Newbie needs first smoker advice

[dr k]

 
Hi Kurt,

I should mention, after we repaired my Gn #1 when the Flag connector had burned out, I figured since I wanted to run it a few hours anyway to make sure it's ready to smoke meat again, I would use my method too.

So knowing that mine usually over-shoots by 15° to 25° when running from Ambient temp to 250°, I decided to try to get to a stable 260° as fast as I could.

So I set the Control to 245° & started it up.

When it hit 245° (after 20 minutes), the heating element shut off, but the heat kept rising, because all of the things in the bottom of the smoker were much hotter than the air in the smoker was.

Once it got to 263°, and then fell to 262°, I knew it had peaked at 263° (18° over-shoot).

So I immediately changed my setting to 260°.

That was it-----No more big swings, just from that one small adjustment.

From that point forward, for the next 3 hours, my MES temp went as low as 254°, and as high as 268°. That's between -6° and +8°. I'm quite happy with that.

And it didn't take hours & a lot of babysitting. It was 1 adjustment at the 20--25 minute mark, and steady as she goes for the next 3 hours.

The big thing was after the 18° over-shoot, I moved it up 15°, which kept it from having a big downward over-shoot, which would cause another big upward over-shoot, etc, etc, etc.

One simple move nipped it in the Bud.

Bear

Right.  I smoke at 230*F.  When the Mav hits 220*F and the Mes shows 240*F  I set the MES one degree lower (239*F)  to shut off the heating element and coast 10-15*F.  When the Mav says 230*F, the temp I want to smoke at I reset the MES to the temp it's showing (about 230*F as well.)  Then on subsequent cooks I know to set the MES @ 220*F to keep from way over shooting, besides it's only pre heating (the door is going to be opened and the two step process starts over.)  Two adjustments and your where you want to be and that's every time you open the damn door.  Which means, get it right the first time so you only open the door to foil or babysit it. 

What I was saying about having a briquette or two in the chip tray, that nips the downward over run by a few degrees.  Probably because retained heat in the chip tray is deflected away from the sensor with my deflector.  The heat is still in the smoker but away from the sensor, allowing a quicker recovery.  Hell I don't know.  Heat is heat and the lack of it is cold.  The MES shuts off  when heat goes up and trips the sensor.  The heat turns on when the sensor calls for it but it may be hotter on the far side with the deflector with briquettes.  I don't really care about the effects on the MES with briquettes.  It was a side effect of trying to get a smoke ring.  I taste with my eyes first and like a smoke ring just like most like a seared steak.  I'm just mentioning I experienced a favorable smoking experience when I used the briquettes even though I failed at getting at smoke ring.   Brickguy's son had a similar effect I believe. 

-Kurt    

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Right.  I smoke at 230*F.  When the Mav hits 220*F and the Mes shows 240*F  I set the MES one degree lower (239*F)  to shut off the heating element and coast 10-15*F.  When the Mav says 230*F, the temp I want to smoke at I reset the MES to the temp it's showing (about 230*F as well.)  Then on subsequent cooks I know to set the MES @ 220*F to keep from way over shooting, besides it's only pre heating (the door is going to be opened and the two step process starts over.)  Two adjustments and your where you want to be and that's every time you open the damn door.  Which means, get it right the first time so you only open the door to foil or babysit it. 

What I was saying about having a briquette or two in the chip tray, that nips the downward over run by a few degrees.  Probably because retained heat in the chip tray is deflected away from the sensor with my deflector.  The heat is still in the smoker but away from the sensor, allowing a quicker recovery.  Hell I don't know.  Heat is heat and the lack of it is cold.  The MES shuts off  when heat goes up and trips the sensor.  The heat turns on when the sensor calls for it but it may be hotter on the far side with the deflector with briquettes.  I don't really care about the effects on the MES with briquettes.  It was a side effect of trying to get a smoke ring.  I taste with my eyes first and like a smoke ring just like most like a seared steak.  I'm just mentioning I experienced a favorable smoking experience when I used the briquettes even though I failed at getting at smoke ring.   Brickguy's son had a similar effect I believe. 

-Kurt    

Yup---You got the method down. It's not as hard as some seem to think, and doesn't take hours of playing around. If it did, I would have never posted my method, because I would have considered it as a failure.

I never tried putting charcoal in my chip burner for a smoke ring. Mainly because I don't need a smoke ring, and also because the owner's manual that came with my MES says not to burn charcoal in the MES. I can't see what it would hurt, but that's what it says. If a smoke ring was important to me, I would probably ignore the warning & try it, but it isn't important to me.

Bear

 

[daricksta]

 
That's why I need to start a thread (with a poll) on people with MES's that don't clean their window.  I got my 40" Gen 1 SS with window and RF remote from your Amazon find @ $273 delivered.  I've seen Academy advertise $250 out the door but nothing like that since June.  Can you get one without a window for $273 now?  It doesn't matter.  You told SMF about your find and abbyleo and I bought it.  Lol   I would have bought one down the road without a window but I couldn't pass up the price and now have two 40" Gen 1 SS with window and RF remote for a total of $273. 

