Probe placement and calibration? (MES30 + Auber)

[johnnyftw]

Running a basic MES30 w/ rewire, Auber 1510, chip system removed/MES smoker box attached, and a Thermoworks SmokeX thermometer system so I can remotely monitor temps. Have a few questions...

1. I was getting different readings during a pork but smoke last year, finally got around to pulling the smoker out of winter storage and checked all the sensors in a pot of boiling water. At my local pressure/elevation, boiling point of water should be 209.64*F.

Thermoworks X4 ambient probe was 209.7, and the three meat probes were 210.1, 209.4, and 210.0. The rated accuracy of this device/sensors is +/- 1.8*F from -4 to 248*F, and they're all within 0.5*F of my calculated boiling point so not bad.

Auber 1510 ambient probe was 208. It doesn't give a decimal reading so it could be anywhere from 0.65*F to 1.64*F off from my calculated boiling point.

What confuses me is, during that last smoke, I was seeing 10-15*F difference between the two ambient probes, both located on the bottom most rack, rear/center. Why where they so off from each other during the smoke, but so close in boiling water? The above readings don't really indicate an issue, or an offset large enough for the Auber to require any adjustment.

2. Due to using two temp monitor systems, I have two ambient probes. Best placement for those in this MES 30? Bear in mind the chip tray is gone, it's just the heating element and hood in there for the most part. Btw, I only have a holder for the TW ambient sensor, the Auber didn't come with one so it just sort of hangs in place...probably not ideal.

Bonus question: Best placement for the drippings tray? I usually put it on the very bottom of the smoker, but as you can imagine the hood over the heater is absolutely disgusting and may require an air chisel to clean off. Admittedly, the only reason I do this is because I feel like putting the tray in between the heating element and the food would cause temp/convection issues.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I would put your therms at grates level where your food is at. Drip tray under meat but above heating element. Just don't use too big of one, you need to allow heat and smoke room to get around it. Not sure of difference between therms.

Ryan

 

[johnnyftw]

I would put your therms at grates level where your food is at. Drip tray under meat but above heating element. Just don't use too big of one, you need to allow heat and smoke room to get around it. Not sure of difference between therms.

Ryan

I'm using the grates and drip tray (foiled) that came with the MES30, so it's a full size tray that I imagine doesn't let much flow past it.

I suppose I could opt for one of those cheap baking trays that can sit on a grate, would be smaller and less restrictive for heat/smoke getting to the meat.

 

[tallbm]

Running a basic MES30 w/ rewire, Auber 1510, chip system removed/MES smoker box attached, and a Thermoworks SmokeX thermometer system so I can remotely monitor temps. Have a few questions...

1. I was getting different readings during a pork but smoke last year, finally got around to pulling the smoker out of winter storage and checked all the sensors in a pot of boiling water. At my local pressure/elevation, boiling point of water should be 209.64*F.

Thermoworks X4 ambient probe was 209.7, and the three meat probes were 210.1, 209.4, and 210.0. The rated accuracy of this device/sensors is +/- 1.8*F from -4 to 248*F, and they're all within 0.5*F of my calculated boiling point so not bad.

Auber 1510 ambient probe was 208. It doesn't give a decimal reading so it could be anywhere from 0.65*F to 1.64*F off from my calculated boiling point.

What confuses me is, during that last smoke, I was seeing 10-15*F difference between the two ambient probes, both located on the bottom most rack, rear/center. Why where they so off from each other during the smoke, but so close in boiling water? The above readings don't really indicate an issue, or an offset large enough for the Auber to require any adjustment.

2. Due to using two temp monitor systems, I have two ambient probes. Best placement for those in this MES 30? Bear in mind the chip tray is gone, it's just the heating element and hood in there for the most part. Btw, I only have a holder for the TW ambient sensor, the Auber didn't come with one so it just sort of hangs in place...probably not ideal.

Bonus question: Best placement for the drippings tray? I usually put it on the very bottom of the smoker, but as you can imagine the hood over the heater is absolutely disgusting and may require an air chisel to clean off. Admittedly, the only reason I do this is because I feel like putting the tray in between the heating element and the food would cause temp/convection issues.

Hi there and welcome!

1. I think your probes are reading right and are fine. The difference across the rack you are seeing is due to the airflow and movement within the smoker. The way the element is made, it will produce heat more towards one side of the smoker than the other. Additionally, the vent will have air flow moving much faster towards it so areas of the smoker opposite of the vent will generally get less hot with the heat and air rushing towards the vent.
Finally, the meat and pans will also deflect heat and air around and causing discrepancies with probes across a rack.
Finally, finally, If you consistently place your probes in the same spots across a rack you will see a pattern where the difference is almost always the same across the rack. This is at least consistent and tells you which side is hotter and which side is cooler. I flipped the element in my MES and exposed it and my MES has a vent on the upper right side when facing the smoker front door.

