Made tray

[phathead69]

Finished this up last night

The arrow is showing where its 2" tall and the circle is 1.125" wide in the bottom. 6Wx11L.


Circle is where I filled pellets to. Lit and placed in aussie walkabout grill with all vents open under pavillion and raining outside. Burnt to x in 1.5 hours and went out. Re lit and propped lid open couple inches and went to bed. This is a pic 7 hours later. So it made the first turn and most of straight. Anyone with advice and did the rain 100% humidity have an effect on test run.

 

[DIYerDave]

I'm sure guys with more experience will jump in soon to answer. In the mean time, it looks to me as though you didn't have enough pellets packed in the tray.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Looks interesting see what the experts think.

Warren

 

[SonnyE]

Looks great!
If you have much trouble keeping it lit, try drying the pellets.
I normally do a preheat in my MES 30. During that I fill my AMNPS tray, and "bake" the pellets to dry them.
No stalls, die outs, or problems.

Most recently, I've pretty much became a convert to sawdust. Dissolve the pellets with water, then dry out.
I took 5 handfuls (I think it was double handfuls) and put them in a plastic coffee can. I dribbled in water and waited for the pellets to begin to swell and dissolve.
Against my own better judgement I stuck my hand in and squished around the dissolving pellets while dribbling in more water until the mush seemed well dissolved. The reason being, I didn't want to get the dust any wetter than absolutely necessary.
Then dried the dust in my MES 30 until dry. My experiment yeilded a 2 gallon paint bucket (new with lid) of apple wood saw dust. Yep, them little boogers really bloom when dessolved.
This stuff is every bit as wonderful as Daveomak said dust is.
It smokes cooler, steadier, and slower so you don't get that over-smoked taste. Makes it easier to hit your mark for taste.
In my experience, I get ~6 hours to a tray of dust, or 11 hours to a tray of pellets.
I fill my AMNPS tray to ~1/4" from the top, and compress the dust with my big fat thumb to make it a little better density. So far, so very good!

 

[phathead69]

I'm sure guys with more experience will jump in soon to answer. In the mean time, it looks to me as though you didn't have enough pellets packed in the tray.

Tapered down to the circle where i lit it. All of what is ash beyond the x was level with the top. Not perfectly leveled but close. I knew after the straight wasn't perfect but didn't care as it was a test run.

 

[phathead69]

Looks great!
If you have much trouble keeping it lit, try drying the pellets.
I normally do a preheat in my MES 30. During that I fill my AMNPS tray, and "bake" the pellets to dry them.
No stalls, die outs, or problems.

Most recently, I've pretty much became a convert to sawdust. Dissolve the pellets with water, then dry out.
I took 5 handfuls (I think it was double handfuls) and put them in a plastic coffee can. I dribbled in water and waited for the pellets to begin to swell and dissolve.
Against my own better judgement I stuck my hand in and squished around the dissolving pellets while dribbling in more water until the mush seemed well dissolved. The reason being, I didn't want to get the dust any wetter than absolutely necessary.
Then dried the dust in my MES 30 until dry. My experiment yeilded a 2 gallon paint bucket (new with lid) of apple wood saw dust. Yep, them little boogers really bloom when dessolved.
This stuff is every bit as wonderful as Daveomak said dust is.
It smokes cooler, steadier, and slower so you don't get that over-smoked taste. Makes it easier to hit your mark for taste.
In my experience, I get ~6 hours to a tray of dust, or 11 hours to a tray of pellets.
I fill my AMNPS tray to ~1/4" from the top, and compress the dust with my big fat thumb to make it a little better density. So far, so very good!

Mine are in Tupperware ware in garage so they are pretty dry, at least never gives me trouble with the tube.
Here is pic of me making dust. 5 single hand fulls looks like maybe a quart of dust. Got in oven drying now.

 

[SonnyE]

Mine are in Tupperware ware in garage so they are pretty dry, at least never gives me trouble with the tube.
Here is pic of me making dust. 5 single hand fulls looks like maybe a quart of dust. Got in oven drying now.
View attachment 383151

Good start to test the dust method and see if you like it.

I think the pellets are so dry that they might draw moisture out of the air.
So I just bake them to make sure they are dry.

I did try the Microwave method.
But A. It stunk up the house. I barely got the stink out before the wife got home.
And B. I think the MES does a better job of drying the Pellets/Dust out.

 

[phathead69]

Good start to test the dust method and see if you like it.
I barely got the stink out before the wife got home.
.

First thing out wife's mouth was it smells like wood in here. LOL

 

[phathead69]

Well one thing learned 5 hand fills dissolved to dust exactly fills it up slightly pack.


Lit and going to see how long and well it goes.

 

[phathead69]

Time
730pm

530 am nxt morning

11am 16 ish hours later

 

[HalfSmoked]

Looks like you got worked out.

Warren