Combining Pellets and Lump

Pellets need to smolder to get any decent smoke from them.

Placing the pellets directly on the coals will only cause them to ignite. If there's a place to put a a-maz-n tube away from the fire, it might work. Depends on if there's enough oxygen to keep them smoldering.

GettinPiggy said:

I have a Komado style grill/smoker and I use lump and either chunks or chips, but I don't get the 'smoke' flavor I am looking for. Has anyone combined pellets and lump? Do the pellets burn too hot to control then temperature?

Thanks

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The first question is how do you use the chunks and chips? In other words how are you arranging your charcoal and flavor wood?

During my first 10 years of cooking on Big Green Eggs, I learned a method of layering chips and smaller chunks within the lump, so as the fire grew it found new sources of flavor wood. I get a gentle smoke during the entire cook. I found that large fist sized chunks were not as effective as smaller chunks in a kamado. About 4 or 5 years ago I began using pellets instead of chips and prefer them. Here are some photos of how my various layers of lump, chunks and pellets look.

I have used a burn pot made from a modified 1 or 2 quart cast iron dutch oven. (which ever will fit in the bottom of your kamado.)

Modification is quite simple. Drill 3 holes in a triangular fashion to the bottom of the cast iron dutch oven. They need to be pretty close together making about 1.25" equilateral triangle.

You can add chunk and/or pellets that will smolder when placed on top of the coals directly with the lid on. Pellets tend to go quickly so chunk would be best. They dont burn. What you end up with is pot full of tiny charcoal.

Please see link of what another guy did to make one.

https://www.kamadoguru.com/topic/19...tion-about-smoke/?hl=+dutch++oven++smoke++pot

GettinPiggy said:

Thank you for your responses. I typically spread the chips (layered) throughout the firebox with lump with a subtle smoke flavor. If i use chunks, i get the smoke i want but I tend to get temperature spikes.

The burn pot may help with the temperature spikes....

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Well maybe buying a small bag of pellets and experimenting will be your best bet. With a lo-n-slow fire I'm only starting the lump in one spot, and giving the coals 45 minutes or so to become established. I've never experienced temperature spikes since the fire grows slowly. I do use a wiggle rod, but only once or twice on the longer cooks.

I can see the logic behind a smoke pot, in fact I've seen some small rectangular ones for use on a gas grill... but the basic kamado design has been around for a couple of thousand years without many changes.

Get an Amaz-n Tube

Pellets will give you smoke for a few minutes before they're done.

You want wood chunks. Place them close to the fire you get started and don't be afraid of putting the meat on once the smoke is rolling with the chunks and you can smell the smoke wood. Let the meat absorb the smoke.

Once the chunks are burnt through, you will more than likely have enough smoke on the meat.

The downside to Kamados is they're not really great smokers. That is why I bought a dedicated smoker.