# not impressed with amns



## johnnyk (Nov 11, 2011)

I can not keep the pellets burning. I hav them going good , then I put them in the MES 40 and they wont stay lit.

What an I doing wrong.


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## venture (Nov 11, 2011)

An MES user will be along to help you soon.

The pellets have to be sufficiently lit and you need air flow in the MES.

You will get lots of help with the details soon.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## eman (Nov 11, 2011)

Let them burn for 5 min before putting the amns in the mes. Open the chip chute half way and leave it open. leave the exhaust open fully. Been using mine almost 9 months in my MES 40 and no problems. Also remember to dry your saw dust in the microwave for 1.5 min before using.


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## chef willie (Nov 11, 2011)

I have the dust burner and had a learning curve using it at first. Like the above poster stated...sounds like an air flow problem. Keep at it....and drying in the micro did help my burn. I give the dust at least a minute.


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## jak757 (Nov 11, 2011)

Do you have the AMNS, or AMNPS?  You say the pellets won't stay lit, so I assume you have the AMNPS.  I had a few problems keeping it lit at first too.  Good suggestions above.  When I started microwaving them for 2 minutes, it worked great.  The humidity has been a factor I guess.  I "nuke 'em", then put them in the AMNPS while my MES heats up.  When it's getting close to temp I pull it out, light them with my torch  -- gotta let them burn good for about 5 minutes.  I blow them out, let it smoke a moment, get it flaming again just to be sure, then blow it out and place it inside.  Since I started this, no problems at all.

Let us know how you do -- once you get the hang of it, you will love it!


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## glocksrock (Nov 11, 2011)

I haven't gotten mine yet, but from everything I've read, you need to pull the chip loader out a llittle bit, and also pull the chip tray out about an inch and a half to get sufficient airflow so it doesn't go out.


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## teeznuts (Nov 11, 2011)

Are you hot or cold smoking? When I cold smoke I completely remove the chip tray. I pull the chip tube out about an inch. I also added a 3" elbow(per Todd's suggestion) as a chimney. I use it in an MES30. I microwave my pellets between 45 sec- 1 1/2 minutes depending on how much pellets I'm using. I haven't used it on many hot smokes yet but it goes like a champ on cold smokes.

Here's a shot of the elbow during a hot smoke without the AMNPS just so you can see the set up.


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## hkeiner (Nov 11, 2011)

Yes, it is best to be clear in your post title and also in the information you provide. If you are putting pellets in a AMNS, then that is your problem. Pellets only work well in the AMNPS. Also, using a title stating that you are not "impressed" with the AMNS makes if first appear that you have the AMNS working as it should (with dust) but do not like the results, compared to other methods of creating smoke. Not quite fair to the product. Anyway, there are lots of users of both the AMNS and AMNPS in this forum and we are all glad to help out. From reading past threads, most of them (if not all) are impressed with the AMNS and AMNPS. I know I am.


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## mballi3011 (Nov 11, 2011)

It sounds like you might have an air flow problem to me.


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## callahan4life (Nov 11, 2011)

I have the AMNZPS and an MES40. I pack the pellets real tight especially the first inch (where I light it) and all channel turns. I light the AMNZPS with a torch and let it burn (with a flame) for about 5 minutes. I then hit it with the torch again. I blow out the flame. At this point I have about ¾ to 1 inch of glowing hot charcoaled pellets. I am getting 7 to hours of thin blue smoke on a fully loaded tray.

I smoke with the MES top vent wide open and have never had to open the chip tray for air. I also have never had to microwave the pellets yet. I imagine that will change as the pellets get older. I keep my pellets stored in plastic zipper bags. I have thought about sealing the pellets (in various flavor mixtures) in vacuum sealed bags, in the exact amounts for a smoke.

