The Official Pellet Grill Smoker thread.

[tom b]

Sold it. The timberline is scheduled to leave the building Tuesday. Gave away the drum, akon jr is for sale $20 in the for sale section here.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=273473

Will be down to six soon...

 

[BKING!]

Decided to take a different approach to chicken legs. Normally I throw them on Mak at 400 deg top rack and just get them crispy. This time I did smoke setting for 1 hour and then increased temp to 295 deg for another 30 minutes. I plan on pulling and shredding the chicken. I haven’t tasted them yet but it’s pretty obvious they got a lot of smoke on them from the color alone. I used 100% oak pellets.

 

[rwalters]

Decided to take a different approach to chicken legs. Normally I throw them on Mak at 400 deg top rack and just get them crispy. This time I did smoke setting for 1 hour and then increased temp to 295 deg for another 30 minutes. I plan on pulling and shredding the chicken. I haven’t tasted them yet but it’s pretty obvious they got a lot of smoke on them from the color alone. I used 100% oak pellets.

From my experience the chicken is incredibly moist and flavorful when cooking like this. The skin might be garbage but the meat is gold

 

[BKING!]

From my experience the chicken is incredibly moist and flavorful when cooking like this. The skin might be garbage but the meat is gold

Man that chicken was stupid good. Very juicy and smoke was strong but didn’t knock me down. Downside is obviously skin isn’t bite through. I think my preferred method is to do chicken parts real hot and do whole chickens and turkey like I did here. I prefer eating legs and wings off the bones so the grill has got to be hot to crisp the skin. I prefer pulling whole turkeys and chickens and tend to not eat the skin.

 

[Chopjaw]

Thanks.

But respectfully, wouldn't "Small family owned company and I appreciate their low-key laid-back marketing approach… consisting of little more than word-of-mouth... to me, that speaks loudly!", wouldn’t that go under the category of "intangible"?

Whether you would agree or disagree with that, it still goes without saying, that
"pride of ownership", undoubtedly is an "intangible".

I'm glad that you also mention "pride of ownership. It is hard to put a price tag on that.

But let's be realistic. It's only good until the "next regarded best thing since sliced bread" comes out.


I guess what I'm looking for, is a qualitative assessment that food coming off a MAK costing $1300-$1400.00 more than a Rec Tec is $1300.00 -$1400.00 "better" than food cooked on a Rec Tec.

Can you help me with independently determining this rwalters?

Because if you can, well then I'm willing and ready to sell my Rec Tec and buy a MAK.




Thanks.

"Pride of ownership" or as some might put it, "bragging rights" is difficult, if not impossible to put a price tag on.

Believe me when I tell you that I am grateful for your honesty here. And a Rec Tec Bull has 304 SS in it.

I know, going in, that no pellet grill is likely going to give me the smoke flavor profile that my $400.00 WSM can give me. No pellet cooker is going to cook food which tastes 6-8 times better to me than food cooked on that WSM. So I’ll eventually end up asking myself; “why would I drop 6-8 times what a WSM costs on a pellet grill, a grill which is going to give me less smoke flavor than it?”

Well, in my case, I’m really buying a pellet grill for “convenience” more so than anything else. And I’m doing that likely at least with some sacrifice of smoke flavor profile vs a charcoal or wood cooker. So forget the horns, I’m going to have to think long and hard about spending 3-4 grand on a cooker that offers me a leg up in “convenience” over that WSM, but not anything over taste of the final product, nor searing capabilities over that $400.00 WSM. But there is “pride” in ownership.

How much is convenience worth? How about pride in ownership? Each person will of course have to answer that for themselves.

I had a Battle Box and loved it. I’ve Moved into using a pellet Grill Pooper now. I own a BlaznGrillWorks Grid Iron and absolutely love it. As far as getting smoke flavor, I just use a smoke tube and I can now mimic the same flavor that my Humphries battle box produced.

 

[BKING!]

I had a Battle Box and loved it. I’ve Moved into using a pellet Grill Pooper now. I own a blazon gridiron and absolutely love it. As far as getting smoke flavor, I just use a smoke tube and I can now mimic the same flavor that my Humphries battle box produced.

You know... I used to own 2 smoker tubes when I used to have my gmg big pig pellet trailer. Never got around to using them and gave them away. Do you get bitter flavors on the meat? One of the appeals of a pellet smoker to me is that since there is always a standing flame in the fire pit that I would never have to worry about bitter acrid flavors and would just get the “good “ stuff.

 

[tom b]

I used to use a tube I didn't notice any bitterness. Now that I have a MAK no more tube.

 

[BKING!]

I used to use a tube I didn't notice any bitterness. Now that I have a MAK no more tube.

Yeah I definitely don’t need one either but just something about adding smoldering wood smoke to a smoker designed to produce burning wood smoke just seems counterintuitive. I get that the goal is to produce more smoke, but I believe that more smoke isn’t better if it has the potential to produce off taste on your food if that makes sense. More is not better, better is better. I might be way off base so if you can change my mind go for it lol. Not talking to you specifically Tom just everyone in general.

 

[Chopjaw]

You know... I used to own 2 smoker tubes when I used to have my gmg big pig pellet trailer. Never got around to using them and gave them away. Do you get bitter flavors on the meat? One of the appeals of a pellet smoker to me is that since there is always a standing flame in the fire pit that I would never have to worry about bitter acrid flavors and would just get the “good “ stuff.

I don’t get the bitter taste. I don’t load the tube up full, half full and I laid on its side so the pellets only go up halfway and I burn it and I definitely get the light blue smoke after I get the smoker going with no issues whatsoever. If you put a brisket on the pallet and a brisket on a stick burner and just to look at it you can tell a difference but when I add a smoker tube they are basically looking the same but I do like about the stick burner is the part gets a little thicker.

If you put a brisket on the pellet and a brisket on a stick burner and just to look at it you can tell the difference but when I add a smoker tube then they basically look & taste the same. What I do like about the stick burner is the bark gets a littler better.

 

[BKING!]

I don’t get the bitter taste. I don’t load the tube up full, half full and I laid on its side so the pellets only go up halfway and I burn it and I definitely get the light blue smoke after I get the smoker going with no issues whatsoever. If you put a brisket on the pallet and a brisket on a stick burner and just to look at it you can tell a difference but when I add a smoker tube they are basically looking the same but I do like about the stick burner is the part gets a little thicker.

If you put a brisket on the pellet and a brisket on a stick burner and just to look at it you can tell the difference but when I add a smoker tube then they basically look & taste the same. What I do like about the stick burner is the bark gets a littler better.

Huh interesting... I might get a tube for Christmas then. If I don’t like it I can cold smoke with it or something. I get as much smoke as I want already but maybe on those cooks where I’m running the pellet grill In the mid 300s and higher it could come in handy.

 

[mike243]

Walmart has the oval tube, $19.99 it works well

 

[WBDubya]

I'm wrapping up my first overnight cook on the MAK 2 Star. Everything went great last night, the pork shoulders will be done sooner than anticipated. My questions is for MAK 2 Star owners - I wasn't planning on using coolers to hold the meat, would it be ok to wrap the shoulders and hold on the Grill at smoke setting, in the warmer/smoker box (at what temp?) or just hold them in the oven at 150-170? I'm about 8 hours from serving.....

 

[WBDubya]

I think I just answered my own question - I just experienced a flame out after 9 hours. Started with clean grill, clean fire pot, etc. I was 95% home, meat temp was 185. My meat temp dropped to 165 while I was clearing the fire pot. Back up and running but I'll be using the oven for a hold once I get to 195.

 

[Classicrockr]

I Love my Yoder YS-480 .... Built like a tank great smoke flavor for a pellet grill and customer service 2nd to none.

I'm ordering a 640s. between Camp Chef Woodwind SG 24, Rec Tec Bull & Yoder 640s, I finally decided on the Yoder.

