Let's Talk BBQ

Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Pellet Grills and Smokers => Topic started by: Hornzbee on October 03, 2012, 12:35:23 PM

Title: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Hornzbee on October 03, 2012, 12:35:23 PM
Called a local grill dealer (the carry Traeger) today and they told me of this new brand they now carry.  Evidently made by Southern Kentucky Hardwoods.  They are a fuel pellet manufacturer and are branching out into the food grade pellet market.  I was told they currently just make oak but will soon be making a few other types.  Anyone know anything about them? 
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: squirtthecat on October 03, 2012, 01:40:10 PM

Are they food grade?  That is a oak flooring company..
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: teesquare on October 03, 2012, 10:22:00 PM
I have been told ( no idea as to the accuracy of this) that the only difference in "food grade" vs pellet stove fuel pellets is that food grade pellets have no fillers or additives in them.

If that is true, as long as the facility making them is a credible outfit - clean sawdust is all they would have in their pellets.

So - when I buy cord wood, and splits - I get no guarantee that the wood is chemical free....who knows where the trees were harvested from and what conditions the trees were subjected to......

Now - what's a mother to do? :D
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Merrick Bill on October 04, 2012, 01:40:00 AM
I have been told ( no idea as to the accuracy of this) that the only difference in "food grade" vs pellet stove fuel pellets is that food grade pellets have no fillers or additives in them.

I think the difference is the type of wood used.  barbecue pellets are made of hardwood.  Heating pellets can be made of hard or soft woods, including woods like cedar or pine that would impart a bad taste on your food. 

Bill
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Hub on October 04, 2012, 07:34:18 AM
There are no universal definitions of "food grade" or "cooking pellets" or anything else pellet-wise.  Manufacturers of pellets are on their own with regard to what they will use for a pellet intended for use in a pellet cooker.  The four things you certainly don't want in a "cooking" pellet are finishes (varnish, paint, etc.), adhesives (glue and binders), preservatives (oils, insecticides), and resinous softwoods (pine, fir).  Heating pellets just need to burn and make heat.  Their gasses are vented out and don't wind up in anyone's food.

With the increasing popularity of pellet cookery will come, eventually, government regulation and inspection of the pellet manufacturing business.  I won't make any political comments on that.

Today, the best way to assure oneself of good quality and pure ingredients is to purchase pellets from an established manufacturing organization with a large committment to pellet cookery.  I don't pretend to know them all but right now I buy with confidence from Cookingpellets.com, Barbequer's Delight, Bear Mountain, Fast Eddy, Lumberjack and BBQ Select.  I have researched their methods and practices (in a "prior life") and have some level of confidence that they will produce a quality product.  Other pellet users may chime in with their favorites.

Traeger dealers are dropping out of the network very quickly as that company has moved to direct sales and circumvention of the dealer.  Most didn't know much about pellet cooking, anyway.  Thus, dealers may turn to cheap sources of supply of a product they don't know much about in the first place.

Be careful.  Caveat Emptor

Hub
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: squirtthecat on October 04, 2012, 08:16:06 AM

Well said, Hub!

Nobody here (I hope) would cook dinner for their family over a construction site burn pile..

As long as the machinery cranking out the (let's call them) 'BBQ' pellets isn't contaminated with crud/residue from the 'heating' pellets, they should be safe to use.


FWIW, Cookinpellet and BBQr's Delight are my go to pellets, as they are readily available for a fair price.
I do have some 100% Hickory Lumberjack pellets that will make a debut this weekend in our new pit.
Title: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Pappymn on October 04, 2012, 01:27:31 PM

Well said, Hub!

Nobody here (I hope) would cook dinner for their family over a construction site burn pile..

As long as the machinery cranking out the (let's call them) 'BBQ' pellets isn't contaminated with crud/residue from the 'heating' pellets, they should be safe to use.


FWIW, Cookinpellet and BBQr's Delight are my go to pellets, as they are readily available for a fair price.
I do have some 100% Hickory Lumberjack pellets that will make a debut this weekend in our new pit.

