AMNPS with MES

[Bearcarver]

If I had that smoker I would fill the water pan with dried beans like you do for filling a pie crust and pre baking it. I would fill it with dried beans and cover it with 2 layers of heavy aluminum foil. I would put my tray right on top of that water pan or the rack above it. I would cover the tray with a piece of aluminum foil drip pan bent to keep a 1 inch gap above the top of the tray and pellets. Essentially making a vented cover for the tray allowing smoke to roll out of the ends and or sides. You give up the bottom rack cooking area when you choose to use the tray .
Or..... You buy the tube thingy.. :D

I don't know what the beans are supposed to do, but setting the AMNPS right on top of a non-porous thing like a foil covered pile of beans wouldn't allow enough air flow through the AMNPS.
Putting it on the bottom rack is good, because air can get flowing through it, and you aren't losing much of the bottom rack, besides the bottom rack is too close to the heat for smoking meat anyway.
And putting a foil pan cover only an inch above the AMNPS will partially smoother the AMNPS by blocking air flow. Any Cover must be farther above it.

Bear

 

[SonnyE]

Was someone asking about washing out the smoker and AMNPS? Or drying pellets?

Here Johnny, just a few referances:

Yes, it all comes off with those screws.

Have you tried microwaving the pellets for 1 min, mix pellets around and wait 2 min, then microwave 1 more minute?
This does wonders for me keeping pellets lit :)

Thanks for the reply Tallbm. Appreciate the disassembly confirmation. I have tried nuking the pellets before though not for the time/sequence you describe. Saw a YouTube video last night where a guy microwaved them for 2 1/2 min, stirred and go finished with another 2 1/2 mins.

Going to try one more test run this afternoon after I remove the interior parts.

SoFloGator (Don)

I would very much fear 2 1/2 minutes you might start a fire like another member did not to long ago lol. If you want 5 minutes worth I would do 1 minute 5 times with a 1-2 minute break in between :)

Like Tall said---Be careful.
Any time you Nuke Pellets, stay there & pay attention. Don't want a bad fire.

Bear

Thanks Tallbm...well I gutted the smoker and nuked the pellets for 2 1/2 stirred for a few minutes and finished with a other 2 1/2 minutes. I did use a clear glass casserole dish to heat the pellets in. Your point is well taken however.
The good news is that between the gutting of the smoker, the elevation of the amps tray with four small machine bolts 3" long, heating the pellets for 2 minutes with blow touch, allowing pellets to burn for 10 minutes before blowing out flame and placing in mail box and finally blowing air with the fan on lowest setting...the test burn went perfectly!! Pellets burned completely through all three rows of tray and ashes left were nice, white and fluffy.
I am one happy smoker tonight and Can't wait to load the birds tomorrow morning. Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!
SoFloGator

Thanks Bear...I watched the entire time ready to toss in sink if necessary.

Awesome to hear!
I have a sneaky suspicion that the nuking of the pellets and elevating the tray were the factors that really put you over the top. You can always run some more tests taking one thing away at a time to figure out what is truly working and the most simplistic approach :)

Thanks Tall...yeah, I'll keep playing with it to try and reduce it down to as basic a procedure as possible. Enjoy your day tomorrow.

I tried it myself, but got a room full of heated wood smell. :(
So I dry my pellets in the smoker, outside. ;)

daveomak posted about drying fuel using the MES as the heater for it. And also about running a smoker at 275° for a couple of hours to sterilize it after smoking to avoid molds and bacteria's from camping in a closed up smoker.
Made good sense to me. So I follow that, even though I live in a comparatively dry climate (typically very low humidity).
In prep for a smoke, I fill my tray with enough pellets, then let them sit in the MES while it pre-heats. Drives out some to all moisture before beginning to Sm00kabatch.

 

[Rings Я Us]

Here Johnny, just a few referances:
















I tried it myself, but got a room full of heated wood smell. :(
So I dry my pellets in the smoker, outside. ;)

Oh.. You were talking about the conversation from back in November. Not what the recent stuff was about.. lol

 

[SonnyE]

Oh.. You were talking about the conversation from back in November. Not what the recent stuff was about.. lol

Actually, just posting to a thread others had resurrected. I almost didn't post.
The drying of pellets still applies, and is better than taking chances of stinking up your house, to burning up a microwave, or starting a fire.
But probably is a moot point to someone who mostly smokes with charcoal and chunks... ;)

 

[Rings Я Us]

I keep my pellets in the house. Never get damp.

 

[SonnyE]

View attachment 361128

I keep my pellets in the house. Never get damp.

You live in your car?
Because that's a trunk... :confused:o_O

 

[chopsaw]

The house needs an oil change .

 

[Rings Я Us]

Ha.. that's where stuff goes before it goes in the house.

