# Having a hard time with chips smoking



## custom99

I am having a hard time keeping my wood chips dry. I am using an electric smoker, very dry chips bought at home depot. I have tried using them after soaking them and using them dry. I have tried starting them using the torch. Is there some type of trick to keeping them going. I am going to be smoking my bacon on Thursday and dont want to keep opening the door to light them with the torch. I thought maybe the juices from the ribs were putting them out but I built a little foil tent over the chips but it still did not work.


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## custom99

I always proof read my posts and still missed the first time. What the first sentence was to say is I am having a hard time keeping my chips smoking.


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## tjohnson

custom99 said:


> I am having a hard time keeping my wood chips dry. I am using an electric smoker, very dry chips bought at home depot. I have tried using them after soaking them and using them dry. I have tried starting them using the torch. Is there some type of trick to keeping them going. I am going to be smoking my bacon on Thursday and dont want to keep opening the door to light them with the torch. I thought maybe the juices from the ribs were putting them out but I built a little foil tent over the chips but it still did not work.




What you may think is "Very Dry", is not.  Commercially packaged chips are approximately 20% moisture.  This may seem dry to you, but compared to kiln dried oak, maple cherry or hickory @ 6%-8% moisture, it's not.  This is not to say your chips won't burn, but you'll need a heat source.

What electric smoker are you using?

Todd


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## custom99

The smoker is a Smoke Hollow No.4 made by outdoor leisure products.


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## Bearcarver

I'm just guessing, but I'm thinking it's more a problem of the chips not getting hot enough than the chips not being dry enough.

Need more info---What temps are you running? Don't they smoke at all, or do they smoke & not smoke, depending on the cycling heating element.

Todd's right about the dryness of lumber & chips, but chips are so thin, even if they're 20% they should dry quickly. Maybe you could take some in the house? Anyway---20% shouldn't hurt anything, since many people even soak them. If they are too dry, they may flame up on you!

Construction lumber is kilned to about 20%.

In PA:

Cabinet Hardwood kilned to 6% to 8%.

Bear


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## tjohnson

Can you post a pic of the inside of your smoker?

Are you using the chip pan that came with your smoker?

Are you smelling smoke, just not seeing it?

Thick white billowing smoke is not good. 

You may be getting TBS and not realize it.

Are you planning on "Cold Smoking" your bacon or using heat?

Todd


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## SmokinAl

Are the chips in a chip pan or do you put them right next to the element? Is there a water tray between the chips & the food? Do you have a photo of your smoker?


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## custom99

I have experimented at temps between 100 and 240 and not getting smoke. My ribs are all incredible fall off the bone but not smokey flavored. The only thing I was wondering about is that the vent hole in the rear wall is only about a 1/4 inch. Seems too small too me to give enough oxygen for the wood to burn right. The chip pan is about an inch off the element.


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## custom99

I am on my way home. I will post a few pics of the setup when I get to the house.


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## custom99

Small vent hole at the top.







The insides a mess. Just finished some jerky.







Chip tray about an inch off of element. Water and chip tray on same shelf.

The only time we smelled smoke was when I was doing one of the batches of ribs. I always do the 3-2-1 and not a sign of any smoke rink at all.


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## roller

To me your chip tray is to high off of your element. Mine is 1/4in from my element and when I want to smoke at a low temp I put it right on the element. You can solve the no smoke problem with AMAZN smoker...but I have not done it yet because I do not have trouble making smoke but I am going to buy one sometime...Its really the way to go for easy smoking.


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## hardslicer

I have the exact same smoker.  I have noticed the same issues and wondered if I was putting out enough smoke.  I have felt the temps just had to be high enough to get the wood smoking and the last smoke I did I tried just putting my chips in alum foil instead of the chip tray...seemed to work ok.  I have considered trying a cold smoke generator when I have to keep the temps below 225.  However, I do like this smoker and it can really keep the temps steady which makes it easy for long smokes.  I might drill a couple of holes in the bottom to try and give it more Oxygen.....can't wait to hear everyones input


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## custom99

That one thing I really like about it is there is no messing with temps at all. Preheat to what I want and it comes back up to temp in about 5-7 minutes after putting meat in.


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## Bearcarver

Roller said:


> To me your chip tray is to high off of your element. Mine is 1/4in from my element and when I want to smoke at a low temp I put it right on the element. You can solve the no smoke problem with AMAZN smoker...but I have not done it yet because I do not have trouble making smoke but I am going to buy one sometime...Its really the way to go for easy smoking.


I agree with Roller.

IMO---1/4" above the heating element would be the Max to have the chip tray floor above the element.

However even a perfectly functioning chip burner can not match an AMNS or an AMNPS.

11 or 12 straight hours of perfect smoke, without touching anything, is more pleasurable than you can imagine.

Bear


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## custom99

Well I guess I will try setting the tray on the element in a test run right now. I just did a fry test on my bacon earlier and I am planning on cold smoking it Thursday.


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## tjohnson

Here's another observation....

The chip pan is a cheapie tin pan

Try using a cast iron pan.  They retain heat much better

Also, try removing the rack, and place the chip pan directly on the element

Cold Smoking On Thursday???