I use lumberjack as they are made a couple hours from my house, and can get them at a good price. Did I miss a new pit? Or are you holding out on us?
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: squirtthecat on October 04, 2012, 01:35:30 PM

It will debut this weekend for it's initial seasoning run and mega biscuit test.   ;)
Title: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Pappymn on October 04, 2012, 04:53:45 PM

It will debut this weekend for it's initial seasoning run and mega biscuit test.   ;)

Awesome. Love new toys.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Hornzbee on October 04, 2012, 05:15:28 PM
Well I can only say what the dealer stated and that they believe that Southern Kentucky fuel pellets are the cleanest they have ever seen so they have high hopes for their new food pellets.  They do also carry BBQ delight which they sell near retail $17/20lbs.  These new pellets (just oak atm) are sold in 40lb bags for $25.  That makes me think that in bulk this brand may even be less expensive than BBQ Delight, in bulk.  I'll be trying it sometime in the near future and will report my findings.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: nepas on October 04, 2012, 05:18:26 PM
Deadwood BioFuels said the same, clean and safe 100% food grade.....My MAK hated the pellets and they had major ash build up. DWBF is out of business i guess. I have 60lbs that work good in my AMZNPS
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Hornzbee on October 04, 2012, 07:28:51 PM
Well it probably wont be my last $25 experiment!  Why exactly did your MAK hate those pellets?
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: squirtthecat on October 05, 2012, 07:59:30 AM

I had the same problem with the DWBF pellets.   I still have a 8 pound container floating around up in the attic.
Something about their makeup produced an insane amount of ash.   Plugged my firepot doing a rib cook.

For 25 bucks, it's worth a shot.    And like Rick said, you can always get an AMZNPS to burn the bum pellets for supplemental smoke.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Tenpoint5 on October 05, 2012, 10:37:10 AM

I had the same problem with the DWBF pellets.   I still have a 8 pound container floating around up in the attic.
Something about their makeup produced an insane amount of ash.   Plugged my firepot doing a rib cook.

For 25 bucks, it's worth a shot.    And like Rick said, you can always get an AMZNPS to burn the bum pellets for supplemental smoke.

Is that container your looking for the one you brought up here Squirt? It made a mess in the Dragon Lady as well.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: squirtthecat on October 05, 2012, 10:51:57 AM

I had the same problem with the DWBF pellets.   I still have a 8 pound container floating around up in the attic.
Something about their makeup produced an insane amount of ash.   Plugged my firepot doing a rib cook.

For 25 bucks, it's worth a shot.    And like Rick said, you can always get an AMZNPS to burn the bum pellets for supplemental smoke.

Is that container your looking for the one you brought up here Squirt? It made a mess in the Dragon Lady as well.

That was another one I had.    They sent me 3 eight pound containers to try out.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: KyNola on October 05, 2012, 11:34:58 AM
I have been told ( no idea as to the accuracy of this) that the only difference in "food grade" vs pellet stove fuel pellets is that food grade pellets have no fillers or additives in them.
I'm a little late on this discussion but I must respectfully disagree with your statement Tee.  The machines that are used to compress the sawdust to make food grade pellets also need to be using food grade lubricants in and on their machines.  The stove fuel pellets are compressed with machines that may be using petroleum based lubricants.  Also, the stove fuel pellets that are manufactured by folks such as a hardwood flooring company using their byproduct may very well contain varnish, lacquer or dyes.

Hornzbee, if I were you I would do some research before I would be purchasing pellets from a hardwood flooring company to be certain they are doing all the right things.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Savannahsmoker on October 05, 2012, 12:35:54 PM
Deadwood BioFuels said the same, clean and safe 100% food grade.....My MAK hated the pellets and they had major ash build up. DWBF is out of business i guess. I have 60lbs that work good in my AMZNPS
I also had problems with Deadwood Pellets.
They sent me these for my testing:
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh471/Savannahsmoker/Pellet%20Testing/IMG_3946.jpg)

And this is what happened after a three hour cook.
(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh471/Savannahsmoker/Pellet%20Testing/IMG_3964.jpg)

That being said, I will still try any new brand of pellets for pellets grills/smokers.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Hornzbee on October 05, 2012, 01:28:53 PM
I have been told ( no idea as to the accuracy of this) that the only difference in "food grade" vs pellet stove fuel pellets is that food grade pellets have no fillers or additives in them.

