nothing I do keeps the AMNPS going non stop!

[Bearcarver]

 
It works great, and cheaper than the gel fuel. Just make sure you get the unscented stuff and make sure it is alcohol based.

Thank You Sir!!

Bear

 

[bigforkg]

 
So, you're using the AMNPS in the firebox of your Char-Griller or are you placing it under the cooking grate on the charcoal side? At the end of 1 1/2 hours it's gone out? Do you have unburnt wood pellets left? If so, how many rows?

I did some reading up on your grill and I did see that there are gaps and holes which let air in and make it harder to control heat and to snuff out the fire after you're done cooking. But if your AMNPS goes out with pellets left unburnt, somehow the pellet tray is being smothered by the accumulation of smoke or something wherever you have it placed. I have a MES 30 Gen 1 and after I learned to light it properly and place it in my smoker where there was plenty of airflow I have zero problems with it going out before all the wood pellets have turned to ash.

The key here is that if the AMNPS burns freely and for hours on the ground outside the smoker then the problem lies within the smoker.

I agree with Bear that you should contact Todd about the Tube Smoker and see if something can be arranged. At the very least he'll offer you very good advice. All I know is that since I've been using the AMNPS the Q I produce is on a par with anything I've had at BBQ restaurants.

I'm trying to smoke cheese so cold smoke no water pan. I'm using A-Maze-N pitmasters choise pellets.

I was having the same issue in my MBS analog so I tried it out in my grill to see if it was an air issue.

It will burn an inch or so and die out. There are some pellets that did not burn that are left in the burned row. So a new question is it altitude or moisture in the pellets? What is considered high altitude for A-maze-n products? Is this just a hit and miss throw money to something work of thing?

 

[daricksta]

 
I've found it easy to start using unscented hand sanitizer(it's 70% alcohol, and cheap). Iv'e got 20 lb bags of pellets that sit in my garage all year round and open.  I loaded up the AMNPS half full, put a squirt of the hand sanitaizer on, light it up, blow out the flame after 10min or so, and it smoked for almost 6hrs.

Great tip with the hand sanitizer. And I'm with you: my wood pellets sit in my garage in the plastic bags they were delivered in and they all work fine. I don't need to nuke or preheat them prior to use. Maybe people who live in humid climates may need to do it, I don't know. Where I live I don't have that problem.

 

[rc4u]

when i smoked with freinds he would put a half peice of lite charcoal in with the pellets about 3 inches in.. worked for him...

 

[daricksta]

 
I'm trying to smoke cheese so cold smoke no water pan. I'm using A-Maze-N pitmasters choise pellets.

I was having the same issue in my MBS analog so I tried it out in my grill to see if it was an air issue.

It will burn an inch or so and die out. There are some pellets that did not burn that are left in the burned row. So a new question is it altitude or moisture in the pellets? What is considered high altitude for A-maze-n products? Is this just a hit and miss throw money to something work of thing?

Todd Johnson provides among the best customer service I've ever enjoyed. You can PM here by finding TJohnson in the drop down menu in the To field, or you can email him at the A-MAZE-N website. He will do all he is able to help you.

 

[GaryHibbert]

Wade has a great how-to video:

http://www.shttp://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/189794/amnps-reliable-use-in-offset-smoker

The only change I do is to nuke them for 4 minutes--at 5 minutes, they're already smoking in the nuke

Gary

 

[kc dave]

I have to be the antagonist here.

Why?
Why is this a thing?

What is the difference between this method and building a line of charcoal over wood chips?
What's the difference here from a coffee can full of charcoal and chips?

I think that if you're frustrated with it, look up how to make a Hobo Stove.
Start it like a Chimney Starter and add the pellets to that.

The reason I feel like the antagonist is that I think there's a "Microwave Child" mentality at work.
"I just want to push a few buttons and have the work done for me".

If you're going to cook, then...
COOK.
If you're not checking your smoke at least twice per hour,
then what are you doing and why are you doing this?

One of the reasons I'm getting into this that we're forced you to have patience
and think long term on the result.
It's not something that has, nor SHOULD have, a magic answer.

I didn't know what this was, but after looking it up,
it's just a long charcoal line (been around for every decade of my life)

It's nothing that should be frustrating anybody.

The maze idea is a good idea.
It's just a compact line of smoldering charcoal. (the old idea)
If you can't get it to work, then
work with it.
Make it go.

