and we'll see how that goes. 

 

[bigd3077]

 
That's why I keep the size of pork shoulders, beef briskets and boneless chuck roasts down to less than 10 lbs. I've got a MES 30 Gen1 and I can smoke a shoulder or a brisket to 200° IT in about 11 hours. I'm trying my 2nd chuck roast next week and we'll see how that goes. 

The one for tomorrow was 9.33 lbs before I removed the skin. I think the sand is going to help.

 

[daricksta]

 
The one for tomorrow was 9.33 lbs before I removed the skin. I think the sand is going to help.

Where do you buy your pork shoulder/butts? Sounds like you go to a real butcher shop. I've never seen skin on pork products in standard supermarkets or at Costco.

I'm not sure if you said which MES model and generation you own. I just have the MES 30 Gen 1 and I tried filling the water pan with sand and it made no difference as far as temp stability. That's why I keep it empty and foiled over. Sand may work for you, however.

 

[bigd3077]

I got it from Penn Dutch. In general, the shoulders ot picnic have skin, and butts do not. I think mine is gen 2. Going to give the sand a shot. I'm running it now for a test run

 

[daricksta]

I got it from Penn Dutch. In general, the shoulders ot picnic have skin, and butts do not. I think mine is gen 2. Going to give the sand a shot. I'm running it now for a test run

Oh, you're in Florida. Just to make sure we're referring to the same cuts of pork meat, here on the West Coast pork butts are called pork shoulder which refers to the upper part of the shoulder. Bone-in pork shoulder is called blade pork shoulder. Boneless pork country ribs also comes from this section. Only about two supermarkets I know of call these cuts pork butt.

The lower shoulder down to the leg just above the front hock is called the shoulder picnic or picnic ham. But I think I just restated what you wrote. I guess out here we don't like to be reminded that our meat came from once-living animals.

If your vent is on the side, and if you controller is in front, you have a MES Gen 2.

 

[brickguy221]

In speaking of cuts of meat ..... My Son at Tracy, CA bought some Tri-Tip Roast yesterday for $3.98 per lb. Here in OkC, the price is in the area of $7.68 per lb. I wonder why so much cheaper in CA? I don't have any facts to base this on, but I would think that OK raises a lot more cattle than CA, but could be wrong here.

 

[daricksta]

I think tri tip roasts might be $3.99-4.99/lb with steaks being a dollar or more a pound higher here in WA state. I won't be food shopping till next week so I won't be able to check it then. No idea why it might be higher in CA unless Calif-grown beef is getting more expensive due to the drought. I would think you mid-west guys would have better meat prices. But then CA gasoline prices are higher than in OK--right?

 

[bigd3077]

Oh, you're in Florida. Just to make sure we're referring to the same cuts of pork meat, here on the West Coast pork butts are called pork shoulder which refers to the upper part of the shoulder. Bone-in pork shoulder is called blade pork shoulder. Boneless pork country ribs also comes from this section. Only about two supermarkets I know of call these cuts pork butt.

The lower shoulder down to the leg just above the front hock is called the shoulder picnic or picnic ham. But I think I just restated what you wrote. I guess out here we don't like to be reminded that our meat came from once-living animals.

If your vent is on the side, and if you controller is in front, you have a MES Gen 2.

Yep, you got it. We are not so sensitive down here, we know we are eating animals, lol. It is indeed a MES 30 gen 2.

 

[brickguy221]

 
 No idea why it might be higher in CA unless Calif-grown beef is getting more expensive due to the drought.

Rick the Tri-Tips are cheaper in CA. @ $3.98 per lb there and $7.68 in OK.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I have been following this thread with interest. I thought about it some more and realized while I did see some swing on my first MES 40, I never checked the newer one, a Gen 1 all stainless as well. The outside temp was 90° with a very slight breeze. After sitting in direct sun the interior was 117°F. I placed the MAV BBQ probe left side of second shelf from the top, The Meat probe hanging between shelves 3 and 4 and set the empty MES at 275°F. The Chip Drawer was removed and the Loader out 4", Vent wide open. After 30 min of heating the MES remote hit 275 and the heating element turned off. The MAV BBQ probe read 275 and the Meat probe read 277. I watched for 20 minutes NO OVERSHOOT! I could not believe what I was seeing. At 40 minutes the MES remote read 273° as did both of the MAV probes. The heating element turned on all the probes and MES remote climbed to 275, heating coil went off, and again the temp never rose above 277 with the MAV BBQ pro reading 275. 

