Lumberjack pellets

I was just in a Rural King yesterday and they did not have any LJ pellets in house. Made a special trip just to stock up on LJ pellets. All the pellets they had was labeled "Rural King". Customer service told me they would be getting LJ pellets back in stock but their brand was just as good & a dollar cheaper. I did not purchase their pellets and am wondering if they will discontinue selling LJ pellets????
Rural King had a sale recently on lumberjack and maybe won't get too many more until early spring?

I did buy some of the Rural King brand that was a dollar cheaper a bag. Honestly, they seems the same as lumberjack and had the same wood verities so perhaps made at the same place plant in Wisconsin? idk but I know I've used some in my Bullseye and didn't notice any difference.
 
Whatever pellets you get, I’d recommend checking the bag before you buy them to make sure they’re not too long. Even good brands are capable of bad batches. 1.5”- 2” long will cause problems. As much as you may try to break them up, all it takes is one pellet on steroids to ruin your day.
 
I would sure like to try Lumber Jack, but my only option is to have them shipped which creates a price of over $25 for 20 lbs. I have a local guy where I can get Smoke Ring competition blend for $30 for 40 lbs out of the door. When I've seen folks here talking about Rural King prices I'm blown away. Oh and Rural King won't ship to me.
 
Just bought my first bag of the competition blend today. I’ve been using Rec Tecs ultimate blend and they are good but I wanted to try some fruitwood so I found lumberjack and excited to try out.
 
Whatever pellets you get, I’d recommend checking the bag before you buy them to make sure they’re not too long. Even good brands are capable of bad batches. 1.5”- 2” long will cause problems. As much as you may try to break them up, all it takes is one pellet on steroids to ruin your day.
So, how do you go about "checking the bag before you buy?" No store that I know of will let you open the bag before you buy it. Inquiring minds want to know.
 
So, how do you go about "checking the bag before you buy?" No store that I know of will let you open the bag before you buy it. Inquiring minds want to know.
Great question 😆. I haven’t figured out a great method yet, but the best you can do is look through the clear sections of the bag and feel around a bit through the plastic bag. No, it’s not perfect, but if you detect any really long pellets, I highly advise moving along to the next bag.
 
I've heard good things about Bear mountain. I would definitely try them if they were available. They may have them at Costco now so I'll have to check that out in the spring.
Look for deals around some of the major holidays. They will run a BOGO free deal usually on the big bbq holidays and sometimes on others like Easter. It doesn't get them down to super cheap but I think it was around $13 for a 20lb bag the last time they did it. The really good deal was when they allowed it on the 40lb bags but I guess they got smart and I only saw that once. It has been excluded in every sale since then.
 
Look for deals around some of the major holidays. They will run a BOGO free deal usually on the big bbq holidays and sometimes on others like Easter. It doesn't get them down to super cheap but I think it was around $13 for a 20lb bag the last time they did it. The really good deal was when they allowed it on the 40lb bags but I guess they got smart and I only saw that once. It has been excluded in every sale since then.
I try to buy pellets at or under 50 cents a lb. Though I know some folks in other areas in the country do not have that option so you gotta get the best deal you can.

The best deal I've gotten is when Rural King(pre pandemic) had a $5 a bag (20 lb bags). There was a limit but yeah, that was an amazing deal. Maybe this year they will do it again.
 
I have been very pleased with RecTeq pellets. They have a milder smoke flavor and I like that as I can always add a smoke tube or chips on the heat shield if I want more smoke but on longer smokes the RecTeq seem to be perfect for me. They burn hot and leave little ash. They are selling them in single bags again for $30 each but the larger quantity is cheaper.
 
. Fairly new to the pellet smoker scene. Purchased RT-590 last November and have been using it quite a bit on various protiens, including pork ribs, whole chickens, whole turkey, and bone-in prime rib. Have been using Knotty Woods pellets (1/2 almond and half pecan) with excellent results based on consistent/predictable temps and an excellent smoke flavor. Used LJ Competition blend this past weekend on a overnight cook of brisket. Very happy with the results - - consistent and predictable temp with very good (bold) flavor. I will certainly use LJ again when I want a bit more smoke flavor on beef products - - likely on some beef ribs.
 
Picked up 2 of the 20lb bags of the apple Blend at dicks the other day. What the verdict out there with this blend of oak & Apple?
 
As others have previously mentioned there is speculation that RK pellets are rebranded LJ pellets. LJ seems to run them on sale a time or two a year. Usually in the winter. I don't have a RK in my area but do have a similar Atwoods Ranch and Home who stocks LJ and Bear Mtn. They also run LJ sales. If you aren't near a RK look for an Atwoods in the South/Southwest. If you have an Academy Sports nearby they did carry B&B pellets which are supposed to be rebranded BBQer's Delight. However the last time I looked my local Academy didn't have any. Another deal is most Tractor Supplys carry Bear Mtn. at good prices. Lastly, like others, I have also heard that Dick's Sporting goods will price match LJ pellets.
 

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