AMNPS Test #3 - Char-griller w/ SFB

[alelover]

I tried the AMNPS in my Char-Griller last Sunday while smoking a chicken and some beef spares at 225ºF.

Loaded up with Pitmaster Pellets. I figured 2 rows was enough for 5 hours.

Lit it up.

Got it cooking real good.

I let it burn all by itself for 15 minutes.

I blew out the flame and it was producing a great smelling thin blue smoke. I was like "Oh yeah this is gonna be good"

I wasn't sure if enough were burning yet but it was producing a good amount of smoke.

So I blew on it and got it fired up for a little bit more. Got more of them smoldering now.

Place it on the top thinking the smoke would  flow down across the meat before it exited. For a couple minutes it made some nice smoke but alas, it went out.

So we lit it up again and tried a different location.

Then we lit it up again.

And then another location. This location I cracked the lid on the chamber hoping to get more air to the pellets. It burned better but it still went out after about 10 minutes.

As a last ditch effort to get these things to burn I put it in the firebox. They burned up in a bout a half hour. Slower then I thought they would in that location. Got a half hour of decent smoke.

Had a lot of trouble keeping it lit inside the smoking chamber. I have to think it was starved for air inside the smoke chamber. I tried various locations inside the chamber to no avail. I made sure it was burning good before putting it in there. I left it out for about a half hour and it burned and smoked great. I put it near the front of the chamber with the lid cracked and it did better. It took 10 minutes to go out instead of the 2 minutes inside the smoke chamber. It looks like this unit does not do well in a smoker with a side firebox. Seems that the fire in the firebox uses up all the air before the AMNPS can get any. If anyone knows something different I can do please let me know. I will also be trying it in my cardboard smoker and my bacon fridge smoker when I build it.

But right now I'm going to go buy a mailbox that matches my firebox.

 

[chef jimmyj]

You said you were getting a Mail Box. Can it be mounted over the Intake damper of the SFB, Then put a Damper on the door of the mail box with the AMNPS inside. The air would come in, pick up the smoke them travel into the SFB to supply your fire. I don't know how open you usually keep you intake damper but mine is only cracked 1/2" to maintain 225-250*F so a generic butterfly damper would probably get the job done...JJ

 

[alelover]

That's what I was thinking JJ. Maybe not a mailbox but something similar in theory to what Pops did. My damper is usually open about a 1/4 inch to maintain 225. I don't know if I should send the smoke through the SFB or go direct into the smoke chamber with it.

 

[chefrob]

i would think the fire box would eat up the smoke.....besides i would think it would be better to have the air intakes independent since the air needs may not be the same. just thinkin'.........haven't tried it.

 

[chef jimmyj]

 I'm not sure how many volatile gases are generated by the AMNPS and if the hot air in the SFB would consume it. Considering we get smoke off of Chips or Chunks in the SFB, if the heat was all consuming, no smoke would be generated... Interesting thought though. I would think off the back close to the SFB would be the next option. The other end would seem like a possibility but I fear the smoke would meet the hot air and simply travel out the Chimney, if not modified for reverse flow...JJ