Meat positioning on MES

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dvuong

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Jun 5, 2014
83
13
Daly City, CA
Since we know that there are variations of temperature on location and rack of the MES smoker, how would your position your meats if you were smoking the following with a MES 40 (Gen 2.5) smoker?

Three racks of St. Luis Ribs (3-2-1 method)

2 Tri-tips

Controller is set at 225, but as usual 1st and 4th rack are hottest.

Also, can you smoke two racks of ribs on the same rack?
 
When I do ribs I usually put the thickest side to the right of the smoker and the thicker of two or three towards the back and the thinner towards the front.  I always put two per rack.

As far as the tri-tips.....I'm not sure on their size but I'd just put them on one rack side by side and let them go until they reach your desired temp.

My temp sensor is almost always on the 1st rack from the bottom, and positioned right in the center.
 
Check the main MES 40 BT thread.  Someone there did a temp test of all grates.  There is a pic with the temps and the locations.  I use grate # 3, then 2, then 4, then 1, and never 6. 
 
 
Since we know that there are variations of temperature on location and rack of the MES smoker, how would your position your meats if you were smoking the following with a MES 40 (Gen 2.5) smoker?

Three racks of St. Luis Ribs (3-2-1 method)

2 Tri-tips

Controller is set at 225, but as usual 1st and 4th rack are hottest.

Also, can you smoke two racks of ribs on the same rack?
Are the racks in the MES 40 Gen 2.5 large enough to accomodate two racks of ribs? I'm not sure that they are. I have a MES 30 Gen 1 and typically I use racks 2 & 3. If I'm smoking 3 racks of ribs they're going on the top three racks. I guess when you foil them you could rotate them on the racks and rotate them again when you unfoil but I've never done that.
 
 
Are the racks in the MES 40 Gen 2.5 large enough to accomodate two racks of ribs? I'm not sure that they are. I have a MES 30 Gen 1 and typically I use racks 2 & 3. If I'm smoking 3 racks of ribs they're going on the top three racks. I guess when you foil them you could rotate them on the racks and rotate them again when you unfoil but I've never done that.
I think the smoker is deep enough to put one in the front and one in the back but not wide enough to put them side by side.  
 
I use a Rib Rack, so I can smoke 4 slabs of Ribs on one shelf. I only smoke St Louis Style abd Baby Back's. I don't smoke full size slabs.... Too mcuh fat for me on full size slabs.
 
 
I use a Rib Rack, so I can smoke 4 slabs of Ribs on one shelf. I only smoke St Louis Style abd Baby Back's. I don't smoke full size slabs.... Too mcuh fat for me on full size slabs.
Do you foil? If so, do you foil and put them back on the rib rack?  
 
 
I think the smoker is deep enough to put one in the front and one in the back but not wide enough to put them side by side.  
That's what I was talking about, one in front of the other on the same rack. I said I didn't think it was possible but while writing that I knew the MES 40 is both wider and deeper than the MES 30. It's a good deal that you can fit one rack of ribs in front of the other.
 
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