The Official Pellet Grill Smoker thread.

razorbrewer said:
Anyone here bought a universal cover for a MAK 2 Star (not the MAK brand cover). If so, what did you buy and are you happy with it?
Click to expand...
Classic Accessories on Amazon, they're good covers for a reasonable price.
 
Rib Rub said:
Doing a Brisket this weekend on it, nervous about that as I paid $60 bucks for the Brisket so going to be a costly major fail if I blow it LOL. But that is why I bought this grill, so I am pretty confident it will turn out.
Click to expand...

IMHO you should read the manual on programming the controller. When I smoke butts, I program it to stay in “smoke” mode for 4-5 hours (that’s low temp, ~180, to maximize smoke from the pellets), then move to 225 or 250 until the IT meat temp hits the temp I want (for me, that’s 203), then drop to 200 and continue until I turn it off.

I then put the meat on cold from the frig and wet from the binder I used for the rub, both of which help the meat pick up more smoke. Put her on at 11 pm or so, make sure the hopper is filled with pellets (and I particularly pile them higher in the center, to counteract the tunneling effect). Then it will cook and shift temp’s all night while you sleep.

Also, I never wrap my briskets, so that helps with smokiness and bark formation in the pellet smoker. But if you prefer to wrap, go for it, you’ll just have to get up and go out there at some point.
 
OklaDustDevil said:
IMHO you should read the manual on programming the controller. When I smoke butts, I program it to stay in “smoke” mode for 4-5 hours (that’s low temp, ~180, to maximize smoke from the pellets), then move to 225 or 250 until the IT meat temp hits the temp I want (for me, that’s 203), then drop to 200 and continue until I turn it off.

I then put the meat on cold from the frig and wet from the binder I used for the rub, both of which help the meat pick up more smoke. Put her on at 11 pm or so, make sure the hopper is filled with pellets (and I particularly pile them higher in the center, to counteract the tunneling effect). Then it will cook and shift temp’s all night while you sleep.

Also, I never wrap my briskets, so that helps with smokiness and bark formation in the pellet smoker. But if you prefer to wrap, go for it, you’ll just have to get up and go out there at some point.
Click to expand...

That’s pretty cool you can do that. So you like the MAK?
 
OklaDustDevil said:
IMHO you should read the manual on programming the controller. When I smoke butts, I program it to stay in “smoke” mode for 4-5 hours (that’s low temp, ~180, to maximize smoke from the pellets), then move to 225 or 250 until the IT meat temp hits the temp I want (for me, that’s 203), then drop to 200 and continue until I turn it off.

I then put the meat on cold from the frig and wet from the binder I used for the rub, both of which help the meat pick up more smoke. Put her on at 11 pm or so, make sure the hopper is filled with pellets (and I particularly pile them higher in the center, to counteract the tunneling effect). Then it will cook and shift temp’s all night while you sleep.

Also, I never wrap my briskets, so that helps with smokiness and bark formation in the pellet smoker. But if you prefer to wrap, go for it, you’ll just have to get up and go out there at some point.
Click to expand...

I think I can do this with the Savannah Stoker in my Traeger, but I just haven't yet. I have trust issues.
 
tom b said:
Congrats on the new cooker Rib Rub, when do we get treated with some pron?
Click to expand...
Thanks! I was showing my wife and daughter the grill last night and I could tell they were happy for me, but they could have cared less about the thing LOL. I hope to get some PRON up soon. I just got home and I have to finish putting it together however my wife wants to go out on the boat, so I may have to wait another day to finish up the assembly. I have a Brisket in the fridge and want to get it on Sunday! However I have something to do Sunday now.
 
:heh:

Permanent home will be on the back patio once the monsoon stops.

I have the bottom storage shelf to still install should be here Saturday, not the best pic's, I don't do well in low light.

cFzUy2Y.jpg


OkqVIPU.jpg
 
Last edited:
Looks like you're going to have a fun weekend. Pellet grills give you a lot more beer drinking time.
 
Joshw said:
Looks like you're going to have a fun weekend. Pellet grills give you a lot more beer drinking time.
Click to expand...
Thanks looking forward to cooking on it, the Hunsaker once it's up and running rarely ever needs to be touched. The great thing is I can watch TV and my cookers at the same time, wet bar with beverage cooler right there too. :wink:

ds4EJZ4.jpg
 
Yeah, I have been eyeing a Hunsaker for awhile now. I have to talk myself out of it, pretty regularly. I am sure I will give in at some point.
 
