The Official Pellet Grill Smoker thread.

[rwalters]

I'm right with you! The last time I cooked Beef Ribs on my PBC I had perfect bark, smoke ring, and doneness. Problem is they tasted too much like Charcoal and Wood Chunks! (I used a lot of wood) Ended up saving most of the meat for use in beans which was perfect. I've never had an "Oversmoked" piece of meat on my FEC-100 Pellet Pooper, and suspect that my taste buds have just adjusted. I only get this oversmoked taste on charcoal and wood cookers which is ironic because I own two of them!

Yep, I spent 20+ years cooking with charcoal/chunks. It’s just not the same after moving to sticks then pellets. It’s not that I don’t EVER like charcoal/chunks, but I don’t crave it very often like I used to. It’s just a much less desirable flavor profile to me now.

 

[Baychilla]

I get nervous answering questions like this as taste is soooo subjective. Personally, I find very little difference when comparing the end result I get from my MAK to what I used to get from my M1 when burning a super clean fire. Biggest difference is that I could choke the fire back on the M1 and dirty the smoke up a bit if I wanted a heavier flavor. Can’t do that with pellets. To me, there is a bigger difference between charcoal/chunks and pellets than there is between sticks and pellets.

YMMV

Thanks - I went with the stick burner as the chunks/briquettes flavor was something I was starting to loathe. It sounds like if the stick burner takes a trip a pellet would be a decent replacement.

 

[4ever3]

Just ran to Ace for a few items, ran into the owner and he said he got a tracking number for my SmokeFire but it’s still on their dock. Hopefully it ships early next week!

 

[ryan10]

Cant decide on a pellet smoker!

Hey guys Ive been doing a ton of research lately trying to figure out whats right for me. We currently have a traeger pro 22 series that I bought at the BIG E this past year and I am not really happy with it. The three grills I have been looking at with the most interest are the MAK 1 ️ General vs pg500 and yoder. I know mak has a huge following and tons of people here love them but I just would appreciate to hear more reviews on them in comparison to the other two. I plan on using it to smoke mostly and would like for it to be able to sear also for steaks, burgers etc. Thats pretty much my price limit as memphis is way too much for what Im willing to spend but another option I saw was pitts and spitts although I don’t see those mentioned as much as three others Im looking at.
Any advice/reviews would be great!! Thanks!

 

[KevinJ]

Hey guys Ive been doing a ton of research lately trying to figure out whats right for me. We currently have a traeger pro 22 series that I bought at the BIG E this past year and I am not really happy with it. The three grills I have been looking at with the most interest are the MAK 1 ️ General vs pg500 and yoder. I know mak has a huge following and tons of people here love them but I just would appreciate to hear more reviews on them in comparison to the other two. I plan on using it to smoke mostly and would like for it to be able to sear also for steaks, burgers etc. Thats pretty much my price limit as memphis is way too much for what Im willing to spend but another option I saw was pitts and spitts although I don’t see those mentioned as much as three others Im looking at.
Any advice/reviews would be great!! Thanks!

I own the MAK 1 Star and I also have the flame zone insert, looked real hard at the PG 500 but the MAK has far more useful real estate for larger cooks. Had the MAK for a year and a half now burned close to a ton of pellets and it has worked flawlessly, very happy with the smoke profile it puts out even at higher temps it puts out a nice smoke profile. I know one of the big negatives about PG's is the lack of smoke profile, I don't have that problem.

I am perfectly content with the MAK, plan on it being my first and last PG, hope to be using it 20yrs from now and don't see any reason why I won't.

 

[tom b]

We love our MAK 2*

 

[Bacchus2b]

Hey guys Ive been doing a ton of research lately trying to figure out whats right for me. We currently have a traeger pro 22 series that I bought at the BIG E this past year and I am not really happy with it. The three grills I have been looking at with the most interest are the MAK 1 ️ General vs pg500 and yoder. I know mak has a huge following and tons of people here love them but I just would appreciate to hear more reviews on them in comparison to the other two. I plan on using it to smoke mostly and would like for it to be able to sear also for steaks, burgers etc. Thats pretty much my price limit as memphis is way too much for what Im willing to spend but another option I saw was pitts and spitts although I don’t see those mentioned as much as three others Im looking at.
Any advice/reviews would be great!! Thanks!

