MES 40 and AMNPS........won't stay lit! PLEASE HELP!

It seems like you are doing everything right.  maybe the pellets are damp?  Although that would seem to be unlikely if they burn.

I usually let my burn for 10 minutes then blow it out. 

I never use water in the pan.  you will discover that it will create a lot of condensation with water running down the door and such.  So i would leave the water out and just line it with foil.  It not really neccessary in an electric smoker. 

You say you have the AMNPS on the rails.  Is that the bottom rails next to the heating element?

The way i run mine is chip tray pulled out about 1" or so, chip loader out and vent full upen.  I also created a chimney to put over the vent as it seems to help with the draw.  I used some PVC pipe for the chimney

I have never had to do that. I have never had a problem with mine burning. I would think that with the chip loader out and the tray pulled out some it should be getting plenty of air. You didn't say what temp you were running.  I have had issues with the AMNPS not smoking well at higher temps, like in my grill...but never in my MES.

You said that you had cherry, maple and oak.....depending on how much cherry you have that could be an issue.  cherry does not burn well and needs other woods to keep it going.  So i would make sure that it is no more that half cherry.

don't know what else to recommend...Maybe it's that thin colorado air!  ;o)

Cherry is the hardest one to keep lit .. .. You should nuke the pellets for 30 to 40 seconds in separate bowls .. Then set down a good layer of hickory .... Put a bit of cherry on one side ( left or right side of the row) in the middle , then cover with a layer of hickory and the oak ..

Always set the pellets in a step formation at the front of the first row .. so you can get a good fire going ..

Should help ...

Pellets will pick up moisture very quickly .. You could vac pack them .. I do , but nuke them anyway .. I experienced similar problems till I went this route.
I live in moisture laden costal air ...



Ross

Jarrod said:

Alright everybody,

I've run out of threads on this topic to read up on, and I still can't get 'er figured out.  This is my first time using the AMNPS.  I got the pellets going good with a propane torch (mix of cherry, maple, hickory), let them burn the first 2" or so, and blew them out (it was producing a good amount of smoke).  I've tried all of the senarios mentioned, and they are still going out.  I have water in my pan, and the tray sitting on the rails (burn side up against the opposite wall). 

1) loader out, chip tray out, exhaust wide open (thought it might be drafting back in)

Chip Loader out 2", Chip Tray out 1"-1 1/2" and Exhaust wide Open

2) loader out, chip tray in (pulled out 1.5 - 2"), exhaust wide open (thought it might be starving)

Chip Loader out 2", Chip Tray out 1"-1 1/2" and Exhaust wide Open

3) loader in (pulled out 1.5 - 2"), chip tray in (pulled out 1.5 - 2"), exhaust wide open (now i'm confused)

Correct!

Any help would be greatly appreciated, i've pulled the thing out three times to re-light, and it goes out again within about 10 minutes.

If the water is the issue, i'm really confused, cause i've seen posts where folks ARE putting liquid in their pans.

Yes, Water in the pan is an issue!!

Thanks! 

Click to expand...

Are you using Pitmaster's Choice, or mixing Cherry, Hickory and Maple Pellets yourself?

Pellets don't hang around very long to absorb moisture, so they're most likely OK

What state do you live in?

Cherry, Wine Barrel and Bourbon Barrel have a difficult time burning on their own.  You need to layer the bottom 1/2 of the row with good burning pellets like Oak, Hickory or Maple first, and then a layer the top 1/2 withf Cherry, Bourbon Barrel or Wine Barrel.

Water In The Water Pan

When you fill the water pan with water or another liquid, and set your smoker to 225°+, the water will boil off.  This causes excess moisture in the cabinet.  This moisture will condense on the inside walls and your meat.  Many guys are fooled into thinking their MES is producing good smoke, when it's steam coming out of the exhaust.  If you feel you need to add moisture to your smoker, use a disposable loaf pan with about 1/2" of water.

I own (3) MES 40"s, and have used water one time only.

The water vapor condensed on the glass, and dripped all over my concrete slab.

If you want to add moisture to your meat, inject it with your favorite liquids.  This will definitely add the flavors your looking for, where steam does not.  Place a disposable pan directly under your smoking meat, to catch the drippings.