Your unit won't cold smoke on it's own, so you better figure out a smoke generator quick!

Todd


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## custom99

I may not be smoking thursday. Not happy with results right now. Been messing around over an hour now and not happy. Set at 140 and have some chips in pan and others in foil, right on the element. The ones in foil got dark but no smoke. I tried helping the ones in the pan along by using a torch. They went out pretty quick. I just tried removing the little vent in the rear to see if giving it a little more oxygen helps the wood burn. That gave me (3) 1/4 inch holes instead of one.


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## tjohnson

It's not gonna work for you at 140°

Just the way electric smokers cycle on and off

Do you own a soldering iron?

Stay with us and you'll be rolling out some smoke soon!

Todd


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## custom99

Yes I do, I think I see where you are going with this. This is why I fell for this forum. Just like the Jaguar forums, friendly and helpful.


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## tjohnson

Soldering Iron, Soup Can and Chips.

Dude You Have a "Cold Smoke Generator"

Do a Google Search, and you'll even find a YouTube video

For "Obvious Reasons", I don;t use one, but the soldering iron cold smoker works good for many guys.

Keep on track with your bacon smoke!

Todd


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## custom99

Thanks Todd, I am going to look that up. I went to grab the soldering iron before when you said that but it is at my workshop. I only have the soldering gun here. I will do an update in the morning. I know with your help tonite that I will make this happen. I told my wife its time for an a-maze-n. She says she created a monster getting this for me for fathers day.


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## tjohnson

Basically, you punch a hole in the side of the can, towards the bottom, stick the soldering iron into the whole, fill it about 1/3 of the way with chips or pellets and plug on the soldering iron.

Remember, the can gets hot, so watch out when you have to refill.

Practice before you do the real deal with your bacon

Also, there are some good posts on SMF showing the soldering iron cold smoker.

Todd


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## Bearcarver

custom99 said:


> Thanks Todd, I am going to look that up. I went to grab the soldering iron before when you said that but it is at my workshop. I only have the soldering gun here. I will do an update in the morning. I know with your help tonite that I will make this happen. I told my wife its time for an a-maze-n. She says she created a monster getting this for me for fathers day.


Yup!

LOL---A monster who's gonna make a lot of Great Smoked Food!!!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Bear


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## meateater

Looking forward to some BACON! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  The soldering iron trick will work in a pinch but not like the AMNS.


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## hardslicer

ok all this talk about smoke got me motivated to get online and purchase the A-MAZE-N-SMOKER, can't wait to get it and see what it can do.....


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## chadinclw

I noticed I had a "problem" with my Masterbuilt 40" not giving enough smoke at low temps (below 190). Part of my problem is it's insulated and at low temps the element doesn't stay on very much. Now, when I am doing BBQ or "hot smoking" around 200 degrees I don't notice a problem. 

I've resolved my issue by ordering a Smoke Pistol generator to supply the smoke when cool or cold smoking.


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## alelover

The A-MAZE-N-SMOKER is a great design. Ask anyone.


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## eman

I did my 1st cheese smoke w/ a soldering iron / tin can smoke generator and a cardboard box.Worked great.

did my second w/ same tin can in my MES cabinet. Melted the cheese.

 Did my third w/ amns and a bowl of ice in my MES cabinet and still had issues w/ melting cheese.

 Guess it's just to hot down here to cold smoke in the summer time.


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## Bearcarver

ChadInClw said:


> I noticed I had a "problem" with my Masterbuilt 40" not giving enough smoke at low temps (below 190). Part of my problem is it's insulated and at low temps the element doesn't stay on very much. Now, when I am doing BBQ or "hot smoking" around 200 degrees I don't notice a problem.
> 
> I've resolved my issue by ordering a Smoke Pistol generator to supply the smoke when cool or cold smoking.


Be careful when using the "Smoke Pistol".

It seems to put out too heavy smoke. It could cause creosote on your meats, if you aren't real careful.

Maybe once you get used to it, you can control it, but I noticed even in their ad videos, it is smoking much too heavy (billowing white smoke).

The AMNS & AMNPS don't have that problem.

Bear


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## chadinclw

Bearcarver said:


> Be careful when using the "Smoke Pistol".
> 
> It seems to put out too heavy smoke. It could cause creosote on your meats, if you aren't real careful.
> 
> Maybe once you get used to it, you can control it, but I noticed even in their ad videos, it is smoking much too heavy (billowing white smoke).
> 
> The AMNS & AMNPS don't have that problem.
> 
> Bear


Thanks for the advise. If I don't like it I'll try out their 30 day return policy!


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## Bearcarver

ChadInClw said:


> Thanks for the advise. If I don't like it I'll try out their 30 day return policy!




Great, Like I said, I can't say one way or the other, because I never actually used one, so trying out their 30 day policy is just right.

Maybe it will work good for you.

I started with another smoke generator, and it was terrible, but it wasn't a Smoke Pistol.

Good luck Chad!

Bear


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## hardslicer

I have used the A-maze-n smoker several times now at low temps and I couldn't be happier..........works like advertised!!


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