I must have gotten a unit where whomever set up the electronics was having a Great Day! This unit holds temp at Set Point with, depending on the probe, a 2 to 4 swing total. I could not be more thrilled and impressed with the operation!!!...JJ 

 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I have been following this thread with interest. I thought about it some more and realized while I did see some swing on my first MES 40, I never checked the newer one, a Gen 1 all stainless as well. The outside temp was 90° with a very slight breeze. After sitting in direct sun the interior was 117°F. I placed the MAV BBQ probe left side of second shelf from the top, The Meat probe hanging between shelves 3 and 4 and set the empty MES at 275°F. The Chip Drawer was removed and the Loader out 4", Vent wide open. After 30 min of heating the MES remote hit 275 and the heating element turned off. The MAV BBQ probe read 275 and the Meat probe read 277. I watched for 20 minutes NO OVERSHOOT! I could not believe what I was seeing. At 40 minutes the MES remote read 273° as did both of the MAV probes. The heating element turned on all the probes and MES remote climbed to 275, heating coil went off, and again the temp never rose above 277 with the MAV BBQ pro reading 275. 

I must have gotten a unit where whomever set up the electronics was having a Great Day! This unit holds temp at Set Point with, depending on the probe, a 2 to 4 swing total. I could not be more thrilled and impressed with the operation!!!...JJ 

 

That's Freaking Amazing Jimmy!!!

How much you want for that one???

That's a Dream Smoker!!

If I set mine at 275°, and left it go on it's own, it would easily clear 300°, after the element shuts off at 275°.

Bear

 

[dr k]

 
That's why I keep the size of pork shoulders, beef briskets and boneless chuck roasts down to less than 10 lbs. I've got a MES 30 Gen1 and I can smoke a shoulder or a brisket to 200° IT in about 11 hours. I'm trying my 2nd chuck roast next week and we'll see how that goes. 

I do the Butt the day before and smoke ABT's, Armadillo eggs or other appetizers that day, if I have the time the day before.  Then you can throw the pan of PP in the MES with apps to heat up.  The finishing juice/sauce in the PP is better the next day, kinda like chili. 

-Kurt 

 

[bigd3077]

So I think this thread really helped me Bear. I started it up set at 230. She hit that, coasted to 242 on my 733. At that time, I put it at 250 and put the meat in. Dropped some as expected, but settled in nice at 255 and held. Currently sitting at my goal, 250 and holding. Thanks Bear!

 

[brickguy221]

 
I have been following this thread with interest. I thought about it some more and realized while I did see some swing on my first MES 40, I never checked the newer one, a Gen 1 all stainless as well. The outside temp was 90° with a very slight breeze. After sitting in direct sun the interior was 117°F. I placed the MAV BBQ probe left side of second shelf from the top, The Meat probe hanging between shelves 3 and 4 and set the empty MES at 275°F. The Chip Drawer was removed and the Loader out 4", Vent wide open. After 30 min of heating the MES remote hit 275 and the heating element turned off. The MAV BBQ probe read 275 and the Meat probe read 277. I watched for 20 minutes NO OVERSHOOT! I could not believe what I was seeing. At 40 minutes the MES remote read 273° as did both of the MAV probes. The heating element turned on all the probes and MES remote climbed to 275, heating coil went off, and again the temp never rose above 277 with the MAV BBQ pro reading 275. 

I must have gotten a unit where whomever set up the electronics was having a Great Day! This unit holds temp at Set Point with, depending on the probe, a 2 to 4 swing total. I could not be more thrilled and impressed with the operation!!!...JJ 

 

In case anyone missed 2 or so of my recent posts, I too reported that .... "so far" .... the temp on my new 40" MES Bluetooth cycles at 3-4 degrees max over and 3-4 degrees max under the set point, (most of the time 3* max but ocassionally 4* max) just like a car on cruise control traveling down the Interstate Highway. However, I don't remove my chip drawer and it cycles this well regardless of what position the chip loader is in.