AMNPS Burning way to fast in MES 40.

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coryjac0b

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 30, 2012
9
10
A while back I was having issues with the tray going out and having to be re-lit a few times while smoking jerky. ~160°.  So I read what I could find on the forums and attributed it to not having enough air-flow.  I added a stack to the top outlet and put a small PC fan pushing fresh air into the unit.  The last time I made jerky it didn't go out once and burned as expected. 

The other night I put on a boston butt to smoke for a put-luck at work.  I brought the smoker up to temperature (240°) before lighting the AMNPS.  I got it lit and placed it in the smoker, monitoring the smoke plume and temperature.  I checked on it about 2.5 hrs into the process and noticed it wasn't smoking so I assumed the tray went out.  I opened it up and found the pellets had completely burned and were just coals at this point.  I reloaded the tray thinking I had put it to close to the heating element and that caused them to burn to fast.  I then moved the tray as far from the element as possible lit it again and placed it back in the smoker.  I checked on it again about 2 hours later and got the same result.  

Is it possible there is to much air in there now, or is it the higher smoking temperature causing it to burn a lot faster?

Also I should add that I have the chip tray and housing around element completely removed, not sure if that matters or not.

Thanks.
 
Put some kind of adjustable louver on the suction or discharge side, suction seems to ne the preferred method on this board, I think because its how a fire burner is normally designed. Once you start modifying your smoker it may require more. <shrugs>

You could go with a slower fan, a smaller inlet, a smaller outlet, you could use a plastic scouring pad to plug the pipe, thereby keeping bugs out while reducing the flow also. Loads of possible solutions.
 
How many lines of pellets were you using?

If you can't reduce the speed of the fan, can you add spacers to the attaching screws/bolts to move it further away from the inlet? That could reduce the amount going in. Or slide the fan up or down so that only part of the fan blows into the opening

Ron
 
From your description, you definitely have too much air flow.  Your AMNPS will perform differently when hot smoking than it does when you cold smoke...mostly because the heat will generate more air flow.  Try putting your chip loader and chip tray back in place...maybe just slightly pulled out an inch or so, then adjust as needed when you see how controlling the air flow will affect your rate of pellet burn.

Hope this helps...a little trial and error and you'll have it down pat.

Good Luck!

Red
 
At the high temp, above 180°F the AMNPS requires very little air. I pull the chip drawer and loader out 1" for the first 30 minutes and then push the loader back in to reduce the air and get 10 hours out of a full load. You won't need the fan and can all but block the hole where the feed tube would be...JJ
 
 
How many lines of pellets were you using?

If you can't reduce the speed of the fan, can you add spacers to the attaching screws/bolts to move it further away from the inlet? That could reduce the amount going in. Or slide the fan up or down so that only part of the fan blows into the opening

Ron
Full tray.  I can reduce the fan speed.  I have a pc fan wired to a radio shack plug that goes from 3v to 12v.
 
 
What brand of pellets are you using? Where in the MES are you putting the AMNPS? I have a MES 40 and I use a AMNPS. I put the AMNPS on the left hand bottom I pull the chip loader out about 1" top vent wide open. I have never had that problem. I have never had a need to add air by a fan.

Happy smoken.

David
I am using the Amaze-n pellets.
 
If none of the above works, try not filling the AMNPS so full.

If it's filled too high, it can jump across into the next row, and go wild from there.

I keep mine at least 1/8" to 1/4" from the top of the walls.

Bear
 
The Guys have you covered!

It's the added air flow thru the smoker that's causing the pellets to burn so quickly

You need to restrict more of the intake air

When the heat is on, there is quite a draft thru the smoker, especially if the chip loader is removed

I would suggest limiting the intake and opening the exhaust

Do you have a "Foil Tent" over the smoker?

Too close can cause the heat to bounce back to the pellets

Todd
 
I don't put a tent over it usually.  I may fashion something out of some sheet metal as sort of a shield around the heating element to help.  
 
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