Let's Talk BBQ
Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Pellet Grills and Smokers => Topic started by: dhornick on February 08, 2018, 10:08:13 AM
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Hey everyone. Sorry if this post is in the wrong area. Brand new here but a very old meat smoker. Am looking into the new pellet smokers and have kind of zero'd in on the Rec Tec 680 so far. I have two questions for those experienced with pellet smokers. 1.) How do you find the smoke? Is it a lighter smoke? Almost non existent smoke or do you find that the amount of smoke put out by the pellet is sufficient or even more than sufficient and 2.) What is the best brand name of premium pellets to use or buy? Or are they basically all about the same. I'm used to smoking with fruit woods mostly and I like a good amount of smoke in my meats.
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The amount of smoke you will get is really a function of controlled in-efficient combustion, rather than the pellet. I just sold my Rec Tec 680. A good pellet grill - but did not have the programming in the controller for a smoke setting. There are several brands that do nowadays. I think the Blazin' Iron Works grills do, I know the MAKS do...and the old Treagers had a way to create more smoke. There may be others.
So...if your questions are about the Rec Tec in particular:
1. Lighter smoke than I liked. But this is a personal preference.
2.Cookin' Pellets.com Perfect blend is great.
I have used a lot of Lumberjack and still have a pile of it...But I will say that the Perfect Blend from Cookin'Pellets.com is awesome.
I shy away from the Treager pellets - or any other brand that uses "flavor oils" to obtain the aroma/taste that a natural wood product would.
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Agree with Tee. I have a Blazn grill and the lower temp settings smoke more. For my grill 160 - 175 degrees all pours out pretty good smoke. If I am doing something that needs more smoke, like a packer brisket, I also throw in the Amaz'n smoker tube.
As far as pellets, I have only used Cooking Pellets Perfect mix one time as I don't have a local source and they can be expensive to ship so I watch for the price to hit right on Amazon Prime.
My favorite pellet has become Lumberjack as it is readily available to me at a decent price. They burn long and there is very little dust coming out of the bag. Like Tee, I don't like to use the "flavored" pellets, I prefer 100% hardwood, non-flavored brands. Hickory is a solid standby for most cooks but I do like the fruit woods like Cherry and Apple for pork and chicken. For fish I like to use fruit woods or Alder (I think that may be a Pacific Northwest thing???) If I want a heavy smoke flavor for chuckies for brisket I like to go with Mesquite as it seems to provide a stronger, more bold smoke.
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Tee hit the nail on the head.
Traeger pellets along with Bear Mountain are alder based. Alder does not burn as hot as oak based pellets.
Cookin Pellets and Lumberjack are probably the best pellets out there.
You might want to give Rec Tec a call and check because I am almost sure that they have added some sort of extreme smoke setting to their controllers.
Flavor profile. Some if not all new pellet grill owners came from other pits and they were used to over smoking their meats. Not all do but many do. Also, you can be coming from a charcoal fed type smoker or an electric smoker where wood smolders and does not actually burn.
A pellet grill has a controlled wood fire that will let you taste your meat and your seasonings.
So, yes the flavor profile from smoke is lighter but smoke should be a component of your flavor profile not overbearing.
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I've used CookinPellets Perfect Mix, BBQ'ers Delight Hickory, and Lumberjack MHC so far and I've gotten the best smoke production from CookinPellets (though the other two did an admirable job). I, like TeeSquare, own a Blaz'n and will typically run my long smokes for 1.5-2 hours at 180° to enhance the smoke flavor and then bump my temp up thereafter. The A-Maze-N tubes are wonderful as well, and even though a smoke ring doesn't impart flavor the aesthetic value is there with either method described above.
I test-smoked on a RecTec and Yoder prior to making my Blaz'n purchase. RecTec is a good machine but did seem to produce less consistent blue smoke than the Yoder or my Blaz'n. It's definitely not a bad grill, but like any it will have a few caveats.
I also think that looking for a blended pellet, or doing your own with 50/50 fruitwood and hickory will give you a stronger smoke flavor, if that's a concern.
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I'm very interested to learn about the Blaz'n Grills in NE. I am from KC but do now live in Omaha. I had never heard of these before. I see a few of you own these, what are your thoughts? How long have yo had yours and how long has this place been in business? I like the double wall feature and the 160 degree low temp feature. What are their warranties?