KevinJ said:
I tried to talk myself out of a PG and look at me now. :doh:
Click to expand...

You are making a good sales pitch. :biggrin1: for a pellet grill. "Have good cookers already, still went ahead with a pellet cooker". I am with you. I have a UDS and like to use it. I like my stick burner (although not my favorite design) too. My PG is great.

I like two things about it the most:
1) my wife can start the grill and cook on days when i am running late
2)they are great for smoking in set it and forget it lifestyles.

If i could change it, i would only upgrade to a model that is a vertical, for slightly more consistency in heat
 
Curious for 2 star general owners, when using the flame zone direct cooking, how do you keep the juices from going down in the flame pot? When indirect cooking it looks to follow into the grease tray, however in direct with the flame zone, it looks like it will just roll down into the flame pot. Am I looking at it wrong? Thanks Dave
 
1. I wish someone would do up to date videos on Mak grills that aren't 35 seconds of footage shot with a potato.

2. Whats the difference in interior space between a Mak 1 and 2 star:wink:
 
I agree on Mak videos... they r terrible. I think the best pellet pooper vids out are from chef Tom and yoder (it was a major reason I bought one). Mak (and Memphis and others) could take a que from chef Tom and company (and I can’t stand Rec Tec vids...but that’s just me:))


Memphis Elite





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Rib Rub said:
Curious for 2 star general owners, when using the flame zone direct cooking, how do you keep the juices from going down in the flame pot? When indirect cooking it looks to follow into the grease tray, however in direct with the flame zone, it looks like it will just roll down into the flame pot. Am I looking at it wrong? Thanks Dave
Click to expand...



Every hole you see when the Flame Zone pans (covers) are removed is raised. Two things happen when you have the holes exposed and grill at high temps:

1) Almost all juices/fats vaporize as soon as they hit the Flame Zone pan.

2) Juices/fats that don’t vaporize run down and around the holes. Think of each hole as a mini island.

The design works quite well. I can honestly say that for everyday grilling, the MAK has been one of the best “grills” I have ever cooked on as far as performance and overall results are concerned. With that said, when it comes to screaming hot searing, nothing beats lump charcoal IMO.
 
rwalters said:
Every hole you see when the Flame Zone pans (covers) are removed is raised. Two things happen when you have the holes exposed and grill at high temps:

1) Almost all juices/fats vaporize as soon as they hit the Flame Zone pan.

2) Juices/fats that don’t vaporize run down and around the holes. Think of each hole as a mini island.

The design works quite well. I can honestly say that for everyday grilling, the MAK has been one of the best “grills” I have ever cooked on as far as performance and overall results are concerned. With that said, when it comes to screaming hot searing, nothing beats lump charcoal IMO.
Click to expand...
Nice write up. I was looking at it before I cooked on it and was thinking it was going to be a mess but I see now how it works. I did a brisket today and I learned I still have allot to learn. It is still resting, but cooked to fast and I did over cook it 214 degrees eeekk!! Anyway it is still resting will see how it turned out in a bit. I do know one thing, I wish I would have foiled the grill now. What a mess!! Took me 45 minutes to clean the insides of the grill. I just gave up after awhile and accepted that they will not look new again LOL.

njfoses said:
16 lb brisket from yesterday on my 640. Cooked at 240 for 15 hours. Bark was hard and jerky like. After a few briskets and trial and error have learned that for my pit and tastes brisket needs to be butcher paper wrapped.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ag75aPuzEKbmhkPXyI1QI2oRsdQU
Click to expand...
Looks good. I wrapped mine, but probably a bit to late. I put mine on early this morning and went out and when I got back it had cooked much faster than I thought. Mine looked similar to yours when I wrapped.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

GrapeRadio
Pellet Smoker - Why less smoke?
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
Hinds15
H
creek bottom
Meadow Creek Chicken Cooker
Replies
10
Views
659
Pife
P
W
Wanting a new Pellet Grill
Replies
19
Views
879
Bury Me In Smoke
B
16Adams
Oakridge SPOGOS Pork Belly- Pellet Belly
Replies
7
Views
624
cowgirl
cowgirl
I
Issue with Memphis Pro Pellet Grill
Replies
2
Views
307
Vision
V
Back
Top