# Masterbuilt MES 130B - A-MAZE-N



## ivape (Sep 27, 2018)

Hi,

Im a newb to smoking in general and to the MES130B. Im in middle of running the pre use burn now. Tomorrow is cook day. Ive been reading the forum and seen alot about this product. I just dont see what it offers more? If someone can be so kind to explain it please. The smoker has a place for chips, why would everyone buy a seperate piece? Is it so that you dont have to refill that often? What model do i need for my smoker? Can i use chips in there? (I just bought a whole bunch) why are pellets better? Sorry for all the questions, just want to learn as much as i can. Will the cook not give enough smoke w/o the A-MAZE-N. Also typically how often do the chips need refill. (I wont be soaking the chips, thanks to what ive learned here)

TIA


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 27, 2018)

Todd Johnson owner of A-MAZE-N is a long time member. Several years ago he had a gen 1 MES. Todd observed 2 problems with the design. You have to reload chips every 30-40 minutes, a PITA, over a 16-20 hour cook, and the unit made no smoke at temps lower than 180°F. No way to cold smoke meat or cheese. Enter the first maze design that burned wood dust. It gave 12+ hours of thin blue smoke, solving the MES flaws. A new issue arose. The dust was great with the MES off, for cold smoking, but didn't work at 225°+. Enter the redesigned maze 2, AMNPS. This design burned dust for cold smoking, no heat generated, and could burn wood pellets that would generate, 12+ hours of smoke at any temp the MES will produce. Brilliant! As the word got out and sales grew, guys with the gen 2 and other brands of smokers wanted the convenience of the AMNPS. A new problem...The AMNPS needs a good supply of air to stay lit. It worked in the gen 1 MES but not in the brand new MES gen 2 or Gas smokers. The design of the gen 2 did not let enough air get to the pellets and propane burners consume most of the available oxygen leaving nothing for the pellets to burn. Todd went to work on the problem and in short order introduced the AMNTS Tube Pellet Smoke Generator. The tube made smoke in pretty much any smoker out there.
The AMNPS Maze does not burn chips. They can't be packed tightly enough for a continuous burn. 

Todd is a super friendly guy and his customer service is second to none! Give him a call to discuss the MES you have. Find what product will work best in your smoker.
Masterbuilt never corrected the flaws in successive MES designs. Their fix was to create their Cold Smoke Attachment. An Expensive add-on that has not been getting great reviews around here. As a long time MES owner, I can tell you...While feeding chips for a few hours smoking chicken or ribs is no big deal...You are not going to enjoy staying up 16 hours, overnight or in the rain, snow or heavy wind, feeding Chips to your MES every 30 minutus. Since I got my AMNPS, the MES is TRULY, set and forget and I get plenty of sleep smoking an overnight Brisket or Pork Butt...JJ


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## hillbillyrkstr (Sep 27, 2018)

Yup jimmy covered it pretty well.


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## zwiller (Sep 27, 2018)

Mic drop heard a state away...  

PS - Do not fill the pan with water.  Line with foil and call it a drip pan now.


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## jted (Sep 27, 2018)

You guys have it going on.  Use those chips and learn your smoker.  Jted


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 27, 2018)

Can we have Jimmy's response pinned some where? That is honestly the best answer to this question I've seen.


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## johnmeyer (Sep 27, 2018)

jimmyj's response should be a "sticky," if this forum has them.

The one thing I'll add is that the quality of the smoke, whether generated by heating chips or burning chips in a tube or tray, still leaves something to be desired. I actually was going to sell my MES, even after I bought the AMNPS, because the smoke was too bitter. Also, for people who want to cold smoke, the AMNPS generates heat which can make cheese get too soft, etc.

As jimmyj would say, "enter the mailbox mod." The idea is to put the AMNPS in a box that is external to the smoker. This accomplishes two things: all the heat gets dissipated before it enters the smoker enclosure, and much of the creosote (the bitter black stuff in smoke that you want to avoid) condenses on the walls of the enclosure and the conduit that connects the enclosure to the smoker. Folks initially made these out of old mailboxes, but there have been posts about using old toolboxes, popcorn tins (that's my solution), microwave ovens, etc. Anything that is metal and anything that won't melt or add any toxic substance to the smoke will work.

