AMNPS 5x8 skeptic

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Being an old smoker, and never used a pellet before, I too had my doubts. I assumed that pellets were like PVC, just a bit of wood and than added filler. I assumed there would be no controls as to what I got so I should look for those people here and learn who had the best.

Well If you have not already guessed there is a load of folks here doing the Amazin smoker and pellets.

Todd of Amazin Products does extremely well at maintaining a very quality product. You will have troubles with some pellets, some say because og the woods density. But that are more the exception to the rule than the norm.

I bought a tray and some pellets from Todd. I use it as I do a cold smoker or really more like an auxillary smoker. Sometimes its frustrating as all get out, but most days its chugs along like a champ. It does require a good ventilation here on my MES30 and MES40. I have not seen a need to use it on a larger pit yet.

The biggest thing you need to realize about the pellet tray, much as with the entire smoking opperation. If you need to spend 10 mins or 30 mins to get it ssmoking correctly, its a small amount of time to ensure a good 6 to 24 hour smoke. Why would you need immediate gratification in smoking? It goes against the very grain of what you are doing. Low & Slow.

Once you acclimate to the pellet tray, you'll wonder why you didn't make it yourself long ago. Its well worth the money.

BTW if you plan to cold smoke, get a dust tube instead of a pellet tray.

Bon Chance, I hope you enjoy the realm you are about to enter. Its really a load of fun.
 
I have a pellet tube, and pellet tray from Amazin Products. Love them both. I use the tray for cold smokes and the tube for hot smokes. they can at times be a pain but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

The instructions included are very clear!

Only thing I dislike is having to have the torch handy to light them...sucks when the torch runs out of fuel when lighting. Matches and lighter just won't do it. Thats just the pellets though, not the tray/tube itself.

I have a traeger pellet smoker (lil' tex elite) I use the tube for more smoke.

okay well I'm rambling and its late, need to get to bed. Point I'm making is Todd's Amazin stuff really is!

-Tom
 
My question is I have a MES 30 would I need to use the heat source from that to keep the heat where I want it?
 
Thank you bear. I've read a lot of reviews about how great it was but none say exactly what the heat source is.
 
 
Only thing I dislike is having to have the torch handy to light them...sucks when the torch runs out of fuel when lighting. Matches and lighter just won't do it. Thats just the pellets though, not the tray/tube itself.

-Tom
That's why you always have a couple extra torch tanks out in the shop. 
 
The ATS is great, and a trick to lighting it:  1/2 of a weber lighting cube.  You do have to wait for the cube to be consumed but that is not long.  Fill the tube, place the 1/2 cube in the end, light it and give it a few minutes to burn completely.  Your pellets will take over.  JMTC :) 
 
I bought one last week along with a bunch of flavors, I have already used it on some salmon, cheese, pork loin and some bacon this weekend. It works great, haven't had one issue yet.
 
I've got a 12" and an 18" AMPTS....they work great...keep you pellets dry and they are easy to light. the 12" fits in the MES30 next to the chip tray perfectly. I'm getting around 6hrs on the 12"

If your cold smoking in the MES be aware of your ambient temps or do the mailbox mod. i had some cheese change racks on me.
 
The AMNPS is great. I've got 2. It doesn't generate enough heat since the pellets are just smoldering, which is why it's great for cold smoking.  I use it for all of my cheeses and bacon.

In the 30" MES, it's a tight fit in the bottom, but works great.  Remove your chip pan.  I pull the chip chute out about 2" so I have good airflow.  This will depend on your weather.  I also (usually), use a 3" elbow as a smokestack.  Seems to draw better that way.  

If you're smoking with heat, this is your smoke source.  You don't have to keep filling your chip tray.

This is the only pic I could find.  This would give me about 8-10 hrs depending on wind/weather.  I have no idea why I put the foil in there.  Keep it open.

Follow the directions on lighting it.  45 seconds with the torch.  Also, I like to microwave my pellets for a 60-90 seconds.


With pellets, Todd sells 100% of the wood.  If you order oak, you get oak.  If you order hickory, you get 100% hickory.  Other manufacturers may add other woods.
 
Yep, next to my Maverick remote thermometer, it is the best smoking accessory I own. I rarely use anything else for smoke anymore.

(BTW, Todd sells the Mavericks, too.)
biggrin.gif
 
I have an MES 30, and have used the 5x8 pellet smoker the past 5 times I've smoked. The past 3 times I have had a problem with about 2 hours in the pellets burning at a crazy rate and producing way too much smoke. I've tried messing with pellet smoker position and and moving my smoker out of the wind with pretty much the same result. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and why my pellets all of a sudden just go crazy at about 2-2 1/2 hours in.

Any ideas?
 
I have an MES 30, and have used the 5x8 pellet smoker the past 5 times I've smoked. The past 3 times I have had a problem with about 2 hours in the pellets burning at a crazy rate and producing way too much smoke. I've tried messing with pellet smoker position and and moving my smoker out of the wind with pretty much the same result. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and why my pellets all of a sudden just go crazy at about 2-2 1/2 hours in.

Any ideas?

I'm going to assume you are having this problem on hot smokes. The problem would be the pellets are too close to the hat source. Try making a small heat sheild or moving the tray away from the heat source. I had this problem and choose to do the mailbox mod.
 
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