I have attached the instructions that came with mine. Pay special attention to #8-10, any of these could be causing your problem too.
https://statich.smokingmeatforums.com/2/22/22e2ce95_AMZNPSUserInstructions.octet-stream


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## scarbelly (Nov 11, 2011)

If these suggestions have not solved your problem, send Todd an email. He will answer right away. I do know that the chip loader was the issue for a lot of guys. As was mentioned before - you can not burn pellets with any success in the AMNS if you are going to use more than one row unless the pellets are separated by an empty row.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 11, 2011)

I have not had these problems, but I keep my dust & my pellets in these jugs.

If I do have problems, I will nuke my pellets.

I never had to pull chip drawer or chip dumper either----So Far.







Bear

PS: I should mention, I keep mine out a lot longer than 5 minutes, before I put it in.

I light it until it flames. 

Then let the flame burn out.

Then light it again.

Then let it burn out.

Then blow on it, in the direction of the unburned pellets for a couple minutes.

I do this until I get a real nice big area of glowing red coals in the bottom of the row (could take up to 15 minutes from the start, but I'm not there that whole time).

Then the next time the flame goes out, I put it on the bars, to the left of the chip drawer, all the way to the left.

If you ever try to put one out to save the unburned pellets, you will know that once it is lit properly, it will not go out easily.


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## tjohnson (Nov 11, 2011)

JohnnyK said:


> I can not keep the pellets burning. I hav them going good , then I put them in the MES 40 and they wont stay lit.
> 
> What an I doing wrong.




Hey Johnny

If it's the A-MAZE-N-PELLET-SMOKER(AMNPS) you're having issues with, there are a few tricks to help it work better in a Masterbuilt Smoker.

Are you trying to "Cold Smoke" or "Hot Smoke"?

Are you using water in the water pan?

Masterbuilt electric smokers, and other electric smokers, have a tough time drafting.  The MES has a 3" hole for the chip loader, but most electric smokers only have a drain hole for fresh air.

Some guys make a few minor mods to their smokers and some do nothing, and the AMNPS works good for them.

Most of the time, it's a simple fix to get you up and running with the rest of us!

1. Follow the lighting instructions, and allow the flame on the pellets to burn for 10 minutes, and blow out the flame.

2.  Pull out the chip pan 1 1/2".

3.  Remove the Chip Loader for "Cold Smoking", but only pull it out about 2" during "Hot Smoking".

4.  Place the AMNPS on the rails, with the burning side away from the heating element.

5.  Some of us Add a 3" Chimney similar to to the one above.

When in doubt, you can always call me at (952)412-0484

Todd


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## oldschoolbbq (Nov 11, 2011)

Johnnyk, if on the next trial, you are still dissatisfied with it, send it to me for analysis.I'll test it a few years then tell you how to use it


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## daveomak (Nov 11, 2011)

JohnnyK, evening..... Well by now you have probably figued sayin' "not impressed with AMNS" is akin to sayin' "not sure the pope is a true catholic"...

I can understand your frustration with the new fangled gadget but all things take time to understand... Even a good woman takes time to understand... although most of us here won't live long enough to be totally schooled in that particular subject.... but believe me, you will become adept at Todd's marvelous piece of work and be praisin' it to folks you don't even know, once all the pieces fall into place. That being said... be patient... place the pellets in your smoker to dry during warm up.... light 'em proper with a pencil torch, (I use one of them butane jobs) and voila !!! Thin Blue Smoke will appear....

Glad you found this forum... it is a great place to learn all about smoking meat... good folks here with the knowledge to make anyone the next "Myron Mixon"... and they don't mind sharin' their secrets neither.... enjoy the long smokey ride... Dave


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## raymo76 (Nov 11, 2011)

Really sounds likes some good advice for you, and the coolest thing is you can call Todd anytime for help!


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## SmokinAl (Nov 12, 2011)

I got into the habit of nukeing mine before each use. They always stay lit.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 12, 2011)

SmokinAl said:


> I got into the habit of nukeing mine before each use. They always stay lit.




What do you put them in.

Do they have to be in something wide, so they are spread out real thin, or will it work in a bowl???

