# MES 30 2.5 Digital AMNPS Placement



## smokingbro (Dec 23, 2015)

I got my AMNPS today from Amazon. I plan on smoking a Boston Butt tomorrow. I tried placing it in the MES 30 2.5 and it seems to fit perfect in the place in the picture below. Is this a good place? Is it too close to the heating element?













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__ smokingbro
__ Dec 23, 2015


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## BandCollector (Dec 23, 2015)

Where you have it placed is where Todd designed it to fit.

Best of luck with it!

Smoke on!

John


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## travisty (Dec 23, 2015)

That's the sweet spot!


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## smokingbro (Dec 23, 2015)

Thanks for the replies! It fit like a glove in that spot. I'm looking forward to my first smoke with it tomorrow.


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## travisty (Dec 23, 2015)

PS: when you get a chance, stop by the Roll Call section to introduce yourself, and tell us a few things about you!

PPS: What state do you live in? just checking since the AMNPS doesn't perform well in higher elevations, and you may want to test it out before getting all of your stuff together. If you live at high elevation you will want the tube model.


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## deerjohn (Dec 23, 2015)

I noticed Travisty uses a drip pan on top of his smoke box, but I can't figure out where he is getting all the smoke??  Does that location of your drip pan effect the heating??


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## redheelerdog (Dec 23, 2015)

If you get the temp of the MES much up over 235-250F the pellets tend to all get smokin, and sometimes catch fire. At least mine do... sometimes, LOL.. like last nights  pork butt smoke, LOL! Good thing I had a Maverick, and was watching close, caught it as soon as it happened.

Have fun with you new smoker!


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## smokingbro (Dec 23, 2015)

Travisty said:


> PS: when you get a chance, stop by the Roll Call section to introduce yourself, and tell us a few things about you!
> 
> PPS: What state do you live in? just checking since the AMNPS doesn't perform well in higher elevations, and you may want to test it out before getting all of your stuff together. If you live at high elevation you will want the tube model.



I checked in on roll call already. In Long Beach CA. Almost at sea level.


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## travisty (Dec 23, 2015)

deerjohn said:


> I noticed Travisty uses a drip pan on top of his smoke box, but I can't figure out where he is getting all the smoke??  Does that location of your drip pan effect the heating??



Guess it depends on the particular smoke in doing. In a recent post of mine I had actually just used the chip pan and some chips (actually the first time I had ever used the chip pan in my MES) as I had been waiting for my new AMNTS since my AMNPS won't work at my high elevation now that I'm in UT.

For drip pan, i usually just use a aluminum disposable drip pan which hasn't affected the heat that I have noticed with the 2-3 probes I have in the chamber, now that I have the 18" AMNTS it doesn't quite fit easily into the the MES 30 so I'm limited on arrangement, I usually rest the AMNTS right on top of the smoke box covering the heating element, then just use the factory drip pan (foil lined) only I have to put it in the first rack position. And as Red mentioned, when I'm smoking at heats above 250 the AMNTS really generates A LOT of smoke, I've never had an issue with a flare up that I have ever notived, and though my smoker doesn't have a window I've never seen signs of a flare up in the chamber or on my meat.


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## smokingbro (Dec 24, 2015)

OK, first experience with AMNPS in my MES 2.5 30 was not successful. The end I lite would not stay smoking. The side that was closest to the heating element did burn. Below is a picture. The section that burned was near heat element (right side), the side I tried to get burning is on the left. 








I'll try to rethink this tomorrow when I do some ribs. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## texfinn (Dec 24, 2015)

SmokingBro said:


> OK, first experience with AMNPS in my MES 2.5 30 was not successful. The end I lite would not stay smoking. The side that was closest to the heating element did burn. Below is a picture. The section that burned was near heat element (right side), the side I tried to get burning is on the left.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm new to using AMNPS as I used it the first time today in my MES 30, but to me it looks like the pellets didn't start burning properly to keep smoldering. 

Mine worked great today when I made my ham.


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## smokingbro (Dec 25, 2015)

So I'm trying the AMNPS again today for ribs. Today, I successfully got the left side smoking. I lowered the AMNPS to try to keep away from the heating elements. But the heating elements still started the right side smoking. So today, I'm getting double the smoke. 








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## smokingbro (Dec 27, 2015)

I've determined that on the MES 30 2.5 the AMNPS will just not work properly in the bottom left side of the smoker. As you can see from the picture above, the heating element is just too close to the right side of the AMNPS. I'm heading to HD today for a mailbox and ducting to do the mailbox mod.


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## jack9211 (May 6, 2016)

i'm new without experience.....but why not just start it on the right side for the smoke ?......i have ordered one for my 2.5.


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## Bearcarver (May 6, 2016)

SmokingBro said:


> I've determined that on the MES 30 2.5 the AMNPS will just not work properly in the bottom left side of the smoker. As you can see from the picture above, the heating element is just too close to the right side of the AMNPS. I'm heading to HD today for a mailbox and ducting to do the mailbox mod.


I don't have the MES 30, mine is an MES 40 Gen #2.5, and I've been putting the bottom grill rack in, and setting my AMNPS on the far left on that rack.

It's been working pretty good there. 6 years -----3 different MES units-----No mailbox needed.

The AMNPS was actually designed to fit on the bars to the left of the chip burner in the Gen #1 MES 30. There was no Gen #2.5 at that time.

BTW: You aren't putting water in your water pan, right??

Bear


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