 

[SonnyE]

Ha.. that's where stuff goes before it goes in the house.

Ah-Ha! I keep my bulk in my garage. And my smaller buckets out by the BBQ/Smoker.

 

[Rings Я Us]

Can't do to much storing outside here at my apartment complex. Now that we took over this thread.. Have a great day!

 

[SonnyE]

Can't do to much storing outside here at my apartment complex. Now that we took over this thread.. Have a great day!

We're getting ready for the eldest Grand Daughter and our Great Grandson to fly in from Washington tomorrow night.
3 day visit. Saturday dinner will be a rib-fest! :) Already cleared it with the Admiral.
I want to revert my Brinkman UDS back to charcoal and chunks. Beer can chicken? Burnt ends?
Diversity... it's not just for two legged varmints anymore. :p

Back to cleaning the floors.... :(

 

[normanaj]

Putting it on the bottom rack is good, because air can get flowing through it, and you aren't losing much of the bottom rack, besides the bottom rack is too close to the heat for smoking meat anyway.

Never had any issues with smoking on the lower rack,it has the whole water pan(with beans,sand,gravel or whatever) between it and the heat.

AMNTS with the ubolt mod in the lower left with the chip loader cracked open a smidge...smokes like a choo-choo train.

 

[Bearcarver]

Never had any issues with smoking on the lower rack,it has the whole water pan(with beans,sand,gravel or whatever) between it and the heat.

AMNTS with the ubolt mod in the lower left with the chip loader cracked open a smidge...smokes like a choo-choo train.

Way too hot on bottom rack, unless you want to play "Rotate the Racks".
And "Smokes like a Choo-Choo" is why I never use the Tube in my MES. Too heavy a Smoke. AMNPS "Tray" is perfect.
But if it works for you, do it.

Bear

 

[normanaj]

Way too hot on bottom rack, unless you want to play "Rotate the Racks".

Not with the water pan filled with some type of substrate,beach sand being perfect to regulate the heat.

And "Smokes like a Choo-Choo" is why I never use the Tube in my MES. Too heavy a Smoke. AMNPS "Tray" is perfect.

Smokin like a choo-choo is what many of us strive for.Not a big fan of the tray...doesn't burn as well as the tube.

But if it works for you, do it.

That is what makes this place awesome,we all do what works for us.And trust me I wouldn't be even close to where I'm at when it comes to the MES if I hadn't trolled this place and read everything you posted!

 

[Bearcarver]

Not with the water pan filled with some type of substrate,beach sand being perfect to regulate the heat.

Smokin like a choo-choo is what many of us strive for.Not a big fan of the tray...doesn't burn as well as the tube.

That is what makes this place awesome,we all do what works for us.And trust me I wouldn't be even close to where I'm at when it comes to the MES if I hadn't trolled this place and read everything you posted!

Just be careful---Heavy Smoke can get Bitter & contain too much creosote. That's why I don't use the Tube in my MES 40.
It's too small an area for the Tube IMO. I tried filling it halfway & shaking it, but it still puts out too heavy a Smoke.
However like I said my AMNPS works perfectly, so I quit trying to use the Tube.

The Tube was actually designed for bigger smokers & especially Gassers, but there are others who use them in their MES 30s & 40s, and they say they're able to keep the output down enough.

I have come to the conclusion that those who have trouble with keeping the tray burning are able to cut the output of the Tube. And those who have no trouble keeping the Tray Smoking have trouble with the Tube putting out too much smoke.

That's about all I got. Whatever you do---Enjoy!!

Bear

 

[normanaj]

I have come to the conclusion that those who have trouble with keeping the tray burning are able to cut the output of the Tube. And those who have no trouble keeping the Tray Smoking have trouble with the Tube putting out too much smoke

This has exactly been my case,no matter what I've done I've struggled with the tray.The tubes have been a godsend over the chiploader.

 

[SonnyE]

If you season your pellets, you can get much more consistent results.
When preheating, I also predry my load of fuel by filling my AMNPS and setting it in the MES to dry it out.
The chip loader is a big dud because it cannot get consistently heated by an element dedicated to maintaining an internal oven temperature. And it has an air gap preventing direct heating of the chip pan.
If all you want to do is Brisket, or other hot smoked items, fine.
I immediately saw the need to change the ways my MES 30 operated, so it could maintain a temperature setting, and have a consistent smoke infusion.

 

[funkadelik]

I just take the wood chip tray and wood chip loader out completely when using the AMNPS to ensure air circulation keeps the pellets going. If it looks like there is starting to be too much smoke, I insert the chip loader in about halfway to reduce some of the air circulation.

Glad I followed this website or I never would've solved my bitter white smoke problem with the MES.