Bear


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## jak757 (Nov 12, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> What do you put them in.
> 
> Do they have to be in something wide, so they are spread out real thin, or will it work in a bowl???
> 
> Bear


I started nuking mine, and it seems to help.  I use a large rectangular plastic tupperware like container.  The spread our, but not completely flat (they pile up a bit).  I nuke for a minute, shake them up to redistribute, then nuke some more.  They smell good once nuked too!


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## tjohnson (Nov 12, 2011)

Like anything new, there's a learning curve

Once you get it figured out, you'll like the results

If you just can't get along with it, give me a call, and I'll buy it back!

Todd


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## SmokinAl (Nov 12, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> What do you put them in.
> 
> Do they have to be in something wide, so they are spread out real thin, or will it work in a bowl???
> 
> Bear




I just put them on a paper plate Bear. I spread them out & nuke them for a minute. They're warm to the touch. The first time I did it I put them in for 3 minutes & they started on fire. The whole house smelled like hickory for days.


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## SmokinAl (Nov 12, 2011)

TJohnson said:


> Like anything new, there's a learning curve
> 
> Once you get it figured out, you'll like the results
> 
> ...




How's that for customer service. There are plenty of businesses that could learn a lot from Todd!


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## raymo76 (Nov 12, 2011)

TJohnson said:


> Like anything new, there's a learning curve
> 
> Once you get it figured out, you'll like the results
> 
> ...




That's customer service at it's best right there! A man who fully stands by his product.


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## eman (Nov 12, 2011)

I just nuke my dust in a 16 oz plastic cup. don't stir or shake .That's why i go two min.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 12, 2011)

SmokinAl said:


> I just put them on a paper plate Bear. I spread them out & nuke them for a minute. They're warm to the touch. The first time I did it I put them in for 3 minutes & they started on fire. The whole house smelled like hickory for days.


I can't be doing that !!!!!

I'd like the smell, but did you ever see a raging "She-Bear"?!?!?!

Thanks guys,

Bear


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## roller (Nov 12, 2011)

I never do anything to mine except light them with a torch let them burn about 5 min then blow them out and place in my smoker and let them burn and burn and burn...


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## wbrian (Nov 13, 2011)

To the original poster (JimmyK?),

What kind of pellets were you using? 

I had a 2 hour learning curve this AM on my first run with my new AMNPS.  For the life of me I couldn't get the dang things to stay lit.  Started out great, but each time I went to check, they were out. I'd relight, wait 5 min and close back up after blowing out, and after a while they were out again.  This went on for 2 frustrating hours.  So I decided to do something radical for me.  I actually read the directions.  real reading, not the skimming I had done 5 times before.  And I found that Cherry is one of the "hard to stay lit" pellets which works better when applied over and layer of Oak.  So I nuked some Oak, dumped the AMNPS into a metal dish and put the oak in and then the cherry on top (put the lit cherry at the beginning).  Lit it, waited 5 minutes, blew it out and put it back in the MES40. Voila! Smoking like a charm now...

Something to consider anyway...

Later,

Brian


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## glocksrock (Nov 13, 2011)

Just fired up my amnps for the first time with cherry pellets and the flame burned for a few mins. then went out on it's own and it's been smoking perfectly since... I just pulled the chip drawer and loader out a bit to let the air flow through and it's smoking like a champ.


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## wbrian (Nov 28, 2011)

teeznuts said:


> Are you hot or cold smoking? When I cold smoke I completely remove the chip tray. I pull the chip tube out about an inch. I also added a 3" elbow(per Todd's suggestion) as a chimney. I use it in an MES30. I microwave my pellets between 45 sec- 1 1/2 minutes depending on how much pellets I'm using. I haven't used it on many hot smokes yet but it goes like a champ on cold smokes.
> 
> Here's a shot of the elbow during a hot smoke without the AMNPS just so you can see the set up.




Will this elbow fit on the MES 40?  How is it attached? 

Thanks!

Brian


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## BGKYSmoker (Nov 28, 2011)

I use both my AMZN AND AMZNPS in my Bradley and MAK and have had 0 issues.


