Pellet smokers Please help!

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

5 briskets...on 877, with a 7 inch wide top rack... :twitch:? That might be pushing the limits? Unless you are only cooking points or some small flats?

Yeah, I'm a big fan of Grilla Grills, but there's no way you're getting 5 packer briskets inside the Silverbac.

NOT MY PICTURE but here's a pic of the Silverbac loaded with pork butts for those who are curious.

This being said Grilla Grills makes a good product and they stand behind it 100%.

 

[GatorBeerGeek]

I know there is a guy here in the Atlanta area that posts in the pellet thread that had a Yoder and recently went to the P&S (I only remember that because I thought I wish I had been around earlier to try to buy the Yoder from him). I would have to look back through the thread to find his username, but it might be worth doing and sending him a PM since he has owned the 2 main ones you are interested in.

 

[lonerider]

And now to complicate matters further (at least in my mind) I spoke this morning with a very respected pit maker in Texas on the phone about a hunch that I had.....Lone Star Grillz...is about to enter the pellet smoker fray. I have never heard anything negative about these folks and think I might be remiss in not waiting to see what they offer in 4 to 6 months. PID,and 20x36 is all I got out of the brief conversation. They have been working on it for over a year and are tweaking it a bit.



On top of that Pitmaker out of Houston contacted me this morning about my inability to get any response from them on email or messenger regarding their new pellet cooker and on top of their introductory price they will sweeten the pot a bit if I purchase from them.


All of this as I was just about to order from Rec Tec and pat myself on the back for making a sound value based compromise....and may still. But I think I will be well served to see how all this plays out. Lone Star and Pitmaker are the two builders who's stick burners and cabinet smokers I have lusted after and admired for some years now.


I know I must sound like I am all over the map with all this but I am 58, and fixed income is not too far away and I feel like I have to knock it out of the park on the first swing.

 

[gtsum]

I’ve always liked pitmaker pits. Seem extremely well built. Had no idea they had a pellet cooker


Memphis Elite





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[BKING!]

And now to complicate matters further (at least in my mind) I spoke this morning with a very respected pit maker in Texas on the phone about a hunch that I had.....Lone Star Grillz...is about to enter the pellet smoker fray. I have never heard anything negative about these folks and think I might be remiss in not waiting to see what they offer in 4 to 6 months. PID,and 20x36 is all I got out of the brief conversation. They have been working on it for over a year and are tweaking it a bit.



On top of that Pitmaker out of Houston contacted me this morning about my inability to get any response from them on email or messenger regarding their new pellet cooker and on top of their introductory price they will sweeten the pot a bit if I purchase from them.


All of this as I was just about to order from Rec Tec and pat myself on the back for making a sound value based compromise....and may still. But I think I will be well served to see how all this plays out. Lone Star and Pitmaker are the two builders who's stick burners and cabinet smokers I have lusted after and admired for some years now.


I know I must sound like I am all over the map with all this but I am 58, and fixed income is not too far away and I feel like I have to knock it out of the park on the first swing.

I believe pitmaker uses a pellet pro controller. One thing I’d like to note is that while the actual build itself matters a lot in charcoal and stickburners, that isn’t the case for pellet grills as much. The main determining factor on the performance of a pellet smoker (temp regulation, heat output, and smoke production) has 90% to do with the controller. Build quality effects maybe the other 10%. I tell people to look more at the quality of electrical components and moving parts more so than the smoker body itself when looking at pellet grills. It affects performance the most and it will also be the first things to fail and therefore determine the life span of your pellet unit.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

I believe pitmaker uses a pellet pro controller. One thing I’d like to note is that while the actual build itself matters a lot in charcoal and stickburners, that isn’t the case for pellet grills as much. The main determining factor on the performance of a pellet smoker (temp regulation, heat output, and smoke production) has 90% to do with the controller. Build quality effects maybe the other 10%. I tell people to look more at the quality of electrical components and moving parts more so than the smoker body itself when looking at pellet grills. It affects performance the most and it will also be the first things to fail and therefore determine the life span of your pellet unit.

From what I’ve seen thus far, I definitely agree.

The electrical components/controller and moving parts are usually where the issues and hence complaints will lie when/if you see them.

Build issue complaints, rust, leaks, run second to those.

But if you look at threads describing issues with pellet cookers, the complaints are typically going to center around wild temp swings, controller issues, auger issues.

 

[Sammy_Shuford]

I have owned both YS640 and YS1500. The 1500 is one awesome cooker. The load you suggested I would not attempt on my 640.

