Does Anyone Use Weber Lighter Cubes To Start Their AMNPS?

[daricksta]

I use the Weber Lighter Cubes to fire up charcoal briquettes in my Chimney Starter for my Weber kettle grill. But I got to wondering if they would also work to get wood pellets smoking in an AMNPS. I've used a propane torch and gel firestarters. Propane works best, the gel is both messy and not very consistent. Plus, when I blow on it to get that red cherry going, hot specks of molten gel go flying about with some landing on me! I'm thinking that a paraffin wax cube will burn longer and hotter than gel. I just don't know whether to try a whole or a half cube. Has anyone tried this?

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I use a torch from a hose and my propane tank.

Use the starters for my charcoal though, works great.

 

[daricksta]

 
I use a torch from a hose and my propane tank.

Use the starters for my charcoal though, works great.

I overbought cans of propane so I still use them. I bought the propane torch at Home Depot. it came with a can. I had no idea how many uses I'd get out of a can or how to tell when it was empty so I bought a few more cans on sale. If we ever get a lasting spring/summer here in the Puget Sound area I plan to try out a starter cube the next time I break out the smoker. 

 

[chef jimmyj]

I seem to remember Todd had a post about these a few years ago. 1/4 cube was used to get the pellets lit...JJ

 

[griz400]

here is what you need, and 3 sheets of newspaper ..............you will say damn, that works good, put 3 whole sheets of newspaper, and 1 can of charcoal, lite it  and go in house and get a beer, 10 minutes and dump em  ...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Weber-7-5-...6f46328bd65a&gclid=CJ7XnNngrNQCFU09gQodoQgL5g

 

[daricksta]

I seem to remember Todd had a post about these a few years ago. 1/4 cube was used to get the pellets lit...JJ

Thanks, JImmy. Then I'll ask the man himself!

 

[doughboyb]

I use 1 wadded up paper towel with about a shot of cheap olive oil dumped into it, since we don't get a newspaper. Burns for about 5 minutes, works great and costs next to nothing.

 

[crankybuzzard]

 
here is what you need, and 3 sheets of newspaper ..............you will say damn, that works good, put 3 whole sheets of newspaper, and 1 can of charcoal, lite it  and go in house and get a beer, 10 minutes and dump em  ...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Weber-7-5-...6f46328bd65a&gclid=CJ7XnNngrNQCFU09gQodoQgL5g

I use 1 wadded up paper towel with about a shot of cheap olive oil dumped into it, since we don't get a newspaper. Burns for about 5 minutes, works great and costs next to nothing.

Great ways to get a charcoal chimney started, but the OP is looking to get his AMAZEN pellet tray started.  

daRicksta, let us know how it works.

 

[daricksta]

I seem to remember Todd had a post about these a few years ago. 1/4 cube was used to get the pellets lit...JJ

Todd suggests 1/2 cube. I'll give it a try after it stops raining here...again. 

 

[daricksta]

 
Great ways to get a charcoal chimney started, but the OP is looking to get his AMAZEN pellet tray started.  

daRicksta, let us know how it works.

I will, CrankyBuzzard. Todd recommends 1/2 lighter cube so I'll give that a try soon. It's going to rain here thru the weekend so I need to wait for dry weather since I have no outdoor shelter for my smoker. 

 

[daricksta]

I use 1 wadded up paper towel with about a shot of cheap olive oil dumped into it, since we don't get a newspaper. Burns for about 5 minutes, works great and costs next to nothing.

Thanks, DoughboyB, but that would work for the chimney starter but not for the AMNPS. I used to use dry, wadded up newspaper for the chimney starter but I didn't like how the charred bits of newspaper would drift about and sometimes fall on the food I was grilling. That's why I switched to lighter cubes. 

 

[stephan28]

I love the Weber cubes for lighting my chimney! I'll have to try this out out the AMNPS when I use it next time!

 

[daricksta]

I love the Weber cubes for lighting my chimney! I'll have to try this out out the AMNPS when I use it next time!

Let us know how it works out and I'll also do the same. 

