What is going on with my AMNPS?

[jasonvr]

 
Great---That's pretty much like I said above.

The things you were originally doing were for those who have trouble keeping their AMNPS lit, which is usually the only problem.

It isn't often that the problem is burning too good---That used to be the problem with the AMNS with Dust instead of pellets.

So I would say keep your chip drawer all the way in, and pull your dumper out an inch or so to start, but if it gets to burning real good push the dumper in. Then if it gets too light, pull it out a little again.

Use that dumper to your advantage by using it "Out for more Air" and "In for less Air".

And yes that is the right place to put it in a Gen #1 MES.

And I have found the easiest way to protect the AMNPS from Drips is to take a 9" X 11" Foil pan & cut it in half the long way. Then take one half & turn it upside down & put it above the AMNPS, with the cut end on top of the Empty water pan, and the other end resting on the brackets on the wall: (See Pic below)

Save the other half of the pan for when the first half gets too crummy.

Bear

 
Your latest test, where the AMNPS went out makes it look like air flow is at the root of the problem. This reminds me of the solution I came up with. (This was prior to building my own version of the "mailbox mod," something which completely and totally fixed the problem of too-fast or too-slow burns). Here's the short version of the story.

I read a lot about people pulling the chip loader out a little, or enlarging the chip loader air holes. The former "solution" seemed to be too inconsistent, as you just found (how do you get the chip loader tube pulled out to the exact same position each time?). The latter solution irrevocably alters the function of the smoker and it may, or may not, ever function the same again. What if you make the holes too larger?

Many months ago I posted in some other threads my simple mod to take avoid both problems I replaced the chip loader with a duct elbow that has a tin can attached to it. In the end of the tin can, I drilled five holes that are larger in diameter than the three holes in the chip loader. This provides several times the amount of air that can make its way through the chip loader holes. I've shown this pic before, but here it is again. The crinkled end goes into the chip loader hole. If I make the holes too large, I simply get another tin can and try again. This can, as shown, worked pretty well.

Cold%20Smoke%20AMNSP%20Mod_zpsuqdkpcwj.jpg

• johnmeyer
• Feb 3, 2016

Which way do you point the can?  I imagine either facing down towards the ground or up to the sky.  My gut says downwards to create an overall bottom to top of smoker flow (same as with a mailbox mod).  Any specific reason for an elbow vs just a straight ducting section with the can at the end?

 

[johnmeyer]

 
Which way do you point the can?  I imagine either facing down towards the ground or up to the sky.  My gut says downwards to create an overall bottom to top of smoker flow (same as with a mailbox mod).  Any specific reason for an elbow vs just a straight ducting section with the can at the end?

The answer to both your questions is that when I originally did this, I was trying to make the world's simplest external smoking device with a tin can. I put a lit charcoal briquette into the bottom of the can and then scattered chips on top of that. To make that work, the can had to be in an upright position, with the holes pointed downward, hence the elbow.

The thing worked, but the quality of the smoke was acrid and not good, and I had to keep feeding it just as often as feeding the MES chip tray. So, I gave up on my design and instead bought the AMNPS. However, like many other people I had problems keeping it lit, I got the idea of converting my semi-failed external smoking gadget into nothing more than a MES air flow modification. In that mode it probably doesn't matter which way the can points, although it seemed like "top-to-bottom" convection dictated that I should have the holes pointing downward so the air would flow in an upward direction into the smoker and eventually out the MES exhaust vent.

I even added a tin can lid with holes in it and a small handle. The hole in the center that you see in that picture was occupied by a bolt. I attached the lid with that bolt and could rotate it, making a vent adjustment that looked just like the vent on the top of a traditional Weber BBQ. I found that I had fortuitously drilled just the right size holes, however, and never needed to restrict the airflow, so I got rid of the vent.

I eventually built my version of a mailbox mod, using a popcorn tin, which I detailed in a thread a few months ago. My conclusion is the same as everyone else's: this is the way to go. The quality of the final smoked product is much better; I don't have to keep loading the chip loader, and I can do low-temperature and cold smokes without any problems.

 

[burritolingus]

That first pic with the red coals throughout the whole maze is exactly what happened to me when I lit both ends and pulled the chip loader all the way out - too much air flow.  It didn't catch fire, but smoldered very fast and produced way too much smoke.

Chip loader 1/2 way out works best for me.  There is a point where it is half way out but still balanced where it doesn't want to fall out, that's about where I leave it. 

I do like the can with the holes in it.  That way it is consistent every time.