# Frustrated with AMazeN pellet tray



## kevin james (Sep 14, 2019)

As the title suggests, I'm getting really frustrated with my AMazeN pellet tray as it just refuses to stay lit or generate much smoke. 

I have the tray, the expandable 6-9" tube, and a 12" tube. The tubes work great, they just don't last long enough at 4 hours for the 12" tube. The tray I have nothing but problems.

I use lumber jack char hickory pellets and I have tried puting the unlit pellets in while the smoker comes to temp but that doesn't seem to help at all, and honestly I don't think it has anything to do with the pellets because I have no problems with the pellets in the tube, only the tray.

I am open to any and all suggestions.


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## bregent (Sep 14, 2019)

What smoker are you using it with? The tray's work best with electric smokers. Other types of smokers that burn fuel for heat often don't have enough O2 left for pellets in the tray to burn. For example, I can't keep a tray burning in my pellet grill no matter what I do.


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## kevin james (Sep 14, 2019)

bregent said:


> What smoker are you using it with? The tray's work best with electric smokers. Other types of smokers that burn fuel for heat often don't have enough O2 left for pellets in the tray to burn. For example, I can't keep a tray burning in my pellet grill no matter what I do.



Yes, it's a pellet grill (Pit Boss 1100). But I only have problems with the tray, the tubes work great.


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## bregent (Sep 14, 2019)

kevin james said:


> Yes, it's a pellet grill (Pit Boss 1100). But I only have problems with the tray, the tubes work great.



Right, the tubes are designed to work in fuel burning grills/smokers. They don't require as much oxygen. The trays need more O2. I know a few folks (very few) that say they can keep them lit in their pellet grills, but it really depends on fan and air volume of the particular grill and how much O2 is left in the air after it fuels the burn pot. The trays don't work well at higher altitudes either, so it doesn't take much of a reduction to cause problems.

If you need more smoke you can either use 2 tubes, or just refuel them after they burn out.


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## kevin james (Sep 14, 2019)

bregent said:


> Right, the tubes are designed to work in fuel burning grills/smokers. They don't require as much oxygen. The trays need more O2. I know a few folks (very few) that say they can keep them lit in their pellet grills, but it really depends on fan and air volume of the particular grill and how much O2 is left in the air after it fuels the burn pot. The trays don't work well at higher altitudes either, so it doesn't take much of a reduction to cause problems.
> 
> If you need more smoke you can either use 2 tubes, or just refuel them after they burn out.



Ok, well I guess that answers that lol. I didn't know the trays aren't meant to work in pellet grills.


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## Winterrider (Sep 14, 2019)

Try making your pellets into dust and use that in your tray. Take about 3 big handfuls and put them in a coffee can,ad water to soak them for about 5 mins. Lay out on sheet pan and put in 270° oven for about an hour or little more. The dust seems to be a little lighter smoke also.


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## normanaj (Sep 15, 2019)

> Yes, it's a pellet grill (Pit Boss 1100).



The tray is designed for electrics like the MES.


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## kevin james (Sep 15, 2019)

normanaj said:


> The tray is designed for electrics like the MES.



That's what I originally bought the tray for, a MES 30, but that smoker died a couple years ago and it was too small anyways. After taking a break for a couple years for various reasons, I decided to get a pellet grill, the Pit Boss 1100. Honestly, I remember always having issues with the tray in the MES too.

Since the tubes work great and don't give me any problems I guess I will buy a couple of the expandable 12-18 inch tubes. Having two to rotate between should give me what I want time wise.

P.S. Up the Irons!


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## smokerjim (Sep 15, 2019)

did you try putting your tray on the very bottom underneath the metal drip shield next to where the pellets get burned up.


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## B-THRASH (Sep 15, 2019)

I use two 12" tubes at once & have 2 more as backups. I microwave the pellets in a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup (filled to the brim just fills a standard tube) for 2 minutes, then spread on a baking sheet to cool before adding to the tube. Also be sure to give it a really good burn to start and maybe figure how to give it more make-up air.


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## kevin james (Sep 15, 2019)

smokerjim said:


> did you try putting your tray on the very bottom underneath the metal drip shield next to where the pellets get burned up.



No, I have not tried that, but honestly that just sounds like a pain in the butt.

Now that I know what the issue is, that there is not enough oxygen in a pellet grill to keep the tray going it just makes sense to stick with the tubes and compensate for time by having more tubes on hand to rotate.


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## normanaj (Sep 15, 2019)

kevin james said:


> That's what I originally bought the tray for, a MES 30, but that smoker died a couple years ago and it was too small anyways. After taking a break for a couple years for various reasons, I decided to get a pellet grill, the Pit Boss 1100. Honestly, I remember always having issues with the tray in the MES too.
> 
> Since the tubes work great and don't give me any problems I guess I will buy a couple of the expandable 12-18 inch tubes. Having two to rotate between should give me what I want time wise.
> 
> P.S. Up the Irons!



UP the Irons!You guys just had'em last night!

I too had trouble with the tray in my MES and went with the tube but discovered it produced to much smoke.I ended up modifying it with ubolts and using crushed/ground pellets and man I've never looked back.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/u-bolt-mod-for-the-amnts.271846/


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## sky monkey (Nov 21, 2019)

I had the same problem with the maze tray, but I had the Masterbuilt 40(MES copy) propane fueled. A-Maz-N had fantastic customer service and turned me on to the tube. I wish it said as much on the website but I still use the tray for cold smoking and it's worth every penny. I started using the dust with the tray though. Mellower flavor  sooner on the cheese too.


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## drtheo (May 7, 2020)

In my electric I use the tray. I usually bake my pellets for an hour or so at 275.  Sometimes I don't though.  One thing to do is be sure to let the maze burn (with a flame, not just smolder) for 5-10 minutes outside the smoker.


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