Over thinking it... Not necessarily, it all depends on the brand of Pellet Grill and the design of its Auger tube, on if it’s a good idea to remove pellet dust. I could be wrong, but I don’t think any Pellet Grill manufactures mentions burn back fires in their owners manual.... Flameouts, Yes... Burn back fires, No. For the Original Poster... The main reason for removing Pellet Dust before pouring the pellets into the Pellet Hopper is to prevent Burn Back Fires.
View attachment 425026
View attachment 425027
What causes a burn back fire?
Cause: 1. Pellet dust can accumulate in the Auger tubes of some pellet grills... Some Pellet Grills Brands recommend to preheat their grills at a high temperature, for a certain amount of time. The accumulation of excessive pellet dust in the Auger Tube can promote a burn back fire. Pellet dust is just as flammable as actual wood pellets.
Cause: 2. Pellets are not all made the same. The lower quality pellets will break down and become “dusty”, causing them to easily ignite moving up into the auger.
Cause: 3. Pellets have been left in the grill for an extended period of time. The pellets have begun to break apart. The particles will easily ignite, moving up into the auger and could potentially ignite into the hopper.
SOLUTION:
1. Clean the pellets out of your grills hopper from time to time and use a Shop Vac to remove any remaining pellet dust.
2. Prime the Auger Tube to clear out any remaining pellets after every 4th or 5th cook and use a shop vac to remove any accumulation of pellet dust remaining inside the Auger Tube.
3.Use a Shop Vac to remove any remaining “Pellet Ash” from the burn pot after every cook to help prevent “Flame Outs”... Which is a whole different safety issue. Do these steps and You won’t have any burn back issues with any brand of pellet grill. A little extra work yes, but the safety for ones Family, home and the trouble free service of your pellet grill is more important. Set it and Forget it Pellet Queing, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do the little things to prevent accidents and to always be safe. I hope the info helps and Happy Holidays...
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi