Pellet smoker question

[porktaco]

I currently have a MES40 and I use the Amazen tray to create the smoke desired. I am now looking to upgrade to a Pellet Smoker grill. I started with the Trager but I quickly changed my mind because of the issues. Now i am looking at the Green Mountain Daniel Boone , PelletPro and the Louisiana Grills.

My question is, do all Pellet Grills relay solely on the pellets for the heat source? My MES using the heating element to generate the heat and the pellets are just to provide the smoke. During the process on the MES about three hours in you can let it run out of pellets but continue to finish the meat with the heating element only. most folks on here say that meat (pork) absorbs the smoke during the first 3 hours anyways and no more after that. If I was doing a butt for 8 to 10 hours on a pellet fed smoker I would have to use 10 pounds of pellets each time and we all have seen the cost of these specialty pellets plus shipping $$$$$$$$$$$$.

Could I add a heating element setup to switch to to finish the cook with out pellets? Or is there a smoker out there that already does this?

Thanks

Rick

 

[westby]

Pellets are the only heat source.  Pellets are cheap.  You are paying too much buying the specialty smoke tube/maze pellets in 5 to 10 lb bags.  I buy lumberjack pellets in bulk at under 30 cents per lb ($11 for a 40 lb bag).  You can get in on group buys in bulk if you don't want to buy a ton at a time yourself.   I can smoke for almost 48 hours straight on one bag.  Pretty sure that's cheaper than the electricity you would use in an MES or the gas you would use in a gas smoker.  The electrical consumption in a pellet grill is minimal after initial startup - basically the same as running a fan.

 

[chef jimmyj]

All the heat in a pellet grill is from pellets. So yes, smoke 10 hours, you burn around 5-10 lb of pellets depending on temp. Buying a 10-20lb bag of pellets is expensive. If you go pellet pooper, look to buy bulk, either by yourself or with other pellet guys you know. See cookingpellets.com

No smoke flavor after 3 hour...BALONEY!...200 years of Smoking Bacon or Country Hams for a WEEK or more, has been a waste of time? A Butt for 3 hours in smoke than finished in an OVEN is as good as a Butt smoked low and slow for 20 hours over Hickory or natural charcoal and thin blue smoke???? Guys are Idiots for spending THOUSANDS on Wood Fired Smokers, like a Lang, Jambo or Stump because the wood smoke is only good for 3 hours...

 

Truth is...The Nitrogen Dioxide that wood produces will only penetrate for 3 to 4 hours making a SMOKE RING but the smoke FLAVOR made of particulate matter, gases, esters and aldehydes, found in smoke, continue to add that good smokey flavor as long as you make smoke.

" most folks on here say that meat (pork) absorbs the smoke during the first 3 hours anyways and no more after that. "   Naaaaaa...Most folks here KNOW better than this. I highly doubt you will ever see an OTBS MEMBER or long time member with 5000, 10,000, 20,000 Posts say 3 hours is all you need....OK, maybe in a Pinch, the Apocalypse has started, a 2 mile wide Meteor is heading toward the US, that kind of thing...

We all came here to learn...

...JJ

 

[jeepdiver]

Pellets aren't "that" expensive. I get 40# page from the local ACE for 35, and usually have a $10 discount on a 50 purchase so can get 80 lbs for 60.

It depends on the unit how many you will burn through. I will probably use 8 or so pounds on my butt today.

I could do a bulk buy and save a bit more, but it's more trouble than it is worth to me to deal with that many bags at a time

 

[bregent]

Pellets aren't "that" expensive. I get 40# page from the local ACE for 35, and usually have a $10 discount on a 50 purchase so can get 80 lbs for 60.

It depends on the unit how many you will burn through. I will probably use 8 or so pounds on my butt today.

I could do a bulk buy and save a bit more, but it's more trouble than it is worth to me to deal with that many bags at a time

You don't need to buy that many to get a hefty price reduction. You can go in with others on a group buy and get them for less than half of what you're now paying.