Regarding pellets, I've had pretty consistent and flavorful results using Lumber Jack "Competition" pellets that they sell regularly at Dick's Sporting Good's. This was after being very disillusioned with Traeger pellets and other brands I bought at Costco or Walmart. I have yet to try out Lumber Jack's dedicated pellets (maple, oak, hickory, etc.) but hopefully will do soon. One little thing I found that works for me with the Pellet grill is to plan ahead and allocate at least 2-4 initial hours of really low smoking temps of just around 180 (which is the "smoke" temp on my Traeger) before eventually turning it up to 225-250 for cooking. That gives the most smoke ring and flavor in my experience. I don't go to 275 yet because at least with my pellet grill, the smoke becomes very intermittent by that temp. However, after the wrap, I will turn up to the temp to about 275 or more to finish it off until it's tender. Yes this way does take longer, sometimes up to 16 hours depending on how long you do the initial slow smoke. But a pellet grill is obviously just different from a regular offset so you have to account for that and its little characteristics.
I use Lumber Jack or Pit Boss pellets, half the cost of Traeger, Camp Chef, or Kingsford. Also, when you mentioned the cardboard flavor, I ran into that once, when I didn't clean it out after the last cook. Because of the fan, ash gets blown around. Most stays in the burn pot but I still take it apart and vacuum out all the ash from the bottom of the chamber. Otherwise the fan blows it around, it gets on the food and then the cardboard flavor. Lastly, Camp Chef recently did an update, I installed it 3/15/2022 and the Wifi works great. Just my two cents.
Ah great info here. I don't think I ever tried PB pellets, but if I were to get a pellet grill again I'd definitely continue using Lumber Jack given my experiences with them. I've since sold my Woodwind but I'm glad a new update came out to fix the WiFi issue. Thanks for the comment!
Got the same one SGX 36.I have a pellet stove to heat my house and some times I got to push pellets down but I don’t let it get that low. Connected fine from beginning but had issues with setting smoke level at first but all is good! Overall 👍 good vid though smoke on !!!!!
great insight Kevin ..I know how frustrating it is when you just wanna cook something and your equipment fails you.i never had issues with my recteq(cross fingers) I used it heavily in the first year.now its still my go to for a quick cook outside.
I was debating on unloading the Woodwind when a new offset rolls in, but you decided to keep your pellet grill along with the Workhorse? Sounds like a good plan!
Oh its much more than that with the accessories and shipping. But those are beautiful pits and I understand why most of these talented pit builders charge what they do.
Any pellet grill I have had has the hopper issue I’ve had a traeger and ok joes rider dlx. I just removed that grate over the hopper and every few hours I’ll go and flatten the pellets out. The Oklahoma Joes rider dlx has had so many problems so anything is better than that.
Ah I didn't know that was happening with Traeger too. I almost jumped ships to it. I've since sold my Woodwind however. Not sure what to try next when the budget allows. Any recommendations since you've done some research?
Hello Well now I did it…… I went and bought a green mountain grill the ledge model! I am new to pellet grills and with that said I’ve done about 5 cooks on it and so far I am impressed with the turn out except for cook number 5. I cooked saint louis style ribs at 275 for about 5 hours that time is including a 30 minute rest. I did Aaron franklins recipe 2 hours then sauce 15 minutes on each side to set the sauce and then wrap in foil and cook for another 2 hours. Even though the ribs came out really tender and good they just didn’t have that killer smoke flavor I get with my offset . I think maybe the 275 was too high and thus not producing enough smoke so with that said could you give a recipe for ribs on a pellet? Like I said I’m new to this pellet smoker thing and it seems I have some research to do to give me a better understanding of this grill. I went with the gmg grill mainly by reviews and seen some top bbq guys use them like Moe Cason. I know there isn’t anything like live fire cooking but I would like some pointers on twerking my cooks on this grill…….l.thanks for your videos and info again!