 

[johnmeyer]

I've posted this before:

Lighting the AMNPS using a heat gun.

There are a few things in the video that I screwed up, so look at my on-screen corrections. Also, I no longer bother preheating the pellets: I just set the heat gun on high and point it at the sides, top, bottom and end of the tray. It is usually lit in 45 seconds, and the heat from the gun makes the nearby pellets very "eager" to start.

 

[daricksta]

 
I've posted this before:

Lighting the AMNPS using a heat gun.

There are a few things in the video that I screwed up, so look at my on-screen corrections. Also, I no longer bother preheating the pellets: I just set the heat gun on high and point it at the sides, top, bottom and end of the tray. It is usually lit in 45 seconds, and the heat from the gun makes the nearby pellets very "eager" to start.

Great video, John. I own a MES 30 Gen 1.  I always forget to pull the wood chip tray out but I leave the AMNPS sticking out a bit like you do. I also used to point the burning end toward the back since I felt there was more airflow there. But after a few months with the tray going out during cold smokes I decided it didn't matter which was the burning end was facing.

 You've found that using the heat gun is easier but as effective than using a propane torch? The only thing that stops me from using a heat gun is that I'd have to go buy one but I already have a torch a quite a few cans of propane I bought on sale. A also never preheat the wood pellets. 

I like your tin can mod on the side there. You've found that as effective as a mailbox mod? I haven't done any mods to mine, still considering what I want to do and how much work I'm willing to put into it. Also, looks like you tie your smoker to a handtruck like I do for moving it around. That's one reason why I like that small smoker. Couldn't do that as easily with a MES 40. 

I haven't smoked any nuts yet but I have done a few batches of beef jerky. I was surprised to see you holding your batch down to one rack. Unfortunately, I could probably finish off a rack of jerky in one or two sittings. I usually smoke three racks at a time, partly because my daughter loves smoked beef jerky the way I make it. 

 

[johnmeyer]

.
 You've found that using the heat gun is easier but as effective than using a propane torch? The only thing that stops me from using a heat gun is that I'd have to go buy one but I already have a torch a quite a few cans of propane I bought on sale. A also never preheat the wood pellets.
 

The heat gun gives me more consistent results and, if I don't do any preheating (i.e., using the low setting on the heat gun to warm all the chips) I can light the tray in less than 45 seconds, which is not too much longer than using a torch. The heat gun gives you a wider/higher initial cherry so the thing seems to stay lit more reliably.

You cannot light sawdust with the heat gun because the dust just blows away.

If you don't already have the heat gun for other reasons (I do a lot of work with heat shrink tubing) it probably isn't worth getting.

 I like your tin can mod on the side there. You've found that as effective as a mailbox mod?

The mailbox mod is a completely different thing because it provides a large number of additional benefits, including better smoke quality than the AMNPS by itself, no need to constantly replenish chips during the smoke, the ability to cold-smoke, and more. The AMNPS made many improvements over smoking with the stock MES, but once I built my mailbox mod, all my smoking got better, easier, and more enjoyable. It was the best mod I have done, by far.

Smoker Mod_04.jpg

• johnmeyer
• Feb 4, 2017

 

[daricksta]

 
The heat gun gives me more consistent results and, if I don't do any preheating (i.e., using the low setting on the heat gun to warm all the chips) I can light the tray in less than 45 seconds, which is not too much longer than using a torch. The heat gun gives you a wider/higher initial cherry so the thing seems to stay lit more reliably.

You cannot light sawdust with the heat gun because the dust just blows away.

If you don't already have the heat gun for other reasons (I do a lot of work with heat shrink tubing) it probably isn't worth getting.

The mailbox mod is a completely different thing because it provides a large number of additional benefits, including better smoke quality than the AMNPS by itself, no need to constantly replenish chips during the smoke, the ability to cold-smoke, and more. The AMNPS made many improvements over smoking with the stock MES, but once I built my mailbox mod, all my smoking got better, easier, and more enjoyable. It was the best mod I have done, by far.