Hornzbee, if I were you I would do some research before I would be purchasing pellets from a hardwood flooring company to be certain they are doing all the right things.


Oh, dont worry I wont buy any quantity at all.  How does one really know?  Is there a lab somewhere that could test/analyze the composition of pellets?
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: KyNola on October 05, 2012, 02:09:34 PM
They are located in Gamaliel KY.  As of the 2000 census the population was 439.  Southern Kentucky Hardwoods is a small business in a very small community in Kentucky.  I live in Western Kentucky surrounded by communities of that size.  All you have to do is pick up the phone and ask 'em.  111 Holland Street Gamaliel KY 42140 Telephone number is 270-457-3618.

Until you verify how they are manufactured I would advise you purchase none.  However it's your life, your food and your money.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Hornzbee on October 05, 2012, 02:29:05 PM
What kind of questions should I ask?  The binder type? Lubrications? What else?
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: KyNola on October 05, 2012, 05:39:10 PM
Where is the sawdust coming from, meaning is it coming from where they initially are sawing the logs prior to any type of stain, varnish, etc being applied or is it coming from where they are sawing it to floorboard length afterward or both?  Some hardwood flooring comes prestained and varnished before it is shipped to the contractor.  Some is not.  Also, ask if they are manufacturing the pellets on site or are they shippng their sawdust to someone else to make the pellets for them.  If they are shipping it elsewhere ask them if they will tell you to whom they are shipping and where they are located.  One final question, is it a 100% flavor wood pellet or is it a blend such as a 70% base wood and 30% flavor wood.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: Savannahsmoker on November 14, 2013, 05:55:01 PM
I know this is an old topic but I just received delivery of Country Boy's Hickory Pellets from Amazon.com for $19.95 per 40 pound bag including shipping.

(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh471/Savannahsmoker/Pellet%20Testing/CountryBoys_zps6026f2c6.jpg) (http://s547.photobucket.com/user/Savannahsmoker/media/Pellet%20Testing/CountryBoys_zps6026f2c6.jpg.html)

I have read some good reviews in a couple forums so I decided to give them a try.

Rather than ruin a brisket or a pork shoulder I will be smoking chicken thighs tomorrow using the Country Boy's.
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: PoolSmart on December 03, 2013, 06:14:32 PM
I know this is an old topic but I just received delivery of Country Boy's Hickory Pellets from Amazon.com for $19.95 per 40 pound bag including shipping.

(http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh471/Savannahsmoker/Pellet%20Testing/CountryBoys_zps6026f2c6.jpg) (http://s547.photobucket.com/user/Savannahsmoker/media/Pellet%20Testing/CountryBoys_zps6026f2c6.jpg.html)

I have read some good reviews in a couple forums so I decided to give them a try.

Rather than ruin a brisket or a pork shoulder I will be smoking chicken thighs tomorrow using the Country Boy's.


Hello. Have you had a chance to use the County boy pellets. I had some delivered.  After a long butt smoke I had a burn pot full of ashes similar to you above pic, but not quite as bad.  That was with the Savannah Stoker on low fan speed through the night.  On high speed it seems much better though.  Smoke and flavor seems nice though.  Just curious what you found.

Rick
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: teesquare on December 03, 2013, 11:11:33 PM
Just interject... ;D

We have some pellet dealers that are forum sponsors. I know that at least one of them ( www.cookinpellets.com ) Is running a special - including shipping for LTBBQ forum members.

Please give them a look. Fine quality pellets!
Title: Re: Country Boy brand pellets
Post by: PoolSmart on December 04, 2013, 01:45:16 PM
I've tried a 20 lb sample of Cookinpellets and liked them. Great smoke and flavor.  Long smoke on low speed fan with Cookinpellets was fine with minimal ash build up.  My next purchase of pellets will probably be an order from cookinpellets.com.
I Recently received an order of country boy brand and curious of others results.