# Hotter at the bottom rack or top rack?



## redavalanche (Jul 16, 2018)

Been using the MES30 and wondering if the lowest rack is hotter or the top rack? Not been able to test. Just thought there may be a difference. 

Smoking 2 butts and one is thicker than the other is what prompted question. Thanks.


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## mike243 (Jul 17, 2018)

You will lose a little heat as it goes up if you have meat on the lower racks due to them being lower in temps and being heat sinks imo,but probably not enuf to worry about on a vertical smoker


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## SmokinAl (Jul 17, 2018)

I think I would get a couple of those cheap $5 oven therms & put them in different places in your smoker, then you will know for sure. Usually the top & sides are the hottest places.
Al


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## gmc2003 (Jul 17, 2018)

No experience on a MES, but on my WSM the lower rack is cooler by a few degrees. 

Chris


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## dr k (Jul 17, 2018)

The top rack on my mes 40 is a few degrees hotter and read something about that. Kinda like heat stacking in a water heater. Heat waiting at the top of the tank waiting to get out. The middle two racks are the same and never used the bottom rack for food so I  never checked.


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## redavalanche (Jul 17, 2018)

Thanks for the replies. Will do my own testing when I get a dual probe. Not a big deal but good to know.


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## tallbm (Jul 17, 2018)

redavalanche said:


> Thanks for the replies. Will do my own testing when I get a dual probe. Not a big deal but good to know.



Hi there and welcome!
dwdunlap has an MES30 and his lowest rack is the coldest.  I assume its because the heat travels out and round all the metal over the burner and runs up the walls before coming back towards the center of the smoker and racks.  This means his lowest rack kind has the air flow more around it than through it lol.

Each smoker is different.  I have an MES40 with an entire exposed and flipped element and the lowest rack is the hotest.  I use it most for consistency since it has the fastest response time for my PID controller thereby reducing any response time issues on the upper racks as I use them in addition to the bottom rack :)


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## johnmeyer (Jul 17, 2018)

Bear may have some comments, since he has lots of experience with various MES units.

I have the MES 30 and my personal experience, which is confirmed by what I've read, is that it has all sorts of hot spots, not just top to bottom, but left to right and front to back as well. Mine has both the heat source and the exhaust on the right side, which creates a heat flow up the right side, so things on the right get cooked more.

Some people have created all sorts of mods to force the heat to flow to the other side, eliminating the hot chimney up the right side. My solution is simpler: I rotate the racks top to bottom during a long smoke and, when I do that, I also rotate each tray 180 degrees (i.e., front to back). That seems to pretty much take care of the problem.

[edit]Shortly after I posted, I thought of another variable: the water pan. Most people don't put water in it, but some people fill it with sand and then cover it, thus creating both a heat sink, which buffers temperature swings as the heat cycles on and off, and also a heat buffer, somewhat shielding the lower rack from the heating element's radiant heat. I've never filled my water pan with sand, but if you can be certain that the sand is inert (i.e., won't give off fumes), filling it sounds like a good idea.


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## redavalanche (Jul 17, 2018)

Lots of things to consider.
Just getting my feet wet so far. Appreciate all the MES info here... Was one of the reasons I purchased one.


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## TomKnollRFV (Jul 18, 2018)

I honestly think my bottom rack on my MES is the hottest. But that is largely if I am running my AMNPS. It generates heat, along with the cooler air being pulled in at the bottom. I haven't really tested it much after I determined my MES temp controls were accurate though. I did learn by a new and not so fun incident that the MES will go up to 300f+ internally and not melt or the like.


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