AMNPS reliable use in offset smoker

wade · May 1, 2015

There are often questions on here about keeping an AMNPS reliable alight. I have therefore put up a quick video showing how I currently use mine with my main offset smoker. Most of my salmon smokes are just overnight however it is not unusual for me to smoke for up to 48 hours (or sometimes longer). Please bear with the voice over as I was winging it as I was taking the video, and I wasn't looking for being nominated for an Oscar this time.

OK - yes I know the blowtorch time was a long 10-15 seconds - more like 25 ... and the temperature overnight was in Deg C in case anyone thinks that the UK is bitterly cold this time of year

mummel · May 1, 2015

Cool.

mrshep70 · May 7, 2015

How come you microwave the pellets? Is that that what A-Maze-N recommends? Great video though. I trying to decide if I want the AMNPS or the AMNTS to add extra smoke to my pellet grill. I've read that if you are used to the heavier smoke flavor of a stick burner or a charcoal smoker that the pellet grill is a much lighter smoke. Decisions, decisions...

GaryHibbert · May 7, 2015

Hey Wade

GREAT video. I've been having trouble keeping my new AMNPS burning. It certainly seems that your way works well. I'll try that the next smoke. Thanks very much.

Gary

mummel · May 7, 2015

Wade, how come you get rid of the sawdust? I get that it helps the pellets burn easier but dont you lose some useful burnable material?

seenred · May 7, 2015

Mrshep70 said:
How come you microwave the pellets? Is that that what A-Maze-N recommends? Great video though. I trying to decide if I want the AMNPS or the AMNTS to add extra smoke to my pellet grill. I've read that if you are used to the heavier smoke flavor of a stick burner or a charcoal smoker that the pellet grill is a much lighter smoke. Decisions, decisions...

I hope Wade won't mind if I answer your questions...

The purpose of microwaving the pellets is to drive out any moisture they have collected. This makes igniting the pellets, as well as keeping them smoldering for hours, much easier.

IMO the device you want in your pellet grill is the tube (AMNTS). That's what Todd designed the tube for...the maze smoker (AMNPS) doesn't perform as well in pellet grills as the tube.

HTH...

and BTW, Wade...great video! I enjoyed it very much! Thumbs Up

Red

mrshep70 · May 7, 2015

Thanks Red. You've been everywhere and answered my questions on a couple of threads. Thanks again for being so helpful. Thumbs Up

wade · May 8, 2015

As Red says, the microwaving drives out a lot of the water that the pellets have absorbed from the atmosphere and it also warms them which helps the initial burn. When microwaving it is important to stir them though as the water vapour released from the pellets at the bottom can start to cause the pellets at the top to disintegrate - similar to dropping a pellet into a glass of water.

mummel said:
Wade, how come you get rid of the sawdust? I get that it helps the pellets burn easier but dont you lose some useful burnable material?

From experience of burns that have failed part way through, the burn seemed to stop more often in places where the sawdust had clogged up the air holes in the bottom of the AMNPS. Since I started to remove the dust from the pellets this has not been a problem.

SeenRed said:
IMO the device you want in your pellet grill is the tube (AMNTS). That's what Todd designed the tube for...the maze smoker (AMNPS) doesn't perform as well in pellet grills as the tube.

and BTW, Wade...great video! I enjoyed it very much!

Thanks Red

I have a couple of AMNTS tube smokers from Todd and I use those more when hot smoking. The maze smoker I mostly use for cold smoking.

mummel · May 11, 2015

Wade, thanks for your video. It helped me a lot this weekend. Check my thread for how things went: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/191706/mothers-day-smoke-up

daveomak · May 11, 2015

Hey Wade...... The narrator has a British accent.... what's up with that ??? LOL

wade · May 11, 2015

DaveOmak said:
Hey Wade...... The narrator has a British accent.... what's up with that ??? LOL

Accent !!! What Accent??? LOL

smokin monkey · May 12, 2015

Wade, can not let this go with out an award!

image.jpg

smokin monkey
May 12, 2015

As always, very informative Post that will help all members. Thumbs Up

Smokin Monkey

smokinjoes · Jun 16, 2015

great video! I have to say as someone who was using my own home made version of the amnts and then recently went out and purchased an amnps I was not totally impressed with the actual version. I bought it for the longer smoking times, and since then have lit both ends each time :(

I look forward to using your method in my next cook, your video shows better performance than I experienced.

great work!

dstar26t · Feb 3, 2016

Wade said:
The maze smoker I mostly use for cold smoking.

Wade, thanks for sharing your experience with the AMNPS in an offset cooker. I would like to give cold smoking a shot in my Oklahoma Joe Longhorn which should be comparable to your set-up. Do you have a recommendation for the setting on the firebox intake baffle? I didn't see how you had your's set...the grill below the hinged door is the only intake on your rig?

Thanks,

Nate

unity5358 · Sep 23, 2016

Where did you get that AMNPS with four rows? Is that an early model or something? Now they have 3 rows.

daveomak · Sep 23, 2016

unity5358 said:
Where did you get that AMNPS with four rows? Is that an early model or something? Now they have 3 rows.

I believe the 4 row is the AMNS... Todd's original that burns his "dust"... I believe the air holes are smaller and it doesn't burn pellets too well.... The 3 row AMNPS was specifically designed to fit the MES 30 on the wire racks to the left of the burner...

Now I could have this all screwed up so don't put any money on it..... Dave

wade · Sep 24, 2016

unity5358 said:
Where did you get that AMNPS with four rows? Is that an early model or something? Now they have 3 rows.

Hi Unity - Before the AMNPS was available to buy in the UK I had to resort to built one here for myself using the same relative dimensions and gauge of steel/mesh as Todd's - the only difference was that I added a 4th row. Once the AMNPS did became available over here I then bought one of each of Todd's - which I now actively promote. Todd is aware of this and I did ask his permission before I first published the video clip. So the answer is that you cannot buy an AMNPS as standard that has 4 rows but all the extra row gives me is a few hours more smoke before refilling.

AMNPS reliable use in offset smoker

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