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## alaskanbear (Nov 28, 2011)

If you are having troubles with the AMZNS, then its the fault , with either air flow, moisture in pellets or not allowing it to 'start' up correctly.

Rich


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## tjohnson (Nov 28, 2011)

wbrian said:


> Will this elbow fit on the MES 40?  How is it attached?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Brian


It fits "TIGHT"

TJ


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## tjohnson (Nov 28, 2011)

wbrian said:


> To the original poster (JimmyK?),
> 
> What kind of pellets were you using?
> 
> ...


It's OK Brian....

I don't read instructions either!!!

I'm not sure why Cherry is so tough to burn on it's own

Rather than not sell Cherry, I found a way to make it work

Try doing the same thing with Hickory

Todd


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## teeznuts (Nov 30, 2011)

wbrian said:


> Will this elbow fit on the MES 40?  How is it attached?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Brian


Hey Brian,

If the exhaust on the 40 is the same as the 30 it will fit snug. just wedge it in and your good to go. no tools or anything needed.


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## glocksrock (Nov 30, 2011)

It's a pressure or friction fit, mine stays put when I leave the smoker alone, but sometimes when moving it around it falls off, but I'm not going to do any type of permanent install for it.


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## sound1 (Nov 30, 2011)

TJohnson said:


> Like anything new, there's a learning curve
> 
> Once you get it figured out, you'll like the results
> 
> ...


Now that's service!!

I have talked to Todd about this pellet burning issue at higher altitude and the new  amnps. His concern about his products and customer service is second to none....

Baked, Nuked, oak, cherry, maple, brand name, in the MES or on the table...doesn't seem to matter, the pellets will burn with flame, once blown out...they only smolder for a bit then go out...

Learning Curve.....Pellets will continue to smolder if nuked and smoker temp is above about 180. Dust works and stays lit fine for cold smoking...coincidence that the usefulness of dust stops at about 180, tries to jump rows. 

Solution. Nuked pellets over 180...dust under 180.

Now, being the cheap a** that I am, I don't want to stock pellets and dust in several species.

Going through the Garage I found an old blender...Question, will the blender return the pellets to their native state?  Answer, a resounding yes. Nuked pellets + Blender = dust that smolders and makes the turns at 40 degrees, in the MES!

I have tried this with most of the major species and it seems consistent. 

Yup...been a learning curve, and like I need one, a good excuse to sit, watch and taste whilst enjoying an adult beverage. or two


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## SmokinAl (Nov 30, 2011)

Sound1 said:


> Now that's service!!
> 
> I have talked to Todd about this pellet burning issue at higher altitude and the new  amnps. His concern about his products and customer service is second to none....
> 
> ...




Awesome find! I wonder how a mixture of dust & pellets would work at low temps?


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## sound1 (Nov 30, 2011)

Al, I don't know down where your at.You have humidity, I have lack of oxygen. ..At 7000 feet and about 20% RH, the dust/pellet combo seems to stop any airflow and again, won't stay lit even on the table...   On the first try, I ground the pellets to about a 70/30 looking grind of dust/small pellets and another grind to fine sawdust/powder (looking about like the cherry dust I have from Todd).  Then I loaded the amnps half way each with the two blends.  The 70/30 burned about 2-3 inches and went out. The finer grind went around the turn and stopped where it met in the middle with the course blend...I really thought that it would continue a bit, but nooo...stopped dead in its tracks.


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## SmokinAl (Nov 30, 2011)

You have a very interesting situation at 7000 ft. I'm at 151 ft above sea level & yes you are right about the humidity, it's usually above 70% here & many times in the 90's. I guess you have to experiment wherever your at & see what works for your area.


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## sound1 (Nov 30, 2011)

70-90%....out here, when its that humid,  we call it rain.   Altitude does cause strange things...coming up the hill and hearing the bags of snack chips  explode (sometimes with some real style), water boiling under 200 (try cooking beans),  changes the way you think about cooking....yes, experimenting with the smoking/cooking is a real pain, but someone has to do it
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I hope my mishaps and experiments help others, I hate to see them give up on good products like the amnps without really giving them a chance. I'm lazy, so I'm determined to get a consistent 9+ hours unattended cold smoke out of this thing...


