Any issues with your MES 40 BT + AMPS? Cast your vote!

brickguy221 · Aug 16, 2015

Dr K said:
Exactly what I thought! I'm glad you tried it. Your the first other than me that has ever mentioned the drain hole as an air supply for the AMNPS. Before trying mods I'd move the AMNPS over the hole. I'm not sure what people are waiting for and why there has been zero discussion on this potential AMNPS air flow solution. I don't have the 2.5 BT or 2. So it doesn't apply to me with the Gen 1. I saw the hole on the back of the Gen 1 and said i wonder how much air is drawn though it. So I put a lighter to it and I couldn't keep it lit. I guess with the Gen 2 and 2.5 the outside hole isn't visible. Out of sight out of mind.
-Kurt

My only thoughts of putting it over the drain hole is that it puts the Maze really close to the heat element and wonder if more pellets will ignite and start smoking along with the lit ones.

Right now, I seem to have plenty of air with Maze on left side and the chip loader pulled out 2" and turned dump side down. Right now I am smoking Jeff Phillips Campfire Chicken with pecan pellets and they are smoking well. It will be done in about 10 more minutes. Since you only smoke it one hr before closing it up, I lit both ends of my Maze and it smoked really-really great. The reason I did this is because I used wood chips in the past and it got heavy smoke for one hr, and the food was perfect, so I wanted to give it a heavy dose the first hr and it worked with both ends of Maze lit and chip dumper out 2" and dump side down.

candurin · Aug 16, 2015

If you keep it raised some, you can still keep it far left of the bottom and there will be plenty of draft inside the cabinet from the grease drain hole and the wood chip loader (assuming you keep the chip dump portion od the loader half in/half out.

No need to keep the pellet smoker centered over the hole.

dr k · Aug 16, 2015

Brickguy221 said:
My only thoughts of putting it over the drain hole is that it puts the Maze really close to the heat element and wonder if more pellets will ignite and start smoking along with the lit ones.

Right now, I seem to have plenty of air with Maze on left side and the chip loader pulled out 2" and turned dump side down. Right now I am smoking Jeff Phillips Campfire Chicken with pecan pellets and they are smoking well. It will be done in about 10 more minutes. Since you only smoke it one hr before closing it up, I lit both ends of my Maze and it smoked really-really great. The reason I did this is because I used wood chips in the past and it got heavy smoke for one hr, and the food was perfect, so I wanted to give it a heavy dose the first hr and it worked with both ends of Maze lit and chip dumper out 2" and dump side down.

Well, your not having problems with your AMNPS LOL. I'm talking about people that are at a 50/50 success ratio or worse. Play with how close is too close to the hole or how about a 90* elbow in the drip pan that points towards the AMNPS. The drip pan hole is more of a vent than a drain. Most everything is caught by the water pan unless you have a full smoker. I'm talking simple stuff. Someone take the damn drip pan to a box store and find an elbow that fits in the hole! Then do a mailbox mod or whatever if the elbow doesn't work..

-Kurt

dr k · Aug 16, 2015

candurin said:
If you keep it raised some, you can still keep it far left of the bottom and there will be plenty of draft inside the cabinet from the grease drain hole and the wood chip loader (assuming you keep the chip dump portion od the loader half in/half out.

No need to keep the pellet smoker centered over the hole.

Well that's what people are doing to get it to work. It's the people that can't get it to work that need to take it to the next level. The solution is the air from the drain.

-Kurt

brickguy221 · Aug 16, 2015

candurin said:
If you keep it raised some, you can still keep it far left of the bottom and there will be plenty of draft inside the cabinet from the grease drain hole and the wood chip loader (assuming you keep the chip dump portion od the loader half in/half out.

No need to keep the pellet smoker centered over the hole.

I am inclined to agree with you. My Maze sits on a wire rack on left side and raised off the floor. With it in that position and my chip loader our 2" with dump side turned down, I am now having some success with the pellets. Previously I was one of the bigger complainers here about the pellets not smoking enough, but doing it like I do now, I am liking the pellets much better.

I also run the vent wide open and have a bean can with both top and bottom cut out, sitting over the vent like a chimmney.

floridasteve · Aug 17, 2015

As I said earlier, I place my tray over the center hole. I have never had a problem with the heat from the element igniting other rows. Because of the slant of the heat shield over the element, there is a natural draft from left to right, taking the heat up the right side of the smoker. Placing the tray next to the heating assembly does two things, possibly three. It gets getter crosswise draft from the heat element draw, it gets air from the bottom from the drain hole, and it possible gets some extra heat from the element which causes the pellets to smolder better.