If you ever have questions, you can call me at (952)412-0484

Todd

Thanks ... I was having an issue myself .. I believe its the water .. next time I fire it up I will try all the above .. thanks Todd

One thing to consider is air flow. Many times I have seen posts that people are unable to keep the pellets smoking or lit. When I first purchased my MES 40, I put it on the back patio. I was forced to tuck it in a corner so I could plug the unit it without an extension cord. The first time I smoked in the unit the wind was blowing quite a bit. There was a lot of air flow circulation around the unit and it produced smoke like it should. The second time I used the unit the wind was completely dead. It was one of those humid Florida days without a bit of breeze. I couldn't keep the pellets burning. I took them out and replaced them with ones that I had put in a microwave for one minute. I still couldn't keep the pellets lit. Needless to say I was frustrated. Finally it occured to me that the unit was not getting the proper air flow. I placed a small 12" fan about 3 feet away from the unit and aimed it toward the intake with the fan on a low setting. To my amazement the pellets burned without a hitch. In fact, a few weeks ago I placed the fan closer to the unit and not only did the pellets burn, they burned twice as fast as they should have. Instead of taking about 4 hours per row to burn, I burned through 2 rows in about 3-1/2 hours. This taught me that the air flow was the problem. If I want more smoke, I set the fan closer or turn it up a notch from the lowest setting. If I want a low and slow smoke that is not overpowering, I place the fan farther from the intake and reduce the fan speed.

Since I learned this I have not had a problem burning the pellets including the Cherry, Wine Barrel and Bourbon Barrel.

I sure hope this helps you and others that have had this problem.

WC

Good Answer WC!

I had a customer in Canada, who just could not get his pellets to burn in his MES

We tried everything, and were about to give up, when he changed the location of his MES to an area with a little breeze.

That's all it took, was a little draft to make it all work perfectly

Altitude also plays a part in burning pellets

At 5,000' and below pellets seem to burn good

Above 5,000', and they have issues.  This is where sawdust works best.

Greeley, CO is at 4,697', so altitude should not be your problem

My bet is on the water in the water pan

Todd

I think Todd's right about the water pan.  I live in a humid area, and always microwave my pellets before using them.  I do 2 min for a full AMNPS.  If I ever try to skip this step, those are the only times I run into trouble.  I smoke in my garage and was initially only opening the garage doors too.  When I started opening a window above my mes, and getting a cross breeze, it made a big difference too.  Don't give up, once you get it dialed in you'll love it.

[SIZE]3[/SIZE]Well, unfortunately, I can also add that I am having ZERO success at using my AMNPS in my new model MES 40 delivered the day before Thanksgiving. I have microwaved the pellets, lit them on fire for 45 seconds, let them burn for 10 minutes, and though it smokes great to begin with, the embers die within 15 minutes. The only smoke coming out, though it looks like TBS and smells HEAVENLY, is the grease from the drippings. I have lit and relit them at least 4 times while trying to smoke 4 butts. The internal temp measured by the MES hit 190 in less than 7 hours, and showed the same temp in two different butts. The Maverick is showing 185 degrees after 8+ hours. This is beyond frustrating as I expect to be able to set the temp on the MES (which isn't even close to the Maverick, get the AMNPS going, and just let it go as long as it takes. Nope, this is like babysitting a toddler. And to top it off, it doesn't look like I am going to be getting any decent bark out of this deal, and the torch that came with my kit won't let the propane out. I emailed Todd late last night, and can't wait to hear back from him, but I have done everything suggested in this thread. Thanks for any added advice.

I dropped you a note back this morning

The new 2012 MES is set up a little different than the older models

You have to raise the AMNPS off the floor just a little

Here's a pic of a few tiles under the AMNPS

I am making jerky today in the new generation MES40.  I have been using the pitmasters dust in the pellet smoker (AMNPS) in my old MES30 since I could never get the pellets to burn right.  In the new MES40 I just put it in the bottom without raising it and one row lasted a little over three hours, remember this is dust and not pellets even though I am using the pellet style AMNPS.  As in the old MES30 I have the chip loader out about one inch, chip tray inside out about two inches, I will post smoke and temps when jerky is done.

Hope this rambling makes sense

Gary 

I also had a burn problem, I tried everything, now what i do is nuke the whole load that i'am going to burn for 5min. on half power, works great, it is a moisture problem