Feed rate

[JTolbert]

Recently seen video on YouTube about feed rate from Recteq. In video they said grills should come with set at 65? Checked my BFG it was at 10. Changed it to 65...changed smoke output tremendously on low. Fan cycled on off like I would expect at extreme smoke....but it would no longer hold 180..it was a fairly hot day and grill was in direct sun. Just wondering if anyone has played with this?

 

[Greg Jones]

I suspect the 65 setting was mentioned in an old video. The controllers have evolved in recent years and the auger speed has received a 50% bump, so what once was recommended may not be the case now for your particular grill. I’d suggest calling recteq and see what they recommend for your grill in your climate.

 

[Lager1829]

Recently seen video on YouTube about feed rate from Recteq. In video they said grills should come with set at 65? Checked my BFG it was at 10. Changed it to 65...changed smoke output tremendously on low. Fan cycled on off like I would expect at extreme smoke....but it would no longer hold 180..it was a fairly hot day and grill was in direct sun. Just wondering if anyone has played with this?

I've seen in the documentation to not adjust your feed rate unless specifically directed by support.

 

[C. Keeper]

Crazy grill, what will they think of next

 

[kstone113]

I suggest you play with your feedrate and have it as high as it can be with holding 180. That's what I have done. I always adjust my feed rate(at least my Bull) from winter to summer. On my Bullseye, I haven't really played with it since I 99% of the time doing just grilling with my Bullseye.

The BFG's are known for not giving out a lot of smoke even at 180 especially when comparing to the Bull or stampede.

 

[Greg Jones]

I suggest you play with your feedrate and have it as high as it can be with holding 180. That's what I have done. I always adjust my feed rate(at least my Bull) from winter to summer. On my Bullseye, I haven't really played with it since I 99% of the time doing just grilling with my Bullseye.

The BFG's are known for not giving out a lot of smoke even at 180 especially when comparing to the Bull or stampede.

Just curious, but why are the BFGs known for this? Never heard this before.

 

[Greg Jones]

recteq Academy, late 2020. Cooked whole hog on the monster RT with the same internal components as the Bullseye and Stampede. Trust me, or not, this was freaking delicious.

 

[Greg Jones]

Let me (hopefully) not be an a$$ by saying the recteq grills produce the smoke that they produce. Period, and I believe that to be true. Like the output of smoke or not, from a recteq or any other pellet grill, the smoke is not going to (significantly) intensify or lessen if you have a Bullseye or a BFG.

 

[Beach Bum]

We had the 2022 version of that hog at the academy. Yep, it was amazing.

 

[kstone113]

Just curious, but why are the BFGs known for this? Never heard this before.

Yeah, just from forums I've noticed and my buddy who owns a catering business brought a BFG(still has today) and has experienced that and seen it when he first got it.

Obviously as the grill is seasoned(used), less smoke will stick to the walls and you will notice more smoke out the chimneys. While the firepot is bigger and different than smaller RecTeq's, it still doesn't compare smoke wise to a Bull or Stampede. However, does any of that really matter a ton, I won't say it does. Pellet smoke is pellet smoke and is always going to be lighter smoke than wood/charcoal smoke.

So when you say RecTeq's produce the smoke they do, I would say that goes for all pellet grills expect for the Camp Chef Woodwind that has that option to be wood chunks above the firepot. I would love RecTeq do to something similiar but time time will tell. For me, if I want more robust smoke flavor, I typically go with the smoketube with pellets and wood chips mixed in. I've suggested that to my buddy. I know he's done smoke tubes to help but I don't believe he's done the trick with wood chips mixed in the smoke tubes. I'll have to ask him if he has done that.

 

[Nerdygrrl]

I suggest you play with your feedrate and have it as high as it can be with holding 180. That's what I have done. I always adjust my feed rate(at least my Bull) from winter to summer. On my Bullseye, I haven't really played with it since I 99% of the time doing just grilling with my Bullseye.

The BFG's are known for not giving out a lot of smoke even at 180 especially when comparing to the Bull or stampede.

It has nothing to do with the feed rate it's about unoccupied space. It take longer to fill with smoke if it is not filled with meat.

 

[Motodad1776]

It has nothing to do with the feed rate it's about unoccupied space. It take longer to fill with smoke if it is not filled with meat.

Huh?