As far as the upper vent position, I agree that wide open is best for the AMNPS. but, when I go from wide open to as far closed as I can with probe wires passing through, I see a lot more even smoker temp from grate to grate then with the vent open. I did a six hour smoke yesterday with hickory pellets. I filled two rows, and at the end I had about an inch of pellets left. I started with the vent wide open to assure a good burn, and after about 30 minutes I shut it as far as I could. AMNPS continued to work fine.

mummel · Aug 17, 2015

Just a heads-up I had a good smoke yesterday. Nuked pellets for 3.5 minutes and used a hairdryer. I struggled to blow it out. NOTE TO SELF - do not let a pellet fall into your mulch bed when you are blowing hard to get your flame out. I found it smoldering 2.5 hours later, smoke everywhere. Melted the wires in my walkway lights.......... NOT GOOD!

brickguy221 · Aug 17, 2015

FloridaSteve said:
As I said earlier, I place my tray over the center hole. I have never had a problem with the heat from the element igniting other rows. Because of the slant of the heat shield over the element, there is a natural draft from left to right, taking the heat up the right side of the smoker. Placing the tray next to the heating assembly does two things, possibly three. It gets getter crosswise draft from the heat element draw, it gets air from the bottom from the drain hole, and it possible gets some extra heat from the element which causes the pellets to smolder better.

As far as the upper vent position, I agree that wide open is best for the AMNPS. but, when I go from wide open to as far closed as I can with probe wires passing through, I see a lot more even smoker temp from grate to grate then with the vent open. I did a six hour smoke yesterday with hickory pellets. I filled two rows, and at the end I had about an inch of pellets left. I started with the vent wide open to assure a good burn, and after about 30 minutes I shut it as far as I could. AMNPS continued to work fine.

On placing the Maze or Tube over center hole, you made some good points there Steve. I may try that the next time I smoke something. If doing that, I wonder if it is still necessary to pull chip loader our 2" with dump side turned down????

floridasteve · Aug 17, 2015

Brickguy221 said:
On placing the Maze or Tube over center hole, you made some good points there Steve. I may try that the next time I smoke something. If doing that, I wonder if it is still necessary to pull chip loader our 2" with dump side turned down????

I leave my tube out, at least for now. I try not to change more than one thing at I time so I know easier what works and what doesn't. And a want to try each successful change multiple times before moving on the something else.

dennispfaff · Aug 17, 2015

FloridaSteve said:
As I said earlier, I place my tray over the center hole. I have never had a problem with the heat from the element igniting other rows. Because of the slant of the heat shield over the element, there is a natural draft from left to right, taking the heat up the right side of the smoker. Placing the tray next to the heating assembly does two things, possibly three. It gets getter crosswise draft from the heat element draw, it gets air from the bottom from the drain hole, and it possible gets some extra heat from the element which causes the pellets to smolder better.

As far as the upper vent position, I agree that wide open is best for the AMNPS. but, when I go from wide open to as far closed as I can with probe wires passing through, I see a lot more even smoker temp from grate to grate then with the vent open. I did a six hour smoke yesterday with hickory pellets. I filled two rows, and at the end I had about an inch of pellets left. I started with the vent wide open to assure a good burn, and after about 30 minutes I shut it as far as I could. AMNPS continued to work fine.

Steve,
Do you just put your pellet tray on the bottom floor over the drain hole and under the water pan without elevating it? And by closing the air vent some, everything worked out ok?
Dennis

mummel · Aug 17, 2015

Guys I finally made a video. This cherry worked.

floridasteve · Aug 17, 2015

dennispfaff said:
Steve,
Do you just put your pellet tray on the bottom floor over the drain hole and under the water pan without elevating it? And by closing the air vent some, everything worked out ok?
Dennis

My tray is elevated a out 2 1/2 inches, but I'm not sure that really helps. Something else I need to do a trial one someday.

image.jpg

floridasteve
Aug 17, 2015

dvuong · Aug 20, 2015

Brickguy221 said:
I also run the vent wide open and have a bean can with both top and bottom cut out, sitting over the vent like a chimmney.

What's the purpose of using a bean can?

brickguy221 · Aug 20, 2015

dvuong said:
What's the purpose of using a bean can?

I have been told it helps to increase the draft. True or not, I don't know.

Hopefully a more knowledgeable person than I, will chime in and verify that it does or that it does not.

dennispfaff · Aug 20, 2015

Brickguy221 said:
I have been told it helps to increase the draft. True or not, I don't know.

Hopefully a more knowledgeable person than I, will chime in and verify that it does or that it does not.

Have you smoked anything yet with your "chimney" to see if it helps?
Dennis

brickguy221 · Aug 20, 2015

dennispfaff said:
Have you smoked anything yet with your "chimney" to see if it helps?
Dennis

Dennis, I have used it twice.

I can't really say for sure but will say that I think the chimney helps, judging by how the smoke comes out of the top vent with out chimney and how it comes out with chimney. Coming out of the top vent without chimney, the smoke appears to come out with less authority and sort of drifts laterally away... With chimney it appears to come out with a bit more authority going more straight up above chimney a bit before drifting laterally away.

Also, when I hold my hand over the vent, I feel no pressure coming out, but when I hold my hand over chimney, I can feel a slight pressure coming out.

I think that jted might be able to verify better than I can, if the chimney works and helps, but going by what I have described above, I feel it does.

Any issues with your MES 40 BT + AMPS? Cast your vote!

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