Haha wait what? Did you just decide to get a completely different grill altogether?? Either way congrats! Not sure if you've tested this yet, but both my Camp Chef Woodwinds consistently averaged higher temps in the pit by 20-40 degrees on average (20 on the main grate, 30-40 on the top grate). While that may not be a big deal on shorter cooks, on butts and brisket I suspect it dried out the cook more so I consistently ran my pellet grills at a lower temperature. Plus because of the way pellet grills force air while being in a smaller chamber, I think cooking at lower temperatures help with imparting a smokier profile. But that's just my experience. Curious how your cooks are going too! Congrats again!
@@HuSmokin yeah after my last disaster on waiting to have a offset made I pretty much have given up for now! But yeah anyway I’ve read that lower temp cooks will give you more smoke plus I also bought a smoke tube to aid in the smoke. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. But I am impressed with the gmg grill so far as it seems it is built good and should last a while! Thank you
@@HuSmokin try the pellet made by wine country pellets they are good and are made from wine barrels, they are pricey for each bag but sure smell good when burning!
Nice breakdown buddy. I agree, pellet grills are not a replacement for charcoal grills but they are definitely quite handy to have and still produce good flavour!
The second I saw f*ckin bacon wrapped Fig Newtons and bacon wrapped Oreos I checked out and am now having to disregard everything that I’ve heard you say. Just wow. This is now gonna make me go buy a Traeger 😂
@Hu Smokin' I have a OKJ Longhorn and am either looking to invest in the Fireboard 2 drive or sell and look at a pellet grill like Camp Chef. I'm a novice and not particular either way. Would the Fireboard negate the struggles of offsets to more "set and forget it?" Or is the easier option a pellet grill for typical back yard seasonal eating
I am in the same boat as you. I also have the Longhorn. I am debating on spending the $ for the mods to make it more efficient so I don't have to babysit it or buy an "easy bake oven" for ease. I really like a good bark and just don't know if the pellet grill will do that. Let me know what you end up doing!
@@ramenstreetblues I ended up going with a Camp Chef WW24. The ease has made it more fun for a couple long and slow smokes for ribs, pulled pork, and a whole chicken so far. Not a purest in any sense for quality, but for my needs and a new baby on the way this makes the most sense for now. Ended selling the OKJL combo and using after type pay for the rest. So far so good. Food has tasted great. Bark wise haven't done anything yet for that. Best of luck
Hey Michael sorry for the late reply, but it sounds like you made the decision I would've recommended. The OKJ offsets, including the Longhorn IMO just aren't meant for the kind of function you're hoping for. They make minion baskets for slow burning options but that's just not the same flavor wise. Congrats on the WW24 by the way!
Hey Kevin. My. Buddy swears by Pitboss and he owns a 500 gallon offset. My problem with pellet grills is the high cost. WalMart has a nice little Pitboss for $292 I've been looking at but also Walmarts own brand, Expert Grill Commodore is $297. Of course I'm going to lookup review videos on UA-cam before I make any major purchase and yes I know about the difference in flavor. I've also bought Pitboss brand pellets at Walmart for $11 bucks for 20 pounds. Another thing you can try is pellet tubes and mazes for your electric. I love cold smoking cheese in my electric smoker using the A-maze-n pellet maze. You wouldn't believe the smoke flavor I get on the cheese with that. I've mentioned him before but Harry Soo smokes brisket on a pellet grill and has great results and he answers every comment. Check him out! He's awesome.
I was introduced to pellet tubes and the maze when I was using the MES smokers as well. I even built the mailbox mod for cold smoking and also to bring in more smoke. But even with all of that it couldn't produce the same level of cooks I can get from the pellet grill. And yes Harry Soo is a great guy and excellent resource. He's the one who inspired me to get the Weber Smokey Mountain originally.
Sorry Michael can't answer this question anymore. I ended up selling it. I had the 24 before this one and the 36 consumed pellets way faster and I didn't want to use the heat blanket.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Have you ever used a vertical propane smoker? I'm planning on ordering a wide body one from Dyna Glo after tasting the results from a friend's but part of me still has small concerns. I'd love to get an offset but realistically don't want to spend the time tending any fire.