 

[Classicrockr]

Posting up in here looking for persuasion one way or another. Sold my Humphreys Pint and looking to get something new. YS640 competition is catching my eye. I've read every page in this thread, countless internet sites, had hands on with one. I do like em.
But
Is this the only way to go? No. When Rib Rub got his pooper last year or so, I followed that thread and heck it sold him on em so why not give em a go. I believe a Mak just arrived to your place not too long ago so that had me thinking. YS640, Mak 1 or 2 Star, something else?? I just dont know.
I cook and love to smoke. Try to every week. Multiple racks ribs, butts, briskets, chicken, sausage and anything else I can fit.
The cooker would sit under a cover but could get wet time to time. I clean often so junk wont just sit in them.
Looking for those of you with pellet poopers. Knowing what I cook, how often, where this will sit....do you think a YS640 Comp is the way to go or would you know of anything else I should look over before pulling the trigger.

Semper Fi.
Sean

Hoorah-Corpsman up! I'm ordering the YS 640. Just trying to decide if I want to spend the money on the cart or get other accessories.

 

[Smokey Lonesome]

Come on.........you know you want it!

 

[Classicrockr]

Brethren, i need your guidance.



I am in the market for a pellet smoker. I have a trusty WSM which i love. But i need something that i can set and forget these days as i have less time with a small kid to watch.

Initially i had planned to get a traeger mostly because i had heard they were solid. I was targetting the Ironwood 650 however, after reading through this thread and other sources i think i am leaning towards either the rec tec Bull 700 or the Camp Chef Woodwind sg with a searbox.



My goals here are the following:

1. Ease of use. The less i have to to tend to it the better.
2. Ability to get good smoke on the food(i know this is a downside to pellet smokers).
3. Ability to cook things like burgers, steaks and dogs and sear. Basically allow me to grill as well. Most of my cooks will be smoking but i do want the option to be able to grill the quick stuff if needed.



Seems the rec tec is the better all around smoker but the camp chef has the searbox but no wifi.



Anyone have any input on this? I also have read the GMG is also a solid option. Any other pellet smokers i should be considering in this price range?

I was looking at the Camp chef WW SG24 for the use of the sidekick/sear box attachment. I have discovered that the Yoder 640s makes it to where you can set up the left side of the lower shelf to cook directl over the firepot - it creates flame contact just like the Camp Chef sear box. And Yoder has a cast iron griddle that goes in that area also and has the same effect as the griddle on the Camp Chef "Sidekick" attachment. Camp chef has a lot of people with controller & probe issues; many of them are installing Rec Tec controllers in their grills. I got tired of waiting for Camp Chef to upgrade their controllers to wifi. Rec tec relies solely on heated grill grates for searing; I don't believe there's any direct flame contact.
Both Rec Tec & Camp chef smokers are supposedly easy to use, but all the parts are made in China & assembled here in the U.S. To me, this is a non-go. I'll pay more money to have 100% made in the USA.

 

[escott2111]

New Pitts and Spitt's Maverick 850

Good Morning,

I am new here but not to BBQ and this is my first post. I just purchased my first pellet smoker, a Pitts and Spitt's Maverick 850 this past Saturday. Dove to Harry's chainsaw, 9 hour drive from Sarasota, to buy this pellet smoker then strait back. I finished my first cook yesterday with 2 spare ribs that came out grate. I did notice after placing them back in the smoker after the wrap they barked up quick. I now for the next time to watch them a little closer after the wrap. I started a pork but this morning and it is looking good. the last pic is at the 3 hour mark.

Great smoke and flavor and haft to say cooking with this pellet smoker is a lot nicer then watching my traditional offset smoker. Still love it and use it to compete around Florida but being able to set the temp and ant worry about my fire box is amazing.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

I think I just answered my own question - I just experienced a flame out after 9 hours. Started with clean grill, clean fire pot, etc. I was 95% home, meat temp was 185. My meat temp dropped to 165 while I was clearing the fire pot. Back up and running but I'll be using the oven for a hold once I get to 195.

Good that you caught it when you did.

Any ideas on what caused the flame out?

 

[WBDubya]

No idea. I used LJ comp blend pellets, cooking temp was 250.