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## nickatdadvsfood (Aug 23, 2015)

I am using the a-maze-n smoker maze. 













image.jpg



__ nickatdadvsfood
__ Aug 23, 2015





 bought it for pellets in my mes30. I am also having trouble keeping it lit. Tried nuking and letting it burn 10 min. Also have the tray pulled out for air flow. I am burning pecan pellets. Any suggestions would be helpful.


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## nickatdadvsfood (Aug 23, 2015)

Well, it's working great now. Just took a little patience.


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## daricksta (Aug 24, 2015)

NickatDadvsfood said:


> Well, it's working great now. Just took a little patience.


You're right, there is a slight learning curve to using the AMNPS but it's sure worth it. I've been using mine for over 3 years now. I now light it using gelled alcohol and a BBQ lighter instead of a propane torch. I still blow on it to get a bright red cherry before inserting it into my MES. I never have problems with it going out and always get really good smoke. Sometimes, too much.

I got a kick out of seeing the AMNPS new and shiny in its packaging. I can't remember back to when mine looked like that or even the packaging it came in. What I do know is that the food I smoke raised in quality after I started using it and stopped using wood chips.


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## brickguy221 (Aug 24, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> You're right, there is a slight learning curve to using the AMNPS but it's sure worth it. I've been using mine for over 3 years now. I now light it using gelled alcohol and a BBQ lighter instead of a propane torch. I still blow on it to get a bright red cherry before inserting it into my MES. I never have problems with it going out and always get really good smoke. Sometimes, too much.
> 
> I got a kick out of seeing the AMNPS new and shiny in its packaging. I can't remember back to when mine looked like that or even the packaging it came in. What I do know is that the food I smoke raised in quality after I started using it and stopped using wood chips.


+1 on the learning curve ... I was overly disappointed the first 2-3 times I used mine, but after some tips from Todd Johnson and also on this site, I like it now.However, with my being a lover of a stronger smoke taste than some people, I do think though the wood chips have the edge in flavor as long as a person doesn't over do it in using them, but the adding of them every 20 minutes or so is a pain in the "A", thus I will now take the pellets over the chips any day since I learned how to use the pellets.


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## siege (Aug 24, 2015)

When I ordered my AMNPS, I went over to Harbor Freight, and bought a propane torch. For under 20 bucks I got a propane torch that screws on a standard 16 oz disposable cylinder. It is piezo start, so your fingers are away from the flame. This hand held torch, part # 91061 is like a blow torch on steroids. It will light your pelet smoker ( or anything else ) so fast it will amaze you. My only issue the first time I tried it, was that it fully lit 2 rows in about 30 seconds with the tip of the flame aimed into the lighting hole. Well lit, fast ? On yeah.


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## mummel (Aug 25, 2015)

It's a great gizmo but requires some babying.  I made a vid on how you can light it with a hairdryer (page 2).  I made a butt this past weekend.  It took 3 attempts to get the tray going but after about an hour it was off to the races and saved me from having to load chips for 15 hours.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/232596/any-issues-with-your-mes-40-bt-amps-cast-your-vote


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## Bearcarver (Aug 25, 2015)

mummel said:


> It's a great gizmo but requires some babying.  I made a vid on how you can light it with a hairdryer (page 2).  I made a butt this past weekend.  It took 3 attempts to get the tray going but after about an hour it was off to the races and saved me from having to load chips for 15 hours.
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/232596/any-issues-with-your-mes-40-bt-amps-cast-your-vote


Great Video---Just watched it.

One thing I noticed is the size of the flame. I never had such a large flame, and mine never goes out.

It would be nice if you could pin-point the wind your getting there to get it to only blow on the small area where the bottom of the row of pellets is, to make that cigar-like cherry deeper & deeper into the bottom of the row. All that width of wind & all that fire is a waste.

