Pellet Grill

[DCP]

A Rectec pellet grill use about 1lb pellets per hour.
(This one of the reasons I went with the Bull, RT-700 PELLET GRILL)https://www.rectecgrills.com/RT-700-Pellet-Grill_3

Set your temperatures from anywhere. My living room for me

Rectec pellets cost about $30.00 shipped at Amazon for 40lb if you buy in bulk it gets cheaper.
They burn cleaner, longer and cause less grief.

I hope this helps?

[RedlegEd]

I'm almost talked into buy a pellet grill. Can someone give me an idea of how much pellets you go through to cook various things?

I`m with jonp.
How many hours of cooking/smoking will a bag of pellets last?
I see pellets selling anywhere from the $15 a bag range to $20+.
What is the difference?

Thanks, dale....

Gentlemen,
Good questions. I've got the Rectec RT340, which is the smaller of their pellet grills since there's only me at home now. I found that I go through about a pound of pellets an hour on a normal smoke. It has a 20lb hopper, so that means you can go about 20 hours (depending on how high you run your cooker.) I normally smoke at about 220-230°F for 6-8 hours (brisket, pork butts, ribeye roasts, etc. - ribs take a lot less time), then finish whatever I'm smoking in the oven. Now, if you're grilling and running the cooker at 400-450°, your usage rate will be a lot higher (maybe 2-2.5 lbs/hr,) but I've never measured it. I normally buy the Smokehouse Blend from Sam's Club $15 / 40lbs) and then cut those at 20% with 100% Mesquite pellets from Bear Mountain. This gives me the mesquite taste I love (I grew up in Tucson) while not being too overpowering or bitter. Once I get my pellets mixed, I keep them sealed in a large plastic bag stored in a 20 gal Rubbermaid tote. You don't want your pellets to get wet or subject to excessive moisture for extended periods. To @dale2242's question of "what's the difference?" just like anything else, some brands are better quality than others. I've used pellets from Traeger, Rectec, Smokehouse, Bear Mountain, and others. As long as the Mesquite is 100% mesquite and the others are 100% hardwood specifically made for smoking food, I find them all to be pretty good, so I go for the lower cost. I've heard some people may use pellets designed for home heaters. While I can't say for certain, that's not good. I would not recommend them as they likely contain a bunch of trash wood, fillers, and who knows what kind of binders that may/may not be food safe. You wouldn't cook food using pressure treated lumber, would you? BTW, you didn't ask, but let me also recommend spending the extra $50 and get a good cover for your grill. You've spent hundreds on the cooker, why not spend a little more to take care of it? You keep your new rifle/pistol in a case, right? Anyway, I hope this answers your questions. Jonp, don't sit on the fence about getting one...once you do and experience all the neat stuff you can do with it, you'll regret not having gotten one sooner.
Ed

[MaryB]

Traeger is around 1 pound an hour smoking, 2 if I am hot smoking chicken at 425... Lumberjack all hickory pellets are really good stuff for general use. I switch to all oak for beef...

Try a hot smoked potato! Scrub a potato, run with olive oil and season the skin with salt. Smoke at 425 until tender. Crispy smokey skin, typical baked potato interior. I throw them on when I am doing chicken leg quarters. Start them 30 minutes before the chicken. Any leftover potatoes slice and fry for breakfast, or cut in wedges and deep fry to serve along side a steak... I ALWAYS make extra potatoes for a reason!

[dale2242]

Mary, the potatoes sound great.
As far as using pellets for home heaters, I think these pellets are made from soft wood waste.
Read pine ,fir, spruce, etc.
Soft wood pellets will have a lot pitch in them which would not make your food taste good...dale

[MaryB]

I only use hardwood heating pellets.That said they DO have impurities since they are made form flooring scraps. Glue, stain...

[clum553946]

I’ve been using Traeger pellets with good results but I’m going to try 100% Hickory pellets from Lumberjack. Anyone have any experience or thoughts using 100% pellets?

[2011redrider]

According to Bear Mountains web site, only their Alder and Oak pellets are 100% of the base wood. All the others are blended with Alder or Oak. Their bags say 100% hardwood not 100% of what the bag is labeled for. Very few are 100 % of the labeled wood flavor. Most are very tricky in how they word the label and wont show what woods are blended w the flavor wood on the label. I have had to e mail the manufacturers to get the info.

[clum553946]

That’s why I want to try Lumberjack, they have 100% labeled wood pellets as well as blends where they tell you what the percentages of each wood is in the blend. Just wondering how much more intense, for instance, 100% hickory is.

[RedlegEd]

According to Bear Mountains web site, only their Alder and Oak pellets are 100% of the base wood. All the others are blended with Alder or Oak. Their bags say 100% hardwood not 100% of what the bag is labeled for. Very few are 100 % of the labeled wood flavor. Most are very tricky in how they word the label and wont show what woods are blended w the flavor wood on the label. I have had to e mail the manufacturers to get the info.

Hi 2011redrider,
Thanks. I was going by the questions/answers on Amazon and didn't really think to check the Bear Mountain web site. Now that I've checked, it appears to be a blend. I guess I'll be switching to Lumberjack pellets. It says right on the package 100% mesquite.
Ed

[jimlj]

I had the best home cooked stake Friday.

It was about 2" thick tenderloin. I stuck the temp probe in it and smoked it on "high smoke" for about 1/2 hour till the temp reached 135*. I then seared it in a hot cast iron fry pan for about 2 minutes each side.

Eating tough Holstein beef calves growing up I never developed a love for stake, but that may have to change.

[MaryB]

That’s why I want to try Lumberjack, they have 100% labeled wood pellets as well as blends where they tell you what the percentages of each wood is in the blend. Just wondering how much more intense, for instance, 100% hickory is.

BINGO! I only use Lumberjack too. They are cheaper, higher quality than Traeger...