Hey there! I went straight from my electric smokers to the WSM and pellet grill. I was in a similar boat and actually got the WSM along with the ThermoWorks Billows unit to help me maintain temps even longer. Closest thing to set and forget with charcoal and wood so far for me. I’ve had some good bbq off of propane cookers as you have experienced too. What are some of your lingering concerns? I don’t doubt that you’ll be able to churn out some great tasting bbq. In the end it’ll come down to what you want most in your next cooker.
@@HuSmokinI think my concerns stem from fearing that the propane may not develop a really excellent bark. But this just may come down to improving technique as I begin to try different things. Secondly is smoke flavor intensity. So far my friend has given me smoked whole spatchcocked Turkey, brisket, beef cheeks, chicken drums sticks, beef and pork ribs off his propane and all have good smoke flavor, by no means heavy though, and I’m satisfied with it. I’d probably rate it as medium in terms of intensity but as a person who enjoys cooking, I always want the ability to do a heavier smoke flavor if necessary. Again, this might just come down to me learning different techniques and I already have a smoke tube that I’ve done cold smokes which worked pretty good so I can probably integrate that into the smoker for added flavor. I considered the green egg and pellet smokers but knew I would only use the green egg for smoking so that’s a waste. And I’m in total agreement with you cost of pellets over time so I nixed that. Electrical seemed great but universally I’ve read it just won’t get enough flavor as you also pointed out.
That's makes total sense. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in my experience the fuel plays a significant role in forming a deep and rich bark on those longer cooks like brisket and pork shoulders. That's where pellet cookers have an advantage over electric/propane smokers because the wood pellets are the source of heat/fuel and not just to smolder to add flavor. When using my electric smokers, I used the AMAZEN tubes and mazes with an external mailbox modification (cold smoke attachment) to help consistently bring in more smoke throughout the cook. This definitely added more smoke flavor to my cooks but it did not add to the formation of bark. But don't get me wrong, the bark was there, just not nearly close to what I have been able to get on lump/wood cookers. It's a trade off for sure, but at least you're not picking between GREAT BBQ and terrible BBQ. It's going to be super tasty either way!
@@HuSmokin I’m not qualified to really say if fuel type is a significant role but I’m sure it’ll be an 8 hour debate between some pitmasters. My thinking is that BTU is BTU to a certain extent. The amount of moisture both in the protein and ambient air, rub type and how coarse it is likely also plays into how well the bark forms. My friend with the propane has produced some bbq with a solid crust and other times not as much. That being said I haven’t tasted enough really good Texas style to say what is a heavier bark. I did have someone bring me a whole Franklin’s brisket that was cryopacked and frozen however it was reheated via sous vide and the bark was became soft. I ended up just ordering the Dyna Glo 36” wide body propane figuring I just need to get my hands dirty finally and stop researching. It’s starting to become paralysis by analysis and you made a good point that with the equipment, it definitely has the potential for very good bbq. Btw have you tried Horn BBQ since you’re based in Oakland?
Hey hey congrats on the pulling the trigger! Remember to share an update or video once you get that thing broken in. And I hear you on that lengthy debate. There are many ways to make really good bbq. Funny thing too is I’ve had some folks come through who prefer the pellet grill briskets vs the ones cooked on my WSM or offset. 🤷🏻♂️ And yes I’ve had Horn BBQ but need to pay another visit. The ribs I had there were some of the best from a restaurant, but the brisket was disappointing. I also tried one of those pre-made briskets recently but from Snow’s. Haven’t tried Franklin’s yet. But man it was one of the best briskets I ever had... and it was reheated in water and foil. Blew my mind. Plus I read that they primarily use Select cuts.
Regarding pellets, I've had pretty consistent and flavorful results using Lumber Jack "Competition" pellets that they sell regularly at Dick's Sporting Good's. This was after being very disillusioned with Traeger pellets and other brands I bought at Costco or Walmart. I have yet to try out Lumber Jack's dedicated pellets (maple, oak, hickory, etc.) but hopefully will do soon.
