BBB Newb

[tjohnson]

Does your smoker have 2 chambers?

If so, is the AMNPS in the in the upper chamber?

Where do you place it when you hot smoked?

Is it full to the brim?

Apple and Maple pellets burn very well, so it's not the pellets.

Back to air flow

Todd

 

[magnum3672]

It's one chamber with a water pan about 1/3 of the way up that cuts off a fair amount of airflow up (leaves about an inch wide gap on every side for air).

I had tried the AMNPS on the bottom above the heating element, in the water pan (where I put it for hot smoke) and then on the bottom rack just above the water pan (about 4 or 5 inches).

If you want something to compare my smoker to look at the Brinkman electric kettle model.

 

[tjohnson]

Does it look like this?

I'm wondering if the water pan is blocking off the air flow

You do not need ice in the water pan for smoking bacon.  Most of us use ice to try and keep the temps down when smoking cheese.

Try removing the water pan and see what happens

Todd

 

[magnum3672]

Yeah it looks like that.  I don't think the water pan was the issue because of all the different places I tried putting the AMNPS.  Actually it went the longest inside the water pan.  I think its just hard to get it to ventilate.  The only solution that comes to mind would be to remove the water pan and place one of the racks where the water pan used to be to place the AMNPS.

That way it was able to vent from the bottom as well.  Then crack the door and skew how the top portion of the smoker is sitting on the bottom to possibly create an updraft.  Where that wire is in that picture there's a few clasps that release the top of the smoker from the heating element

 

[Bearcarver]

Magnum,

I don't know anything about your smoker, but I do know you aren't supposed to use an MES with the water pan removed.

One more idea for you----Put something in your water pan, like a brick, then put your AMNPS on top of that. I've done it before, and it seems to "get it up out of the hole", so air can move past it.

I have a couple of fire bricks wrapped in foil just for various things like that.

Bear

 

[magnum3672]

Okay I tried the brick method in a hot smoke.  Nothin, I don't understand why it's not working or its working intermittently.

Help me please?

 

[Bearcarver]

Magnum,

If you don't mind, please try this---It is what I do because I originally had trouble with the AMNPS going out on me.

I have found that once it goes for 3 or 4 inches down the first row, it will not go out (unless something drips on it), and it is actually hard to put out, because it is burning so good.

But if it goes out within the first 2 or 3 inches, it wasn't lit good enough to start with.

Try this, when having trouble with early burn-outs:

Hold torch on the end you're lighting until you got a good flame going.

Allow this to burn (out of the wind) until it goes out.

Blow on it hard enough to get it to glow, and you'll see it spreading at the bottom of the pile.

Let that new flame burn again, until it burns out.

Blow a lot again, in the direction of the unburned pellets, spreading the glowing red into the unburned area. (Be careful not to burn your face!)

Let this new flame burn out again.

Let it smoke another 10 minutes, before putting it in.

Since I have been doing this, I have not had any burn out on me.

If you end up stopping it before you ran the whole maze, and separate the unburned from the burned pellets, you will see how really good it got burning, because even after you separate the burning from the unburned, it will take a half hour for the smoke to subside.

Hope this helps---It did for me.

Bear

 

[magnum3672]

Once my smoker got above 250 its started smoldering a bit.

Kinda frustrating, I'm having smoker troubles on top of the AMNPS troubles as well.  Guess its time to upgrade

Thanks for all the help, sorry if I'm being a pain

 

[Bearcarver]

Once my smoker got above 250 its started smoldering a bit.

Kinda frustrating, I'm having smoker troubles on top of the AMNPS troubles as well.  Guess its time to upgrade

Thanks for all the help, sorry if I'm being a pain

No Pain---No problem-----Just try that above lighting procedure when you get a chance---No hurry.

Bear
 

 

[magnum3672]

Yeah, I only hot smoked one of my 2 BBB's so when I get around to doing the other one I'll try that method.

Just for curiosities sake, about how long should my BBB stay in a ziplock bag in the fridge?  By that I mean how long will it stay good.  Indefinitely?

 

[Bearcarver]

Yeah, I only hot smoked one of my 2 BBB's so when I get around to doing the other one I'll try that method.

Just for curiosities sake, about how long should my BBB stay in a ziplock bag in the fridge?  By that I mean how long will it stay good.  Indefinitely?

That one is still up for discussion.

Personally I wouldn't have a problem with up to 5 extra days, above my calculated curing time.

Longer than that, you should consider freezing, and that's another discussion.  LOL

Bear

 

[magnum3672]

well, it got rinsed and partially smoked already so.  Maybe i'll hot smoke it tomorrow then freeze it. Just for safeties sake