Cookshack PG500 has a fantastic draft, and low pellet consumption, but a limited cooking area. David Bouska from Butcher BBQ won the Jack last year cooking his Brisket on this. Downsides are the limited cooking area, but it's stainless steel so very little maintenance. Yoders produce excellent food but seem to be plagued with paint and fan issues, and based on their forums, are also pellet hogs.

 

[ryan10]

Re:

Thanks for the input, I was a little concerned with the space on the MAK but I do think it would work for me since we dont really have many big parties. Yoder does seem to be on the bottom of my list although some people do swear by them but based on some of the talk about the paint and fan problems I dont necessarily want to deal with that. The pitts and spitts maverick has really caught my eye though, and for a decent price. Im going to have to see how it stacks up against the MAK. Im still trying to get through this thread Im currently on page 75 out of 209 and Im sure growing . Alot of good people and help on here!

 

[rwalters]

Thanks for the input, I was a little concerned with the space on the MAK but I do think it would work for me since we dont really have many big parties. Yoder does seem to be on the bottom of my list although some people do swear by them but based on some of the talk about the paint and fan problems I dont necessarily want to deal with that. The pitts and spitts maverick has really caught my eye though, and for a decent price. Im going to have to see how it stacks up against the MAK. Im still trying to get through this thread Im currently on page 75 out of 209 and Im sure growing [emoji23]. Alot of good people and help on here!

I cook for 9 at a minimum every single time I fire up the MAK... it’s plenty big for grilling... and WAY big enough for smoking. I had a backyard full of some really nice cookers a few years ago. After 25+ years of buying/trying/selling/repeating... I now do 100% of my grilling/smoking on my MAK and could not be happier. Just love it

 

[Crispy Bacon]

I wish MAK had over the flame grilling at least as an option. With its shelving option, that makes it even more versatile. I like the Yoder system better but I don’t want a rust bucket! Memphis & the Twin Eagles are nice but are very expensive & so is MAK. The new Weber might be pretty good for the price but still no over the flame. So I’m interested in seeing some reviews a they trickle in. Not sure if it’s feasible, overkill or wouldn’t work but it would be neat to see possibly a dual fire pot pellet grill with the dual pots only being used for over the flame grilling. Maybe that’s an ignorant thought. Idk??

 

[scotts1919]

any weber smokefire reviews yet?

 

[mnbadger]

I should be getting mine Wednesday night. Hoping to have it fired up Thursday or Friday.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[KevinJ]

Thanks for the input, I was a little concerned with the space on the MAK but I do think it would work for me since we dont really have many big parties. Yoder does seem to be on the bottom of my list although some people do swear by them but based on some of the talk about the paint and fan problems I dont necessarily want to deal with that. The pitts and spitts maverick has really caught my eye though, and for a decent price. Im going to have to see how it stacks up against the MAK. Im still trying to get through this thread Im currently on page 75 out of 209 and Im sure growing ��. Alot of good people and help on here!

In the 1 Star I can cook 8 St Louis cut spares laying flat on the grates, 2 Full Packer Brisket, or up to 8 Pork Butts easily. The top full grate will accommodate almost anything that the bottom shelf will due to the roll lid. On long cooks where only one grate is needed I cook on the top shelf with a pan underneath for easy cleanup.