One little thing I found that works for me with the Pellet grill is to plan ahead and allocate at least 2-4 initial hours of really low smoking temps of just around 180 (which is the "smoke" temp on my Traeger) before eventually turning it up to 225-250 for cooking. That gives the most smoke ring and flavor in my experience. I don't go to 275 yet because at least with my pellet grill, the smoke becomes very intermittent by that temp. However, after the wrap, I will turn up to the temp to about 275 or more to finish it off until it's tender. Yes this way does take longer, sometimes up to 16 hours depending on how long you do the initial slow smoke. But a pellet grill is obviously just different from a regular offset so you have to account for that and its little characteristics.
I use Lumber Jack or Pit Boss pellets, half the cost of Traeger, Camp Chef, or Kingsford. Also, when you mentioned the cardboard flavor, I ran into that once, when I didn't clean it out after the last cook. Because of the fan, ash gets blown around. Most stays in the burn pot but I still take it apart and vacuum out all the ash from the bottom of the chamber. Otherwise the fan blows it around, it gets on the food and then the cardboard flavor. Lastly, Camp Chef recently did an update, I installed it 3/15/2022 and the Wifi works great. Just my two cents.
Ah great info here. I don't think I ever tried PB pellets, but if I were to get a pellet grill again I'd definitely continue using Lumber Jack given my experiences with them. I've since sold my Woodwind but I'm glad a new update came out to fix the WiFi issue. Thanks for the comment!
Got the same one SGX 36.I have a pellet stove to heat my house and some times I got to push pellets down but I don’t let it get that low. Connected fine from beginning but had issues with setting smoke level at first but all is good! Overall 👍 good vid though smoke on !!!!!
Glad to hear your smoker is working good. I've since parted ways with mine.
great insight Kevin ..I know how frustrating it is when you just wanna cook something and your equipment fails you.i never had issues with my recteq(cross fingers) I used it heavily in the first year.now its still my go to for a quick cook outside.
I was debating on unloading the Woodwind when a new offset rolls in, but you decided to keep your pellet grill along with the Workhorse? Sounds like a good plan!
@@HuSmokin I wouldn't part ways with it..it comes in handy on quick cooks
@@HuSmokin The 1975 is $2500! Who can afford that? Can Hu afford that? Apparently backyard warrior can.
Oh its much more than that with the accessories and shipping. But those are beautiful pits and I understand why most of these talented pit builders charge what they do.
@@deathofcayde-6968 you know you only buy once (pit will outlive me) and aftermarket prices are good too( in case I need to get rid of it)🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Any pellet grill I have had has the hopper issue I’ve had a traeger and ok joes rider dlx. I just removed that grate over the hopper and every few hours I’ll go and flatten the pellets out. The Oklahoma Joes rider dlx has had so many problems so anything is better than that.
Ah I didn't know that was happening with Traeger too. I almost jumped ships to it. I've since sold my Woodwind however. Not sure what to try next when the budget allows. Any recommendations since you've done some research?
Hello
Well now I did it……
I went and bought a green mountain grill the ledge model! I am new to pellet grills and with that said I’ve done about 5 cooks on it and so far I am impressed with the turn out except for cook number 5. I cooked saint louis style ribs at 275 for about 5 hours that time is including a 30 minute rest. I did Aaron franklins recipe 2 hours then sauce 15 minutes on each side to set the sauce and then wrap in foil and cook for another 2 hours. Even though the ribs came out really tender and good they just didn’t have that killer smoke flavor I get with my offset . I think maybe the 275 was too high and thus not producing enough smoke so with that said could you give a recipe for ribs on a pellet? Like I said I’m new to this pellet smoker thing and it seems I have some research to do to give me a better understanding of this grill. I went with the gmg grill mainly by reviews and seen some top bbq guys use them like Moe Cason. I know there isn’t anything like live fire cooking but I would like some pointers on twerking my cooks on this grill…….l.thanks for your videos and info again!
Haha wait what? Did you just decide to get a completely different grill altogether?? Either way congrats!
Not sure if you've tested this yet, but both my Camp Chef Woodwinds consistently averaged higher temps in the pit by 20-40 degrees on average (20 on the main grate, 30-40 on the top grate). While that may not be a big deal on shorter cooks, on butts and brisket I suspect it dried out the cook more so I consistently ran my pellet grills at a lower temperature. Plus because of the way pellet grills force air while being in a smaller chamber, I think cooking at lower temperatures help with imparting a smokier profile. But that's just my experience. Curious how your cooks are going too! Congrats again!