If you could neck that wind down, you could turn it on low & get the job done much more efficiently.

Just my observations & thoughts.

Bear


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## mummel (Aug 25, 2015)

Thanks bear.  Yeah that one worked, but the one this past weekend, I used exactly the same technique, and it took 3 attempts to get going.  Granted we had 100% humidity again (huge rains in the northeast).  I did nuke the pellets for 3.5min in the microwave.  But yeah, still learning.  Love my AMPS, but I need to be able to trust it too.


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## daricksta (Aug 25, 2015)

Brickguy221 said:


> +1 on the learning curve ... I was overly disappointed the first 2-3 times I used mine, but after some tips from Todd Johnson and also on this site, I like it now.However, with my being a lover of a stronger smoke taste than some people, I do think though the wood chips have the edge in flavor as long as a person doesn't over do it in using them, but the adding of them every 20 minutes or so is a pain in the "A", thus I will now take the pellets over the chips any day since I learned how to use the pellets.


If you want a strong smoke flavor, I suggest you place meat on the 3rd rack (with a 4-rack MES). If you're cooking two hunks o'meat then you want to use the 2nd and 3rd racks. The closer to the AMNPS the meat is, the more smoke it will absorb. Of course the 4th rack is the closest you'll get but then you're too close to the heating element and run the risk of cooking the meat too quickly. However, I imagine that the MES designers took this into consideration so perhaps it still might be OK to put the meat there. If you did, you might remove the water pan just to go full bore smoky. Apparently according to MB customer service, the water pan is in there just to provide added moisture. The response that was printed by someone in a thread last week (I think) didn't say anything about the water pan being essential for heat disbursement.

Also, if you want really strong smoke taste, go for hickory or mesquite. I think you were the one who said he likes to use mesquite with brisket. Also keep in mind that home-smoked foods typically taste more smoky if stored in plastic baggies or--better yet--vacuumed sealed. That happens every time I smoke meat and cheese. It's really cool.


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## daricksta (Aug 25, 2015)

Continuing the discussion about the AMNPS, this is my 10 cents (used to be 2 cents but with inflation...). There are guys who have trouble keeping it lit. I have the opposite "problem". When I finish smoking I have to separate the unlit pellets from the smoking ones or the tray will keep burning the rest of the pellets. This is especially true when I remove the Maze from my smoker and place it on the ground. The thing won't stop burning! I move the unburnt pellets away from the smoking ones and the tray goes out usually within 5 minutes. I always leave it out for a few hours or overnight before putting it back in the garage with my MES 30.

As for nuking wood pellets beforehand--never needed to do it. I've used leftover pellets that have been exposed to grease and steam inside my MES 30, to the night air, and also stored in my uninsulated garage. All the pellets I've bought from Todd are stored in their original plastic bags. I've got pellets over a year old. I *never *have problems lighting any of them or keeping them lit. Never. I used to light the tray with a propane torch but this year I switched to using gelled alcohol. I'll never use a propane torch again.

I don't know why other guys have problems. Some of that can be attributed to the design of the MES Gen 2 smokers and their restricted airflow. I have a Gen 1 and the AMNPS has been more than great, it's been essential to producing the great "Q" I put on the table.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 25, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> Continuing the discussion about the AMNPS, this is my 10 cents (used to be 2 cents but with inflation...). There are guys who have trouble keeping it lit. I have the opposite "problem". When I finish smoking I have to separate the unlit pellets from the smoking ones or the tray will keep burning the rest of the pellets. This is especially true when I remove the Maze from my smoker and place it on the ground. The thing won't stop burning! I move the unburnt pellets away from the smoking ones and the tray goes out usually within 5 minutes. I always leave it out for a few hours or overnight before putting it back in the garage with my MES 30.
> 
> As for nuking wood pellets beforehand--never needed to do it. I've used leftover pellets that have been exposed to grease and steam inside my MES 30, to the night air, and also stored in my uninsulated garage. All the pellets I've bought from Todd are stored in their original plastic bags. I've got pellets over a year old. I *never *have problems lighting any of them or keeping them lit. Never. I used to light the tray with a propane torch but this year I switched to using gelled alcohol. I'll never use a propane torch again.
> 
> I don't know why other guys have problems. Some of that can be attributed to the design of the MES Gen 2 smokers and their restricted airflow. I have a Gen 1 and the AMNPS has been more than great, it's been essential to producing the great "Q" I put on the table.


