I recently added a Traeger Ironwood to my arsenal (Weber kettle and a UDS) I love the Convenience of the pellet grill but am having a hard time mastering it. Just about anything I would normally put in an oven is so much better but some of the classics like brisket not so much. I have found that in order to get decent smoke flavor I have to keep the temp way down...... I mean like 160 degrees for smoking and this makes cook times ridiculous. Is this just the nature of the beast? Looking for comments from people that also use both traditional and pellet smokers.
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Smoking at 160 on a pellet grill?
- Thread starter B4tn
- Start date
greenmountainsmoke
Full Fledged Farker
I tend to run my GMG on its lowest (150) setting for at least 45 min to an hour to start. Meat gets a good smoke bath. Then I up the temp from there. Seems to work pretty well.
rwalters
Quintessential Chatty Farker
I have cooked extensively on both pellet cookers and charcoal cookers. Just a few bullet points from my experiences...
1) You will never be able to get the heavier charcoal/smoldering wood flavor profile that you get from your kettle of UDS. Different fuel source, smoke type, airflow, etc.
2) If you want a bit more smoke from your Traeger there are a few things you can do. Running at lower temps for the 1st hour or 2 can help. Adding a smoke tube can also help. Choosing the right pellets can also play a big role. What brand of pellets are you burning with your Traeger?
3) You may need to give yourself some time to acclimate to the lighter smoke profile imparted by your Traeger. It’s much more of a smoke seasoning vs just being smoked.
Taste is highly subjective and I have seen guys that just never took a liking to pellet smokers. That said, I have seen lots and lots of guys... many being long time stick burners/charcoal burners give the pellet muncher a try and unexpectedly fell in love.
So, pellet brand/type... smoke mode for 1-2 hours... and adding a smoke tube. I suggest you start there.
1) You will never be able to get the heavier charcoal/smoldering wood flavor profile that you get from your kettle of UDS. Different fuel source, smoke type, airflow, etc.
2) If you want a bit more smoke from your Traeger there are a few things you can do. Running at lower temps for the 1st hour or 2 can help. Adding a smoke tube can also help. Choosing the right pellets can also play a big role. What brand of pellets are you burning with your Traeger?
3) You may need to give yourself some time to acclimate to the lighter smoke profile imparted by your Traeger. It’s much more of a smoke seasoning vs just being smoked.
Taste is highly subjective and I have seen guys that just never took a liking to pellet smokers. That said, I have seen lots and lots of guys... many being long time stick burners/charcoal burners give the pellet muncher a try and unexpectedly fell in love.
So, pellet brand/type... smoke mode for 1-2 hours... and adding a smoke tube. I suggest you start there.
I ditched the Traeger pellets not even half way through the bag. All I run now is Lumberjack. I get a great smoke kick on anything I cook at oven temps like pizza or one of my family favorites is stuffed chicken breast. Even my pulled pork has turned out great. I did a brisket this weekend and the results where more like roast beef. I will give it another go on the brisket with maybe mesquite or straight hickory instead of a blend and go low for the first few hours. Its kind of looking like I may stick to the UDS for brisket though. I will give it another shot.
rwalters
Quintessential Chatty Farker
I hear ya! I am like that with meatloaf... lol. As much as I love pellet cooked food, I just prefer my meatloafs cooked with lump charcoal/chunks of wood. There are a few things, although not many, where I still like that stronger smoke profile.
airedale
is one Smokin' Farker
I generally run the pellet grill at low temp, like 160, for a couple of hours and then go to 200 or 225. I suppose it must lengthen the cook to some degree but it's not a burden.
When I want extra smoke I use an A-Maze-N adjustable length smoke tube. I adjust the length to match the front/rear distance of the cooker, put it on the extreme right, out of the way, and light it up. You could use one of their mazes too, but those take a lot of grate space.
