# A warning if you MIcrowave you AMNPS pellets to dry them



## retread (Aug 29, 2015)

As a general rule, I do microwave my AMNPS pellets to dry them.  I had an "experience" the other day which I feel necessary to share.  My microwave is a 1200W and I use full power for the pellets.  This time I microwaved them for 3 minutes.  When I took the pellets out of the microwave some were actually charred and smoking.  Fortunately I was able to sort out the smoldering ones and put them at the hole end of the the AMNPS, but I wanted to share this as a caution for y'all.  Supervise your microwave!  The TBS that this "experience" produced has permeated the microwave (temporarily, I hope) and adds a bit of "seasoning" to whatever is heated there.

On a serious note, I can envision some of the smoldering pellets actually flashing over to flame so I wanted to warn everyone that this could be possible. 

Jeff


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## dirtsailor2003 (Aug 29, 2015)

When I do microwave the pellets, which is normally only in the winter, I only set the microwave for a minute at a time. Stir them up and then repeat if I feel they need more. During the summer I never microwave them. I use the AMNTS and never have a problem even with cherry getting them going.


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## floridasteve (Aug 29, 2015)

I have the same experience the first time I tried to nuke them. I now only nuke them for one minute. Seems to work fine for me. 

BTW, my microwave still has a pleasant smokey smell after three months.


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## GaryHibbert (Aug 29, 2015)

I nuke my pellets every time for 2 sets of 2 minutes each.  The first time, I was going for 2 1/2 minutes and had the same result---smoking like crazy in the microwave.  Like Steve said, you can still smell hickory smoke when you open the nuke door.

Gary


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## JckDanls 07 (Aug 29, 2015)

there really is no reason to nuke them....  try this approach...  put the *unlit* tray/tube of pellets in the smoker while the smoker is preheating...  this in turn drys and preheats the pellets for easier lighting...  then fire them off when you put the meat in the smoker ...  works like a charm...


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## dward51 (Aug 29, 2015)

I either put mine in the Weber gasser (loaded with pellets) to dry as the grill heats, or if I'm smoking sausage, I put them in the convection oven in the house on about 180* while the sausage casings dry in the smoker at low temps.  Ready to go when it's time for smoke either way.

And as a side note, living the the hot & humid south I've given up on even thinking they will not absorb moisture from the air.  Does not matter what I put them in for storage or how soon after they arrive via UPS, they seem to always need a short drying time before use.  I just accept it and treat it as part of the prep process now.


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## jc1947 (Nov 21, 2015)

Retread said:


> As a general rule, I do microwave my AMNPS pellets to dry them.  I had an "experience" the other day which I feel necessary to share.  My microwave is a 1200W and I use full power for the pellets.  This time I microwaved them for 3 minutes.  When I took the pellets out of the microwave some were actually charred and smoking.  Fortunately I was able to sort out the smoldering ones and put them at the hole end of the the AMNPS, but I wanted to share this as a caution for y'all.  Supervise your microwave!  The TBS that this "experience" produced has permeated the microwave (temporarily, I hope) and adds a bit of "seasoning" to whatever is heated there.
> 
> On a serious note, I can envision some of the smoldering pellets actually flashing over to flame so I wanted to warn everyone that this could be possible.
> 
> Jeff


Jeff, I doubt they could flame in the microwave. As long as the door was shut, there wouldn't be enough oxygen to support a flame. IMHO the danger would be if you opened the door creating a back draft.


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## drewed (Nov 21, 2015)

JC1947 said:


> Jeff, I doubt they could flame in the microwave. As long as the door was shut, there wouldn't be enough oxygen to support a flame. IMHO the danger would be if you opened the door creating a back draft.


If the door shuts tight enough to not support combustion, shouldn't it also be tight enough to not allow any moisture to escape?  In effect are you "steaming" your pellets in their own juices?