 

[JTolbert]

From my own experience I agree with Netdygrrl it's the extra large capacity that seems to cause lighter smoke in my BFG at least. That said I wasn't attempting to start another convo stick vs pellet or BFG no smoke....been beat in the ground. I just wanted to see if anyone experimented with feed rate, with any success. And I will say the higher feed rate created tons more smoke simply cause then the pellets are not burning as clean cause it's forcing more in. But fan cycled constantly and wouldn't hold temp. I love my BFG and everything cooked on it has amazing flavors

 

[Nerdygrrl]

Huh?

The fire pot/smoke being produced is not adequate enough to maintain the full volume of the cooking area in the BFG. It works best when loaded up as there is less volume that it needs to fill. With smaller cooks it has a difficult time maintaining that wide open space.

From my own experience I agree with Netdygrrl it's the extra large capacity that seems to cause lighter smoke in my BFG at least. That said I wasn't attempting to start another convo stick vs pellet or BFG no smoke....been beat in the ground. I just wanted to see if anyone experimented with feed rate, with any success. And I will say the higher feed rate created tons more smoke simply cause then the pellets are not burning as clean cause it's forcing more in. But fan cycled constantly and wouldn't hold temp. I love my BFG and everything cooked on it has amazing flavors

Feed rate is more about maintaining consistent lower temps in different environments. It has no impact on smoke production. When it was hitting 100+ out here I had to drop my feed rate down to a 4 to keep it in the 180 range. It was having nasty temp swings prior to that-everything from 170-230.

 

[JTolbert]

The fire pot/smoke being produced is not adequate enough to maintain the full volume of the cooking area in the BFG. It works best when loaded up as there is less volume that it needs to fill. With smaller cooks it has a difficult time maintaining that wide open space.

Feed rate is more about maintaining consistent lower temps in different environments. It has no impact on smoke production. When it was hitting 100+ out here I had to drop my feed rate down to a 4 to keep it in the 180 range. It was having nasty temp swings prior to that-everything from 170-230.

Well all I know is what my eyes saw compared to the other 100 plus cooks I've done feed rate at 65 tons of smoke but temp lowest was like 220 and wouldn't go lower. Maybe your correct but not what I witnessed

 

[Nerdygrrl]

Well all I know is what my eyes saw compared to the other 100 plus cooks I've done feed rate at 65 tons of smoke but temp lowest was like 220 and wouldn't go lower. Maybe your correct but not what I witnessed

Just curious re the smoke coming out was it the blue smoke or was it white?

 

[JTolbert]

Said that earlier. It's more of dirty smoke because at the moment too many pellets have been added to the fire

 

[kstone113]

It has nothing to do with the feed rate it's about unoccupied space. It take longer to fill with smoke if it is not filled with meat.

Maybe we are talking about different topics. The feed rate have EVERYTHING to do with maintaining a low temp like 180. If the feed rate is too high, then even with the fan turning off/on, the firepot is getting too many pellets to maintain a low temp.

Now the feed rate has nothing to do with higher temps on the grill which a lot of people get confused on that.

On my bull, I turn up the feed rate in the winter b/c it is so cold(I live in Chicago land) and in the summer, I have to turn it down b/c it won't maintain the low temps.

On when my grill is packed with meats - say like 8 pork butts, I see less smoke coming out the smoke stack b/c the smoke is sticking to the meats. The less mat in the grill, the more smoke you will see coming out the stack(s).

 

[Motodad1776]

^^^^^^That^^^^^^ sounds like the correct explanation and theory behind "feed rate" and exactly what I experience and do depending on the time of season here in Ohio. My old Pitboss had no compensating for temps, it was all done by how often the auger feeds and for how long it feeds.

 

[Greg Jones]

Maybe we are talking about different topics. The feed rate have EVERYTHING to do with maintaining a low temp like 180. If the feed rate is too high, then even with the fan turning off/on, the firepot is getting too many pellets to maintain a low temp.

Now the feed rate has nothing to do with higher temps on the grill which a lot of people get confused on that.

You are spot-on with the first paragraph. Your second paragraph also is correct, and might benefit from additional info. If the feed rate is set so low that flame out occurs, then when the grill reignites it will likely spike, resulting in temps that initially appear to be high. I have two brands of pellet grills, and both brands (3 grills total) overshoot the set temp on startup. Which is basically what happens over and over if there is a flame-out due to a feed rate that is set too low.