The mailbox mod also makes it much easier to keep the chips or dust burning because it doesn't compete for air with anything else. It also keeps the AMNPS from getting dripped upon by the food. A minor advantage, but one I like, is that at the end of the smoke you can just let the last of the chips burn out in the external box while you clean out the smoker. Here in California we have to be exceptionally careful about lit charcoal and chips out in the open, so I like not having to remove the tray until it is cold.


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## GATOR240 (Sep 27, 2018)

Well said JJ and Jmeyer.


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## normanaj (Sep 27, 2018)

Love my AMNTS tubes,have several in both sizes and shapes.


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 27, 2018)

Thanks for the kind words guys and likes. The history is now a sticky, first post of the AMNPS Testers Forum...JJ


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## ivape (Sep 28, 2018)

didnt mean to cause a rucus lol. Well first cook turned out amazing. Did a chuch roast in for about 4.5 hours. 

My jack daniel chips wouldnt burn for some reason so went with Hickory. Anyone else have that with JD chips?


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## johnmeyer (Sep 28, 2018)

ivape said:


> didnt mean to cause a rucus lol. Well first cook turned out amazing. Did a chuch roast in for about 4.5 hours.
> 
> My jack daniel chips wouldnt burn for some reason so went with Hickory. Anyone else have that with JD chips?


You have to first take them out of the Jack Daniels before they'll burn.


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## ivape (Sep 28, 2018)

johnmeyer said:


> You have to first take them out of the Jack Daniels before they'll burn.


haha. I didnt even soak them. Mind boggling why they dont smolder. the smaller ones turn black around the edges though.


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 28, 2018)

Beats me why they wouldn't. They sure shoulda. What temp did you run at?


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## ivape (Sep 28, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> Beats me why they wouldn't. They sure shoulda. What temp did you run at?


275


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 28, 2018)

Then I really can't fathom why not, that heating element was cycling enough then. Weird.


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## ivape (Sep 28, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> Then I really can't fathom why not, that heating element was cycling enough then. Weird.


Deff weird because the hickory I had mixed in there smoked out fine.


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 28, 2018)

Definitely weird. I'd need to buy some to see what happens but to me JD chips are sort of a gimmick.


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## normanaj (Sep 28, 2018)

ivape said:


> Deff weird because the hickory I had mixed in there smoked out fine.



Your JD chips have a high moisture content.


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## PAS (Sep 29, 2018)

Maybe try a few 1 minute cycles in the microwave before using.  Thats what I do with my pellets before they go in the Amazen tray.


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## jted (Sep 29, 2018)

PAS said:


> Maybe try a few 1 minute cycles in the microwave before using.  Thats what I do with my pellets before they go in the Amazen tray.




Hi 
I used the microwave and boy did I get in trouble. The pallets smoked and the wife cussed. I found the safer way was to put them in the tray when I preheat the smoker then light  them. Also by preheating the smoker you help prevent  a lot of the MES temp swings.   Jted


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## droptrd (Oct 22, 2018)

jted said:


> Hi
> I used the microwave and boy did I get in trouble. The pallets smoked and the wife cussed. I found the safer way was to put them in the tray when I preheat the smoker then light  them. Also by preheating the smoker you help prevent  a lot of the MES temp swings.   Jted


This is exactly what I do.    I have the 5x8 tray and 6" and 12" tubes.     I put the loaded 5x8 in my MES while its heating up.    Then I pull it out and light it.    I was microwaving the pellets for a while until I cracked a bowl from the heat.     In my area, I find trager brand pellets burn really well.    I love my AMNPS.


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## mikeperez (Oct 24, 2018)

Sometimes I get too much smoke from the Tube with dump tray at 1-2 inches. Is there away to fix that? Sometimes the smoke is thin, and sometimes seems like it's intense and billowing.


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## jted (Oct 24, 2018)

Hi,
 The River Rat damper is easy to make and use. It will give you total control over the air intake of your smoker. Just do a site search.    Jted


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