Pellets or Chips

[DrewTG]

I am new to smoking meats but recently bought a used Charbroil Electric Analog Smoker. The tray for wood is very small and I was wondering if I could add another tray. And if it would smoke better if I used pellets instead of the chips I used during my trial smoke with chicken.

 

[Murray]

AMNPS Tester forum

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[daveomak]

I have switched from pellets and chips to dust made from pellets....
You don't need much in the pan... 1/4 cup will do and add more about every hours.... The smoke is much better tasting on the meat...
OR, get the AMNPS tray, and add dust.... about a 3.5 to 4 hours smoke.....
I made a Mail Box Mod... it works perfect for adding smoke... Cool smoke, so you can cold smoke cheeses... fish.... bacon.... etc....

The mail box modification installed....


....

Connecting the 3" flex duct....
...
...

amnps with dust
....

amnps on stilts for better air flow....


Mailbox condensing out creosote for better flavor for the meat...






This Mailbox mod provides consistent smoke regardless of your smoker temperature...
Now you know the secrets to awesome smoked meats....

....

....

 

[daveomak]

Making dust from pellets...

Mr T told me he makes dust all the time for some of his smoking needs.. He ground the pellets in a food processor or something.. I tried it and it seemed a little tough on the machine.. Pellets are HARD !!!.. So I threw them in warm HOT water.. in about 4 minutes they were falling apart... I...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[tallbm]

I am new to smoking meats but recently bought a used Charbroil Electric Analog Smoker. The tray for wood is very small and I was wondering if I could add another tray. And if it would smoke better if I used pellets instead of the chips I used during my trial smoke with chicken.

Hi there and welcome!

Dave has given you a ton of great info.

If I were you I would get a 3 inch hole saw (3 inch fits duct joints like in Dave's post) and I would cut a 3 inch hole in the left side of the smoker to set it up for a mailbox modification much like Dave's setup.
I would then move to using the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray with pellets (or dust form pellets) the same as Dave shows with his AMNPS picture that uses dust he makes from pellets.

You might be a little apprehensive about doing this and I understand, its how all of us progress and evolve eventually :)
The reason this is being suggested and spoken about is because using the AMNPS with pellets produces perfect Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) for up to 12 hours without any fussing with it. Also a 40 pound bag of pellets lasts forever!

If you get the proper setup with the AMNPS + pellets, an electric smoker, and a multi probe wireless thermometer, you can truly set and forget. Also it produces perfect smoke so no fighting with that!

Imagine smoking a 17 pound brisket for about 19 hours over night. You put it in the day before at like 5pm and let it start going with perfect smoke setup to go for 12 hours. You dont babysit it and you go to bed that night and wake up the next day. At like noon that next day you can pull the brisket off, wrap it with foil and towels and have a piping hot brisket ready for 5pm dinner :)

Notice I didnt mention messing with wood, smoke, fire, temp, etc. You can do a 17-19 hr smoke and sleep through most of it and be 100% confident it will come out amazing!!!
Well once you figure out your setup, your smoke process, and do a few smokes to work out the kinks it will come out amazing haha :)

I hope all this info helps :)

 

[willy appleseed]

Hi there and welcome!

Dave has given you a ton of great info.

If I were you I would get a 3 inch hole saw (3 inch fits duct joints like in Dave's post) and I would cut a 3 inch hole in the left side of the smoker to set it up for a mailbox modification much like Dave's setup.
I would then move to using the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray with pellets (or dust form pellets) the same as Dave shows with his AMNPS picture that uses dust he makes from pellets.

You might be a little apprehensive about doing this and I understand, its how all of us progress and evolve eventually :)
The reason this is being suggested and spoken about is because using the AMNPS with pellets produces perfect Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) for up to 12 hours without any fussing with it. Also a 40 pound bag of pellets lasts forever!

If you get the proper setup with the AMNPS + pellets, an electric smoker, and a multi probe wireless thermometer, you can truly set and forget. Also it produces perfect smoke so no fighting with that!

Imagine smoking a 17 pound brisket for about 19 hours over night. You put it in the day before at like 5pm and let it start going with perfect smoke setup to go for 12 hours. You dont babysit it and you go to bed that night and wake up the next day. At like noon that next day you can pull the brisket off, wrap it with foil and towels and have a piping hot brisket ready for 5pm dinner :)

Notice I didnt mention messing with wood, smoke, fire, temp, etc. You can do a 17-19 hr smoke and sleep through most of it and be 100% confident it will come out amazing!!!
Well once you figure out your setup, your smoke process, and do a few smokes to work out the kinks it will come out amazing haha :)

I hope all this info helps :)

i dont know about yours but my mes40 has a chip loader tube and the hole that it goes in is 3" i can plug mail box duct right in hole for tube no need to cut hole in smoker

 

[tallbm]

i dont know about yours but my mes40 has a chip loader tube and the hole that it goes in is 3" i can plug mail box duct right in hole for tube no need to cut hole in smoker

Yep my MES40 has all that as well just like yours.
Unfortunately his Charbroil Analog doesn't have a chip loader.

Also Masterbuilt Analog smokers do not have a chip loader and are very similar to his Charbroil Analog unit. If I had one of these I would drill the same hole :)

All this stuff can get a little confusing hahaha.

 

[DrewTG]

Hi there and welcome!

Dave has given you a ton of great info.

If I were you I would get a 3 inch hole saw (3 inch fits duct joints like in Dave's post) and I would cut a 3 inch hole in the left side of the smoker to set it up for a mailbox modification much like Dave's setup.
I would then move to using the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray with pellets (or dust form pellets) the same as Dave shows with his AMNPS picture that uses dust he makes from pellets.

You might be a little apprehensive about doing this and I understand, its how all of us progress and evolve eventually :)
The reason this is being suggested and spoken about is because using the AMNPS with pellets produces perfect Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) for up to 12 hours without any fussing with it. Also a 40 pound bag of pellets lasts forever!

If you get the proper setup with the AMNPS + pellets, an electric smoker, and a multi probe wireless thermometer, you can truly set and forget. Also it produces perfect smoke so no fighting with that!

Imagine smoking a 17 pound brisket for about 19 hours over night. You put it in the day before at like 5pm and let it start going with perfect smoke setup to go for 12 hours. You dont babysit it and you go to bed that night and wake up the next day. At like noon that next day you can pull the brisket off, wrap it with foil and towels and have a piping hot brisket ready for 5pm dinner :)

Notice I didnt mention messing with wood, smoke, fire, temp, etc. You can do a 17-19 hr smoke and sleep through most of it and be 100% confident it will come out amazing!!!
Well once you figure out your setup, your smoke process, and do a few smokes to work out the kinks it will come out amazing haha :)

I hope all this info helps :)

WoW!! Tons of info and lots to consider..it DOES seem extreme to start cutting holes in my new smoker. But, if I want awesome smoked meats I need to make awesome changes. The knowledge in this forum is amazing and I look forward to hanging out here and soakin up more info...thanks to all !!

 

[willy appleseed]

WoW!! Tons of info and lots to consider..it DOES seem extreme to start cutting holes in my new smoker. But, if I want awesome smoked meats I need to make awesome changes. The knowledge in this forum is amazing and I look forward to hanging out here and soakin up more info...thanks to all !!

one has to do what one has to do the people here won't steer you wrong and the results will be well worth the effort tons of wisdom and knowlage on this forum!