I will NOT give up on my AMZNPS !

[beuler]

Last Night was my second try with this thing....I have the MES 40 with window, Control panel in the Front. Live in ND ( elevation) 

I was trying Jerky which came out like meat strips ( another story) . This is what i did with all the tips from Todd (Awesome Gentleman ) and all of you. 

Microwaved about one rows worth of Hickory and Oak for 2 minutes. Oak because it burns the easiest you all say....

Opened the vent wide open.

Lit the pellets with a Torch, let burn for a good long time, blew it out (nice cherry) , Blew harder to flame it up some more! Now its Cookin!

I even pulled the water pan out, slide open the bottom drip pan a little and , Pulled the chip loader all the way out for max air.

It burnt for a bit then went out about a half inch in.

I have it placed above where the water pan would be ( Todd told me to).

Any comments?   Sorry Tryke, i tried. I told you i would figure this out.

Think i might mix wood chips or dust with the pellets??

TY All , Joe

 

[mdboatbum]

Have you tried just letting it burn out in the open? If it'll burn just sitting on the patio or on a flameproof surface, completely out in the open, then clearly you have an airflow issue in your smoker. If, however, the pellets go out when it's sitting out in the open, then you have a pellet issue. I've used a homemade tube smoker with pellets quite a few times in a couple different smokers, and I've never had it go out, nor have I ever microwaved my pellets.

 

[cmayna]

+1  to what Mdboatbum said.    Try running the burner out in the open. 

 

[chef jimmyj]

Adding Dust to the Pellets will choke out the Oxygen even more. The AMNPS is very temperamental in Gen2 MES. If Todd's suggestion didn't help, you should consider a AMNTS Tube Smoke Generator. The larger holes allow it even to burn in the low Oxygen environment of Gassers...JJ 

 

[dockman]

I too had a terrible time with my pellet box 5" x 8" until I watched a video on how to lite the pellets. After you lite pellet how a blow dryer on it for a minute or so it will flame up like a torch. After you blow on it let it burn for a very short time 1-2 minutes. Blow it out and it will be just fine. I do not put mine in smoker I use mailbox mod.

 

[Bearcarver]

I too had a terrible time with my pellet box 5" x 8" until I watched a video on how to lite the pellets. After you lite pellet how a blow dryer on it for a minute or so it will flame up like a torch. After you blow on it let it burn for a very short time 1-2 minutes. Blow it out and it will be just fine. I do not put mine in smoker I use mailbox mod.

This is like Dockman said, except Magoo uses a heat gun:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/140859/how-i-light-my-amnps-w-video-link

I never did this---I just blow on the red coals myself, but this would work better than anything.

Bear

 

[eman]

 
Last Night was my second try with this thing....I have the MES 40 with window, Control panel in the Front. Live in ND ( elevation) 

I was trying Jerky which came out like meat strips ( another story) . This is what i did with all the tips from Todd (Awesome Gentleman ) and all of you. 

Microwaved about one rows worth of Hickory and Oak for 2 minutes. Oak because it burns the easiest you all say....

Opened the vent wide open.

Lit the pellets with a Torch, let burn for a good long time, blew it out (nice cherry) , Blew harder to flame it up some more! Now its Cookin!

I even pulled the water pan out, slide open the bottom drip pan a little and , Pulled the chip loader all the way out for max air.

It burnt for a bit then went out about a half inch in.

I have it placed above where the water pan would be ( Todd told me to).

Any comments?   Sorry Tryke, i tried. I told you i would figure this out.

Think i might mix wood chips or dust with the pellets??

TY All , Joe

Joe did you take the chip loader completely out of the unit or pull it out till it hit the stop? If you pulled it out till it stopped you actually sealed the intake.

 

[BandCollector]

 
This is like Dockman said, except Magoo uses a heat gun:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/140859/how-i-light-my-amnps-w-video-link

I never did this---I just blow on the red coals myself, but this would work better than anything.

Bear

Looks to me that Magoo's technique is the cat's meow!  I'm going to follow his process.  Looks foolproof to me.

Thanks Magoo!

 

[sqwib]

FWIW I have noticed that pellets too large (length) can stall a good burn.

 

[trikefreak]

It's really weird, there's so many "secrets" that keep coming out when you share that the pellets keep going out. If it's not a Full Moon, I'm going to try again this weekend. I've not given up yet, but dang there's a lot of stories that go along with making this thing work..

 

[daves1811]

I don't have the pellet tray, I have the dust tray and had a heck of a time keeping mine out also. I noticed with the dust tray that I had to really pack the dust into the tray and using a butane torch on the lighting end for at least 1 minute is a mandatory.

After that I would gently blow on the lot end until I had a cherry that I would compare to the end of a just lit cigar. If I didn't get that then it was back to the butane torch.

Hope this helps some!

 

[daveomak]

beuler, morning.... I had trouble keeping pellets lit.... I'm at about 1200 ft..... I tried the "nuke" method to dry them... didn't help me... finally I fill the AMNPS with the pellets I will be smoking with and place them in the MES at 275 for about 2 hours... Then into the mailbox mod and they burn 1 row of pellets in about 3 1/2 hours...... No problems since the high temp drying process...

 

[trikefreak]

That's a first for me: must put in smoker for 2 hours, and THEN do the mailbox mod. This is really absurd all the stories that keep popping up, and yet folks will rave about how great it is. Sorry if I'm sounding cynical, but I can't get one straight answer on how to make this pellet box work correctly. I'll go through 40 lbs of pellets by the time I try all the suggestions that keep getting thrown out there.......... Again, I've not thrown in the towel, yet, but at times I don't know what plan of attack to try. At times, I'm leaning towards chunks of wood that fit in the chip box, and just check on it every hour or so.

