AMNPS

You got the water pan in there?

I smoked some cheese Friday evening and I was seeing smoke just like in your picture with the door open. I think my cheese came out great and the picture of yours looks like the cheese got just what it needed. 

I have an external fire box on my GOSM propane smoker and when hot smoking I put my AMNPS in the external box and I see very little smoke coming out of the top vent. I think partly because the flame from the burner is burning up the smoke and partly from the fast draft created from the heat. I can still smell the smoke and taste it in the meat I smoke.

When I smoke cheese I place the AMNPS inside the smoker chamber because I'm not using the burner. Friday I was watching and I would see smoke coming out the top vent and then I noticed it stop, then I saw a big puff of smoke come out from underneath the smoker. I kept watching and thinking about it and came to the conclusion that it was the wind blowing over the top of the smoker was creating a vacuum and drawing the smoke out the top vent. When I would feel the breeze stop is when I would see smoke coming out the bottom. I figured this was happening because there was no heat inside the chamber creating an updraft, so the smoke was just hanging out in the chamber and would exit where ever was easier for it.

I had two 2 liter jugs of frozen water (I think that's called ice) inside the chamber. It was 79* outside when I started and my chamber temp was about 77*. So I really believe without any heat to create a draft the AMNPS appeared to create more smoke than what I am used to seeing when I use it in the external box with heat drawing the smoke right through the chamber and out the top. Since I had the jugs of ice near the top of the chamber and the temp inside was lower than outside I think with no breeze creating a vacuum at the top the cold inside was forcing the smoke/air to go down.

I really think this is what you were experiencing. No Draft! You were getting more smoke just hanging around and not drafting through the top then you are used to.

Disclaimer: This is a totally unscientific observation, just my thoughts from the little I know of Physics and the knowledge I have collected about propane smokers from the Great people at SMF! 

If the cheese is too strong for you after it rests, then next time just don't smoke as long, you can also leave the door open just a bit to let some smoke out, you aren't trying to hold heat in so it doesn't matter. Heck you can cold smoke in a cardboard box.

The longer you let it rest the better it will get. I had 5# in the fridge but did 7# more Friday so I can let it rest for a couple of months, will probably do some more in about a month just so it can go much longer!

Don't give up, just try and find what works for you!

BTW, what kind of pellets were you using?

I can see more than 1 spot is burning in the outside row or your AMNPS. It looks like there may be more burning behind that. If the AMNPS is too full, the fire can jump rows. Just trying to help. Your cheese looks good to me.
 

I feel that much smoke is typical in a smoker with an AMNPS burning. You have to remember that even a lil bit of smoke in a confined area will fill that space up rather quickly. As for the airflow I pull my chip loader out all the way and open the top vent to wide open. From what I understand its not the amount of smoke but the stale smoke that causes the bitterness.  I have only done cheese once so far but it came out great using the amnps.Some of that cheese that I vacume sealed about 2 months ago just got opened last night for some burritos and it was phenominal.

Just a general thank you to Todd - my AMNPS cranks.  I bought a propane torch and I get the ANMPS going well first.  I also note that it is good to get my MES 30 up to its operating heat before putting the AMNPS in as that helps create the heat for a better convection draw.

Happy Sunday!

Adam Smokefisch

I was thinking of using AMNPS in my Char-Griller 5050 Duo Gas & Charcoal Grill with firebox off charcoal grill. I am planning on putting the AMNPS in the firebox section would this work or should I put where my meat is? No water pan to be used. By reading some of the posts I don't need additional heat, correct? Going to smoke pork ribs & chicken breasts.

That much smoke is a bad thing?  I get something like that every time I open my smoker, even if all I have leaking out is TBS.  Stings my eyes, but I haven't had any meat come out tasting anything less than delicious so far.  Maybe I just haven't had good meat yet?

Did you ever figure out the issue? I got one for Christmas and used yesterday to smoke some cheddar and had the same issue. Was on here to see if others have issue as it is my first time using it and thought smoke was a bit heavy. However I filled one row with pellets and it lasted the 3 hours it said it would. So burn time was accurate but seemed awfully heavy smoke wise. How did the cheese turn out after sitting? Mine is sitting for the two weeks now and hoping it mellows.

I smoked one lb each of mild cheddar, medium cheddar, colby, munster, and colby jack.  They just seem to be getting better and better with time.  I thought the smoke flavor was a bit heavy after 1 week of sitting, but the wife liked it.  After 3 weeks now, I think it is great.

Did you ever get the amount of smoke to decrease and be less white since then?

I haven't been trying to.

I have had similar smoke levels out of my AMNPS in my MES 40".    I've used Myron Mixon Apple pellets and the Hickory pellets that came with the AMNPS.  Both produced the same smoke levels with the rows filled 3/4 of the way up.  The smoke in the chamber was consistent but what was coming out varied depending on how far out I had the loader.  Completely out resulted in a lot of smoke pouring out of the exhaust (fully open).  Loader half way in and the smoke was more like TBS.  Which is better?  The larger amount of smoke coming out leads me to believe less smoke is hanging out in the chamber...Maybe seeing all the smoke through the window of the MES is making me paranoid.  Should I only focus on the smoke that is exiting?

I smoked some cheese and bacon a couple of weeks ago.  I tried the cheese after 1 week and it mellowed out a bit.  The 2 weeks recommended seems on the spot as the cheese tastes pretty darn good now. 

My bacon didn't turn out well after a 10 hr cold smoke.  It had a really sharp acrid/ashtray taste.  I had to cut most of the exterior off, what remained was pretty good.  I ended up re-smoking for 2 hrs after removing the outer acrid layer of the bacon and it was better. 

I didn't form a great pellicle on the bacon, but it was there.  Anyone else ran in to this?  I did at one point have a zip lock with ice packs on the pan I set on the rack above the AMNPS.  AMNPS was on the water/pan heat deflector left of the chip tray. 

Sorry, don't mean to hijack thread but I am worried my next batch of bacon will have the same results based on what seems to be similar smoke levels as others in this thread.