Let’s talk Pellet Grills/Smokers

[01rednavigator]

Green Mountain Grills

Davy Crockett..... you can run it on 110vac or 12vdc from your cars cigarette lighter.

Davy Crockett - Green Mountain Grills


You can get them at Coastal Farm & Supply.

Do you have the Davy Crocket?

 

[filsonhand]

Can't go wrong with a 26.75" weber.
It'll do just about everything including briskets, Boston butts, ribs and it sears like a beast

 

[DirectDrive]

Can't go wrong with a 26.75" weber.
It'll do just about everything including briskets, Boston butts, ribs and it sears like a beast

Those are nice but hard to find.

 

[clearconscience]

I've been thinking about this a lot.

I want to get into Smoking meat but don't want to spend a ton of money on something I will only use a few times a month.

I bought a propane smoker from a friend for like $40 but it's the size of a fridge and I'm not sure how to even work it.

 

[01rednavigator]

I've been thinking about this a lot.

I want to get into Smoking meat but don't want to spend a ton of money on something I will only use a few times a month.

I bought a propane smoker from a friend for like $40 but it's the size of a fridge and I'm not sure how to even work it.

I'm in the same boat as you, I don't want to spend a ton of money on something that I am not going to use a ton.

The Pit Boss seems like very good quality and is much heavier and seems better built than the Treager Tailgate model.

It seems really nice for $297 plus I get 10% off.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

The charcoal wood deal is interesting to me. But don't you have to work five times harder to attain what a pellet does? Like add charcoal? And measure charcoal?
But! Pellet grills aren't cheap to run. Way more expensive than propane. Way more!

 

[kmk1012]

I see a lot of older (American made Traegers) on Craigslist come up every now and then. I'm going to get a second one for up at camp. My Traeger is huge with the cold smoke box on it and I had to build a custom cart with a rack for pellets and stuff. If I were looking for a new pellet smoker I'd shy away from the Chinese build Traegers, definitely have dropped off in quality from my 19 year old one.

 

[LSWC]

I had a Mt Angel built Traeger for 6-8 years. It was a good cooker - I mostly used it for burgers and smoking fish. When i started diving into long cooks and wanted a cooker that would hold 225F for 4-10 hours I sold the Traeger. I had the upgraded thermostat and just didn't like the 30-50F temp variances as the pellets burned down and started back up.

I didn't settle for one cooker, but have multiple depending on what's on the menu.

Weber kettle for grilling steaks, burgers, chicken, hot dogs, brats, corn & veggies.
Offset stick-burner for long cooks that need to hold temp (pork shoulders, briskets, ribs, roasts)
Pit Barrel for the set-it & forget it ribs, prime rib, chicken, turkey, tri-tips.
For fish, I reverted back to a Little Chief.

A guy can get by with one cooker, but each has strengths & weaknesses.

 

[AshWilliams]

The charcoal wood deal is interesting to me. But don't you have to work five times harder to attain what a pellet does? Like add charcoal? And measure charcoal?
But! Pellet grills aren't cheap to run. Way more expensive than propane. Way more!

Granted, my setup isn't cheap, but I can run a full load of natural lump charcoal low and slow for a very long time. I have a blower attached to the bottom vent that is regulated by a digital thermostat. The thermostat has two sensors attached:. one for the pit and one for the meat.

On my kamado, I can get a raging hot fire of well over 500 F or I can smoke low and slow for hours with the temperature perfectly controlled. I regularly do naan bread, pizza margherita, ribs, steaks, tandoori chicken, and everything in between. I did a brisket once but that's just way too much work. My cook went through the night on one load.

 

[edzz]

I like my Traeger for low and slow. If I need heat for searing I use my gas grill. If I was just trying to please myself I'd rarely use the gas grill however my wife likes her steaks rare, for me slow and smokey. Love being able to put the meat in and leave it to itself for hours. being as my BBQ area is well covered I can cook outside year round. A couple feet of snow and temperatures in the teens no problem. Very

 

[clearconscience]

That my other issue. I love the taste and texture of slow smoked, but I'm dang impatient.
I want my meat and I want it now!
So if it was a weekend BBQ then no problem, but dinner I need it to grill fast.

