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[okie smokie]

Yeah, I don't understand how those thick grates would warp from a fire.  I would think the drip pan would warp before the grates would.

Also, I have found that the drip pan can be off center by as much as 1/4" either right or left. There is that  much play in the design. When it is at either extreme, I see that the run-off of the drip pan may actually be INSIDE the baffle on the opposite end. Guess where the grease goes, -yup down near the fire pot. Not making sure the drip pan is centered may account for the number of grease fires??? Not sure the other models are the same. You might check it out for us and see what you find in the elite or pro models or even older models. I will try to document what I have described above with some pic.  More to come on this issue.

 

[okie smokie]

Here are the pic. Hope you can see what I see. First one is with the drip pan positioned in the center.

Second picture is when I slide to the right. There is actually 3/4" from center

Same when pushed to the left of center.

With drip tray pushed to farthest left this is what you see when you look down the right edge. Note that the open slots in the lower baffle are now exposed to the drippings off the pan. This is not so when the drip pan is centered.

Then I looked at the bottom of the drip pan flavorizer and it suggests to me that I did not have it centered when the fire occurred. So my fault! But Memphis might want to look at that and if not making a change, at least warn users to center the drip pan before a cook.  What do you think?

[02ebz06]

I'd recommend getting a new SS drip tray made.
Doubt Memphis will do anything since it is that way by design, unless yours was a screwup somehow.

[Bentley]

Surprised there is not a notch for it to sit in!

[okie smokie]

Will see what they have to say. Did any of you check yours yet?  Would be of great interest. As for a notch in it. There will be for sure if no better advice is given from them. If allowed I will send them the pics.  Stay tuned!

[TravlinMan]

Personally here, IMHO - it should be a tighter fit - although there is an extreme amount of expansion and contraction with the heating and cooling occurring - especially in this area. I'd just make a note to self to center it after removal to clean the fire chamber etc. (I do that with my Pro) As long as the grill functions normally, I would live with it. - Just my personal opinion here.

(Note: I am not a Memphis representative - nor do I play one on TV )

[BigDave83]

Looking at it, if I wanted to keep it centered I would fashion something coming off the area above the drop shute attached to the grill body that would come out and fit in to the notch on the top of the tray. may need to make the notch slightly larger.

[okie smokie]

I don't think there should be any significant play there. Since all the above, I did a low slow BB rib cook last pm.  Grill ran way higher than set temp, fluctuated a lot, and the Diagnostic RTD temp and the Actual temp on the front of the control, were completely out of sync. Lots to talk to them about.

[BigDave83]

Good luck.
I think the majority of people that buy cookers of any type just use them. There are some of us that check temps and what not. I really have gotten away from all of that. When I had the RT I checked temps and they were never right on. one side was off by 50+ degrees usually. then depending on how I loaded it and with what they may be close or further apart from what the controller shown. But one thing is the controller showed the cooker temps was rarely off from my set temp. So that pretty much just made me decide that their set up was not very accurate. I bought a GMG used it for a while, never checked temps compared to controller shown temp. I do know it cooks hotter than set temp. Not sure how much I just guess and lower my cooking temp. I never checked temps on my pit boss vertical either, I did swap the controller for a pellet pro as the factory one would work well then just go crazy with huge temp swings.

 It will be interesting to see what a more perceived quality product like Memphis has to say compared to the brands I have used.

[Bar-B-Lew]

I can tell you my older generation Memphis Elite doesn't move more than a few degrees from set temp once it settles in and that has been verified with Thermoworks probes at grate level.  I think smokie had his that way when he first used it.  The great fire may have messed up the controller probe.  Maybe it needs to be reset to factory settings.  Memphis probably has a way to do that.

[okie smokie]

I can tell you my older generation Memphis Elite doesn't move more than a few degrees from set temp once it settles in and that has been verified with Thermoworks probes at grate level.  I think smokie had his that way when he first used it.  The great fire may have messed up the controller probe.  Maybe it needs to be reset to factory settings.  Memphis probably has a way to do that.

Did a temp run this am. This time at both 225 and 300.  It never got up to temp either time, (confirmed also with my maverick probe. This time the the actual temp on the control coincided with that on the Diagnosis test. ?? Highest temp at set of 225 was 160 and going down. Highest at 300 set was 201. Each test was given 30 minutes or more to meet requested temp. Makes me suspect controller as well as RTD. Also WiFi is dead. May have been more heat in the control area than I thought.  Still waiting for rep to call. Yesterday actual temps were higher than set.  Go figure! 

[02ebz06]

When I got my current Elite I had some different issues but was either the Controller or RTD.
Sent me controller first and that didn't do it.  Then the RTD which solved the problem.
Maybe Chinese made RTD's are junk ?

[okie smokie]

When I got my current Elite I had some different issues but was either the Controller or RTD.
Sent me controller first and that didn't do it.  Then the RTD which solved the problem.
Maybe Chinese made RTD's are junk ?

I'm thinking both and maybe wifi also. A grand slam!. 

[okie smokie]

Update: Email exchange with Zakk Folley at Memphis today:
Gonna get new control, new RTD, and firmware update for the WiFi. Also, a new grill grate for the warped one. No hassles about that, so I am positive for that.  Will report when all is done and tested. Access to all looks easy enough.
Correction: two new grates. 

[BigDave83]

That is great news.