# My new AMNPS Arrived!



## daricksta (May 3, 2012)

It comes with a huge package of pellets! Are you kidding me? I didn't read that in the product description. Todd Johnson has won a new customer for life!


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## chowderpants (May 3, 2012)

daRicksta said:


> It comes with a huge package of pellets! Are you kidding me? I didn't read that in the product description. Todd Johnson has won a new customer for life!


Yeah, Todd is a really good guy. He really stands behind his product and will gladly help you troubleshoot if you have trouble with it


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## scarbelly (May 3, 2012)

Welcome to the TJ fan club - now the fun begins


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## alelover (May 3, 2012)

We love Todd. I do customer service as part of my job and I have learned a thing or two from him.


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## baja traveler (May 3, 2012)

I got mine yesterday too! I did a test run in my empty smoker yesterday evening, and it is by far the easiest and best smoke generator I've ever dealt with! I put about 9 inches of pellets in and lit it up - Perfect thin blue smoke for 4 hours, so it looks like it burns about 3 inches an hour with the mesquite pellets I already had. I'm saving the oak that came with it for a future smoke.

Now that I can cold smoke I'm doing cheese this weekend!


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## daricksta (May 4, 2012)

Baja--did you use the heating element on your smoker or leave it turned off? I know you cold smoke cheeses but heat has to be used for meats. Did you just put the AMNPS in your smoker alone or did you put a barrier between it and the heating element? You wrote that you used nine inches. Doe this mean you don't fill up all three sections with pellets? As you can see, I haven't used my pellet smoker yet but I'm going to fire it up in my empty smoker this weekend, too.


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## irie (May 4, 2012)

welcome to the club. I had a great experience with todd as well. I even put in a rush order late in the week and he still got everything to me in time to pulled off the biggest non stop smoke my wsm has spit out thus far.

Thanks again todd!!!


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## daricksta (May 4, 2012)

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post and welcomed me here. I feel like I've just been admitted to the largest exclusive club in the world!


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## baja traveler (May 4, 2012)

No heat at all in the smoker - I'm in the process of converting my home made smoker from charcoal to Natural Gas, so I have no heat at all for the moment. Until I have the re-build complete it's all cold smoking for me, so cheese is getting the treatment this weekend.

If you completely fill up your AMNPS it will smoke away for almost 12 hours! Just figure out about how many hours you want the smoker to run, and fill the AMNPS with the right amount of pellets so you dont waste them just making nice smells around the neighborhood. That was the reason for my burn test the other day, so now I know how much to put in for the job I'm doing. I used Pacific Pellets Mesquite for my test, you may want to try what you have in case it smolders at a different rate than my test.


daRicksta said:


> Baja--did you use the heating element on your smoker or leave it turned off? I know you cold smoke cheeses but heat has to be used for meats. Did you just put the AMNPS in your smoker alone or did you put a barrier between it and the heating element? You wrote that you used nine inches. Doe this mean you don't fill up all three sections with pellets? As you can see, I haven't used my pellet smoker yet but I'm going to fire it up in my empty smoker this weekend, too.


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## daricksta (May 4, 2012)

One guy told me he had a hard time lighting the AMNPS and keeping it lit. I'll find out for myself this week. I have no idea how much I plan to fill the pellet smoker but there are recipes that call for 12 hours of smoking. Another guy said he spent 39 hours straight on a smoking project. That's hardcore, man.

Todd sent me a 2 lb. Oak pellets package and I've got pellets I bought at Home Depot. I have no idea how to tell good quality pellets from lesser quality.  I think I'm going to try hot smoking first but I've been advised to buy a non-glazed 12x12 floor tile to use as a heat dam.

Baja Traveler, I can see why you'd want to convert your smoker from charcoal to natural gas. Must be a hassle to have to replenish both the briquets and wood chips/pellets during one smoke.


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## moikel (May 4, 2012)

Zap pellets in microwave for a minute or so .They light better.


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## baja traveler (May 4, 2012)

I haven't had any problem lighting mine - I started my cheese (mild cheddar and pepper Jack) two hours ago. Just like last time, I held a propane torch to the hole for 30 seconds, let the flame burn for 2-3 minutes then gave it a blow to knock the flame out. It's been happily smoking away since. I just gave it a peek, and I think I'll let it run for 3 hours using the cherry pellets. Sun is out today, so the smoker is running right at 75 degrees, should turn out just about perfect...

And on edit - here is the finished product - the AMNPS ran out of pellets right at the 3 hour mark...


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## chef jimmyj (May 5, 2012)

daRicksta said:


> One guy told me he had a hard time lighting the AMNPS and keeping it lit. I'll find out for myself this week. I have no idea how much I plan to fill the pellet smoker but there are recipes that call for 12 hours of smoking. Another guy said he spent 39 hours straight on a smoking project. That's hardcore, man.
> 
> Todd sent me a 2 lb. Oak pellets package and I've got pellets I bought at Home Depot. I have no idea how to tell good quality pellets from lesser quality.  I think I'm going to try hot smoking first but I've been advised to buy a non-glazed 12x12 floor tile to use as a heat dam.
> 
> Baja Traveler, I can see why you'd want to convert your smoker from charcoal to natural gas. Must be a hassle to have to replenish both the briquets and wood chips/pellets during one smoke.


 If you follow Todd directions you will have no problems. Since you live in a high Humidity area of the country, take Mick's advice and Nuke the pellets to make sure they are Dry. The AMNPS lights easily with a torch and if you let the pellets burn 5-10 minutes there is little that will put it out short of meat drippings. I have found each row will give 3 hours of smoke and it takes 30 minutes to turn a corner so 10 hours total. The best way to Guarantee good Pellets is buy them from Todd! His are 100% Smoking wood made from whatever flavor wood the label says. Most of the pellets at the home stores are for Pellet Stoves and Pellet Grills and are made from mostly a hot burning filler wood like Oak and Alder with a small percentage of smoke wood like Apple. Burn hot but not much Flavor added to your food. The Glazed tile does help even out the temps and acts as a heat sink for faster recovery after opening the door.

I am one of the AMNPS Testers that is reviewing the new Pitmaster's Choice Pellets that are a blend of Hickory, Cherry and Maple. The flavor is Spectacular! I have a new post that showcases the AMNPS and shows placement of the Tile and AMNPS in the MES. Check it out...JJ

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/121221/corned-point-to-pastrami#post_806141


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## daricksta (May 5, 2012)

I'm going to remember to put the pellets in the nuker before I fire them up. With the AMNPS, I'm reading conflicting advice about using the MES water pan. Is the water pan only used when the electric heating element is turned on and not for cold smoking or what? Very confusing to me.

It would be a hassle to return the pellets to the two stores I bought them out so my plan is to use them up and then stick with Todd's pellets from then on. I'm buying the floor tile today since I plan to use the MES and AMNPS to smoke some skirt steaks for making fajitas. The recipe calls for 1-2 hours of smoking followed by finishing them off on a grill to sear the meat so I'll have my Weber charcoal kettle nearby.


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