How do you guys feel about using Traeger pellets it seems my heat is very inconsistent with it possibly because of the auger getting jammed at times I’m not certain I just bought the RT 340
Pellet brand
- Thread starter chuckmcgrup
- Start date
What’s your thoughts on Traeger pellets used signature Hickory cherry maple blend to break in my grill and do some chicken it seems like at times the temperatures will go down probably because of the auger not moving jams perhaps? I got them for free
Mastertech59
Well-known member
I don't really care for the Traeger pellets for two reasons, they supposedly use oils to flavor the pellets and there expensive.
- Messages
- 143
- Grill(s) owned
- Bull
i am far from a pellet snob. So, i am pretty open to all of them. But i do have some experience i will share.
Trager pellets were the easiest ones to get (ACO around the corner) but i have found that the ones i have tried seemed to be drive a dirty smoke. They looked good (smoke billowing) unless you understand that white, smoldering smoke actually leaves a bitter smoke taste on meat. They also left a lot of ash which tended to swirl in the cooker. I would open up the lid to have actual particles floating around and even sparks up above the grates.
Pitboss was not that bad with the smoke, but they burned really fast. And also required me to vac out the bottom of my bull after almost every cook versus after every 3-4th cook with others. So, i am not an expert, but i do not buy either anymore. They are two of the brands where i do seem to have specific evidence as to why i don't buy them. I have had two grease fires in my bull. One with bacon and one with very expensive steaks (thick)...both appeared to be trigger by floating sparks using Pitboss and Trager pellets.
But to be clear on my view, it isn't as though they are horrendous or terrible, just a little more clean up, little faster burning, little dirtier smoke and essentially a little more care. The grease fires were because i didn't clean the ash out (in my opinion). Nonetheless, if all i could get was either, i would certainly do so and use them.
Generally though i try to stay with the ones i have had great experiences with are:
RecTeq
Lumberjack - all varieties
Bear Mtn - all varieties but their single woods seem to provide the most true difference (apple different than oak that you can smell the minute you walk outside)
Cookin Pellets
My family will say almost exclusively that i should stop messing around with trying match Hickory to ribs or Oak to steaks, etc. and just stick with the competition or ultimate blends. When i go back to my journal i do have to acknowledge those that hit 5 stars on taste were almost always a blend. And specifically the cookin pellets blend. It seems to provide the best flavor without any dirty smoke.
With that being said, when i started i was a stickler for marking each bucket and knowing which brand i had in each bucket. e.g. Bear Mtn Apple in one bucket, LJ Hickory in the second. But after 100+ cooks and tracking my journal, i do not see huge differences (nor remember any) where a Lumberjack cherry was materially better than a Bear Mtn cherry on the flavor profile to reach the conclusion I will only use one or the other. I like the Bear Mtn aroma when cooking, but flavor...i feel like the other variables that always come in to it make it a wash (quality of the meat, cook times, rubs chosen, etc.) To me i have just found those two to be high quality (less ash and better smoke) and am happy with either and do not get hung up at this point in ensuring i only use Bear Mtn cheery, LBJ Mequite, etc.
I just have buckets... Apple, Cherry, Oak, Hickory, Mesquite that can include either Bear MTN or LBJ and then each blend has its own bucket. (RecTeq, Cookin Pellets, etc.).
Now.....On the 5 gallon buckets... LOVE the Texas emblem.. really puts some class on those things. I have the standard food grade white ones with color lids. When i bought them my wife liked the idea of having them versus a half pallet with bags stacked. The funny thing was when i first put the half-pallet down and the bags they looked super neat and clean because all of the bags were closed and they stacked very tidy. Then... after 8 weeks or so all of the bags were opened and some 1/4 full some 3/4 full and the "stack" became a "pile". And wifey didn't like it so much. When i went to the buckets she was much happier.... initially. Now... the white buckets seem to irritate her. Maybe i need to add some class to the area and get some of these with the Texas logo. Ha!
Trager pellets were the easiest ones to get (ACO around the corner) but i have found that the ones i have tried seemed to be drive a dirty smoke. They looked good (smoke billowing) unless you understand that white, smoldering smoke actually leaves a bitter smoke taste on meat. They also left a lot of ash which tended to swirl in the cooker. I would open up the lid to have actual particles floating around and even sparks up above the grates.
Pitboss was not that bad with the smoke, but they burned really fast. And also required me to vac out the bottom of my bull after almost every cook versus after every 3-4th cook with others. So, i am not an expert, but i do not buy either anymore. They are two of the brands where i do seem to have specific evidence as to why i don't buy them. I have had two grease fires in my bull. One with bacon and one with very expensive steaks (thick)...both appeared to be trigger by floating sparks using Pitboss and Trager pellets.