 

[bigforkg]

I have to be the antagonist here.

Why?
Why is this a thing?

What is the difference between this method and building a line of charcoal over wood chips?
What's the difference here from a coffee can full of charcoal and chips?

I think that if you're frustrated with it, look up how to make a Hobo Stove.
Start it like a Chimney Starter and add the pellets to that.

The reason I feel like the antagonist is that I think there's a "Microwave Child" mentality at work.
"I just want to push a few buttons and have the work done for me".

If you're going to cook, then...
COOK.
If you're not checking your smoke at least twice per hour,
then what are you doing and why are you doing this?

One of the reasons I'm getting into this that we're forced you to have patience
and think long term on the result.
It's not something that has, nor SHOULD have, a magic answer.

I didn't know what this was, but after looking it up,
it's just a long charcoal line (been around for every decade of my life)

It's nothing that should be frustrating anybody.

The maze idea is a good idea.
It's just a compact line of smoldering charcoal. (the old idea)
If you can't get it to work, then
work with it.
Make it go.

No its not  a "microwave child mentally".  I don't believe that it should be magic to get this thing to smoke non stop. I shouldn't have to mod the hell out of a smoker to get it to work, This thing or something else.

So if I'm not checking it twice an hour I'm not smoking?  

Then why bother having this thing that is supposed to produce smoke for 8 to 12 hours?

If I have to check it twice a hour why not just use the factory chip pan and chips?

The reason I purchased the amazein is so I could check my smoker in  hour and a half intervals and not spend 15 minutes trying to relight to have it go out 30 minutes

Why I was frustrated is because I read and tried all the suggestion from previous posts and no luck. I believe the problem are the pellets. Not moisture but something else maybe to compress. I purchased cheap pellets today and so far so good straight out of the bag. I guess that I should have tried that first but everything I read amazin is suppose to have the best pellets so I did figure it was NOT the pellets.

I do want to thank everyone for their help and suggestions. 

 

[Bearcarver]

I have to be the antagonist here.

Why?
Why is this a thing?

What is the difference between this method and building a line of charcoal over wood chips?
What's the difference here from a coffee can full of charcoal and chips?

I think that if you're frustrated with it, look up how to make a Hobo Stove.
Start it like a Chimney Starter and add the pellets to that.

The reason I feel like the antagonist is that I think there's a "Microwave Child" mentality at work.
"I just want to push a few buttons and have the work done for me".

If you're going to cook, then...
COOK.
If you're not checking your smoke at least twice per hour,
then what are you doing and why are you doing this?

One of the reasons I'm getting into this that we're forced you to have patience
and think long term on the result.
It's not something that has, nor SHOULD have, a magic answer.

I didn't know what this was, but after looking it up,
it's just a long charcoal line (been around for every decade of my life)

It's nothing that should be frustrating anybody.

The maze idea is a good idea.
It's just a compact line of smoldering charcoal. (the old idea)
If you can't get it to work, then
work with it.
Make it go.

Try loading your AMNPS to about 1/4" from the top.

Then get it lit real good with a propane torch.

When the flame goes out, blow on the red cherry bottom until it flames up on it's own.

When it goes out again do the same thing, blowing down & in to make that "Cigar-like" Cherry bigger & deeper into the bottom of the pellets.

After doing this about 5 to 8 times (maybe 15-- 20 minutes), just let it set someplace in the open, but out of the wind for a few hours, and see what happens.

If it goes out, there's something wrong with your pellets.

If it doesn't go out, then there's an air flow problem with your smoker or the spot you put it in the smoker.

Bear

 

[bhse]

Hey AK...

All of the unscented hand sanitizers I can find on Amazon also has aloe and hand moisturizers....does that matter? They're ethyl alcohol based but they do have moisturizing agents and they are unscented....

 

[hoity toit]

all you guys never cease to AmaZ me.,why i never would have even thought about hand sanitizer as a fuel., Im learning something new all the time. I suppose the mother of invention is the excess of time in retirement..:)..I'm gettin there.

 

[ak1]

 
Hey AK...

All of the unscented hand sanitizers I can find on Amazon also has aloe and hand moisturizers....does that matter? They're ethyl alcohol based but they do have moisturizing agents and they are unscented....

So does mine. Don't worry about it, just make sure there is a high alcohol content.