 

[lonerider]

I’ve always liked pitmaker pits. Seem extremely well built. Had no idea they had a pellet cooker


Memphis Elite





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After talking to them yesterday I wont go in that direction. Solid built no doubt but they could not answer the most basic questions about their own pellet smoker such as if the ignition was ceramic or the burn rate and so forth. The few photos they have are of a larger prototype that is not even available and the info on total sq inches of cooking space was off, they state 1216 sq inches when it is more like 840. Not a lot of confidence inspired on my part. He did tell me stick burners are really their main gig. So I gather the pellet cooker is an afterthought. At near $2000 I will pass.

 

[lonerider]

I believe pitmaker uses a pellet pro controller. One thing I’d like to note is that while the actual build itself matters a lot in charcoal and stickburners, that isn’t the case for pellet grills as much. The main determining factor on the performance of a pellet smoker (temp regulation, heat output, and smoke production) has 90% to do with the controller. Build quality effects maybe the other 10%. I tell people to look more at the quality of electrical components and moving parts more so than the smoker body itself when looking at pellet grills. It affects performance the most and it will also be the first things to fail and therefore determine the life span of your pellet unit.

And with that being said what would you consider the top 3 or 4 makers to be? I read that some say the MAK is a smoke producing machine. Why is it more adept in that department than others being it seem like they all pretty much use the same system more or less and burn pellets?


At the end of the day do these things put out BBQ or don't they. I am starting to think I need to focus on insulated cabinet smokers if I want set it and forget it like my WSM's and the convenience of not having to remove top grate to access the bottom grate. And spend a lot more cioin.

 

[GatorBeerGeek]

And with that being said what would you consider the top 3 or 4 makers to be? I read that some say the MAK is a smoke producing machine. Why is it more adept in that department than others being it seem like they all pretty much use the same system more or less and burn pellets?


At the end of the day do these things put out BBQ or don't they. I am starting to think I need to focus on insulated cabinet smokers if I want set it and forget it like my WSM's and the convenience of not having to remove top grate to access the bottom grate. And spend a lot more cioin.

The controller is what makes the difference.

From the info of the MAK owners here, how they control the fan based on the temperature seems to be their secret sauce to producing more smoke than seemingly all other brands. I have yet to see a MAK owner have any use for a smoke tube unless they are running at very high temps where the fan is running more.

A lot of people that love RecTec talk about how their PID controller really nails temperature. However, I have not seen a single owner claim they get enough smoke for their tastes without using a tube. I think their controller absolutely nails a temp setting but I assume does not do a lot in terms of controlling the fan speed to produce more smoke.

Other models without PIDs like my Traeger have more temperature swing which freaks out a lot of people that think that all pellet grills should act like the RecTec on temperature control. However, that fluctuation means I get a smoke flavor that works for me without an amazing tube when I run at smoke range temps.

*Disclaimer: this is not meant to put down any brand so do not take it that way, just my observation of reports both here and on other forums *

 

[pjtexas1]

Some have said it's hard to spend $3k-$4k and admit it isn't good. I think babybackmaniac got his free and said it puts out plenty of smoke flavor. Hard to know what your taste buds will think without trying it yourself. I would think that if the Mak controller/fan were the magic sauce that it would have copied by now.

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[GatorBeerGeek]

Some have said it's hard to spend $3k-$4k and admit it isn't good. I think babybackmaniac got his free and said it puts out plenty of smoke flavor. Hard to know what your taste buds will think without trying it yourself. I would think that if the Mak controller/fan were the magic sauce that it would have copied by now.

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From what little I have read about PID controls I think it becomes a lot more complex when controlling 2 things instead of just 1. I am not sure if that is enough of an answer to why it hasn't been copied, but its the only logical answer I can come up with.

The computer engineer in me wants to try to make my own controller that does both auger and fan control to see if I could get better results, but lack of time (which is why I went pellet pooper to begin with) and producing good food already means I will likely just stick with what I have.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

There are plenty of Rec Tec owners out there who do not use smoke tubes.

Furthermore, it's been my experience that even smoke tubes do not rival the smoke flavor that is had from my WSMs.

Something about smoke coming from off of burning pellets vs burning lump charcoal or wood, which makes pellet smoke lighter in flavor to my taste, even if you baptize food in pellet smoke from out of a smoke tube.

The Rec Tec fan cycles depending upon set temperature vs actual temperature, and it has an Extreme Smoke setting whereby it runs at less than 200°.

It goes without saying that pellet smokers in general are going to produce a lighter smoke flavor than what the original poster is coming from and may be accustomed to. FWIW, I've never seen a MAK owner who also owns say a WSM, say that the smoke flavor produced by his pellet grill was of the same degree as that produced on his wood or charcoal burner.

But some of this, a lot of this, if not all of this, is going to come down to personal taste when it comes to smoke flavor.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

And with that being said what would you consider the top 3 or 4 makers to be? I read that some say the MAK is a smoke producing machine. Why is it more adept in that department than others being it seem like they all pretty much use the same system more or less and burn pellets?


