Pellet smoking? Clue me in...

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chef k-dude

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Mar 11, 2015
148
53
Central Virginia
I'm taking the shortcut here. I have been seeing and hearing about the Amazen pellet smoker and others and I am a total newbie on this.

Any info as to why and how, and what I would smoke using this with my MES 40 is welcome. I've read some DIY adaption threads and such but need a basic education.

Any links or suggestions to shorten my searching time is really appreciated. I just have limited time for browsing and such so it could take me a long time on my own.

Also, I am a metal fabricator by trade and have access to pretty much anything I need including stainless perforated sheet metal. I would love to DIY my whole rig but for $35...it seems pretty cheap to just buy, plus, comes with a pound of pellets.

Any links or knowledge to shortcut my research will bring upon you much karma!

Ken
 
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http://www.amazenproducts.com/default.asp


Todd Johnson, the man that designed and originally built the AMNS, AMNPS and the AMNTS is a long time member here... Many of us did the "pre testing" of the units before they hit the market.... Todd donates prizes to the forum.... He is now, one of the administrators....

Sorry, but I don't think I can give any clues to how Todd's stuff is built...

Dave
 
 
I'm taking the shortcut here. I have been seeing and hearing about the Amazen pellet smoker and others and I am a total newbie on this.

Any info as to why and how, and what I would smoke using this with my MES 40 is welcome.

Ken
Ken,

The short of it is this. You know that little tube on the side of your MES 40 that you stuff wood chips in about every 30 to 40 minutes to keep the smoke going? Well with Todd's pellet smoker, set it in the bottom of your MES40 and you have smoke for about 8 hours depending on how many pellets you load it with.
 
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Thanks Dave,

I'm not trying to steal his design or anything, I just love to DIY. I saw you helping a guy in a thread using a mailbox to feed smoke from the pellet smoker to the box. Is that for cold smoking? I'm having a hard time understanding what one would use it for otherwise except it saves electricity? (Rubbin explained a little further about hours of smoke).

I can custom fabricate a lot of stuff, so doing this would be second nature to me. I think Todd's unit is a bargain on Amazon for $35. It would take more of my professional billing time's worth to make it. I could make it but I'd have to buy one to copycat it! I would have one then, and no need to make one...and I'm not in to stealing folk’s designs and selling them. I've had that happen to me.

AK1,

That link took me to a new thread fresh page. By the way…I do have an AK…

Rubbin,

Ah, so it’s about not having to add chips constantly. Sort of a “set it and forget it” thing. I can see where that would be very helpful…for sleep!

Ken
 
K, morning... I made several "knock-off" pellet smokers before I got one of Todd's... I was just sayin' I can't help you... I feel I owe Todd that much... Many folks have made similar designs...

Dave
 
Careful on confusing "pellet smoking" with using a smoke tube or maze.  There are smokers/grills that run on pellets, and then there are the the tubes/mazes to add smoke to another smoker.

I recently bought a 12" tube from Todd.  Great item.  I've used it so far for cold-smoking cheese inside my GMG pellet smoker/grill, which was my main reason to buy it.  I didn't even turn on the GMG since I needed to keep the temp down.  Real handy as I can just use the same pellets I cook with.  :)   I will also be experimenting with using it to add additional smoke flavor when actually cooking.  I've been very happy with the level of smoke I get already, but it's fun to try stuff.  

As you mention, it'd be simple to make if you already had the materials, but just not worth the time and effort for a one-off.  
 
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Hey Dave,

I'm looking more for the methods, reasons and purposes for why the pellet smoker. Why do I want a pellet smoker and what would I do with it? As in what do you use yours for? And I'm specifically referring to something like the Amazen unit Todd sells that I would add to my MES.

Keep in mind I have zero experience with them so I am learning from the ground up.

So far I have learned that this device can smoke for up to 8 hours. That is a reason to have one so I don't have to add chips to my MES every 1/2-1 hour. But that really only maters to me if I want to say...take a nap and leave the smoker for hours. Usually when I smoke, I am around the house where the smoker is, so dropping in chips here and there is not a big deal for me.

Thanks again
 
 
Careful on confusing "pellet smoking" with using a smoke tube or maze.  There are smokers/grills that run on pellets, and then there are the the tubes/mazes to add smoke to another smoker.

I recently bought a 12" tube from Todd.  Great item.  I've used it so far for cold-smoking cheese inside my GMG pellet smoker/grill, which was my main reason to buy it.  I didn't even turn on the GMG since I needed to keep the temp down.  Real handy as I can just use the same pellets I cook with.  :)   I will also be experimenting with using it to add additional smoke flavor when actually cooking.  I've been very happy with the level of smoke I get already, but it's fun to try stuff.  

As you mention, it'd be simple to make if you already had the materials, but just not worth the time and effort for a one-off.  
Now you are hitting another nail on the head for me. I am interested in cold smoking. I'd like to smoke cheese and salmon and anything else that makes sense or even pushes the envelope. I've seen the little culinary smokers on food shows too, they look like a battery operated pipe like we used to smoke wacky tobacky in back in the day. I've seen people smoke all kinds of stuff...even tomatoes and beverages.

I think my intentions were somewhat mis-understood originally, I'm not trying to screw Todd out of anything; I have seen some threads here where people are putting the Amazen in a mailbox and porting it in to an MES. That got my interest up. All of those were DIY rigs using the Amazen smoker that was PURCHASED. I was simply adding to my thought process and comments/questions that while I'm making a custom rig like the mailbox thing, I also have the ability and probably the materials to make the actual little smoker thing. But I don't even know what it is totally yet and would have to have one in my hands to replicate it...and why do that if I already have one in my hands!
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All feedback and info is welcome.

Thanks!
 
 
I think my intentions were somewhat mis-understood originally, I'm not trying to screw Todd out of anything
No worries, I didn't take it that you were looking to screw anyone.  I like to tinker too and will often consider whether I can DIY something.  Nothing wrong with that at all.  Taking someone else's work and then selling an equivalent yourself, that's a different matter.  But that's not at all what you conveyed as your intention.
 
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