Picnic cook

Couple of racks

 

[smoke ninja]

we were making carne asada tonight and I didn't feel like firing up charcoal grill so the pitboss got the call. sear plate open and dialed up to 400. I used the flat side of the grill grates and cooked the beef lid open. may not be as good a crust as searing over charcoal but good enough for Monday night tacos

it's like a gasser for me but better

 

[ryan10]

In the 1 Star I can cook 8 St Louis cut spares laying flat on the grates, 2 Full Packer Brisket, or up to 8 Pork Butts easily. The top full grate will accommodate almost anything that the bottom shelf will due to the roll lid. On long cooks where only one grate is needed I cook on the top shelf with a pan underneath for easy cleanup.

Wow all of that looks amazing! I have a dealer about a half hour away from me that carries pitts and spitts and yoders surprisingly so Im going to take a ride to see what they look like in person, but MAK is still at the top of my list right now. Looks like an all around great all purpose smoker/grill

 

[ryan10]

Wow

In the 1 Star I can cook 8 St Louis cut spares laying flat on the grates, 2 Full Packer Brisket, or up to 8 Pork Butts easily. The top full grate will accommodate almost anything that the bottom shelf will due to the roll lid. On long cooks where only one grate is needed I cook on the top shelf with a pan underneath for easy cleanup.

Picnic cook

Couple of racks

This cook looks great and makes me want to order a MAK even more! I just found out today I have a dealer that sells pitts and spitts and yoders a half houf away so I think I have to do my due diligence and check them out in person first and see what theyre all about as well. The MAK though seems like an awesome all around smoker/grill where you could do it all on!

 

[SOMEBEECH]

Has anyone look at the Gator Pits Meatslinger? I am seriously considering it but still struggling to buy a pellet smoker.

 

[mbrass]

The big question, Which pellet pooper should I buy?, just got more complicated for me. Curious to hear the group’s thoughts.

Like most of you, I have several mistresses (offset, gassers, pellet poopers, etc). My pellet pooper is a RecTec 680. I’ve had her for 7 years and couldn’t be happier. Great unit, great customer service. I’ve even made some upgrades to it (WiFi, ceramic igniter). But, she’s in need of a facelift and there are a few features I’d like to have (pellet dump, something easier to clean, a bit more smoke flavor without needing a pellet tube). I don’t care about searing. I have plenty of other cookers I can quickly fire up to sear on. The reason I use a pellet cooker is that it’s a really convenient to use cooker that imparts smoke flavor to the food. It’s a better oven than I have inside.

So, which to get? I don’t want to break the bank. Budget is $2K all-in. The Mak 1 seems to be great, but it’s small. I want something I can fit a full packer on, along with some other items, and give everything room to breathe (I don’t like crowding the cooker). Size of the 680 is great. And, again, I don’t need it to sear over an open flame. The PG500 looks cool but way too small. Pitts and Spitts 850 is small too, otherwise looks great.

I thought I had found a few options. Yoder, RecTec 700, maybe the new Weber. Then, I discovered that other pit builders are making their own (I live 30 min away from Lone Star Grillz). I bet they’re beautifully crafted, but they’re untested.

What would you look at?

Checklist:
- Under $2K all in
- At minimum, one grate level that’s no smaller than 18x 24. It’d be great to have an upper shelf that doubles the cooking capacity
- Needs to impart more smoke flavor than my 680 (without an extra smoke tube)
- Pellet dump would be nice
- Dont care about searing
- WiFi isn’t a must
- Built to last
- Would like a shelf on it
- Easy to clean

 

[rwalters]

The big question, Which pellet pooper should I buy?, just got more complicated for me. Curious to hear the group’s thoughts.

Like most of you, I have several mistresses (offset, gassers, pellet poopers, etc). My pellet pooper is a RecTec 680. I’ve had her for 7 years and couldn’t be happier. Great unit, great customer service. I’ve even made some upgrades to it (WiFi, ceramic igniter). But, she’s in need of a facelift and there are a few features I’d like to have (pellet dump, something easier to clean, a bit more smoke flavor without needing a pellet tube). I don’t care about searing. I have plenty of other cookers I can quickly fire up to sear on. The reason I use a pellet cooker is that it’s a really convenient to use cooker that imparts smoke flavor to the food. It’s a better oven than I have inside.