Yup----The Gen #1 makes it easy.

I have the same track record, but for 5 years:

Never Nuke my pellets.

Never touch the Chip Dumper or Chip Drawer.

Just get one end lit right, top vent open, place it on the support rods.

Smokes for up to 11 or 12 hours non-stop.

LOL----Yup, hard to stop---Gotta get every little burning pellet away from the unburned pellets.

Bear


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## mfreel (Aug 25, 2015)

Here's a video I did on how to light the AMNPS.  Sorry Mods if this isn't appropriate.  Please delete.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 25, 2015)

mfreel said:


> Here's a video I did on how to light the AMNPS.  Sorry Mods if this isn't appropriate.  Please delete.



Nice Video!!!

Bear


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## dr k (Aug 25, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> Continuing the discussion about the AMNPS, this is my 10 cents (used to be 2 cents but with inflation...). There are guys who have trouble keeping it lit. I have the opposite "problem". When I finish smoking I have to separate the unlit pellets from the smoking ones or the tray will keep burning the rest of the pellets. This is especially true when I remove the Maze from my smoker and place it on the ground. The thing won't stop burning! I move the unburnt pellets away from the smoking ones and the tray goes out usually within 5 minutes. I always leave it out for a few hours or overnight before putting it back in the garage with my MES 30.
> 
> As for nuking wood pellets beforehand--never needed to do it. I've used leftover pellets that have been exposed to grease and steam inside my MES 30, to the night air, and also stored in my uninsulated garage. All the pellets I've bought from Todd are stored in their original plastic bags. I've got pellets over a year old. I *never *have problems lighting any of them or keeping them lit. Never. I used to light the tray with a propane torch but this year I switched to using gelled alcohol. I'll never use a propane torch again.
> 
> I don't know why other guys have problems. Some of that can be attributed to the design of the MES Gen 2 smokers and their restricted airflow. I have a Gen 1 and the AMNPS has been more than great, it's been essential to producing the great "Q" I put on the table.


I wonder if all MES 30" and 40 " chip loader hole and top vent hole are the same size.

-Kurt


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## daricksta (Aug 26, 2015)

Dr K said:


> I wonder if all MES 30" and 40 " chip loader hole and top vent hole are the same size.
> 
> -Kurt


I think @Bearcarver has both the MES 30 and 40 so I hope he weighs in on this.


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## daricksta (Aug 26, 2015)

mfreel said:


> Here's a video I did on how to light the AMNPS.  Sorry Mods if this isn't appropriate.  Please delete.



What impressed me the most was the flame coming out of the lighting hole (or whatever it's called). I've had flame on top of the pellets but never shooting out of the hole towards me. But I could hear the wind in the video and we rarely get that strong a wind in my area. But the important thing is that you know how to light the pellets and keep them lit.


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## daricksta (Aug 26, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Yup----The Gen #1 makes it easy.
> 
> I have the same track record, but for 5 years:
> 
> ...


Our AMNPS styles are very similar--just about identical. I never touch the Chip Dumper or the Chip Drawer either. I place the AMNPS where you do except I put it inside the MES lit end toward the rear wall. Top vent wide open? Check! The next thing I'm going to try is leaving the water pan out and see how that affects the AMNPS and general heat distribution.

I don't mean to sound elitist or anything but I truly think about all the guys posting on SMF about problems keeping the AMNPS lit and temp swings with their MES while during every one of my smokes I'm getting that same 6-12 hours of smoke from the AMNPS (depending on if I fill 2 or 3 rows with pellets) and the temps per my ET-733 are fairly stable over the entire smoke. Bear, I think your smokes go the same way as mine.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 26, 2015)

Dr K said:


> I wonder if all MES 30" and 40 " chip loader hole and top vent hole are the same size.
> 
> -Kurt


I never measured the diameters of these holes, but other than some differences in the interior portion of the chip dumpers between various units, I would *guess* the diameters were the same.

