I don't understand these temperature variances

[goldmine1965]

So I was finally able to try your advice. I cut a potato in half and ran the Maverick probe through it so the end was sticking out of the potato. I placed the potato/probe in the left rear corner of the 2nd shelf.

At 200 degree setting, MES was 200, Maverick was 219. MES coasted to 217, Maverick coasted 232.

I then dropped the temp to 218 and did 3 cycles. In all 3 cycles, the heating element kicked on at 216.

Cycle 1 - MES 218/Coasted to 221. Maverick 228/Coasted to 234

Cycle 2 - MES 218/Coasted to 223. Maverick 226/Coasted to 235

Cycle 3 - MES 218/Coasted to 224. Maverick 228/Coasted to 236

So based on the coasting temperature, I need to set the MES to about 10 degrees LESS than desired smoking temp?

Thoughts?

And again, thanks for your advice

 

[Bearcarver]

 
So I was finally able to try your advice. I cut a potato in half and ran the Maverick probe through it so the end was sticking out of the potato. I placed the potato/probe in the left rear corner of the 2nd shelf.

At 200 degree setting, MES was 200, Maverick was 219. MES coasted to 217, Maverick coasted 232.

I then dropped the temp to 218 and did 3 cycles. In all 3 cycles, the heating element kicked on at 216.

Cycle 1 - MES 218/Coasted to 221. Maverick 228/Coasted to 234

Cycle 2 - MES 218/Coasted to 223. Maverick 226/Coasted to 235

Cycle 3 - MES 218/Coasted to 224. Maverick 228/Coasted to 236

So based on the coasting temperature, I need to set the MES to about 10 degrees LESS than desired smoking temp?

Thoughts?

And again, thanks for your advice

None of your numbers are far enough apart to worry about, but yes what you said is right to get the back left corner of your second shelf where you want it. However, the right side of your second shelf may be closer to what your MES says, in which case you would leave it alone.

I would check the right side too. Or better yet, check the center of your second shelf.

And I'll bet that everything you got there is close enough to just leave it alone. 10° in this stuff is like dead on.

Bear

 

[goldmine1965]

 
None of your numbers are far enough apart to worry about, but yes what you said is right to get the back left corner of your second shelf where you want it. However, the right side of your second shelf may be closer to what your MES says, in which case you would leave it alone.

I would check the right side too. Or better yet, check the center of your second shelf.

And I'll bet that everything you got there is close enough to just leave it alone. 10° in this stuff is like dead on.

Bear

I checked the center of the second shelf at 200 degree and it coasted to 233. I then checked at 231 for 3 cycles.

Cycle 1 - MES 231/coasted to 236  Maverick 239/coasted to 246

Cycle 2 - MES 231/Coasted to 236. Maverick 239/Coasted to 244

Cycle 3 - MES 231/coasted to 237. Maverick 239/Coasted to 248

So still around the 8-10 degree difference. That tells me if I want to smoke at 250, to set the MES to 240.

Tracy

 

[daricksta]

 
So I was finally able to try your advice. I cut a potato in half and ran the Maverick probe through it so the end was sticking out of the potato. I placed the potato/probe in the left rear corner of the 2nd shelf.

At 200 degree setting, MES was 200, Maverick was 219. MES coasted to 217, Maverick coasted 232.

I then dropped the temp to 218 and did 3 cycles. In all 3 cycles, the heating element kicked on at 216.

Cycle 1 - MES 218/Coasted to 221. Maverick 228/Coasted to 234

Cycle 2 - MES 218/Coasted to 223. Maverick 226/Coasted to 235

Cycle 3 - MES 218/Coasted to 224. Maverick 228/Coasted to 236

So based on the coasting temperature, I need to set the MES to about 10 degrees LESS than desired smoking temp?

Thoughts?

And again, thanks for your advice

I adjust the controller temp to what my Maverick displays. And Bear's right, the temp difference isn't enough to be concerned with. You might find that over a longer smoke (at least 4 hours) there will be times when the MES and the Mav temps are the same.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I adjust the controller temp to what my Maverick displays. And Bear's right, the temp difference isn't enough to be concerned with. You might find that over a longer smoke (at least 4 hours) there will be times when the MES and the Mav temps are the same.

Yup---Tracy could set the MES to 10° or 15° less (LOL---I set mine 15° less), and that will put him right on, but like Rick said, "Later in the smoke it could go the other way".

So Tracy, Adjust it like you said & see what happens. That's how we learn our Smoker.

It won't hurt anything, and it looks like you got a Smoker about the same as mine----A Great One!!

Bear