So, which to get? I don’t want to break the bank. Budget is $2K all-in. The Mak 1 seems to be great, but it’s small. I want something I can fit a full packer on, along with some other items, and give everything room to breathe (I don’t like crowding the cooker). Size of the 680 is great. And, again, I don’t need it to sear over an open flame. The PG500 looks cool but way too small. Pitts and Spitts 850 is small too, otherwise looks great.

I thought I had found a few options. Yoder, RecTec 700, maybe the new Weber. Then, I discovered that other pit builders are making their own (I live 30 min away from Lone Star Grillz). I bet they’re beautifully crafted, but they’re untested.

What would you look at?

Checklist:
- Under $2K all in
- At minimum, one grate level that’s no smaller than 18x 24. It’d be great to have an upper shelf that doubles the cooking capacity
- Needs to impart more smoke flavor than my 680 (without an extra smoke tube)
- Pellet dump would be nice
- Dont care about searing
- WiFi isn’t a must
- Built to last
- Would like a shelf on it
- Easy to clean

Your needs/wants have more or less described the MAK 1 Star.
-Under $2k = yes
-18x24 grate is 432 sq”. MAK’s 19.5x22 grate is 429 sq”
-Needs to impart more smoke. I don’t think you’ll find a pellet cooker that produces more smoke than a MAK. They were designed to do just that and do it VERY well.
-You want a pellet dump. The MAK offers a removable fire pot. Takes less than a min to remove/dump/replace.
-If searing is not a priority for you the stock 1 Star is perfect.
-You can add WiFi if you ever change your mind, but if it’s not a current priority then you’re good to go as is.
-All MAK’s are built to last. The 1 Star’s are constructed from aluminized steel that is then covered with a super high quality powder coat finish. Why do I mention the aluminized steel? You’ll never experience rust... even down the road with a few chips/dings... NO RUST which is super nice. Beyond that, everything about the MAK’s just screams quality.
-You want to be able to add a second shelf. The full upper grate on the MAK’s will 100% double your cooking capacity. Between the main/full upper, 2 huge briskets -or- 8 butts are not a problem. Small cooker footprint with great capacity.
-Want a shelf, just add one at time of purchase.
-Easy to clean? Yep!

You can shop til you drop. I have done that myself. Based on what you shared/described, you are gonna be very hard pressed to beat the 1 Star.

 

[gtsum]

Your needs/wants have more or less described the MAK 1 Star.
-Under $2k = yes
-18x24 grate is 432 sq”. MAK’s 19.5x22 grate is 429 sq”
-Needs to impart more smoke. I don’t think you’ll find a pellet cooker that produces more smoke than a MAK. They were designed to do just that and do it VERY well.
-You want a pellet dump. The MAK offers a removable fire pot. Takes less than a min to remove/dump/replace.
-If searing is not a priority for you the stock 1 Star is perfect.
-You can add WiFi if you ever change your mind, but if it’s not a current priority then you’re good to go as is.
-All MAK’s are built to last. The 1 Star’s are constructed from aluminized steel that is then covered with a super high quality powder coat finish. Why do I mention the aluminized steel? You’ll never experience rust... even down the road with a few chips/dings... NO RUST which is super nice. Beyond that, everything about the MAK’s just screams quality.
-You want to be able to add a second shelf. The full upper grate on the MAK’s will 100% double your cooking capacity. Between the main/full upper, 2 huge briskets -or- 8 butts are not a problem. Small cooker footprint with great capacity.
-Want a shelf, just add one at time of purchase.
-Easy to clean? Yep!

You can shop til you drop. I have done that myself. Based on what you shared/described, you are gonna be very hard pressed to beat the 1 Star.

This man speaks the truth^^^ From what you described you are looking for (and not needing to direct sear), you are not going to find a better match for your wants than the Mak 1 star IMO