@@HuSmokin yeah after my last disaster on waiting to have a offset made I pretty much have given up for now! But yeah anyway I’ve read that lower temp cooks will give you more smoke plus I also bought a smoke tube to aid in the smoke. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. But I am impressed with the gmg grill so far as it seems it is built good and should last a while!
Thank you
Ah I can understand that. You’re gonna have a good time with the pellet grill though I’ll bet. Also don’t forget to experiment with pellets too!
@@HuSmokin try the pellet made by wine country pellets they are good and are made from wine barrels, they are pricey for each bag but sure smell good when burning!
That sounds amazing. I’ll look into them! Thanks.
Nice breakdown buddy. I agree, pellet grills are not a replacement for charcoal grills but they are definitely quite handy to have and still produce good flavour!
Totally! Just wish mine didn't have the hopper problems... but they're not bad enough to justify replacing it.
Very well put informative video kev!!
Means a lot brother thank you!
Lumberjack MHC pellet ftw
Absolutely!
The second I saw f*ckin bacon wrapped Fig Newtons and bacon wrapped Oreos I checked out and am now having to disregard everything that I’ve heard you say. Just wow. This is now gonna make me go buy a Traeger 😂
LOLLLLLL. Those were a bit gross.
@Hu Smokin'
I have a OKJ Longhorn and am either looking to invest in the Fireboard 2 drive or sell and look at a pellet grill like Camp Chef. I'm a novice and not particular either way. Would the Fireboard negate the struggles of offsets to more "set and forget it?" Or is the easier option a pellet grill for typical back yard seasonal eating
I am in the same boat as you. I also have the Longhorn. I am debating on spending the $ for the mods to make it more efficient so I don't have to babysit it or buy an "easy bake oven" for ease. I really like a good bark and just don't know if the pellet grill will do that. Let me know what you end up doing!
@@ramenstreetblues I ended up going with a Camp Chef WW24. The ease has made it more fun for a couple long and slow smokes for ribs, pulled pork, and a whole chicken so far. Not a purest in any sense for quality, but for my needs and a new baby on the way this makes the most sense for now. Ended selling the OKJL combo and using after type pay for the rest. So far so good. Food has tasted great. Bark wise haven't done anything yet for that. Best of luck
Hey Michael sorry for the late reply, but it sounds like you made the decision I would've recommended. The OKJ offsets, including the Longhorn IMO just aren't meant for the kind of function you're hoping for. They make minion baskets for slow burning options but that's just not the same flavor wise. Congrats on the WW24 by the way!
Hey Kevin. My. Buddy swears by Pitboss and he owns a 500 gallon offset. My problem with pellet grills is the high cost. WalMart has a nice little Pitboss for $292 I've been looking at but also Walmarts own brand, Expert Grill Commodore is $297. Of course I'm going to lookup review videos on UA-cam before I make any major purchase and yes I know about the difference in flavor. I've also bought Pitboss brand pellets at Walmart for $11 bucks for 20 pounds. Another thing you can try is pellet tubes and mazes for your electric. I love cold smoking cheese in my electric smoker using the A-maze-n pellet maze. You wouldn't believe the smoke flavor I get on the cheese with that. I've mentioned him before but Harry Soo smokes brisket on a pellet grill and has great results and he answers every comment. Check him out! He's awesome.
I was introduced to pellet tubes and the maze when I was using the MES smokers as well. I even built the mailbox mod for cold smoking and also to bring in more smoke. But even with all of that it couldn't produce the same level of cooks I can get from the pellet grill. And yes Harry Soo is a great guy and excellent resource. He's the one who inspired me to get the Weber Smokey Mountain originally.
How many pounds of fuel does this consume in one hour?
Sorry Michael can't answer this question anymore. I ended up selling it. I had the 24 before this one and the 36 consumed pellets way faster and I didn't want to use the heat blanket.
@@HuSmokin That's why I stick with lump charcoal less expensive.
