Food Grade Pellets for smoking meats etc.

[daveomak]

While strolling thru the big box H.D. store, there was a pallet full of bags of these pellets....

I have never used pellets to smoke with although I do have a pellet stove in my home.......?

Then I saw the sign.....$10  / 20# bag........50 cents a #.... I will learn how to use pellets......

I will make a pellet smoke generator. Gawd I love being retired........

Western Oregon.......Do they have Mesquite there? Hickory?  

After running 2 tests with my home made pellet burners, I think the pellets are mostly Big Leaf Maple, with Alder and what else I do not know. It was a pleasing smoke, not acrid, and almost sweet. A true test will be on meat. I did not notice any Mesquite. I am anxious to put these pellets to meat. It wil be interesting. I figure I can always throw in some chips of Mes of Hick to add something if it is needed or go back to the smoke gen with chips in it.

I think I will buy several bags and store them. 50 cents / lb.???  Better return on investment than............

I do not think they go bad either.......

Thanks for lookin'    Dave

 

[fpnmf]

The Pellet Fuel Institue????

Ok I googled... it does exist..http://pelletheat.org/  

Yup there they are!!    http://pelletheat.org/membership/member-directory/  

Can't find there awards page...secret ingredients kinda makes me nervous tho!!

Lots of info about pellet heating..didn't find any smoking food info.

Quite a nice site the PFI folks have..

  Good luck Dave!!

       Craig

 

[SmokinAl]

Sounds like a winner to me!

 

[tjohnson]

Great Score!

Most pellets on the market today, are "Blended".  This means they are 70%-80% Oak or Alder with 20%-30% flavor wood added.

Since these pellets are mfg. in Oregon, they are most likely Alder based with flavor wood added.

Blended pellets are designed for heat in a pellet grill/smoker as well as smoke.

Have fun playing with your new toy!

Todd

 

[nwdave]

Geeze, and I thought I was just going to sit around the house and kick back with visions of a chuckie in the smoker. 

 

[nwdave]

Update on the smoke run of the pellets Dave Omak alerted us on.  Put some into my AMNPS, set up for about a 2 hour burn on the straightaway and then for a test run around the bend and continue for another hour.  Back last winter, while you all were thinking of sugar plum fairies, Todd and I were discovering a real good test for "new and strange pellets".  That is, get a good burn going, as he's shown in his recent bacon threads, then let 'er smoke.  We found that many alder based pellets (blended with some other hardwood for flavor) failed the test of smoking much past an hour, if even that long and of course, failed to go around the corner.  Using this criteria, I'm conducting such a test with this pellet and so far, it's passing with flying colors.  It's been putting out a decent, pleasant, not to sweet but not tart either, odor.  We're past 2:40 hrs and the pellet is going strong, all the way around the corner and into the second row.  That's good enough for me.  Excellent find Dave.

 

[tjohnson]

Very Cool Stuff You Guys!

For $10 a guy will take a chance

Looks Like Dave Found A WINNER!

NWDave is correct that we did a lot of testing and found some pellets did not perform well at all.

Todd

 

[daveomak]

Update on the smoke run of the pellets Dave Omak alerted us on.  Put some into my AMNPS, set up for about a 2 hour burn on the straightaway and then for a test run around the bend and continue for another hour.  Back last winter, while you all were thinking of sugar plum fairies, Todd and I were discovering a real good test for "new and strange pellets".  That is, get a good burn going, as he's shown in his recent bacon threads, then let 'er smoke.  We found that many alder based pellets (blended with some other hardwood for flavor) failed the test of smoking much past an hour, if even that long and of course, failed to go around the corner.  Using this criteria, I'm conducting such a test with this pellet and so far, it's passing with flying colors.  It's been putting out a decent, pleasant, not to sweet but not tart either, odor.  We're past 2:40 hrs and the pellet is going strong, all the way around the corner and into the second row.  That's good enough for me.  Excellent find Dave.

Very Cool Stuff You Guys!

For $10 a guy will take a chance

Looks Like Dave Found A WINNER!

NWDave is correct that we did a lot of testing and found some pellets did not perform well at all.

Todd

Thank you for the good news..............I just got home and read your posts........

..............I haven't gone out to the truck to unload the 2.......

...........count 'em 2 bags.... I just bought.....

A guy has to get lucky once in a while. The last time I got lucky was when I found this forum..........

......

 

[tjohnson]

I always say, I'd rather be lucky than good!"

TJ

 

[vegas flyingcub]

Dave, the day a Winco store here in N. Las Vegas open I noticed I saw this brand

Lil-Devils-Pellets.jpg

• vegas flyingcub
• Oct 13, 2015

pellets and that was 3 years ago. Took a chance  at $ 5.35 for a 20 # BAG. So I bought 25 bags. So happy I did, still have 20 bags left. At 27 cents a pound I'm happy as a lark. They work great in my tube smoker as well as tray smoker.. Went and checked prices the other day and they still are reasonable at $ 8.60 for a 20 pound bag...Just my 2 cents and thanks for your input on smoking....Mike
 

 

[stephan28]

I was at Winco the other day and found these for $4.98 a bag. I bought 8 bags.

Has anyone else used these recently? Thoughts/opinions/reviews? Thanks!

 

[id2nv2nj2ca]

I found these pellets at our local Winco a few weeks ago. They are currently at $5.78(?) per bag. So far, I have bought 12 bags. After reading this thread, I will be buying more to go in the new Rec Tec Bull I'm about to order. ;)

 

[bregent]

Most of the folks in this thread are using them in an AMNPTS. I would try them first before ordering more. They are mostly alder. I've tried them in my pellet grill and they had zero flavor.