So I hate spending a ton of money for something I won't use but a few times a month.

Those Pit Bosses do look nice and for sub $300 I'd pull that trigger

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Charcoal or wood for me

All those automated things are crutches for people that can't BBQ right


(Really I'm just too cheap to spend the money on a pellet operated one)

dont get me wrong, i love me some bbq chicken or a nice seared steak on a weber bbq. unless a traeger gets hot enough you dont really get the sear. what i do is cook my steaks to 110* on the traeger then finish them off to 140-145* in a cast iron skillet with grape seed oil.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

I like my Traeger for low and slow. If I need heat for searing I use my gas grill. If I was just trying to please myself I'd rarely use the gas grill however my wife likes her steaks rare, for me slow and smokey. Love being able to put the meat in and leave it to itself for hours. being as my BBQ area is well covered I can cook outside year round. A couple feet of snow and temperatures in the teens no problem. Very

Knock it's horns off and wipe its azzz. I love mine rare

 

[clearconscience]

https://www.bbqdryrubs.com/traeger-vs-pit-boss/

 

[DirectDrive]

The charcoal wood deal is interesting to me. But don't you have to work five times harder to attain what a pellet does? Like add charcoal? And measure charcoal?

You have to learn and practice fire control.
It is not for everyone, but when you immerse yourself in it, it becomes second nature.
Add in a Maverick or Smoke constant temp monitor (with remote) and it just got even easier.

But! Pellet grills aren't cheap to run. Way more expensive than propane. Way more!

Not so sure about that, I've never penciled it out.
Even so, you are comparing apples to oranges.

 

[kmk1012]

@01rednavigator i was looking at the local Craigslist and came across this Traeger Wood Pellet Grill
That is a heck of a deal if you don't mind a little patina. If you don't get it I just might!

 

[DirectDrive]

@01rednavigator i was looking at the local Craigslist and came across this Traeger Wood Pellet Grill
That is a heck of a deal if you don't mind a little patina. If you don't get it I just might!

You could clean that up to look like new.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

You could clean that up to look like new.

That's cheap.

 

[01rednavigator]

@01rednavigator i was looking at the local Craigslist and came across this Traeger Wood Pellet Grill
That is a heck of a deal if you don't mind a little patina. If you don't get it I just might!

That is a damn good deal!

 

[Ironbar]

I have always grilled/barbecued on a Weber Natural gas grill. I had some brisket last year that my Neighbor did on his Traeger, I had never had anything cooked on a pellet grill and it was delicious.

Ever since then I have wanted to get a Pellet Grill/Smoker.

My mind automatically went to Traeger but after research and looking at them it seems the build quality is lacking.

I just want a small Pellet Grill to start out with. I have looked at the Traeger Tailgater and the Pit boss 340.

The pit boss is $100-150 cheaper than the Traeger and it seems way more heavier and better built. I also work where I can get a discount on the Pit Boss.

So anyone that has a pellet grill/smoker what would you recommend?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pit-Boss...te-Camp-Pellet-Grill-w-Folding-Legs/374371411


Tailgater Pellet Grill - Blue

I work at Parr Lumber, and we sell both Traeger and Green Mountain Grills. Based on all the research I did, and in speaking to our local rep for Green Mountain (Trager never contacts us), I went with a Green Mountain Daniel Boone with Wi-Fi. Glad I did!

After some initial hiccups (mine, not theirs), I now have the grill humming along! I grilled with it all through the winter by employing the fitted insulated grill cover. That held the heat in like you wouldn't believe, and I used about half the pellets I did on my first two cooks. Knowing what I knew from others' experience, I line the hell out of the interior with heavy duty foil. Makes cleaning much easier! I also vacuum it out every three or four burns. Remember to use bucket liners for the grease!

Gonna be making beef jerky with it this weekend!