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Seeking Pellet advice (and facts on Traeger pellets)

A

avrignaud

Knows what WELOCME spells.
Joined
Apr 21, 2019
Location
Setatle, WA
Name or Nickame
Andre
Hi Folks,

Recently decided to upgrade from an old Traeger to a Pitts and Spitts Maverick 1250 (decided against the Yoder due to rust issues, for those who saw my ask for feedback on that subject earlier). Now I’m trying to get some facts on pellets.

In particular, I’ve noticed a strong distaste for Traeger pellets, which is a mild bummer because of Costco deals. I’m curious why people dislike them? I’ve seen (but without attributation) claims of their pellets being “fake” or “oiled” or non-100% hardwood, etc. Does anyone know the facts?

Also curious what pellets people recommend if Traeger are actually “bad”? Thanks!
 
Lumberjack seem to be popular. They put what you are actually buying on the label so they have 100% hickory and then they have a hickory blend. Some other brands can be a little misleading with their labels.
 
Traeger pellets are not 100% of the wood they claim to be. Hickory might be 80% Alder wood and 20% Hickory. Also have heard of them using oils from different wood to flavor.

Lumberjack and cookinpellets were my go to pellets
 
Some Traeger pellets are zero percent of the wood type on the label. That's really all you need to know.
 
Traeger pellets are a few thousands smaller than all the other pellets that can lead to auger jams. So I’ve been told by a friend that takes the time to measure such things.

I personally have never tried them because of all the rumors and them being smaller in diameter.

Pellet Boss and Lumberjack have been my go to’s and there hasn’t been one issue, including the common complaint “this meat ain’t smokie enough!”


I smoked some pork butts with pit boss to take to a party where there were real foodies and was told by many that were in attendance it was the best pulled pork they’d ever eaten...


As in all things though YMMV...
 
Last edited:
Pretty much all has been said above...I’ve tried many brands and settled on lumberjack...I’ve went through about 2000lbs of them and no complaints at all


Memphis Elite





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I've used em. Didn't have any issues with them.

Lots of pellet manufacturers are the same as traeger. The bag says 100% hardwood, which they are, but it's a blend of a base wood and the flavor wood. Usually a 70-30 blend.

Then there pellets that are labeled 100% hickory, cherry, maple, ECT. Like lumberjack.
 
Gone through 1000s of pounds of pellets and lumberjack is my favorite. Never had a pellet related issue with them. Traeger ones are overpriced.
 
I use Pitboss, and GMG pellets from locally. I have never gotten hard evidence about oils in pellets. Talking to a local person who managed a store that sold some bbq equipment, I asked him about that question. He had Treager and another brand called Fiber Energy Products Geilling Pellets, made somewhat locally that was cheaper, and had numerous flavors. I talked to him about my concern with added flavor oils in pellets and he stated that it was the case with all bbq pellets, which is how they get different flavor. That still makes me wonder? But in any case,a lot of guys use other brands more than Treager and the story is, that Lumberjack and BBQ Delight are un oiled...I guess?
 
I do remember finding out that their Hickory pellets were a hardwood & hickory oil. Found a pic on the old Pellethead forum I think it was. And Traeger does have a patent for it.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US8328884B1/en

"This embodiment utilizes soybean oil as a lubricant, but other lubricants, especially other edible lubricants, may be used. In other embodiments, a wood oil may be used in the composition in conjunction with the grape vine to add additional flavoring. For example, hickory wood oil will provide a hickory wood flavor when cooking as compared to a mesquite wood oil which will provide a mesquite wood flavor when cooking. Any wood oil containing a desired flavor is within the scope of this invention, and particularly: apple, alder, cherry, hazelnut, hickory, maple, mesquite, oak, and pecan wood oils."

But on their website they say they don't use any flavor oils, so maybe they stopped that practice. I use Lumberjack myself.
 
My pellet using friends use Lumberjack and claim they are slightly smaller than many brands and this provides more pellets per turn of the auger, so consumption is slightly higher, but so is smoke output. Also they think the auger doesn't work as hard due to their size but the jury is still out on that one.
 
LYU370 said:
I do remember finding out that their Hickory pellets were a hardwood & hickory oil. Found a pic on the old Pellethead forum I think it was. And Traeger does have a patent for it.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US8328884B1/en

"This embodiment utilizes soybean oil as a lubricant, but other lubricants, especially other edible lubricants, may be used. In other embodiments, a wood oil may be used in the composition in conjunction with the grape vine to add additional flavoring. For example, hickory wood oil will provide a hickory wood flavor when cooking as compared to a mesquite wood oil which will provide a mesquite wood flavor when cooking. Any wood oil containing a desired flavor is within the scope of this invention, and particularly: apple, alder, cherry, hazelnut, hickory, maple, mesquite, oak, and pecan wood oils."

But on their website they say they don't use any flavor oils, so maybe they stopped that practice. I use Lumberjack myself.
Click to expand...

LYU370, thanks and great post. That link about Traegers pellet patent is a must read... I’m not knocking Traeger and I have used their pellets in the past and they were ok... but being upfront and honest is always best. When I see Hickory, Apple, Cherry or Mesquite on the label, I want to know and believe it’s 100% that wood type period. Adding oils, fillers and whatever extras to something that is burning and smoking can open up a whole new can of worms... No pun intended... Again, I’m not saying Traeger Pellets are not safe. I just prefer 100% wood type, nothing extra. Unfortunately now a days, it’s hard to find anything that doesn’t have some extra’s or additives mixed in... .02
 
RCAlan said:
When I see Hickory, Apple, Cherry or Mesquite on the label, I want to know and believe it’s 100% that wood type period.
Click to expand...

Then you need to look for pellets that are labeled as 100% xxxxx.

Lumberjack sells a 100% flavor wood pellet & a blend. The blend is 60% Oak 40% flavor wood. A lot of other pellet makers do the same.
 
LYU370 said:
Then you need to look for pellets that are labeled as 100% xxxxx.

Lumberjack sells a 100% flavor wood pellet & a blend. The blend is 60% Oak 40% flavor wood. A lot of other pellet makers do the same.
Click to expand...

Lumberjack Pellets is all I use...
 
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