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I'm very interested to learn about the Blaz'n Grills in NE. I am from KC but do now live in Omaha. I had never heard of these before. I see a few of you own these, what are your thoughts? How long have yo had yours and how long has this place been in business? I like the double wall feature and the 160 degree low temp feature. What are their warranties?
I have had mine since 2014. The only issue I had was the igniter rod just went out this winter - I called Blazn' and talked to Tim and he had one sent out that day. (It was not covered under warranty at that point - it was a $38 fix) I could not be happier with the performance and durability of the smoker. I found them through some internet research - I was looking specifically for American made and solid. This fit the bill. I know a lot of guys have MAK grills which look and sound awesome but I could not afford the model I wanted so I went with the Blazn Grand Slam and have never looked back. Love the pull out burn pot feature - so easy and quick to clean up without taking out the racks/drip pan/heat deflector. you should check out their website - I don't have a dealer for them here in Washington so I had to pay shipping - it was a little bit of a leap of faith to spend that kind of money without seeing one but it certainly did not disappoint. Tim at Blaz'n has ALWAYS been very nice and responsive to answer any questions I have had. Check them out. I really like the controller that goes from 160 - 500 (I think that is the top end - never had it that hot) in 5 degree increments.
Tons of great features and made in Nebraska.
www.blazngrillworks.com
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The RecTec has a "extra smoke" button that can be used from 180* to 250*. If you go that route you may want to go with the new 700 model. It is a couple of hundred more but comes with free shipping so it sort of evens out. It also has wifi and is stainless.
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The mak 1 stars in smoke mode produce the most smoke I have ever seen in a pellet grill. I have owned traegers, green mountains, Memphis and maks.
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The mak 1 stars in smoke mode produce the most smoke I have ever seen in a pellet grill. I have owned traegers, green mountains, Memphis and maks.
Curious...was there anything you preferred on the Memphis over the MAK 2 Star?
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I have never heard one complaint on the Blazin grills.
Wendy and I are looking to upgrade with Mak and Blazin the top two candidates.
The only thing that is making me lean Maks way is I understand that Blazin is a small outfit. I just wonder if plans are in place for the long haul.
Small outfits in the pellet grill world tend to go away, Madera,Sawtooth and CornGlo all come to mind. I think Sawtooth is back....but for how long?
I could be wrong on Blazin, I hope I am. I just want to have a grill from a company that is set up to be around for many years to come.........
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The mak 1 stars in smoke mode produce the most smoke I have ever seen in a pellet grill. I have owned traegers, green mountains, Memphis and maks.
Curious...was there anything you preferred on the Memphis over the MAK 2 Star?
All the stainless was nice and loved the controller. It was easy to use. I also loved that the drip pan came off easily to get to the firebox. With the mak you have to take a lot of stuff off to get to the firebox. But, my mak holds better temp control and the shelving was a lot better. Love my mak. Thinking of selling my 2 star to get the 1 star. The 1 star would be a lot easier to get in and out of my truck and now that they are both the same size cooking grates is perfect.
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Smoke, I've seen that concern for Blaz'n before. They've been making pellet grills since 2011 and are attached to a metal fabrication and powder coating company doing business since the 1970's. It's family run, with multiple generations working there.
Since they do the majority of the fabrication, all the assembly, and powdercoating/painting in-house, the only bits brought in are the controller and WiFi kit. They're about as solid as can be in my book ... they're not using as fancy a marketing platform as Mak or Yoder, and they don't relentlessly self-promote like some others mentioned in this thread (cough * RecTec * cough), but workmanship and a willingness to stand behind their product is what really matters at the end of the day.
I doubt anyone would cast doubt over the fitness of a Mak (if I ever hit the "redneck retirement plan" Powerball, I'd but a 3-Star General and use it as a built-in for an outdoor kitchen); that being said, the Blaz'n has exceeded my every expectation and I've gotten nothing but positive experiences with their customer service. I did my homework on them, everything from BBB data to even tracking down reviews of their metal fab company; I even ran their company in D&B and Hoover's just to gather a bit more data. I was satisfied with everything I found.
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Smoke, I've seen that concern for Blaz'n before. They've been making pellet grills since 2011 and are attached to a metal fabrication and powder coating company doing business since the 1970's. It's family run, with multiple generations working there.
