Bear
Another Newb checking in, and I have a couple questions as well.
I can answer yours though, and mine are related so maybe we can both learn something here.
the EVOO= extra virgin olive oil
Amnp- is the pellet smoker box, filled with wood pellets of whatever wood you prefer. There are plenty of pic's and people using this thing around here, though I had never heard of it before a week or two ago myself.
Here it is A- Maze- N- Pellet smoker http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/products/a-maze-n-pellet-smoker
So, my questions- Why all the love for the AMNP? It makes smoking meat the pleasure it was meant to be!!
Instead of the standard chips or chunks? Yes, instead of using chips & chunks.
The AMNP is only the smoke source, correct? Not the heat source as well? AMNPS is only the smoke source.
(No, I haven't read my own link above yet, that comes next) Would I set the temp lower to accommodate for some heat coming from the pellets or is it limited like chips and chunks? No, you don't set your smoker temp lower. The only time the few degrees of heat coming from the AMNPS wil affect anything is when you cold smoke cheese in warm weather, but you can fix that with a jug or 2 of frozen water.
Will this pellet box fit into most any upright box smoker? Most if not all. It was designed to even fit on the bars in the bottom of a small MES 30.
Bearcarver, first I love everything I've read you making and plan to follow many of them, this one included, so many thanks- For the thighs, do you go straight from fridge to smoker? Still chilled? I go from fridge to smoker with anything to avoid too much time in the Danger Zone (40* to 140* IT in 4 hours)
As a general rule, do any of you bring the meat up to temp before it goes in the smoker, or is there any rule of thumb there? re. the temp of the meat going on. Never---See above.
I have a Masterbuilt XL. When I am smoking at a relatively low temp, most recently a pretty large Butt @ 220+- I don't seem to get much smoke. I'm not convinced my thermometer is correct for one thing, so I may have been @ around 200 or less, so that may be the problem. Or do any of you crank up the heat to get the smoke rolling then reduce it when the meat goes in? Course that can't be done as I add more chunks.
This answers your question about the AMNPS. If you load it up & light one end, you can get up to 12 hours of Perfect Smoke without having to touch it.
Thanks to anyone willing to jump in here and sorry for being long winded, I don't typically post in book form...
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