At the end of the day do these things put out BBQ or don't they. I am starting to think I need to focus on insulated cabinet smokers if I want set it and forget it like my WSM's and the convenience of not having to remove top grate to access the bottom grate. And spend a lot more cioin.

.... Never seen any of these in action and coming from 14 years of smoking on WSM's I think I would love the more convenient access to all the grates and an increase in capacity.

At the end of the day, if you are used to food which has come off of WSMs burning charcoal and wood chunks or logs, and have been eating it for 14 years, and you're looking for the type of smoke flavor comparable to that, well then it is unlikely that you are going to get a similar smoke profile from burning pellets.

 

[gtsum]

After talking to them yesterday I wont go in that direction. Solid built no doubt but they could not answer the most basic questions about their own pellet smoker such as if the ignition was ceramic or the burn rate and so forth. The few photos they have are of a larger prototype that is not even available and the info on total sq inches of cooking space was off, they state 1216 sq inches when it is more like 840. Not a lot of confidence inspired on my part. He did tell me stick burners are really their main gig. So I gather the pellet cooker is an afterthought. At near $2000 I will pass.

Yeah, I wouldn’t be a guinea pig for that either.


Memphis Elite





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[gtsum]

As far as which pellet grills are “better” than others, a lot has to do with build quality and materials used and where it’s built. I’ve had a yoder and now a Memphis Elite and really don’t there is much difference in flavor. In fit, finish, and build quality??? Absolutely!

As far as spending money on something and thoughts being skewed, I’ve spent 6k or so on those two pellet grills and while I like them and am a Pellethead now, there is no way they put out the same smoke flavor and smoke intensity as my Weber wsm, stumps gravity feed, primo oval xl, or even my old Pitts and spitts offset (although I admittedly didn’t run a real clean fire on it back then). All pellet cookers I have used have a lighter, smoke seasoned taste vs a heavy, deep smoked flavor imo. My taste buds have adjusted and now when I eat something on a. Kamado, it tastes dirty to me


Memphis Elite





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[BKING!]

And with that being said what would you consider the top 3 or 4 makers to be? I read that some say the MAK is a smoke producing machine. Why is it more adept in that department than others being it seem like they all pretty much use the same system more or less and burn pellets?


At the end of the day do these things put out BBQ or don't they. I am starting to think I need to focus on insulated cabinet smokers if I want set it and forget it like my WSM's and the convenience of not having to remove top grate to access the bottom grate. And spend a lot more cioin.

I like Mak, Yoder, and cookshack best. The reason it is different is due to airflow and pellet feed differences . That is controlled by the controller. I like the end product of pellet grills. I also like stickburners and I sort of like charcoal. If you can I’d cook on a pellet grill or see one in action before spending a ton of money.

 

[BKING!]

There are plenty of Rec Tec owners out there who do not use smoke tubes.

Furthermore, it's been my experience that even smoke tubes do not rival the smoke flavor that is had from my WSMs.

Something about smoke coming from off of burning pellets vs burning lump charcoal or wood, which makes pellet smoke lighter in flavor to my taste, even if you baptize food in pellet smoke from out of a smoke tube.

The Rec Tec fan cycles depending upon set temperature vs actual temperature, and it has an Extreme Smoke setting whereby it runs at less than 200°.

It goes without saying that pellet smokers in general are going to produce a lighter smoke flavor than what the original poster is coming from and may be accustomed to. FWIW, I've never seen a MAK owner who also owns say a WSM, say that the smoke flavor produced by his pellet grill was of the same degree as that produced on his wood or charcoal burner.

But some of this, a lot of this, if not all of this, is going to come down to personal taste when it comes to smoke flavor.

One of the differences that is not really accounted for when comparing stickburners vs pellet grills is the moisture content of the wood. When pellets are compressed moisture is released out of the wood giving the pellets a kiln dried or slightly drier moisture content. On the plus side you have a very uniform and consistent fuel source which will give you consistency from cook to cook. Different moisture contents in wood splits can sometimes give you inconsistent smoke profiles in stick burners from one cook to the next unless if you utilize a moisture meter which most don’t

 

[SmokyDick]

A lot of it is confirmation bias. People want to believe that because they spend an exorbitant amount on something that that makes it better.

 

[lonerider]

If you can I’d cook on a pellet grill or see one in action before spending a ton of money.[/QUOTE]


This is no doubt the truth, I need to slow my roll a bit. Unfortunately I don't know a soul who BBQ's on any type of cooker. They either eat mine or go to Stanley's and buy it. LOL

The only thing I have ever had off of a pellet smoker were hamburgers that I smoked on a Treager while on vacation a while back and they were good hamburger soaks up smoke like a sponge so not much of a test.


I am going to have to rush my buddy over in the Metroplex to hurry up and buy that Pitts&Spitts pellet smoker so I can play with it.