Ordered the 590 on Saturday, this will be my first experience with a pellet smoker. Ive used my 22in WSM for 10 years and it has been great, especially with the Guru. The WSM is a pain to move around is the main reason for the switch.
Couple questions: I want this to be as "Problem free" as possible, don't want any pellet jams and other issues during a cook. I've read about long pellets causing a problem. Is there a brand of pellets that is usually problem free? What brand of pellets do I have the best chance with avoiding these jams? Seems a lot of people use chicken for their first cook after burn in. Is this just because its cheap in case there are issues?
Thanks for the replies
Congrats on your Recteq purchase. A year and a half ago I also switched from WSM22in with BbqGuru. I BBq on a pool deck. While I modded it with wheels, it was pain. The mess and cleaning and prepping the WSM prompted my move to Recteq. I’ll admit, the consistent great bbq it turned out is missed from time to time. I gave it away but my friend hasn’t used it once. I’d love to do a shootout with it. Or take it back altogether. Lol
Using the Recteq will come with a learning curve. The smoke is different. It’s easier to use, IE putting food on, cleaning etc, than the WSM, which is the exact reason for buying it. My family and guests don’t notice the difference in the bbq taste, but I do. I’m currently going through a multiple pellet trial with different wood pellets to get what I determine to be the best compromise between WSM flavor and convenience of the cook. I’ve done long smokes, hot and fast grilling using sear grates. There are times I miss the flame kissed char on a steak, in which case I use good ole charcoal grilling but most of my grilling is in the Recteq.
I cover my grill and it’s protected from direct rain under an awning as well. Humidity may have an affect on your pellets if they’re in the hopper for a long time. I noticed some weird temperature fluctuations. I checked the pellets and there were a number of discolored pellets. I vacuumed them out and replaced with fresh and had no issues. (See pic). They were in the hopper over winter. I don’t fill the hopper as full lately.
I never had a jam, Recteq, pit boss , Costco and Royal oak charcoal pellets.
Any issues I had is likely my fault. The fire pot needs a little cleaning out every now and then, and after a high temp cook I lower the temps and get the grill settled at say 250 before turning it off will help with any residual burn in the pot or hopper. Many suggestions here will benefit you as you transition to pellets. This forum has helped me greatly!
Congrats and happy bbqing!