MES 40 2nd Gen - AMPS will not stay lit! Help!!!!

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redrum

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 4, 2012
26
10
Jacksonville, FL
I removed the vent entirely and added a elbow.  I have tried every different 1/2 inch variance with the chip loader.  I stopped using water entirely with my smokes.  I put the amps on the drip tray above the hole cut for the drip catcher and put the drip catcher on the floor.  I always get a good burn going on the pellets to the point where it is hard to blow them out.  I never had these problems with my gen1!!!!  I am at the point where i just want to go buy a gas smoker and be done with the MES line entirely.

What am i doing wrong?  Is the mailbox mod going to save me or just be another money sink?
 
In my mes 40 (gen 2) I put the amzn under the drip/water pan. I never use water in the pan and I keep the chip tray out about an inch and a half and the loader out about 3-4 inches. It still does go out sometimes but it's not every time like your saying. Try putting it under the drip pan.
 
It's an adventure to find what works best for each cooking variation. I've FINALLY gotten the pellet box to work through a full load when I worked on some bacon at around 100 degrees. I've started to heat up my pellets in the microwave for a couple of minutes, seems to help them light faster. I removed the water tray, put the pellet box under the water tray opening, put a small piece of foil on shelf above the opening, and completely removed the chip tube. I tried the same setup the following day at 225 degrees, and I had to start the pellets up a couple of times during the smoke. I think it's the humidity in the MES2 smoker that is the problem with the pellet box. I started using a pellet tube this past weekend, and it never went out, even when closing the vent about half way. But.........I feel like I'm getting too much smoke with the tube. I'll continue to experiment every weekend........
 
Check out the mailbox mod on the search bar.  Great  modification for AMNPS. $15 alluminum mailbox from Menards and a short 3" dryer vent duct.

Lets the pellets burn perfectly, and the vent tube fits into the loader hole with no cutting into the smoker. You can check on the AMNPS without opening the smoker door.
 
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