Another AMNPS-MES Question

[daricksta]

 
Gave up on my smoke daddy and ordered a AMNPS for my 1st Gen MES 30. Does the AMNPS work better with the internal wood tray removed and the loader removed with a slider vent? By slider vent i mean screwing a plate over the loader hole and sliding it to adjust ventilation.

I haven't made any mods to my MES 30 Gen 1. I don't pull out the wood chip loader at all. I leave the top vent wide open. What I do that might be different from others is that I insert the AMNPS lit end toward the back wall. My thinking was the airflow is better back there due to the top vent and the chip loader and with the hole leading to the rear grease tray. I light the pellets by smearing gelled alcohol on the first 1/4 row of pellets and lighting it with a butane lighter. I've been doing this for over a year now and the AMNPS lights quickly and stays lit. In fact, when I remove it from the MES, if all the pellets haven't turned to ash I have to separate the smoking pellets from the unburnt ones to allow the AMNPS to burn itself out on the ground. This whole system of mine works without fail every time.

 

[jay41]

Last night I did a test run using my AMPS and the remaining pellets I had left. I used the configuration I pictured above (the elbow on the top side and then the vent from the top placed in the chip loader). I set the AMPS on the left hand side of the bottom-most rack and used a large foil pan cut in half to "tent" the AMPS. I also ran the smoker at 250. I wanted to recreate, as close as I could, the conditions that would be present while actually smoking meat. The AMPS smoked consistently and for a little over 4 hours, only going out when it hit the end of the pellets (approx a row and a 1/4). I'm hoping to give this an official trial this weekend. I'm hoping for similar results. 

 

[daricksta]

I tented my AMNPS in the beginning but haven't for the past couple of years. The MES 30 water pan effectively blocks almost all of the drips from hitting it. The few drips that do hit the AMNPS don't really retard the smoke output.

 

[allen9980]

I just pulled out the chip tray and chip loader a couple inches each and didn't have a problem with air flow. I am going to experiment with using an aquarium pump (like the smoke daddy) to increase the air flow cuz I like a heavy smoke flavor. Just remember to get the AMNPS pellets well lit.

Allen9980

 

[jims38305]

My MES beside the chip load/burner on the left has 2 bars going to the left wall.  I place my AMNS on those bars and place a 1/4" piece of wood or plexi-glass in the bottom of the door for just a little air to get in.  It does not effect the smoking at all.  Try that.

 

[lizardman]

In the FWIW department: I too had a problem keeping my AMNPS lit in my MES 30" Gen 2, even with all of the recommendations (replaced damper with aluminum 90 degree elbow, chip loader pulled out 2" in dump position, moving the AMNPS to the top rack, etc)...I recently purchased a new 20lb bag of pellets from the amazing Amazen folks, I burned the pellets for 10 minutes to start, this time they stayed lit through the entire load...Maybe there was some issue with my first 5lb bag of pellets???? Here's the end result of yesterday's smoke, 7 1/2lb pig bottom:

XXX20150830_174911.jpg

• lizardman
• Aug 31, 2015

 

[chandlers pawpa]

I had the same problem on my first attempt. What I have found that seems to help is to fill the AMNPS with pellets and then place them in the oven set on 200 for about 20 min. This will dry all of the moisture out,  that the pellets absorb. (I crack the oven door for the last several min.)  I hope this helps

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I had the same problem on my first attempt. What I have found that seems to help is to fill the AMNPS with pellets and then place them in the oven set on 200 for about 20 min. This will dry all of the moisture out,  that the pellets absorb. (I crack the oven door for the last several min.)  I hope this helps

I never had a problem, but I do know a lot of guys fill their AMNPS, and then put it in their smoker while it's preheating. I know it takes an MES 20 minutes to a half hour to get to temp, so that should dry the pellets pretty good if needed.

Naturally this doesn't work if you're cold smoking, so if you need them dried up, the oven or Nuke-U-Later would have to do it.

Bear

 

[chefboyrd]

I have had the same problem, and am stilling working on it to perfect it. I will be following the link to find the best out come

 

[rfjoinery]

Yup, dry pellets are essential for a reliable long burn. They may be dry when you get them but all wood can absorb moisture. Lots of ways to dry them. I microwave a cupful for one minute, twice, then store in a sealed jar. A heavy ziploc bag will not stay 100% sealed over time. You can use your home oven, on a stovetop, or you can put them in a hot smoker for a couple hours before lighting, in a hot grill for a while, you can FedEx them to Saudi Arabia for the winter, but they've got to be dry to stay lit.

 

[lizardman]

 
Yup, dry pellets are essential for a reliable long burn. They may be dry when you get them but all wood can absorb moisture. Lots of ways to dry them. I microwave a cupful for one minute, twice, then store in a sealed jar. A heavy ziploc bag will not stay 100% sealed over time. You can use your home oven, on a stovetop, or you can put them in a hot smoker for a couple hours before lighting, in a hot grill for a while, you can FedEx them to Saudi Arabia for the winter, but they've got to be dry to stay lit.