Like the link you sent me on smoke ring formation, all exposed meat has Myoglobin and NO and CO gas will lock that pink color till the meat hits 170*F, deactivating Myglobin's oxygen transfer ability and also cooking it .  Keep in mind that this Brisket was frozen in a food saver bag for almost three years with no freezer burn, but may have deteriorated the Myoglobin compared to fresh meat.  I'll find out if it needs to be fresh meat for ring formation.  I taste with my eyes first!  That's why I like a smoke ring. Lol 

Also, the briquettes in the chip tray has an effect on temp stability, making sorter quicker cycles.  Filling a void with something may improve cycling and using Bear's method.  Maybe putting play sand in the chip tray instead of leaving it empty when using the AMNPS is a thought.

-Kurt 

Kurt, it's always a pleasure to read your posts. You give me so much material to work with! Academy is presently selling the 30" version of your smoker for $250. Are you sure you saw the 40" on sale for that same amount? If so, take a screen print and forward it to me. After I and my legal department verify the validity of the sale price and the smoker from last June you will be issued a non-negotiable, non-cash refund for $23. We'll also need the model and serial numbers for the that advertised smoker plus proof of its U.S. citizenship. All offers void where prohibited. Limited quantities available for a limited time. Be nice to your mother and call her once in a while.

I've never read anything that says myoblobin deteriorates over time, but that's only because I've read very little about myoglobin so anything's possible. However, I thought the purpose of the Foodsaver vacuum bags was to keep food sealed inside relatively stable over time. But it might be worth researching.

Yes, we taste with our eyes first but what if our eyes find smoke rings unpalatable? Why take a risk on food rejection by ocular organs? That's why I eschew smoke rings. I won't be subjected to culinary tyranny by oppressive orbs! Do you know how much beef briskets are going for now???? I just can't take that chance. I've trained myself to first taste with my taste buds. You know where you stand with a trained tongue.

I posted a few times about my misadventure with play sand in the water pan but I'll give the short version. I tried it with the pan foiled over. My error was that I felt the foil would keep the sand inside the water pan when I lifted my MES off the table I place it on for cooking and down onto the hand truck I store it on in the garage. So, after wheeling the MES into the garage and wheeling it back out the next time I used it, I opened the door and found damp sand piled up along the entire rear wall of the smoker. 30 minutes later almost all the sand has been wiped clean and a directive had been self-issued to never fill the water pan with play sand again. That's why I keep it empty. But when the water pan had been filled with sand I saw no difference in temp stability and retention.

And it's just a personal bias on my part. I own a Weber kettle charcoal grill because I prefer to grill over charcoal briquettes. I own an electric smoker because I prefer not to futz around with a charcoal smoker or charcoal in an electric smoker. Charcoal and my MES are twains on separate twain twacks that will never meet.

 

[dr k]

 
Yup---You got the method down. It's not as hard as some seem to think, and doesn't take hours of playing around. If it did, I would have never posted my method, because I would have considered it as a failure.

I never tried putting charcoal in my chip burner for a smoke ring. Mainly because I don't need a smoke ring, and also because the owner's manual that came with my MES says not to burn charcoal in the MES. I can't see what it would hurt, but that's what it says. If a smoke ring was important to me, I would probably ignore the warning & try it, but it isn't important to me.

Bear

I try to think outside the box.  I have not heard of anyone with our 40" Gen 1's that have tried your deflection plate.  I made mine before I realized you had one because the heating element is in the right rear, as well as the Mes temp sensor on the right back wall, and the top vent on top of the right rear corner.  The path of least resistance is straight up past the temp sensor out the top.  That's why some people have a maxed 275*F Mes temp and can't get their Mav's over 240*F on the top two racks, that most of us use as our got to racks.  The deflector makes a clockwise convection for even heating.  I put probe on the second rack at the right rear corner under the top vent, and one at the opposite end of the rack at the latch side.  With the deflector between the heating element and the Mes temp sensor I got readings within 5*F on the rack probes, Mes sensor and the Mes meat probe in the hanger on the left wall.

-Kurt

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I try to think outside the box.  I have not heard of anyone with our 40" Gen 1's that have tried your deflection plate.  I made mine before I realized you had one because the heating element is in the right rear, as well as the Mes temp sensor on the right back wall, and the top vent on top of the right rear corner.  The path of least resistance is straight up past the temp sensor out the top.  That's why some people have a maxed 275*F Mes temp and can't get their Mav's over 240*F on the top two racks, that most of us use as our got to racks.  The deflector makes a clockwise convection for even heating.  I put probe on the second rack at the right rear corner under the top vent, and one at the opposite end of the rack at the latch side.  With the deflector between the heating element and the Mes temp sensor I got readings within 5*F on the rack probes, Mes sensor and the Mes meat probe in the hanger on the left wall.

-Kurt

Yup,

I put a Maverick Smoker sensor on each side through my #2 Rack, and use my deflector to balance the heat between them.

I always ignore the MES meat probe because I leave it in it's metal sheath, and it's kinda hard to boil test it like you can do with the Maverick probes. I would not trust it.

Bear

 

[dr k]

 
Yup,

I put a Maverick Smoker sensor on each side through my #2 Rack, and use my deflector to balance the heat between them.

I always ignore the MES meat probe because I leave it in it's metal sheath, and it's kinda hard to boil test it like you can do with the Maverick probes. I would not trust it.

Bear

Right.  I don't count on the MES Sensors.  Ironically they are consistent with the calibrated therms when using a deflector between the heating element and MES CC sensor.  It's nice to see close numbers when using the RF remote, since it gives the MES meat therm temp first, then the set temp, then the actual temp. 

-Kurt