My hot side of the smoker is the left side and the cold side is the right side. Also my smoker is hotter towards the back of the rack and cooler towards the door side of the rack. This is consistent as I run a probe on the front right (coldest spot), the center PID controller (mid temps), and the back left corner (hottest spot). I have a consistent difference of degrees between the probes UNLESSS I really load it up with like a giant turkey or something and then flow changes a bit but is at least consistent with that giant piece of meat in the smoker.
The extra probes I use are on the same rack as my PID controller probe but the slight difference is one is on the top side of the rack (back left probe on hot side) and the other is on the under side (front right). This arrangement is based on simplicity. No probes are in the way of my ability to add meat to the rack or pull meat out of the smoker.

2. I place my PID controller probe in the center on the UNDER side of the lowest rack using a probe alligator clip to clip it to the rack. This gives me the fastest response time always to the heat from the element.
Get a clip of some type for that Auber probe, I am partial to the alligator clip style so I can easily move it if needed, which isn't too often but it happens.

Bonus: I have my disposable foil pan actually ON the lowest rack of the smoker.
I have a simple system where that bottom rack doesn't often get meat on it and I have a foil pan on it when stuff will drip, like pork butts, briskets, turkeys, whole chicken, etc.
The system is, bottom rack in with PID probe in the center on the UNDER side of the rack.
Foil pan on the rack in the center (half sheet foil point, not full backing sheet foil pan size), I have an MES40 so it is plenty of room. You may have to use a smaller foil pan for an MES 30 but you get the idea, don't max out covering the smoker rack.
I then put another MES rack DIRECTLY on top of the foil pan or I use a roasting pan ("V" shaped or other style roasting rack) that fits and on top of the foil pan.
I put the big meat item on top of the rack that is setting on/in the foil pan.

This catches about 80% or more of the drippings.
Finally, I have my drip tray covered in foil so that it catches the other 20% and those drippings can NOT exit the smoker. I never have so much meat that the drippings that hit the foiled over drip pan would over flow.
This setup keeps my smoker super clean from drippings and protects my exposed element from drippings and potentially starting a fire should fat hit it and it decide to flame up.

You can use foil pans just don't use one that is too big to max out covering the smoker rack and making all the air flow up the sides of the smoker and around your meat.
Additionally I made a "mod" where I bought a half sheet of untreated Birch wood. I cut a wood rectangle that slides on TOP of MES rack holders and forces the heat and air flow to stick around underneath it a lot longer before it can creep around the sides of the wood rectangle.
This effectively cuts down the usable volume of the smoker and making it all cook more efficiently since I'm often not using more than the bottom 2 racks so why allow good strong heat to just flow up in the hollow space where top racks 1 and 2 would be if they were used.
I just slide in this wood rectangle to the next highest rack holder above my meat where it won't touch the meat and BOOM, better more consistent temps and would help some with deflection of air and heat.


I hope all this info helps, and don't worry you got this :D

 

[johnnyftw]

Trying to picture what you explained.

Currently, my MES30 drip tray has been kept on the very bottom of the smoker under the heating element. The HE still has its shroud/cover over it, left that alone to keep the grease/fat/etc from dripping directly on to the element. What I did not do, was put some sort of tray or pan on the lowest rack slot (above the heater/hood assembly) to catch drippings, they were just freefalling down on to the hood and the tray at the bottom, not ideal, learned my lesson there. I also don't use the water pan at all, didn't feel like it was making a difference and the first one I had rusted after only a few smokes and formed pinhole leaks.

What I'm gathering here is that, I should look in to foil trays/pans that I can set on that lowest rack to catch the majority of the drippings, sitting directly below the meat on the rack above. That tray, while not as big or restrictive as the full-shelf style drip tray, should catch most of the drippings and the rest just hit the tray at the bottom.

 

[tallbm]

Trying to picture what you explained.
...

What I'm gathering here is that, I should look in to foil trays/pans that I can set on that lowest rack to catch the majority of the drippings, sitting directly below the meat on the rack above. That tray, while not as big or restrictive as the full-shelf style drip tray, should catch most of the drippings and the rest just hit the tray at the bottom.

You have the right idea.

Here is an example of my smoker where in this case I'm using a "V" shaped rack to smoke a cured pork shoulder to make it into a ham.

That rack has feet that sit just inside the foil metal pan and notice the foil pan does not take up all of the bottom rack space but it will catch 100% of the drippings.

If I wasn't using the "V" rack I would have put one of the other MES racks laying right on top of the foil pan with the meat on top of it.

You can see my foiled drip tray at the bottom. You can barely make out my rusty looking heating element where the "U" shaped portion is now pointing left AND I removed all of the shroud covering it that you mention. I also do not run the water pan, there is no point for it.

I hope this helps you visualize what I I describe.

 

[dr k]

Foil disposable cake pan on the rails the water pan was on from the Dollar Tree. The heat will find it's way on all four sides. I usually use pellets or sawdust in the mailbox mod but this was a rare apple chunk in the chip tray.