Since they do the majority of the fabrication, all the assembly, and powdercoating/painting in-house, the only bits brought in are the controller and WiFi kit. They're about as solid as can be in my book ... they're not using as fancy a marketing platform as Mak or Yoder, and they don't relentlessly self-promote like some others mentioned in this thread (cough * RecTec * cough), but workmanship and a willingness to stand behind their product is what really matters at the end of the day.
I doubt anyone would cast doubt over the fitness of a Mak (if I ever hit the "redneck retirement plan" Powerball, I'd but a 3-Star General and use it as a built-in for an outdoor kitchen); that being said, the Blaz'n has exceeded my every expectation and I've gotten nothing but positive experiences with their customer service. I did my homework on them, everything from BBB data to even tracking down reviews of their metal fab company; I even ran their company in D&B and Hoover's just to gather a bit more data. I was satisfied with everything I found.
The other thing that I thinks speaks to their health is that they are coming out with upgrades like wi-fi, a ceramic ignitor, and that awesome pro-rack set you have in yours. They keep working to innovate and change. The key to not crashing.
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Smoke, I've seen that concern for Blaz'n before. They've been making pellet grills since 2011 and are attached to a metal fabrication and powder coating company doing business since the 1970's. It's family run, with multiple generations working there.
Since they do the majority of the fabrication, all the assembly, and powdercoating/painting in-house, the only bits brought in are the controller and WiFi kit. They're about as solid as can be in my book ... they're not using as fancy a marketing platform as Mak or Yoder, and they don't relentlessly self-promote like some others mentioned in this thread (cough * RecTec * cough), but workmanship and a willingness to stand behind their product is what really matters at the end of the day.
I doubt anyone would cast doubt over the fitness of a Mak (if I ever hit the "redneck retirement plan" Powerball, I'd but a 3-Star General and use it as a built-in for an outdoor kitchen); that being said, the Blaz'n has exceeded my every expectation and I've gotten nothing but positive experiences with their customer service. I did my homework on them, everything from BBB data to even tracking down reviews of their metal fab company; I even ran their company in D&B and Hoover's just to gather a bit more data. I was satisfied with everything I found.
The other thing that I thinks speaks to their health is that they are coming out with upgrades like wi-fi, a ceramic ignitor, and that awesome pro-rack set you have in yours. They keep working to innovate and change. The key to not crashing.
Based on what I have just read...Mak and Blazin are now head to head. I like everything I see when it comes to Blazin, I just had that one concern. It will probably take a coin toss to decide. Thanks for the help.
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@Smoke: The Mak 3-Star is nothing short of awesome. The capacity issue is what really swayed me towards the Blaz'n (especially over Yoder and RecTec). Honestly, you've probably forgotten more about smokers and design advantage that I'll ever have ... but I do know the Blaz'n is a darn fine piece of equipment. I can't wait to see you take on a new machine and start posting about it ... :)
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The mak 1 stars in smoke mode produce the most smoke I have ever seen in a pellet grill. I have owned traegers, green mountains, Memphis and maks.
Curious...was there anything you preferred on the Memphis over the MAK 2 Star?
All the stainless was nice and loved the controller. It was easy to use. I also loved that the drip pan came off easily to get to the firebox. With the mak you have to take a lot of stuff off to get to the firebox. But, my mak holds better temp control and the shelving was a lot better. Love my mak. Thinking of selling my 2 star to get the 1 star. The 1 star would be a lot easier to get in and out of my truck and now that they are both the same size cooking grates is perfect.
Did you use your Memphis as a grill and/or for searing? Would you say the Memphis is superior to the MAK when used as a grill vs smoker? Or, in your opinion does the MAK hold its own against the Memphis even though it can’t hit those super high temps like the Memphis?
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I know the Memphis line of grills are awesome, but if I am correct, I understand that Memphis changed"cheapened" the stainless used on their grills.
They will now be prone to exterior rusting, just like the new line from Rec Tec.
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I know the Memphis line of grills are awesome, but if I am correct, I understand that Memphis changed"cheapened" the stainless used on their grills.
They will now be prone to exterior rusting, just like the new line from Rec Tec.
Where did you hear that? From everything I see and read, they still offer the Pro in 430 and 304, and I believe the Elite only comes in 304 (at least I haven’t noticed it being offered in 430). If you buy a Memphis with 304, that the same grade of SS that MAK uses.
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I have heard it from numerous sources..one is a Memphis dealer .however if Memphis sticks with 304, all will be fine.
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Boy, that would be a shame to see them offer less then 304, with no upgrade option, at the price point of a Memphis.
