Wood Pellets and Accessories

[Carmelo]

Hi All,

So I have 2 questions which I am sure will need to more.

1.  What is the best overall brand of wood pellet to use when you are smoking.
2.  Downdraft Accessory
     A.  What is the difference between buying and installing the downdraft accessory vs just lowering the cap on the smoke stack or better yet turning the smoke stack upside down?

[bspitt]

for #1 - you may get as many opinions as there are brands. I like GMG pellets Premium Blend and Fruit Blend. It really just depends upon your taste.  I hear Lumberjack pellets are great - and I look forward to trying them. Just check the pellets out to make sure the length is fairly uniform and not too much dust.

#2 - A down draft helps the smoke & heat travel across the grill grates (near the meat) before heading out of the chimney. Closing the chimney cap could choke your smoker or cause to to get too hot possibly resulting in burnback toward your hopper. Turning the chimney upside down does not change the location of where the smoke / heat escapes on the inside of your pit while a downdraft does.

Smoke on....

BP

[RRaider]

CookinPellets are widely raved about with Lumber Jack a close second.

[Smokerjunky]

Lumberjack for me - my second would be cooking pellets - have also used BBQer's Delight and been happy.  I watch for price among those three. 

[Savannahsmoker]

Lumberjack for me - my second would be cooking pellets - have also used BBQer's Delight and been happy.  I watch for price among those three.

Same here

[Pappymn]

First look what you can get locally at the best price. Lumberjack for me.


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[smokeasaurus]

As long as you stay away from Traeger brand pellets you should be fine with what you find.

The downdraft hood is a must have for pellet grills. Heat and smoke is forced down to the cooking grate level and your temps will be tighter from end to end.

[jjjonz]

Guess I never had a need for a downdraft yet. I use Pit Boss pellets from Wallmart 90 % of the time...$19.95 for 40 lbs.

[KJRsmoker]

I use Cookinpellets.

[sparky]

Green mountain fruit pellets.  Or I go to cash and carry and get bear mountain pellets (20 lbs for $10).

[Carmelo]

So wht are the traeger pellets so bad?  I sae the mix made fir Costco, 33lb bag for 19, maple hickory and cherry blend.  Im smoking my first pork butt tomorrow.  I wants apple, cherry and pecan.  Any thoughts?

Can anyone reccomend a p setting on the traeger that I have?  I want ro make sure i get good smoke and barj.

[RRaider]

Traeger pellets are primarily oak or alder with flavoring oil instead of whatever flavor wood they claim. For instance if you buy their cherry it will be alder or oak or a combo of those two with "cherry oil" added and no actual cherry wood in the pellets.

So wht are the traeger pellets so bad?  I sae the mix made fir Costco, 33lb bag for 19, maple hickory and cherry blend.  Im smoking my first pork butt tomorrow.  I wants apple, cherry and pecan.  Any thoughts?

Can anyone reccomend a p setting on the traeger that I have?  I want ro make sure i get good smoke and barj.

[Smokerjunky]

My experience with Traeger pellets is that they are excessively dusty - there has been a LOT more dust/broken pellets when pouring out of the bag into the hopper and seem to burn faster (I can't verify that with data) than the Lumberjack/Cooking Pellets/BBQers Delight.

[smokeasaurus]

Traeger pellets are alder based. Alder is a soft wood, so more dust, lower temps and more usage.

[teesquare]

Traeger pellets are alder based. Alder is a soft wood, so more dust, lower temps and more usage.

And.....Traeger uses "flavor oils" to make the Alder pellets small and taste like other woods. Not a fan of "fake smoke flavor"....