But to be clear on my view, it isn't as though they are horrendous or terrible, just a little more clean up, little faster burning, little dirtier smoke and essentially a little more care. The grease fires were because i didn't clean the ash out (in my opinion). Nonetheless, if all i could get was either, i would certainly do so and use them.
Generally though i try to stay with the ones i have had great experiences with are:
RecTeq
Lumberjack - all varieties
Bear Mtn - all varieties but their single woods seem to provide the most true difference (apple different than oak that you can smell the minute you walk outside)
Cookin Pellets
My family will say almost exclusively that i should stop messing around with trying match Hickory to ribs or Oak to steaks, etc. and just stick with the competition or ultimate blends. When i go back to my journal i do have to acknowledge those that hit 5 stars on taste were almost always a blend. And specifically the cookin pellets blend. It seems to provide the best flavor without any dirty smoke.
With that being said, when i started i was a stickler for marking each bucket and knowing which brand i had in each bucket. e.g. Bear Mtn Apple in one bucket, LJ Hickory in the second. But after 100+ cooks and tracking my journal, i do not see huge differences (nor remember any) where a Lumberjack cherry was materially better than a Bear Mtn cherry on the flavor profile to reach the conclusion I will only use one or the other. I like the Bear Mtn aroma when cooking, but flavor...i feel like the other variables that always come in to it make it a wash (quality of the meat, cook times, rubs chosen, etc.) To me i have just found those two to be high quality (less ash and better smoke) and am happy with either and do not get hung up at this point in ensuring i only use Bear Mtn cheery, LBJ Mequite, etc.
I just have buckets... Apple, Cherry, Oak, Hickory, Mesquite that can include either Bear MTN or LBJ and then each blend has its own bucket. (RecTeq, Cookin Pellets, etc.).
Now.....On the 5 gallon buckets... LOVE the Texas emblem.. really puts some class on those things. I have the standard food grade white ones with color lids. When i bought them my wife liked the idea of having them versus a half pallet with bags stacked. The funny thing was when i first put the half-pallet down and the bags they looked super neat and clean because all of the bags were closed and they stacked very tidy. Then... after 8 weeks or so all of the bags were opened and some 1/4 full some 3/4 full and the "stack" became a "pile". And wifey didn't like it so much. When i went to the buckets she was much happier.... initially. Now... the white buckets seem to irritate her. Maybe i need to add some class to the area and get some of these with the Texas logo. Ha!
- Messages
- 33
I only use Pit Boss now and have seen no performance difference and ash seems to be less
@Mastertech59 I read someplace in a FB group that this guy heard that hickory and cherry pellets are so hard they can break an auger pin. Have you heard of that?
Mastertech59
Well-known member
I have used both of these pellets and never have had any issues with my Bull with the auger or the auger pin breaking.
Thanks. I got me a bag of LJ competition to load in my Bullseye whenever it gets here.
Mastertech59
Well-known member
I have read about some folks having issues with the char hickory pellets causing auger issues but haven't tried them yet.
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Bytor
Well-known member
I have been "stuck" in using Hickory. I really like the aroma of the smoke and how well it goes with what I have been cooking. I have been using Cooking pellets for the last couple of bags. I have been noticing that as of late, the pellets seem to funnel in the hopper with more around the sides and significantly less towards the center. I should have took a photo, but forgot. I have cleaned the inside of the hopper a couple of times, but that didn't really make any difference. Has anyone noticed anything similar?
Mastertech59
Well-known member
If you still have the hopper finger chopper lawyer grate installed remove it and this issue should go away.
Bytor
Well-known member
Yeah, I have it uninstalled, but I just keep it sitting in there. I will have to take it out and see if it goes away.
Thanks
Thanks
Do you have a link to that? I picked up some of the char hickory a couple weeks ago, but haven't loaded it yet. If there are issues, I might have to relegate it to my smoke tubes.
Mastertech59
Well-known member
I don't have a link but have read about auger jamming issues when using these pellets because there very hard, I'm not sure never used them and it may be fake news.
TexasManInCajunLand
Well-known member
The standard buckets are not food grade and are only 50 cents cheaper, nor are they made as well. The lids have a ring that is applied using a rubber mallet and is gasket sealed with the lid itself that is threaded and seals up very nicely. While the lids do seem a bit pricey, IMHO, I feel that they’re worth every penny that I spent on them due to the quality of the construction and how well they’re able to protect the contents in them.
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Mastertech59
Well-known member
The original bags the pellets come is work great for storing them and don't cost anything.
TexasManInCajunLand
Well-known member
This is true as well! But when you purchase 100lbs or more it's nice to have some extra protection.The original bags the pellets come is work great for storing them and don't cost anything.
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