MES 30 and AMNPS creating too much smoke and heat?

[doomahx]

Hi,

I bought the AMNPS a few weeks ago and decided to do a test run last weekend on some bacon. Getting it started and into my MES30 was easy, almost too easy…  

I filled it with a little less than a pound of the applewood pellets, started a small flame at the end and let it burn for a few minutes. When I was confident that it was going well enough I blew it out and inserted it into my MES30. As instructed I took the chip loader out. set my wireless thermometer and closed the door. It started with a nice thin blue smoke but within 2 hours it had worked itself up to a thick white smoke and managed to go from a nice 40 degrees to 98 degrees. I tried putting the chip loader back in an effort to reduce the amount of oxygen feeding the pellets but that didn’t have any effect. At that point I didn’t want to completely ruin my bacon so I decided to try to rescue it, I opened the door slowly and carefully without causing a bad flare up and managed to get all of the smoke out.

After letting the smoker temperature get  back down into the lower 40’s I decided to try again, this time with the chip loader. Started the fire again on the other end, once it was going well I blew it out and put it back in the smoker. Same thing, thick white smoke and 100 degrees within two hours.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can control the smoke and the temperature with the AMNPS and MES30?

 

[mike johnson]

Is your top vent wide open? Even a little bit of smoke builds up to look like alot inside the smoker thats ok. The #1 rule with smoke is air flow and ALWAYS keep the top vent WIDE OPEN... ALWAYS!! Pull the chip loader and tray out and with the top vent wide open it should never get more than 10deg. warmer than outside temp.

 

[doomahx]

Top vent was wide open with both attempts.

Is it possible i ignited too many pellets when i first started it? The instructions mentioned letting it burn for a full 5-10 minutes or so. I only let it burn for maybe 2 or 3 minutes so i didn't think that was the cause but who knows.

 

[mike johnson]

Where is your AMNPS located? I keep mine right on tob of my burn box.

peperoni.png

• mike johnson
• Sep 5, 2012

 

[mike johnson]

You could always just latch your door but not close it. That should leave a good gap and keep the temp down.Have you calibreted your Therm.? You could also turn on your MES30 without heat and verify temps with the internal therm.

 

[doomahx]

I put mine to the right of the burn box. Maybe too much air was hitting as it was directly next to the chip loader hole?

I have a wireless thermometer that I use to monitor temps, it's accurate.

 

[daricksta]

The only time I've had the AMNPS create too much heat is when I used it to cold smoke cheese--some of the cheese melted slightly into the rack. Todd advised me to put a couple of ice water bottles in the water tray to keep the interior temp cool but I haven't tried this yet. I loved the smoke flavor in the cheese, though.

With my MES 30, I think I've gotten too much smoke whether I use the AMNPS or wood chips so I'm still experimenting with both. I prefer using the AMNPS because it's a Set It and Forget It type of thing.

 

[daveomak]

This is my latest mod..... Works very well..... aluminum duct cools down the smoke to maybe 5-10 degree temp rise in the MES .....   Dave

AMNPS and Mailbox mod.jpg

• daveomak
• Nov 25, 2012

connecting the 90 deg elbow to the mailbox......

inside mailbox.jpg

• daveomak
• Nov 25, 2012

outside mailbox.jpg

• daveomak
• Nov 25, 2012

smoke in the smoker.jpg

• daveomak
• Nov 25, 2012

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I use mine at the bottom of my Bradley and have 0 problems with it or making to much smoke. My top vent is full open all the time.

amznbs.JPG

• BGKYSmoker
• Nov 25, 2012

 

[tjohnson]

Try filling the rows 3/4 full of pellets instead of to the top

TBS is tough to achieve for cold smoking, as you need a higher combustion temp

Sound a like too may pellets are burning

Todd

 

[rtbbq2]

Listen to Todd...He is Da-man authority on the AMNPS...........