Pellet cooker knowledge...help a stick burner out

[El_coqui]

So my lovely wife, Mrs. El_Coqui, found me a hell of a deal on a Louisiana Grills pellet grill at Costco over the weekend. Im new to pellet grills and want to take it out to play on Sunday. I've been doing all of my cooks on a custom Gator Pit trailer and absolutely love the way it cooks. This pellet grill though is presenting me a challenge. Those of you that have cooked with them before...what differences should I expect between a stick burner and a pellet grill? I've heard maybe I may need to add a pan of water in there to add some moisture...but I live in Houston, Texas where its humid almost year round so maybe that's not such an issue.

Anything else that could help me out....planning on smoking a pork butt and maybe one of these Creekstone farms briskets that I found at my local Costco on the pit for Sunday.

 

[chrpai]

I had a cheap $99 offset smoker for a couple months. Smoked 2 briskets (one not that good, one acceptable ) and ribs a couple times. I struggled with fire control but got better and better results as I got hooked on this hobby.

I've only had a pellet smoker for 2 weeks but have done two chickens, 1 sirloin, 1 brisket, 1 boston but, ribs and soon turkey and another brisket.

I took the brisket into my work and served up breakfast tacos. I got a lot of complements from some offset smoker and green egg cooks with a lot more experience then me. It was money.

For both the brisket and boston butt I keep a pan of water in the smoker and cook the whole way without wrapping. Part of this is to get as much smoke as possible and part of this is because the point is for me to be able to sleep through the entire night while it's cooking.

 

[Potatoe]

For my pellet smoker I like running low, around 225 to give the big meats like your doing more time to take the smoke. I'll also keep spritzing to try to get the moisture to soak up the smoke as well and I don't mind the more frequent openings of the pit because my pellet smoker had a quick recovery time. . . ill cook to color then wrap and then I bump up the temp to 250-275 (or as high as you want) . . . it's a good flavor, but different from what your used to but you can get some good bark if you let it run. . I normally run pecan or a competition blend of pellets

 

[mike243]

I run a few hours on the lowest setting as that's where the most smoke is made, after what ever time I determined I kick it up to 225-250 ect, its a lighter smoke flavor but enjoyable , I have a high tolerance for smoke and my wife doesn't, I get to use it more so I can get my fix and not upset the wife's stomach lol

 

[smoke ninja]

water pans are more for temperature regulation than adding moisture.

I find food from a clean burning stick fire to be similar to pellets

 

[darita]

Generally, any brand pellets will give you light smoke flavor, however if you prefer a heavier profile like I do, then 100% flavor wood pellets, like Lumberjack, is the way to go. Your controller will also make a big difference, however I'm not familiar with yours, so can't comment on that. Good luck and have fun with all the free time have on the cook.

 

[greenmountainsmoke]

As my wife said when I explained the concept of the pellet pooper to her: "You basically have an oven with smoke." It took that as a compliment

I have had my GMG for a year and a half and love it. Don't use a water pan. Tend to start my smokes on the lowest setting (GMG starts at 150) and lets it go for 30 min or so to let it start with a heavy saturation of smoke. I will spray depending on what I am cooking. From there, it's only a matter of keeping it stocked w pellets and you should be good to go.

Enjoy!

 

[slap1914]

With the exception of tending the fire, I use the same cooking process of my offset and pellet cooker.

 

[jermoQ]

I don't feel like there is anything to change unless you have a problem with what you get. I cook pork butts about the same in my pellet cookers as I do on my stick burner. If you are cooking a pork butt, you may or may not be detered by the amount of smoke you taste on it but again, you won't know until you try it. My vertical pellet cooker, does a better job at higher temperatures putting smoke on food than my offset barrel type. I don't use a water pan in mine.

 

[JWFokker]

Pellet cookers do dry the surface more, which makes bark and pellicle form differently. Many find spritzing worthwhile.

 

[Bob Wiley]

Yes- prepare to be disappointed

 

[BKING!]

I find pellet smoked and stickburner food to be pretty similar. More similar than charcoal and wood chunks and stick burner. I like all 3 assuming thin blue smoke is being produced on all 3. Pellet smoker is automatically thin blue smoke so you don’t have to work at getting a clean fire unlike the other two.

 

[El_coqui]

 

[El_coqui]

What is the approved method for posting pictures....got some of my cook I would like to share

 

[ShadowDriver]

What is the approved method for posting pictures....got some of my cook I would like to share

The New "How to post pictures" Thread!!