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Boy, that would be a shame to see them offer less then 304, with no upgrade option, at the price point of a Memphis.
Several years ago Memphis went to 430 as their standard offering on their grills. The public outcry may have caused them to rethink that so now in some models they now offer 304 as an "upgrade"....or extra cost. See what happe ed there?
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Boy, that would be a shame to see them offer less then 304, with no upgrade option, at the price point of a Memphis.
Several years ago Memphis went to 430 as their standard offering on their grills. The public outcry may have caused them to rethink that so now in some models they now offer 304 as an "upgrade"....or extra cost. See what happe ed there?
That’s what I thought. I see it as an option now. Doesn’t the Elite only come in 304? As much as I love my MAK 2 Star... there’s just something about the Elite that has always held my attention...
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Boy, that would be a shame to see them offer less then 304, with no upgrade option, at the price point of a Memphis.
Several years ago Memphis went to 430 as their standard offering on their grills. The public outcry may have caused them to rethink that so now in some models they now offer 304 as an "upgrade"....or extra cost. See what happe ed there?
That’s what I thought. I see it as an option now. Doesn’t the Elite only come in 304? As much as I love my MAK 2 Star... there’s just something about the Elite that has always held my attention...
Memphis - like Rec Tec...has a distinctive, eye catching "style". But, like all quality relationships..."It's what is on the inside that counts".... ;D
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Boy, that would be a shame to see them offer less then 304, with no upgrade option, at the price point of a Memphis.
Several years ago Memphis went to 430 as their standard offering on their grills. The public outcry may have caused them to rethink that so now in some models they now offer 304 as an "upgrade"....or extra cost. See what happe ed there?
That’s what I thought. I see it as an option now. Doesn’t the Elite only come in 304? As much as I love my MAK 2 Star... there’s just something about the Elite that has always held my attention...
Memphis - like Rec Tec...has a distinctive, eye catching "style". But, like all quality relationships..."It's what is on the inside that counts".... ;D
Oh man, that’s deep...you left me with goosebumps :-)~
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Boy, that would be a shame to see them offer less then 304, with no upgrade option, at the price point of a Memphis.
Several years ago Memphis went to 430 as their standard offering on their grills. The public outcry may have caused them to rethink that so now in some models they now offer 304 as an "upgrade"....or extra cost. See what happe ed there?
That’s what I thought. I see it as an option now. Doesn’t the Elite only come in 304? As much as I love my MAK 2 Star... there’s just something about the Elite that has always held my attention...
Memphis - like Rec Tec...has a distinctive, eye catching "style". But, like all quality relationships..."It's what is on the inside that counts".... ;D
That's how Mrs Tee justified picking him
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Never judge a book by it's cover....sometimes the pages are blank..... ;D
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So how much does Pappy pay for his monthly dues these days?? He must work part time to be able to hang around here :0
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The Memphis will get up to 650 and grills great but I use my weber kettle with grill grates for searing stuff. When you get a pellet grill up to 650-700 (elite) a lot of things get very hot. The handle you have to use leather gloves to open. I use my mak and WSM for smoking stuff. The elite only comes in 304 and the pro comes in 304 & 403 stainless. I owned a elite for a while. Way, way too much grill. You burn a lot of pellets with the elite. I could own any pellet grill I want. I own a mak for a reason.
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So how much does Pappy pay for his monthly dues these days?? He must work part time to be able to hang around here :0
( he did confess that a 2nd mortgage may be in order to keep up his payments.... ;) :D)
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So how much does Pappy pay for his monthly dues these days?? He must work part time to be able to hang around here :0
( he did confess that a 2nd mortgage may be in order to keep up his payments.... ;) :D)
Picked up an extra paper route. I'm on solid ground
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The Memphis will get up to 650 and grills great but I use my weber kettle with grill grates for searing stuff. When you get a pellet grill up to 650-700 (elite) a lot of things get very hot. The handle you have to use leather gloves to open. I use my mak and WSM for smoking stuff. The elite only comes in 304 and the pro comes in 304 & 403 stainless. I owned a elite for a while. Way, way too much grill. You burn a lot of pellets with the elite. I could own any pellet grill I want. I own a mak for a reason.
I’m glad you shared this...biggest reason I’d ever switch to a Memphis is for the higher temps... but your experience kinda takes away my Memphis itch. I too have a kettle (26”) w/ GrillGrates. It’s a killer grill!!