Tryed out my now AMNPS, Question?

[tbakko]

I got my AMNPS last week and decided to give it a try this weekend. I filled the tray about 3/4 full of apple pellets & lit one end, it burned about 1/2 the pellets then went out. I had the smoker (MES 30) running at 230º & had water pan 3/4 full of apple cider vinegar. Is it possible that the cider in the pan put out too much moisture and affected the pellet tray that was sitting on the rack directly above? Do I need to use a mailbox setup or some other method of introducing smoke to the MES?

 

[crankybuzzard]

Did you have the chip tray open a little bit?  Sounds like it was starved for oxygen.

 

[tbakko]

Yes, the chip loader was completly removed

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I got my AMNPS last week and decided to give it a try this weekend. I filled the tray about 3/4 full of apple pellets & lit one end, it burned about 1/2 the pellets then went out. I had the smoker (MES 30) running at 230º & had water pan 3/4 full of apple cider vinegar. Is it possible that the cider in the pan put out too much moisture and affected the pellet tray that was sitting on the rack directly above? Do I need to use a mailbox setup or some other method of introducing smoke to the MES?

Yes---Too much humidity.

I haven't put any liquid in any of my MES units in 7 years.

Even without water in the pan, my MES Gen #2.5 window fills up with condensation on the inside & the water runs down the glass.

MES units are so well insulated that they hold all the humidity from the air & the meat.

Putting any liquid in your water pan will do nothing good, only bad---Like put out the AMNPS.

If half of your pellets burned, you must have had other things right, but once the Humidity got high enough the pellets stopped burning.

Bear

 

[browneyesvictim]

 
I got my AMNPS last week and decided to give it a try this weekend. I filled the tray about 3/4 full of apple pellets & lit one end, it burned about 1/2 the pellets then went out. I had the smoker (MES 30) running at 230º & had water pan 3/4 full of apple cider vinegar. Is it possible that the cider in the pan put out too much moisture and affected the pellet tray that was sitting on the rack directly above? Do I need to use a mailbox setup or some other method of introducing smoke to the MES?

My first suggestion (and I speak for many others) is leave your water pan empty. The MES retains plenty of moisture without any additional liquid.

Secondly, make sure your top vent is WIDE open.

Thirdly, make sure you don't skimp on pellets. Make sure to fill all the way to the top, but not so high so pellets are bridging to jump across dividers either.

There is a big difference in the quality of pellets you buy . What are you burning? How are you storing them?

Lastly, there are a couple of other "tweaks" that can be done to promote good flow of oxygen to the AMNPS depending on the version/model of MES 30 you have. such as cracking the chip tray drawer. or leaving the chip loader pulled part way out.... etc. Do you know what you have? There are several threads on this and Bear has gone into great detail on this.

 

[tbakko]

 
My first suggestion (and I speak for many others) is leave your water pan empty. The MES retains plenty of moisture without any additional liquid.

Secondly, make sure your top vent is WIDE open.

Thirdly, make sure you don't skimp on pellets. Make sure to fill all the way to the top, but not so high so pellets are bridging to jump across dividers either.

There is a big difference in the quality of pellets you buy . What are you burning? How are you storing them?

Lastly, there are a couple of other "tweaks" that can be done to promote good flow of oxygen to the AMNPS depending on the version/model of MES 30 you have. such as cracking the chip tray drawer. or leaving the chip loader pulled part way out.... etc. Do you know what you have? There are several threads on this and Bear has gone into great detail on this.

​Ok, nix water in the pan, top vent was wide open, pellets are Bear Mountain 100% natural apple wood stored in a dry storeroom & I live in a desert climate (Moses Lake, Washington), chip loader was removed, MES 30 digital Model # 20071117.

 

[browneyesvictim]

 
​Ok, nix water in the pan, top vent was wide open, pellets are Bear Mountain 100% natural apple wood stored in a dry storeroom & I live in a desert climate (Moses Lake, Washington), chip loader was removed, MES 30 digital Model # 20071117.

Ok... Looks like your doing everything else right. (Although I don't like to (need to) remove the chip loader completely).

I have recently been buying and using the Bear Mtn Pellets also, and I have experienced the same exact issue you are having with the tray burning out about 1/2 way. Although they are a bargain at Cash and Cary, they aren't a high end pellet, and they ARE a mix of Alder filler wood along with  what is says on the bag. Even by microwaving them it doesnt prevent it from happening. To remedy this, I mix Todd's pellets with the Bear Mountain, by Layering the good ones on the bottom and topping off with Bear Mountian pellets. I will be doing this for a long time because I have several large bags of different flavors of Bear Mountain Pellets.

 

[tbakko]

 
Ok... Looks like your doing everything else right. (Although I don't like to (need to) remove the chip loader completely).

I have recently been buying and using the Bear Mtn Pellets also, and I have experienced the same exact issue you are having with the tray burning out about 1/2 way. Although they are a bargain at Cash and Cary, they aren't a high end pellet, and they ARE a mix of Alder filler wood along with  what is says on the bag. Even by microwaving them it doesnt prevent it from happening. To remedy this, I mix Todd's pellets with the Bear Mountain, by Layering the good ones on the bottom and topping off with Bear Mountian pellets. I will be doing this for a long time because I have several large bags of different flavors of Bear Mountain Pellets.

​Same here Browneyesvictim, I bought 2-20# bags, one apple & one maple, kinda hate to just dump them. I think I will try your method & order some from Todd, thanks for the info.

 

[GaryHibbert]

The first thing I did when I got my MES 30 Gen 1 was fill the water pan with sand and foil it over.  After trying every suggestion offered, I was still unable to keep the AMNPS burning, so I did the mailbox mod.  I've never had a problem since.  I also use Todd's pellets whenever I can get them.  There's no question in my mind--they are the BEST!!

Gary

 

[tbakko]

The first thing I did when I got my MES 30 Gen 1 was fill the water pan with sand and foil it over.  After trying every suggestion offered, I was still unable to keep the AMNPS burning, so I did the mailbox mod.  I've never had a problem since.  I also use Todd's pellets whenever I can get them.  There's no question in my mind--they are the BEST!!

Gary

gonna do the mailbox mod this weekend.

 

[tallbm]

gonna do the mailbox mod this weekend.

That should do the trick for you, plus then you could cold smoke like a king!  

 

[remsr]

What Bear said no need for mosture in a MES I don't put water in either of my smokers which are a MES and a WSM.

Randy.

 

[tbakko]

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• tbakko
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• tbakko
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• tbakko
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• tbakko
• Jul 1, 2017

I did the Mailbox Mod this morning, here are a couple of pictures. Been running about an hour now good smoke still, hard to see the smoke in the picture but it's their.

 

[tallbm]

It looks like you are on your way to fixing your issues.  Congrats!

 

[GaryHibbert]

Looks good.

Gary