Smoker Mod_04.jpg

• johnmeyer
• Feb 4, 2017

I know that quite a few guys actually place their AMNPS inside the mailbox. I thought about trying that mod this summer. I've got a few medical issues that I need to get past before I can handle getting the smoker and everything out. I want to get past them because I've got a whole brisket to smoke along with my 2nd attempt at burnt ends. 

Is this your own photo? If so, where was this shot? 

 

[johnmeyer]

 
I know that quite a few guys actually place their AMNPS inside the mailbox. I thought about trying that mod this summer. I've got a few medical issues that I need to get past before I can handle getting the smoker and everything out. I want to get past them because I've got a whole brisket to smoke along with my 2nd attempt at burnt ends. 

Is this your own photo? If so, where was this shot? 

First of all everyone who builds a "mailbox mod" puts the AMNPS inside the mailbox. Otherwise, it has no purpose. Also, even though you can still put the AMNPS inside your MES (or other smoker), and not use the external mailbox attachment, I can tell you from experience that I cannot think of one single reason to ever do that. Simply put: the external smoking attachment gives you better-quality smoke; it lets you check on the status of the pellets in the AMNPS without opening up the smoker and losing heat; and it helps reduce creosote. One other advantage, seldom mentioned, is that when your food is ready, there are often still un-burned pellets left in the AMNPS. If there are only a few, I just detach the mailbox mod from the smoker and let them burn out. I can then begin cleaning the smoker (I only do a little cleanup) without having to wait for the AMNPS to burn itself out. Putting the still-lit AMNSP on the ground and letting it burn out is a big no-no here in central California because of the huge wildfire risk. Here is a timelapse of last year's fire, taken from my home's balcony. It was one of the biggest fires and definitely the most expensive fire in California history:



As for the photo, yes, that is my photo and my version of the mailbox mode using a popcorn can. You can find my full post in this forum by searching for "popcorn mailbox mod." You can buy these cans for only about $15, shipped, so it is generally cheaper than even the cheapest mailbox. The can has more volume, so you get a little more condensation and creosote deposition, resulting (perhaps) in a little better-quality smoke. There are other advantages that I describe in my post.

 

[daricksta]

 
First of all everyone who builds a "mailbox mod" puts the AMNPS inside the mailbox. Otherwise, it has no purpose. Also, even though you can still put the AMNPS inside your MES (or other smoker), and not use the external mailbox attachment, I can tell you from experience that I cannot think of one single reason to ever do that. Simply put: the external smoking attachment gives you better-quality smoke; it lets you check on the status of the pellets in the AMNPS without opening up the smoker and losing heat; and it helps reduce creosote. One other advantage, seldom mentioned, is that when your food is ready, there are often still un-burned pellets left in the AMNPS. If there are only a few, I just detach the mailbox mod from the smoker and let them burn out. I can then begin cleaning the smoker (I only do a little cleanup) without having to wait for the AMNPS to burn itself out. Putting the still-lit AMNSP on the ground and letting it burn out is a big no-no here in central California because of the huge wildfire risk. Here is a timelapse of last year's fire, taken from my home's balcony. It was one of the biggest fires and definitely the most expensive fire in California history:



As for the photo, yes, that is my photo and my version of the mailbox mode using a popcorn can. You can find my full post in this forum by searching for "popcorn mailbox mod." You can buy these cans for only about $15, shipped, so it is generally cheaper than even the cheapest mailbox. The can has more volume, so you get a little more condensation and creosote deposition, resulting (perhaps) in a little better-quality smoke. There are other advantages that I describe in my post.

I remember reading about a fire in Carmel but I never saw the video. I grew up in CA and although I'd heard of wildfires around Big Sur I'd never heard of one that large around Carmel. We get raging wildfires throughout central WA every year here. I'm lucky that--so far--the location where we live has never had a fire break out. But I can get away with placing a still-lit AMNPS on the ground in my backyard because we have several spots without grass or have pea gravel-covered walkways. 

I hope to just be able to use my MES this year, mailbox mod, other mod, or not. Hoping some lower back issues I've been having ease up.