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## BandCollector (Nov 21, 2015)

JckDanls 07 said:


> there really is no reason to nuke them.... try this approach... put the *unlit* tray/tube of pellets in the smoker while the smoker is preheating... this in turn drys and preheats the pellets for easier lighting... then fire them off when you put the meat in the smoker ... works like a charm...


This is a great idea!  I will give it a try next time around. 

Generally I only nuke my pellets one minute at a time...One minute, Stir, then another minute.  Never had a flareup and the pellets lit and burned perfectly in my smoker.

Happy Thanksgiving

John


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## rogerwilco (Nov 22, 2015)

Do you guys dry the pellets that are poured into the hopper of the pellet grill, or only pellets used in the smoking trays/tubes which are placed inside the cooking chamber?


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## jaxrmrjmr (Nov 22, 2015)

I keep mine in a tote inside the house.  I have never had a problem with them starting.  Don't store them in the garage!


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## bladebuilder (Nov 22, 2015)

I put my pellets in my gas grill. Most times I start with a cold smoke, so not warm up. After some time on the gas grill, the cherry lights easy, and is well established quickly. Never had a tray or tube  smolder out, doing it this way.


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## mtbken (Jan 12, 2016)

I tried the warmup in my smoker method last night.  It seemed to help.  I still had a burn out around the 3 hour mark, but that could have been due to me opening the smoker a few times!  I am still intrigued around the "Mail Box" method for my MES that I might try!  

Gonna give a buddy a call to see if he might be able to rig something up!

Thanks for the idea on the preheat, so far, that has worked the best!

Ken


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## daveomak (Jan 12, 2016)

mtbken said:


> I tried the warmup in my smoker method last night.  It seemed to help.  I still had a burn out around the 3 hour mark, but that could have been due to me opening the smoker a few times!  I am still intrigued around the "Mail Box" method for my MES that I might try!
> 
> Gonna give a buddy a call to see if he might be able to rig something up!
> 
> ...


If you use a water pan, the steam will snuff out the pellets....


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## mummel (Jan 12, 2016)

I do 3.5min.  Any longer and it starts smoking.  I dont know what watts I have.


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## mummel (Jan 12, 2016)

BandCollector said:


> This is a great idea!  I will give it a try next time around.
> 
> Generally I only nuke my pellets one minute at a time...One minute, Stir, then another minute.  Never had a flareup and the pellets lit and burned perfectly in my smoker.
> 
> ...


This worked for me as well on my last smoke.


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## SmokinAl (Jan 12, 2016)

I did the same thing, must have got distracted & started smelling smoke in the house. Opened the microwave & smoke billowed out. No problem just take the plate outside & start over. The good thing is the house smelled like hickory for a few days.


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## westby (Jan 12, 2016)

I purchased a ton of pellets last May/June timeframe and keep them on a pallet in the back of my tuck under garage.  No issues whatsoever.  I have never had to dry them in the microwave either.  I recently started using hand sanitizer gel as a starting agent and it works fantastic.  I stand my tube upright, squirt 3-4 squirts of gel on top of the pellets, touch with a lighter or match and walk away.  Come back in 5-10 minutes to a nice flame, blow them out and lay it in my smoker.


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## x0xsaywhutx0x (Jan 12, 2016)

JC1947 said:


> Jeff, I doubt they could flame in the microwave. As long as the door was shut, there wouldn't be enough oxygen to support a flame. IMHO the danger would be if you opened the door creating a back draft.


Microwave fires do occur.  There is still enough oxygen for ignition.  The fire will not last unless the microwave is vented (which some are) or if the door is opened right after ignition.


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## amlong88 (Jan 12, 2016)

Been using cherry pellets in my tray and tube and haven't had problems with them staying lit. Might be because I live in dry Idaho.


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## sundown farms (Mar 11, 2017)

Went to retrieve the hot pellets and found a small area in the center black and smoldering. I guess it could have gotten worse but the real issue was the smoke stunk up the wife's microwave box and vent even more than the pellets do anyway. An upset wife is not a good thing--especially mine. I now nuke for less time.


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## BandCollector (Mar 11, 2017)

One minute...Stir...One more minute in the microwave is plenty for me. 

