A general pellet smoker question

[Mosca]

I’m just curious, I am absolutely not adding another cooker. But, one of the things that people call out as a plus for stick burners/offsets is that there is no substitute for the smoke flavor from burning wood, vs that of burning charcoal with wood chunks added. And, yeah, I get that. I think. I can replicate a lot of things with my BGE, but I can’t get that last 10% of woody sweetness that comes with tending a fire for 5 hours.

Pellet grills get called out for having too mild of a smoke flavor. I understand that recent advances in the technology have mostly solved that. Since pellet grills/smokers are burning real wood, are they giving the meat that same real woody flavor that a good fire and pit give?

[Murdy]

"I’m just curious, I am absolutely not adding another cooker."

Denial isn't just a river in Egypt.

[Mosca]

Lol, but no way. If it needs electricity to run, then I’m not interested. Too much maintenance, even just putting on a cover between cooks is something I won’t do.

[MBMorgan]

I’m just curious, I am absolutely not adding another cooker. But, one of the things that people call out as a plus for stick burners/offsets is that there is no substitute for the smoke flavor from burning wood, vs that of burning charcoal with wood chunks added. And, yeah, I get that. I think. I can replicate a lot of things with my BGE, but I can’t get that last 10% of woody sweetness that comes with tending a fire for 5 hours.

Pellet grills get called out for having too mild of a smoke flavor. I understand that recent advances in the technology have mostly solved that. Since pellet grills/smokers are burning real wood, are they giving the meat that same real woody flavor that a good fire and pit give?

Short answer: "Yes" ... albeit less (potentially much less depending on cooker temperature, pellet type, and smoker characteristics) intense because you can burn a lot more wood as chunks in a charcoal rig or sticks in a stick burner than a pellet smoker will burn to keep itself hot. It's possible to supplement the smoke in a pellet rig using a smoke tube or foil "smoke bomb" but in my case I never have felt the need (I prefer a lighter smoke profile anyway).

[Skip]

I agree with MBMorgan. I've had 3 Pellet Smokers in the past 20 years...a MAK 2 Star currently. Each one got a "little" more smoke. It's mild but we're satisfied.

[rlozinak]

I have the LSG pellet smoker and I would say I am almost there with the smoke flavor. The meat coming off the the LSG definitely has a more smokey profile then the Traeger.

[CaptainMike]

Wut dis guy sed. I have the LSG PP and offset, and while the PP is very good it does not quite get to the level of the stick burner.

[Draznnl]

Are you guys burning 100% wood pellets, no filler, rlozinak CaptainMike ? I find those help the smokiness in my Yoder.

[realdocBBQ]

I tell people - you can get 80% of the way there with 10% of the effort.

That last 10-20% of the flavor/bark/etc., you get with stickburning is a lot more trouble, yes.

[mrteddyprincess]

I am also "absolutely not adding another cooker" Mosca. :-) (But if I ever get enough space on my back patio you might be able to twist my arm to get a pellet cooker.)

So I'm chiming in on this because I own an offset smoker that burns hardwood splits and I frequently get to eat food from my two friends who each own Traegers. One friend has what I would consider a "standard" Traeger and the other guy spent way too much for one with all the bells and whistles.

Both of these guys produce great BBQ and have figured out that the pellet grills are better at imparting smoke at lower temps. So their strategy on big pieces of meat is to keep the heat low for the first few hours and then crank it up to finish. I love the food that comes off both of their pellet cookers and I enjoy it enough that given enough space for an additional cooker, I would love to have the convenience of a plug-in pellet smoker.

However, the consensus among all three of us is that the smoke imparted by real wood splits on my offset is noticeably different by being more prominent.

Is that good or bad? I would argue that the convenience of the pellet smokers are a big plus and the difference in flavor is not enough for someone who is happy with a pellet smoker to abandon it in favor of a clunky offset that requires a comparatively larger investment in the fuel.

But I like building fires. I like tending the firebox. I enjoy the process of cooking on the offset. And I'm still a little jealous of people who get to cook on pellet smokers.

[Mosca]

Thanks Brian, that is what I wanted to know!

[CaptainMike]

Perfectly stated!

[DavidNorcross]

I really do not see myself owning anything but a pellet cooker. With that being said, it clearly does have a lighter profile, but the flavor is still excellent.

[Huskee]

Smoke is smoke, but as we know the more efficient the burn the less particles in that smoke. Pellets are very efficient with a high power fan stoking their burn. So, no, on a flavor intensity scale they are not anywhere near the same. But they do have a legit smoke flavor, it's just delicate.

I like to use that "gentle cycle" of a pellet cooker to my advantage for things that I don't want a lot of smoke flavor on, like pizzas, veggies, burgers, and lately even steaks. I don't prefer my briskets or ribs on them, but I've found with a long 12hr cook even they still taste fine, just gentle by comparison.

[gdean44]

Pellet smoker here as well. I understand and agree with all of the posts above. While I like either smoke profile on meat; my wife does NOT like the smokiness of anything more than my RecTeq pellet smoker. And we all know that making mama happy is what's most important.

One other "pro" for the pellet smoker is that I use mine 4-6 days per week. I'll be reverse searing some steaks tonight, did pork chops last night, ribs Monday night, and doing some burgers & hot dogs tomorrow when the granddaughters are over. I just have a hard time buying/using a stick burner once a week on Saturday when I'm able to spend the whole day "tending the fire". I do sit out on my grilling porch watching the grandkids play and smelling the wood (even though it's in pellet form) burn.

[Clawbear57]

I have a ZGrill puppet and I'm not impressed with it. I would like to get another someday. I think that I would like to get a Weber so I can cook with charcoal and wood..

[zgrills]

I heard it announced a 2023 new model, if you want to upgrade your old model, look forward to their Father's Day sale, and get the biggest deal this year.

[Clawbear57]

Thanks but I'm going to try a Weber or PBC next.

[shush]

I have a Recteq 680. At first, I was worried about the smoke profile. I am sure you can search these forums and find my full write up... but the shorter version is that I put some wood chunks on top of the heat deflector, and get all the wood smoke I want with the added ease of a pellet smoker.