AMazen Problem

[magnum3672]

So, I've had the pellet smoker for a while now and I've had some serious issues keeping that badboy lit. I've tried all sorts of suggestions from letting it burn for up to 10 minutes before blowing it out and microwaving the pellets to clear out moisture but it will still go out. So last chance.

For cold smoking my set up is as follows


Electric cabinet style smoker

Amazen Pellet smoker

I'll crack the bottom drawer on it to keep up airflow and the vent is fully opened. It'll still go out.

I've tried even keeping it in a well ventilated area with no breeze but good airflow (aka my garage) but it'll still go out.

I'm at a loss here.

Any suggestions as to what to do?

 

[dasmoke]

Do a mailbox mod.  I used 1 alum mailbox and 2 alum. adj. elbows (3 inch).  Set the mailbox on a brick for airflow and works great on my mes30.  Solved all my problems.  Cost less than $25 at Menards.  Keep it lower than the intake to your smoker.

Dasmoke

 

[Bearcarver]

So, I've had the pellet smoker for a while now and I've had some serious issues keeping that badboy lit. I've tried all sorts of suggestions from letting it burn for up to 10 minutes before blowing it out and microwaving the pellets to clear out moisture but it will still go out. So last chance.

For cold smoking my set up is as follows


Electric cabinet style smoker

Amazen Pellet smoker

I'll crack the bottom drawer on it to keep up airflow and the vent is fully opened. It'll still go out.

I've tried even keeping it in a well ventilated area with no breeze but good airflow (aka my garage) but it'll still go out.

I'm at a loss here.

Any suggestions as to what to do?

Just letting it flame for 10 minutes doesn't always do it. When I blow my flame out, I keep blowing on the glowing coals in the direction of the unburned pellets at the bottom. I do this until I have a big area of glowing red pellets in the bottom of the row. It will usually light itself when it gets there, but I keep blowing on the red pellets for awhile. Then when I feel I have a big enough area of red pellet coals, I let the flame go out one more time. Then I put it in. This sometimes takes up to 20 minutes, but only a minute here & a minute there. It's worth those few minutes of work to get 11 hours of perfect smoke, without touching it again.

I also immediately put my pellets in screw-top plastic jugs, as soon as I get them from Todd. That keeps them bone dry.

Bear

 

[kingfishcam]

I use a propane torch to lite mine, and usually the third time I light it, I am good for several hours.
Also, just because a bottom drawer I'd open might not mean the smoker is getting the air it needs. The mail box mod suggested might be needed.

 

[pc farmer]

Just letting it flame for 10 minutes doesn't always do it. When I blow my flame out, I keep blowing on the glowing coals in the direction of the unburned pellets at the bottom. I do this until I have a big area of glowing red pellets in the bottom of the row. It will usually light itself when it gets there, but I keep blowing on the red pellets for awhile. Then when I feel I have a big enough area of red pellet coals, I let the flame go out one more time. Then I put it in. This sometimes takes up to 20 minutes, but only a minute here & a minute there. It's worth those few minutes of work to get 11 hours of perfect smoke, without touching it again.

I also immediately put my pellets in screw-top plastic jugs, as soon as I get them from Todd. That keeps them bone dry.

Bear

I do the same, lite it and blow on it until I get a nice cherry.

 

[jaybone]

I microwave my pellets 30 seconds, mix them thoroughly, microwave another 30 seconds, then load the AMNPS or AMNTS.  I've been using an MSR Pocket Rocket backpacking stove with an MSR Iso Pro fuel canister to light my pellets.  The stove puts out a high volume high temp flame that really gets the pellets going.  I turn off the Pocket Rocket when I get a nice flame on the pellets and let it burn for about 5 minutes then blow it out and continuously blow on it until I get a large area of red hot pellet coals going.  Haven't had any problems keeping the pellets smoldering and producing that nice TBS.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Check with Todd. Some pellets, Cherry in particular don't burn well on their own...JJ

 

[baba bones]

I LIKE TO OVEN BAKE  THEM AT 225 DEG FOR 30 MIN AND THAT ALLWAYS WORKS FOR ME WITH THAT NO BURN SITUATION.BUT OF CORSE IN THE MAIL BOX MODS WE ALL HAVE DONE... HAPPY SMOKIN AND HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GOOD BUNNY DAY...

 

[dward51]

Someone posted info a while back about microwaving pellets to drive any residual moisture out of them right before use.  They even posted a photo of pellets in a pyrex measuring cup and you could see the beads of moisture the microwave drove out of the pellets on the side of the container.  Just wish I could find the post to link to it.

I know in our area of the south, in the summer the humidity is 90-100% most of the time and even if you open up a sealed container to take pellets out the air is still humid that will be locked in the container when you put the lid back on.  I've never microwaved mine, but I've never had a problem either.

 

[pc farmer]

I microwave mine
I take a red solo cup of pellets and put in a big bowl. Microwave for 30 sec and them stir them. Then microwave another 30 sec

 

[turnandburn]

I use a propane torch to lite mine, and usually the third time I light it, I am good for several hours.
Also, just because a bottom drawer I'd open might not mean the smoker is getting the air it needs. The mail box mod suggested might be needed.

thats funny..sometimes i let it burn for the suggested 10 minutes and sometimes i dont, and i end up getting it just right about the 3rd lighting...lol. after that its on like donkey kong!!

 

[magnum3672]

I have microwaved my pellets. I'll just keep workin on it. Maybe a mailbox mod is worth it.

 

[smoke happens]

If it's going out just sitting in your garage then it sounds to me like it's the pellets. As mentioned earlier, some don't burn well on their own and need another species of wood mixed in with them or the pellets are not dry enough. Are you having the problems with all your pellets or just one species?

 

[tomolu5]

I had the same troubles... with some pellets. I just did a mailbox mod, and so far so good. I always used a blow torch, not the little pin torch that comes with the kit, but a big one, and blow on them like mentioned, but the damn thing would still go out. On my mailbox I current the air slot so I would draw air right across the Amnps. I have not yet gone for a long smoke to see if it burns faster, but I'm happy I did it!

Many thanks Jeff

Tom