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.  I have had no issues either drying or using my pellets implementing this method.  No point in risking a catastrophe.

Good luck,

John


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## daveomak (Mar 11, 2017)

I used to dry pellets all the time....  Not any longer...   Seems air flow was my problem, and others also....   elevating the AMNPS to allow for good air flow from below , seems to have solved all my "no stay lit" problems with the AMNPS...













LEGS 3.jpg



__ daveomak
__ Mar 9, 2017


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## papadon45 (Mar 11, 2017)

Morning everybody. I have the perfect solution for the microwave issue! Why don't you guys move to Nevada, where the average humidity is between 12 and 20% year around. We try to find ways to add moisture to our air.
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






That being said I'm going to keep a reference to this thread cause this year in Reno who's average rainfall is just under 7 1/2 inches per year we have almost 9 1/2 inches in 2 1/2 months.


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## BandCollector (Mar 12, 2017)

DaveOmak said:


> I used to dry pellets all the time....  Not any longer...   Seems air flow was my problem, and others also....   elevating the AMNPS to allow for good air flow from below , seems to have solved all my "no stay lit" problems with the AMNPS...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hey Dave...I think you have just solved my issue with snuffed out pellets.  Thanks for the suggestion.  Next time I use my tray I will try your solution and see if it works for me as well.

John


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## hillbilly jim (Mar 12, 2017)

I'm just a dumb @$$ed ol' retired pipefighter, so what I know about this wouldn't fill a thimble. There's my disclaimer.

However... I keep a log book of all my activities in my smoke house and going back through my notes, I have to come to some conclusions about this.

I tried the microwave thing and didn't notice much of a difference.

I also tried filling a 1/2 size baking sheet with the pellets and 'roasting' them at 250* in the kitchen oven for a coupla' hours. After taking them out of the oven and still hot, I packaged them in Ball jars.

The one thing that keeps coming up in my notes is a direct correlation between the current humidity and smoke time. If the humidity is low, I'm lucky to get 8 hours out of a single tray. If the humidity is relatively high, I could get as much as 12 hours.

I quit worrying about how to dry the pellets. I make sure the pellets will stay lit and support a flame for several minutes before I blow it out and put it in the cabinet. I also check on it several times in the first hour or so to make sure it's still smoldering.

As has been mentioned, I also believe good air flow is critical. The pissy little vent on the back of my 44 is useless as brakes on a boat. I cut a 6 inch black steel stove pipe into the top of the cabinet and installed a damper in it. I then added 6 feet of stack to that. It drafts now.

That's my story an' I'm stickin' to it.


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## johnmeyer (Mar 12, 2017)

I use my heat gun to light them, but before I put the gun to the highest setting, I use the lower setting to preheat the pellets. This approach has the advantage that the gun not only heats the pellets, but because it is blowing super-hot air over the pellets, at close range, that fast moving scorching-hot air quickly carries away the moisture.

Here is a video I made that shows my technique:


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## mneeley490 (Mar 12, 2017)

I used the microwave idea, until I noticed moisture on the plate underneath the pellets. So I put a paper towel underneath, and that was better, but still the towel was damp, and I thought that I could do better. So now before a smoke, I just measure out what I need and spread them out on a pan in the oven for about 20 minutes at 250°, like others have mentioned. Works like a charm for me.


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## milkman55 (Apr 2, 2017)

johnmeyer said:


> I use my heat gun to light them, but before I put the gun to the highest setting, I use the lower setting to preheat the pellets. This approach has the advantage that the gun not only heats the pellets, but because it is blowing super-hot air over the pellets, at close range, that fast moving scorching-hot air quickly carries away the moisture.
> 
> Here is a video I made that shows my technique:



Now I know how I can use my heat gun.  Great idea for drying and firing the pellets all in one.  Also like the air intake mod.  I had read about leaving the chip loader open, but your post is the first time I read about opening the fire box inside the smoker.  Makes total sense, great stuff.


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