AMNPS here finally...

[SonnyE]

Free shipping always comes with the price of time. But finally, time is up.
My AMNPS was finally moving via UPS on Monday from Minnesota. Unlike typical private orders, it never surfaced until it finally hit a town South of me. One of the UPS hubs.
Once here though, it moved along overnight, and got delivered at 09:47 this morning. The Orange Box Store texted me at 10:35 to come pick it up. :D
So it is now doing a break in burn for 12 hours (filled tray) in my Mod box, and making fine smoke as I type.
I'm running the MES 30 at 100 degrees just to keep the draft going in our windy 50 degree (It's freezing!) weather.
My odd box has some sheet metal in it's bottom that was a cradle for a Craftsman Router nearly 50 years ago. Now it supports the AMNPS, and allows full air flow around the unit.
I did encounter one small snafu, so I modified my mod with a small sheet metal screw to act as a hook to catch the back edge of my AMNPS and hold it level. It also locks the AMNPS into place so it can't move anywhere when in use. (Like if I was to bump the box...)
To break it in, I filled it with my Hickory pellets, and fired that muther up with my torch. It burned long enough that it caught the second row end on fire. So I flicked those out and leveled it up again. So Away we go....

The Box, the top, the bottom...


The Mod, the Mod to the Mod, and the hook screw...


Ignition, and Lift-Off!


Houston, we do NOT have a problem...

 

[crazymoon]

SE, you will love your AMNPS.

 

[Rings Я Us]

applause-smiley-emoticon.gif

• Rings Я Us
• Aug 30, 2017

Just got one a few weeks ago myself.
I'm going to order some 100% applewood and hickory pellets from lumberjack and try that brand. Those are like $15.00 for 10 lbs instead of like $13.00 for 2 lbs of the other brand that came with the AMNPS.

 

[SonnyE]

SE, you will love your AMNPS.

As of right now I sure do! It is slowly working through a full load of Hickory pellets to "season it".
And the trail is pure ash, so I'm getting all the smoke out of the pellets. :rolleyes::)

 

[SonnyE]

applause-smiley-emoticon.gif

• Rings Я Us
• Aug 30, 2017

Just got one a few weeks ago myself.
I'm going to order some 100% applewood and hickory pellets from lumberjack and try that brand. Those are like $15.00 for 10 lbs instead of like $13.00 for 2 lbs of the other brand that came with the AMNPS.

I'm still using my experimental bag of Hickory Pellets I bought to develop a way to transition from Bradley Pucks.
Well, the transition is fully complete now.
That bag, 20 pounds, cost <$12. I think it was $10.98 + the Governors lunch (Sales Taxes). I've sure had a lot of fun with it. ;)
I have some Apple chips I got with my MES 30. So I was thinking about a mix to use them up.
And I have a lot of Oak I processed with my Jointer that is not dust, but not chips either. Has an interesting taste.
But getting pellets will be easy for me here. Oh, almost forgot, I have Alder pucks I could smush up and burn, too.

 

[Rings Я Us]

Hmm.. just thought I would be a pellet snob and only buy 100% type with no blended types. I don't need any blended type pellets or wood they use for fuel and temp or flavor regulation.

 

[SonnyE]

Hmm.. just thought I would be a pellet snob and only buy 100% type with no blended types. I don't need any blended type pellets or wood they use for fuel and temp or flavor regulation.

No, no blends for me. I can mix for myself.
But I got a small bag of Applewood chips thinking they'd work in the MES 30... Silly me!
To me, smoke is smoke. The different woods are a new novelty to me.
I got the Alder Bradley pucks to try with Salmon. I did like the results.
But I'm apt to burn up everything, then decide.
But I've always liked Hickory. Hickory, and Original Jerky flavor. I know, I'm boring.
No tooty-frooty for me.
I like straight runs, then if, if I get a wild hair, I can mix them. So far, no wild hairs... LOL!

 

[SonnyE]

After 11 hours, I'm getting blurry eyed.
But there is still a stream of smoke coming out of the smoker. :eek::rolleyes::D

Yeowzer! :)

 

[Robert H]

Glad you are luvin it.Pretty much set it and forget it.I have only had mine go out once and that was on me, as I did not have my damper wide open to get it started.Love the router case BTW.

 

[SonnyE]

Glad you are luvin it.Pretty much set it and forget it.I have only had mine go out once and that was on me, as I did not have my damper wide open to get it started.Love the router case BTW.

It is definitely that Robert, set it and forget it! Of course, I poked my head in here and there to see how the burn was going. Always slow and steady. Complete combustion! (I got all the smoke out)
I was stratchin around, and scratchin around, then saw that old box. The door/front is a little sticky to open. But it works a treat.

I have my meager batch of Salmon Nuggets out in front of a box fan forming Pellical right now, the MES 30 is sitting idling at 100 degrees, and the AMNPS is ready to light with ~6 hours of pellets.
Ready to Rock and Roll!
Are we having fun yet? Well I sure am!

Pretty good burn, I think...

 

[Rings Я Us]

Good!

 

[SonnyE]

Good!

Well, you know... it's Smokerday, right?

Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri, Smokerday! :rolleyes::D

But I might have a smokerday any day..

 

[zwiller]

Congrats! It is hard to believe it works that well but it does. Huge game changer for me. I was a pellet snob too and 100% apple all the way but on a whim decided to try the (PITMASTERS/edit) blend that can free with the AMNPS. WOW. Someone worked that blend out...

 

[johnmeyer]

Hmm.. just thought I would be a pellet snob and only buy 100% type with no blended types. I don't need any blended type pellets or wood they use for fuel and temp or flavor regulation.

Todd's Pitmaster blend is actually pretty darned good. Worth getting a small bag and trying it out.

If you think about it, many foods are blended: most wines are not 100% from one grape, even if they say "Cabernet," "Zinfandel," etc. While you can get single malt scotch whiskey, most is blended.

In general, the art of cooking is about mixing flavors, and I don't see why it would be any different with smoke.

That said, like you, I do like the taste of hickory. Also, I can't imagine that anything would taste good blended with mesquite because it is such an overwhelming taste that isn't like anything else.

 

[Rings Я Us]

I use wood chunks. I guess I'm used to all one type of wood for certain things. I'm not paying $6 or $7 a lb for pellets. No chance.
I only need the pellets for cold smoke. 3 different smokers I have.. all take wood chunks.

 

[zwiller]

I misspoke, I meant Todd's "Pitmasters Blend" (edited), not competition blend sorry. John, I thought like you about mesquite but tried https://www.traegergrills.com/shop/hardwood/texas-beef-pellet-blend/PEL326.html... That said, I am really getting into Central Texas style and gonna run straight oak a few times too. Just picked up the Franklin book...