For cold smoking I just put a tube or a maze into the cooker but don't turn on the heat. I have a 24" Camp Chef "tin box" smoker that works great for this because I can hang pork bellies easily or use the grates for cheese, nuts, salmon, etc. But your pellet pooper will work fine for this too.
I use Lumberjack mostly and am happy. I can buy locally for $20/40# so mail ordering other pellets with shipping is not very attractive. So I haven't tried many other types.
When I want extra smoke I use an A-Maze-N adjustable length smoke tube. I adjust the length to match the front/rear distance of the cooker, put it on the extreme right, out of the way, and light it up. You could use one of their mazes too, but those take a lot of grate space.
For cold smoking I just put a tube or a maze into the cooker but don't turn on the heat. I have a 24" Camp Chef "tin box" smoker that works great for this because I can hang pork bellies easily or use the grates for cheese, nuts, salmon, etc. But your pellet pooper will work fine for this too.
I use Lumberjack mostly and am happy. I can buy locally for $20/40# so mail ordering other pellets with shipping is not very attractive. So I haven't tried many other types.
I probably don't get pellet cooking, but have only done hot and fast on mine (dabbled with a few 250 cooks) and there is smoke flavor and I like it.
On the pellet forums I started to follow after I got my crazy cheap pitbosses there was one standard theme that clearly has been going for all time on every forum and the posts of people searching for more smoke flavor goes something like this........every.....single.....time.........with no clear solution........:becky:
"Hey folks I'm not getting much smoker flavor on my 'insert literally any pellet smoker' at 'insert literally any temperature whether it low or high' I'm even using the amazin tube, adding wood chunks, trying witchcraft, smoking wood chips, trying every brand of pellets that people swear 'gives real smoke flavor', worshiping pagan gods, tossing in a burning stick of wood, adjusting my p setting, screaming at my dog/gerbil, doing the ancient Norwegian smoke polka dance, etc,.............and I'm still not getting 'real smoke flavor, what gives????"
The food I've tasted of my pellet cookers (or even comp guys doing low and slow) don't taste like any cooker that is charcoal and wood chunk based or a stick burner (which will never be in this equation). So the best advice I have is don't chase the dragon........you won't catch it.
Pellet cooking is what it is, an easy bake oven that still cooks bbq, just not as smokey at charcoal or wood driven cookers.
It's like the diesel forum folks trying to get more mpgs out of a truck built for hauling like crazy and not mpgs. They spend thousands and overanalyze all types of truck parts and....at its best....still does not come close to other types of trucks/vehicles they could have bought for mpgs :-D
And don't get me wrong, I've been there done that with tons of things and part of that "I bet I can get it to work" journey is just the "tinkering" because people can get enjoyment from the tinkering process, but my "easy bake ovens" serve their purpose of turn the dial and I have to put no other effort into this cooker......it's an oven that also smokes, does it better than a Masterbuilt electric smoker....and they do that extremely well :-D
On the pellet forums I started to follow after I got my crazy cheap pitbosses there was one standard theme that clearly has been going for all time on every forum and the posts of people searching for more smoke flavor goes something like this........every.....single.....time.........with no clear solution........:becky:
"Hey folks I'm not getting much smoker flavor on my 'insert literally any pellet smoker' at 'insert literally any temperature whether it low or high' I'm even using the amazin tube, adding wood chunks, trying witchcraft, smoking wood chips, trying every brand of pellets that people swear 'gives real smoke flavor', worshiping pagan gods, tossing in a burning stick of wood, adjusting my p setting, screaming at my dog/gerbil, doing the ancient Norwegian smoke polka dance, etc,.............and I'm still not getting 'real smoke flavor, what gives????"
The food I've tasted of my pellet cookers (or even comp guys doing low and slow) don't taste like any cooker that is charcoal and wood chunk based or a stick burner (which will never be in this equation). So the best advice I have is don't chase the dragon........you won't catch it.