Since I invested in a 20# bag-o-pellets, I bought a dedicated Home Depot orange bucket to store them, it's vacuum tight and has worked well so far. I agree, I stored my first 5# in a heavy-duty ziploc, I feel sure the Georgia humidity got to them, had them stored in The Man Room under the pool table....Lesson learned...DOH!

 

[Bearcarver]

I posted the Below pic & caption more than 5 years ago, before there was an AMNPS (Pellets).

I have never had to Nuke or heat any Dust or Pellets before use.

When I get them from Todd, I leave them in the plastic bag until I have to open the bag.

Then once I open the bag, I empty it all into my screw-top jugs.

I got some in my garage for over 5 years & it still lights & keeps burning just fine.

Bear

For those of you who have an "A-MAZE-N-SMOKER", or any other dust burning smoke generator,

This is how I keep my powder (Dust) dry. Humidity will effect how the dust burns.

View media item 68424

 

[daricksta]

I live in Washington state where it does get damp during the fall to mid-spring.  I store the wood pellets in the original plastic bags Todd Johnson shipped them to me in. I keep the bags in my uninsulated garage. My point is I've never nuked the wood pellets because I never had to. All pellets start burning when lit and keep burning throughout my smokes. I use the AMNPS and light the pellets using gelled alcohol. I always insert the AMNPS burning end first into my MES 30 since I think the airflow is better there. This procedure never fails to work for me. 

 

[dr k]

 
Yup, dry pellets are essential for a reliable long burn. They may be dry when you get them but all wood can absorb moisture. Lots of ways to dry them. I microwave a cupful for one minute, twice, then store in a sealed jar. A heavy ziploc bag will not stay 100% sealed over time. You can use your home oven, on a stovetop, or you can put them in a hot smoker for a couple hours before lighting, in a hot grill for a while, you can FedEx them to Saudi Arabia for the winter, but they've got to be dry to stay lit.

If your dehydrator is going, put them on the bottom rack!

-Kurt

 

[hkeiner]

 To induce more air flow through the smoker, try placing a chimney (pipe) on top of the exhaust outlet. I did this on my MES40 and found it helped keep the AMNPS lit. I used a 2' length of 4" diameter plastic drainage pipe, but some 4" or 6" diameter metal heating duct piping would probably work just as well.  This is only possible/practical on the MES's that have the exhaust outlet on top instead of the side.

PS: This tip may have already been mentioned in this thread, but after 235 posts it might be hard to find.

 

[chili50bq]

I drilled a hole in the side of my 40" MES and installed a 1/4" pipe nipple threw the hole an hooked up a fish tank pump that was about 15 bucks from wally world then I put my lite AMNPS in the bottom of the smoker on a small rack I built and the thang works great. My AMN is the 12" tube. The hole is in the lower left hand side, front.

                                                                                                                                        Good QING to ALL

                                                                                                                                        Bear in Texas 

 

[rfjoinery]

Cool. So this air pump is to provide a boost of outside air, to help the AMNPS keep burning? Like a turbocharger!

 

[irishpride114]

I drilled a hole in the side of my 40" MES and installed a 1/4" pipe nipple threw the hole an hooked up a fish tank pump that was about 15 bucks from wally world then I put my lite AMNPS in the bottom of the smoker on a small rack I built and the thang works great. My AMN is the 12" tube. The hole is in the lower left hand side, front.

                                                                                                                                        Good QING to ALL
                                                                                                                                        Bear in Texas 

Sounds brilliant. Would you mind taking some pictures? I am like others that are having nothing but problems with their mes gen 2 40". In the two years or so I have had my amnps, I have only got it to stay lite once or twice while smoking, regardless of all the mods I have done. So i had decided I was going to do the mailbox mid, but this sounds more compact.

 

[chili50bq]

Yes sir, it's a low steady flow just enough to keep the pellets smoldering an smoking. The pump I use is the Tetra whisper air pump from wally world can't even hear it running. A 1/4" nipple long enough to go thru the wall of the MES, some tubing for the pump with a pushon fitting that will fit the tubing and 1/4" nipple. 

DSCN2802.JPG

• chili50bq
• Oct 31, 2015

 

[irishpride114]

Yes sir, it's a low steady flow just enough to keep the pellets smoldering an smoking. The pump I use is the Tetra whisper air pump from wally world can't even hear it running. A 1/4" nipple long enough to go thru the wall of the MES, some tubing for the pump with a pushon fitting that will fit the tubing and 1/4" nipple. 

DSCN2802.JPG

• chili50bq
• Oct 31, 2015

Well I guess I know what I'm doing next. Lol.

On the black plastic T-valve, is that a turn valve? Do you ever have to adjust the incoming air flow?

I appreciate it.