Bear


daRicksta said:


> Our AMNPS styles are very similar--just about identical. I never touch the Chip Dumper or the Chip Drawer either. I place the AMNPS where you do except I put it inside the MES lit end toward the rear wall. Top vent wide open? Check! *The next thing I'm going to try is leaving the water pan out and see how that affects the AMNPS and general heat distribution.*
> 
> I don't mean to sound elitist or anything but I truly think about all the guys posting on SMF about problems keeping the AMNPS lit and temp swings with their MES while during every one of my smokes I'm getting that same 6-12 hours of smoke from the AMNPS (depending on if I fill 2 or 3 rows with pellets) and the temps per my ET-733 are fairly stable over the entire smoke. Bear, I think your smokes go the same way as mine.


What Masterbuilt says about why you're supposed to leave the water pan in when smoking means nothing to me.

My reason for leaving it in when smoking is "HEAT".

In as much as we both know that the lower the rack in the MES, the hotter the rack due to how close they are to the direct heat of the heating element.

Remove that water pan & they all get even more direct heat from that heating element.

I want as even a heat as I can get throughout my smoker, and the less direct heat I get from the heating element the more evenly the heat will be distributed.

Hope this makes sense.

Bear


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## daricksta (Aug 26, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> I never measured the diameters of these holes, but other than some differences in the interior portion of the chip dumpers between various units, I would *guess* the diameters were the same.
> 
> Bear
> 
> ...


Everything you post always makes sense, Bear. But as I've posted elsewhere around here, this whole thing about the water pan aiding in heat distribution calls for an experiment on my part. The next time I smoke ribs I'm leaving the water pan out. I'll write down what my set point is and also record the temps on the two racks throughout the smoke. I already know how the MES 30 works with the water pan and the temps to expect. I'll compare those figures with what I find out during the experiment and post the results in my Water Pan thread.


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## mfreel (Aug 26, 2015)

Dr K said:


> I wonder if all MES 30" and 40 " chip loader hole and top vent hole are the same size.
> 
> -Kurt


Yep.  I have both.  I use a 3" elbow on both.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 26, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> Everything you post always makes sense, Bear. But as I've posted elsewhere around here, this whole thing about the water pan aiding in heat distribution calls for an experiment on my part. The next time I smoke ribs I'm leaving the water pan out. I'll write down what my set point is and also record the temps on the two racks throughout the smoke. I already know how the MES 30 works with the water pan and the temps to expect. I'll compare those figures with what I find out during the experiment and post the results in my Water Pan thread.


Sounds like a Great test & should be interesting results!!

Gracias, Mi Amigo!!

Bear


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## pilch (Aug 27, 2015)

Do what I did when I first started, try, try and try again.

All the info you need is written above and the only thing I do is, when lighting the pellets, is to light at least 2 inches of the start and not just the face.

Don't forget Try, Try and Try again, remember Sir Walter and the spider?.

Cheers from Down Under


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## daricksta (Aug 28, 2015)

Pilch said:


> Do what I did when I first started, try, try and try again.
> 
> All the info you need is written above and the only thing I do is, when lighting the pellets, is to light at least 2 inches of the start and not just the face.
> 
> ...


With the gelled alcohol I just spread it about an inch over the top of the wood pellets and inside the lighting hole. It can be hard to see the flame in bright sunlight. I let it burn for 10-20 minutes depending on what else I'm doing at the time. I always blow on the pellets to get a nice cherry before inserting the AMNPS into my MES. With the alcohol there isn't just one cherry, there are separate hot spots that glow red but are more than sufficient to light the wood pellets. I blow on them a few times to reignite the flame and then blow out the flame just before putting the tray into the smoker with the lit end facing the rear wall.


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