Using two kinds of pellets?

[N. Ontario Smoker]

    I'm reading about people using flavored pellets for smoking and then switching to plain house heating pellets for the finishing cook. House pellets are hard or softwood without bark or chemicals. Just wondering what opinions are on this.
    It wouldn't be a problem after you foil your food but what about before?

[hikerman]

I have ALWAYS heard/read that the two should not mix. Although heating your home with cooking pellets won't harm you.....might be a bit more pricey!

[smokeasaurus]

You can fill the bottom of your hopper with a certain flavored pellet and then switch to oak for heat for the remainder of the cook. I had good luck with Lumberjack and BBQers delight oak pellets.........leave the heating pellets for your stove.....you are what ya eat 

[Bigfish8]

You can fill the bottom of your hopper with a certain flavored pellet and then switch to oak for heat for the remainder of the cook. I had good luck with Lumberjack and BBQers delight oak pellets.........leave the heating pellets for your stove.....you are what ya eat 

I am a new owner of a pellet grill and I am in total agreement with this post.

[teesquare]

There are some significant differences in home heating pellets and the pellets that are safe to cook with:

1. Allowed ingredient woods - home heating pellets can contain any wood.Used lumber from uncontrolled sources is common. It is called "recycling" and actually has some great tax incentives associated with it for the pellet makers. The bag may say "oak" - but if you read the fine print on the manufacturer's website - that is not a guaranteed 100%. Filer woods can come from used pallets - or any other source of wood deemed needed at the time.

2. The lubricants used on the machines used to make home heating pellets can be any petroleum based lubes. Including silicones.

3. Food grade pellets from reputable manafacturers ( see our sponsors - we have verified their processes before allowing them to be sponsors ) use ONLY food grade - approved lubricants.

So - my question would be this: Why risk it? Good quality food grade pellets pellets are CHEAP as compared to charcoal, propane, etc. And... if you knew that the butcher was using petroleum based lubricants - rather than food grade - in his sausage grinder and stuffer...would you feel o.k. with feeding that sausage to your family?

Buying clean wood-  instead of used plywood or pallets and shipping containers to make pellets with and using the correct lubricants cost more. But - it is so little in the cost of what we cook to eat - is it worth it?

[Hub]

Over the years I've gotten to know several folks who manufacture cooking pellets.  They are passionate about producing a pellet that has flavor and is safe to cook with.  To further answer your question, I do combine pellet "flavors" occasionally but I always use COOKING pellets from a reputable manufacturer.

The heating pellets you buy might be good hardwood and might have been processed without toxic lubricants or they might not.

Here's a question for you:  Would you cook your dinner over a fire you built from a chopped up pine end table painted with enamel and glued with epoxy plus a week's worth of your junk mail?  If so, then keep on cooking with those heating pellets.

Hub

[drholly]

Here's a question for you:  Would you cook your dinner over a fire you built from a chopped up pine end table painted with enamel and glued with epoxy plus a week's worth of your junk mail?  If so, then keep on cooking with those heating pellets.

Hub

Probably wouldn't need any lighter fluid.... 

I have to agree with the folks urging caution. Although I don't have a pellet grill (I sometimes use pellets in my electric smoker and in foil on my other grills) I think if we consider the cost of the cookers, the proteins & veggies, and accessories - the minimal (potential) savings of using heating pellets is inconsequential. Just my opinion.

[sparky]

food grade pellets for pellet grills only.  PERIOD.. For the safety of your family.

[teesquare]

    I'm reading about people using flavored pellets for smoking and then switching to plain house heating pellets for the finishing cook. House pellets are hard or softwood without bark or chemicals. Just wondering what opinions are on this.
    It wouldn't be a problem after you foil your food but what about before?

Just another thought..."softwoods" include the Pine tree family ( larch, hemlock, pine, and so on...) All of these have resins which contain turpenes. Terpenes are distilled into turpentine.....Probably not the flavor ingredient you would want to choose. Even if it did not make you sick - the flavor and aroma would not be what you are aiming for. Additionally - we know that burning pine wood in a fireplace is a bad thing because of the build up of creosotes and tars that are flammable. Yep...those food grade pellets are your best choice  .