 

[dirtworldmike]

I've done 10 or 12 smokes since getting my AMNPS.  . Pulling out the chip loader and chip are a must. But you also need to create a "draft" in the unit to keep the pellets burning. I just set a piece of 3" PVC pipe over the vent hole.(  that's all I had laying around the garage).  It woks great as it creates the draft needed. It's Simple and it WORKS. I haven't had any problems since adding the pipe.

P1110576.JPG

• dirtworldmike
• Jan 11, 2014

Notice the notch in the bottom of the pipe for my temp probe wire.

Pipe is 18" long

P1110577.JPG

• dirtworldmike
• Jan 11, 2014

I also stuck my drill in and drilled some hole in this thingee. Not pretty but I think it also helps getting air to the AMNPS.

 

[billmc40]

I had one, cant say enough good about the inventor. But in short it went back. I believe it is the MES 40. Air flow problem. It went back also now using a few of those pellets in my weber smokey mountain. There is a thread here somewhere going thru everything we did to make it work.

Bill

 

[Bearcarver]

 
That's a first for me: must put in smoker for 2 hours, and THEN do the mailbox mod. This is really absurd all the stories that keep popping up, and yet folks will rave about how great it is. Sorry if I'm sounding cynical, but I can't get one straight answer on how to make this pellet box work correctly. I'll go through 40 lbs of pellets by the time I try all the suggestions that keep getting thrown out there.......... Again, I've not thrown in the towel, yet, but at times I don't know what plan of attack to try. At times, I'm leaning towards chunks of wood that fit in the chip box, and just check on it every hour or so.

You get different stories because they come from different people at different elevations.

Most of the things done could be eliminated by just getting it lit properly before putting it in.

Many times the little tricks used to get it going, people think meant something, but it was just that by the time they did all of those things they finally had it going right.

All I do is keep the pellets dry in empty jugs, fill the AMNPS to about 1'4" from the top, and light it. Then every time the flame goes out, I blow on the red coals until the flame appears again.

Then once I have a good red hot bed of coals, I allow the flame to go out, and put it in. I've been doing that with pellets and dust for 4 years, and couldn't do without my Amazing toys.

My whole start-up ritual takes me about 1 minute about 6 or 8 times, over about a 20 minute period. That's well worth it to have up to 12 hours of perfect smoke, without touching it again.

If that doesn't work for you, try this:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/140859/how-i-light-my-amnps-w-video-link

Bear

 

[beuler]

Thanks all for the responses!

Eman, i did pull the chip loader all the way out, but i like (DIRTS )  idea of also pulling the chip tray and drilling a few holes on the side for more air flow.

Dave...i am also going to pre dry them in the MES for a bit. 

I have a side vent, so the only thing is maybe a flex duct hooked on there to create a draft also. That will be last. 

I hope to smoke for Football today , so i will let you all know what happens!

Thanks again all...the comments really do help !

 

[link]

Hello Beuler, I have had a bit of a tough time with some of my pellets (Cherry is a tough one) so I have made a slight mode to my AMZNPS. I use this to help get it going and on the tougher pellets it really helps. 

AMZNPS Mod.jpg

• link
• Jan 11, 2014

 

[daveomak]

That's a first for me: must put in smoker for 2 hours, and THEN do the mailbox mod. This is really absurd all the stories that keep popping up, and yet folks will rave about how great it is. Sorry if I'm sounding cynical, but I can't get one straight answer on how to make this pellet box work correctly. I'll go through 40 lbs of pellets by the time I try all the suggestions that keep getting thrown out there.......... Again, I've not thrown in the towel, yet, but at times I don't know what plan of attack to try. At times, I'm leaning towards chunks of wood that fit in the chip box, and just check on it every hour or so.

To me it's not so absurd.. I like walking away and leaving my smoker operating for up to12 hours and not having to attend it... cold smoking bacon is a great example ...
I used to add chips every 45 minutes or so...

I guess living in the high desert and humidity going from 20% at 3 in the afternoon to 95% at 3 in the morning causes some moisture problems with the pellets... I have found a way to overcome the moisture issues...
I also didn't like the hot spot in the MES and through trial and error have made my smoker work perfect.. No hot spot, no temp swings from an element turning on and off.. I guess you could say I'm anal about having things perform up to expected levels...
Kind of like most folks here... they will do darn near anything to make the best smoked food they can... tweak temps, seasonings, w/ w/o moisture pans, chips, chunks, charcoal and a mix of all the above....
Believe it or not, there is a lot of very good information our members are willing to pass on...
You have probably modified several of the trikes you have in your "fleet"... same thing with smoking....

Dave

 

[geerock]

Well said, Dave.
Now, dirtworldmike is using a great technique. And it has to do with getting more air / oxygen through the chamber. NOTHING is gonna burn without enough air. And drilling holes, opening loader, pulling chip tray at the bottom of the smoker isnt going to help much if the air doesnt flow through the exhaust. Again, dirtworldmike uses a common fix for the gen 1 unit, but I beleive that beuler has a side exhaust gen 2. That exhaust is half the size of the gen 1. There is no flow. Pull the exhaust completely and control your flow with the chip loader in or out as needed. Blowing 6 times. Baking the pellets for 2 hours. Torch, blow, torch, blow, torch, blow. Microwave with the babies formula. Getting a priest to exorcise the tray. And having your wife do a pole dance in the nude and letting the pellets watch....... nothing is gonna work if you try to burn without AIR!! This gadget is supposed to be simple yet some of the prep that seems to be suggested to get it to work is longer than the smoke itself. No wonder the guy is getting frustrated!
Get air in there beuler and it will burn.......or get a smoke daddy.

All the best.