Pellet cooking is what it is, an easy bake oven that still cooks bbq, just not as smokey at charcoal or wood driven cookers.
It's like the diesel forum folks trying to get more mpgs out of a truck built for hauling like crazy and not mpgs. They spend thousands and overanalyze all types of truck parts and....at its best....still does not come close to other types of trucks/vehicles they could have bought for mpgs :-D
And don't get me wrong, I've been there done that with tons of things and part of that "I bet I can get it to work" journey is just the "tinkering" because people can get enjoyment from the tinkering process, but my "easy bake ovens" serve their purpose of turn the dial and I have to put no other effort into this cooker......it's an oven that also smokes, does it better than a Masterbuilt electric smoker....and they do that extremely well :-D
pjtexas1
somebody shut me the fark up.
^^^ this...
I have 2 different pellet cookers. I don't try to make them something they are not. I haven't found a reason to change anything. I do use mesquite pellets on brisket though.
Rwalters...I guess I also prefer meatloaf over charcoal. Never thought much about it but I always cook them on my Jimmy.
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AWilliams
Full Fledged Farker
The smoke profile on a pellet grill is lighter, but cleaner. I like it. Charcoal seems to be alot dirtier. I usually do everything at 220* and let it ride. Great results on my Stampede 590.
Mark
somebody shut me the fark up.
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Have you ever considered marinating in liquid smoke? :wacko:
FreeDivr
Knows what a fatty is.
Love my pellet grill! Yep, it's easy. Yep, it has a different smoke profile. Yep, I still stand around it and drink beer lol.
I have noticed a slight difference in pellet brands but I notice more of a difference in smoke profile when temp is 225-250. Over that range and there is only a slight smokiness...which I prefer on say chicken. Smoke tubes do add more, works really good at low heat smoking cheese too. I have had excellent briskets, ribs, pork shoulders, come off my pellet grill. I have also had great ones come off my charcoal or wood.
The family prefers the smokey flavor without burping like a dragon with hardwood and charcoal so often times I am using the pellet but not always.
Point is, try out different methods, have different cookers, enjoy the differences. The best BBQ you can make is the one YOU enjoy, not what anyone else says you should.
Cheers!
I have noticed a slight difference in pellet brands but I notice more of a difference in smoke profile when temp is 225-250. Over that range and there is only a slight smokiness...which I prefer on say chicken. Smoke tubes do add more, works really good at low heat smoking cheese too. I have had excellent briskets, ribs, pork shoulders, come off my pellet grill. I have also had great ones come off my charcoal or wood.
The family prefers the smokey flavor without burping like a dragon with hardwood and charcoal so often times I am using the pellet but not always.
Point is, try out different methods, have different cookers, enjoy the differences. The best BBQ you can make is the one YOU enjoy, not what anyone else says you should.
Cheers!
AWilliams
Full Fledged Farker
I used to use my Weber kettle for everything smoked. I noticed the heavier, dirtier smoke flavor was upsetting my stomach. Pellet grill makes my tummy happier...lol
m-fine
is One Chatty Farker
Charcoal cookers generally run air limited so wood chunks of chips smolder a bit for a dirtier smoke flavor, and many also burn/smolder dripping fats and juices for a very dirty smoke. People who are used to that and love it will struggle with a pellet grill.
sudsandswine
Quintessential Chatty Farker
One thing I really like about my pellet smoker is the fact it can run at such a low temp and produce a very present yet clean smoke flavor so I can do things like bacon, cheese, or other cured meat that charcoal and smoldering wood chunks seemed to leave an off flavor on for my palette. I’m pretty happy with the flavor I get from my Mak, but the beginning of the end of the love affair with my charcoal fueled smokers was getting the Shirley and realizing a great flavor running a really clean fire. So if anything it was my preferences that probably evolved.
But yes...as Jason TQ said...don’t chase the dragon while riding your pellet pooper, you’ll never catch it :thumb:
