Question About A-Maze-N Tube Pellets

[Willy]

I picked up the 6" Tube, not realizing it was a pellet smoker. My questions are:

1) Is there anything special about the A-Maze-N pellet brand that makes them the only choice? F'rinstance, perhaps their "geometry" is need to keep them in the Tube when laying horizontal.

2) Can one use ordinary wood chips in the Tube?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[jgreen]

I think you can use whatever brand and flavour of pellet you choose in the tube. You could probably use wood chips but I don't know how easy it will be to keep them lit, and the burn time is probably shorter.

[Catmandu]

There's nothing different or special about their pellets. I've never tried using wood chips. I would think it would be tough to keep them lit and burning through the tube.

[CandySueQ]

Different manufacturers supply their pellets, me included.

[Willy]

Can I assume you supply them to their specs?

[CandySueQ]

No, the tube just works! A mix of pellets and chips may work just fine. You’d need to pack in there tightly.

[Troutman]

I've heard wood chips DO NOT burn well in the tube but I've never personally tried it. I use whatever pellet I have on hand in mine.

[texastweeter]

they don't... and they don't in the a-maz-in maze either.

[Attjack]

Use any pellets you want. Because I don't have a full size pellet smoker just a tube smoker I bought this sample box. They are 3 pounds of pellets. Probably going to last me a long time, and was the smallest quantity I could find on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748BF4H5/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[randy.56]

I use pellets and chips sometime mix the two 50/50 sometime's just chips. I have 12 inch smoke tube, pecan

[Troutman]

Well there you go, works for someone. I'd still stay with pellets, not a lot of cost difference

[jvs10]

I have a lot of bags of chips left over from my big chief electric smoker that I use in my amzn tube regularly. Works well but I do have to reignite every so often. I use it on my RecTec and place it in the back off the edge of the drip pan where it's hottest. Can definitely taste the difference.

[texastweeter]

just tried again tonight with chips, either smolders out, or blazes up on me.

[randy.56]

Did you light it with a propane torch ? or butane? when I light it and it flames, let it flame, the flame will go out when you shut the lid on smoker.

[texastweeter]

I use it in my gasser grill. there is the difference. I did not realize you were referring to cold smoking only

[CandySueQ]

I'm thinking you haven't found the "sweet spot" in your gasser. Where the wood will smolder, but not flame. This is a placement and a temp thing. Trial and error to solve, unfortunately.

[randy.56]

I use on pellet smoker, same as Troutman, not cold smoking, I'm going to have to figure out how to post picture's on here to help. Sometime's have to light it a couple time's. When the pit get's up to the temperature , I'm looking for, then I light the tube a few min, before putting meat on.
Like Troutman said get it hot, with your torch, I found a 12 inch full tube will smoke for 45 minutes.

[Troutman]

I've found on my gasser and pellet grills that you have to really let the tube or the maze (I've got both) establish a little bed of coals, as it were, for at least 15-20 minutes. I light the snot out of it with my propane torch at least 3-4 times to get it blazing, even get the metal red hot. THEN I start my pellet or gasser once the thing is smokin' away. For some reason if I do it after I start the grill (be it combustion gasses or whatever), the tube/maze goes out on me. Hope that helps.

[CandySueQ]

Lack of oxygen. Too much and pellets flame. Too little and smolder is done. Tight cooker, the gas combustion is using all the oxygen.