I can only really taste pecan hickory and mesquite
On pellet grills in general? I think I have to agree. I even tried Camp Chef’s charcoal pellets at some point and they didn’t impart much.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Have you ever used a vertical propane smoker? I'm planning on ordering a wide body one from Dyna Glo after tasting the results from a friend's but part of me still has small concerns. I'd love to get an offset but realistically don't want to spend the time tending any fire.
Hey there! I went straight from my electric smokers to the WSM and pellet grill. I was in a similar boat and actually got the WSM along with the ThermoWorks Billows unit to help me maintain temps even longer. Closest thing to set and forget with charcoal and wood so far for me.
I’ve had some good bbq off of propane cookers as you have experienced too. What are some of your lingering concerns? I don’t doubt that you’ll be able to churn out some great tasting bbq. In the end it’ll come down to what you want most in your next cooker.
@@HuSmokinI think my concerns stem from fearing that the propane may not develop a really excellent bark. But this just may come down to improving technique as I begin to try different things. Secondly is smoke flavor intensity. So far my friend has given me smoked whole spatchcocked Turkey, brisket, beef cheeks, chicken drums sticks, beef and pork ribs off his propane and all have good smoke flavor, by no means heavy though, and I’m satisfied with it. I’d probably rate it as medium in terms of intensity but as a person who enjoys cooking, I always want the ability to do a heavier smoke flavor if necessary. Again, this might just come down to me learning different techniques and I already have a smoke tube that I’ve done cold smokes which worked pretty good so I can probably integrate that into the smoker for added flavor.
I considered the green egg and pellet smokers but knew I would only use the green egg for smoking so that’s a waste. And I’m in total agreement with you cost of pellets over time so I nixed that. Electrical seemed great but universally I’ve read it just won’t get enough flavor as you also pointed out.
That's makes total sense. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in my experience the fuel plays a significant role in forming a deep and rich bark on those longer cooks like brisket and pork shoulders. That's where pellet cookers have an advantage over electric/propane smokers because the wood pellets are the source of heat/fuel and not just to smolder to add flavor.
When using my electric smokers, I used the AMAZEN tubes and mazes with an external mailbox modification (cold smoke attachment) to help consistently bring in more smoke throughout the cook. This definitely added more smoke flavor to my cooks but it did not add to the formation of bark. But don't get me wrong, the bark was there, just not nearly close to what I have been able to get on lump/wood cookers. It's a trade off for sure, but at least you're not picking between GREAT BBQ and terrible BBQ. It's going to be super tasty either way!
@@HuSmokin I’m not qualified to really say if fuel type is a significant role but I’m sure it’ll be an 8 hour debate between some pitmasters. My thinking is that BTU is BTU to a certain extent. The amount of moisture both in the protein and ambient air, rub type and how coarse it is likely also plays into how well the bark forms. My friend with the propane has produced some bbq with a solid crust and other times not as much. That being said I haven’t tasted enough really good Texas style to say what is a heavier bark. I did have someone bring me a whole Franklin’s brisket that was cryopacked and frozen however it was reheated via sous vide and the bark was became soft.
I ended up just ordering the Dyna Glo 36” wide body propane figuring I just need to get my hands dirty finally and stop researching. It’s starting to become paralysis by analysis and you made a good point that with the equipment, it definitely has the potential for very good bbq. Btw have you tried Horn BBQ since you’re based in Oakland?
Hey hey congrats on the pulling the trigger! Remember to share an update or video once you get that thing broken in. And I hear you on that lengthy debate. There are many ways to make really good bbq. Funny thing too is I’ve had some folks come through who prefer the pellet grill briskets vs the ones cooked on my WSM or offset. 🤷🏻♂️
And yes I’ve had Horn BBQ but need to pay another visit. The ribs I had there were some of the best from a restaurant, but the brisket was disappointing. I also tried one of those pre-made briskets recently but from Snow’s. Haven’t tried Franklin’s yet. But man it was one of the best briskets I ever had... and it was reheated in water and foil. Blew my mind. Plus I read that they primarily use Select cuts.
lumberjack pellets or campchef pellets. thats it or nothing.
Definitely a fan of Lumberjack!