Need a new pellet brand (electric smoker tube & maze users, not Traeger-type pellet smokers)

[plume-o-smoke]

UPDATE: The results are in

• Lumberjack (4 votes) - notably available locally at Dicks Sporting Goods for $15/20 lbs
• Owens BBQ (2 votes) - 20lb bags pick up only, $17/5 lbs delivered.
• CookinPellets (1 vote) - $36/40 lbs delivered
• BBQrs Delight (1 vote) - only sell small bags, six 1-pound bags for $40 (!)
• Cabelas (1 vote) - Cheap at $10/20 lbs. Almost certainly a 'Traeger-style' oak/alder/flavorwood mix

Lumberjack and CookinPellets are the obvious choices unless you smoke very little or can get one of the others locally.

Original Post
I'm searching for a new brand of pellets, at least until I can get a-maze-n again at a reasonable price/volume. There are plenty of threads on pellets on the site, but all the recent threads are apparently for the Traeger-style pellet smokers, not the tube & maze pellets we use in electric smokers. As I understand it, the Traeger-type pellets are made to generate heat and since they're burning a ton of them during a cook the pellets are made to have a mild flavor relative to what we like to use in our tubes/trays. So the seemingly ubiquitous recommendations for Lumberjack or Cookinpellets in other threads may not apply to us. Or maybe it does apply to us. That's why I'm asking.

So what pellets are you guys using in your tubes & mazes?

 

[Winterrider]

Lumberjack is my go-to. Got some Bear Mountain going to try soon.upon others recommendations.

 

[smokin pop-pop]

Believe it or not I've been using Cabelas brand for about 4 years now. the price isn't bad and they seem to work perfect in my 12" tube. I haven't had to buy them in a few years since I get 25 lb bags so I don't know what the price is today or if they are the same since Bass Pro took over but maybe give it a try

 

[JckDanls 07]

Myself.. I still use the A-MAZ-N Product pellets ... These we know are 100% flavored wood (no additives for cooking)

 

[chopsaw]

I still use the A-MAZ-N Product pellets .

Yup , or Owens BBQ .

 

[plume-o-smoke]

<<< A-MAZ-N Product pellets >>>
Yea, that's what I've used for years and loved them. Burned ~20-40 lbs/year, maze by maze that's a lot of smokes. I heard the company got bought, then they hit the big box stores, then the 'free shipping' promotionals disappeared, now I can't even buy bags over 5#. I know several years ago they were the best game in town, but I hope there are other good options these days.

 

[mneeley490]

<<< A-MAZ-N Product pellets >>>
Yea, that's what I've used for years and loved them. Burned ~20-40 lbs/year, maze by maze that's a lot of smokes. I heard the company got bought, then they hit the big box stores, then the 'free shipping' promotionals disappeared, now I can't even buy bags over 5#. I know several years ago they were the best game in town, but I hope there are other good options these days.

Huh. I had not heard that Todd sold the company. I hope the customer service is still as good as it was under him.

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Lumberjack!

 

[sandyut]

third vote for lumberjack

 

[chopsaw]

Huh. I had not heard that Todd sold the company. I hope the customer service is still as good as it was under him.

Owens BBQ sells the same quality ( if not the same ) pellet . The customer service is above and beyond .

 

[cmayna]

A-MAZ-N for me, but I just might try Lumberjack some day.

 

[mike243]

I use LJ for the most part but the bag of Kingsford I burned recently was really good also and would bet they work well in a tube.

 

[mike243]

Also if you have shag bark hickory tree's peel a piece of bark off and put in the tube then stuff with pellets

 

[JckDanls 07]

Huh. I had not heard that Todd sold the company.

Yes.. Pit Boss bought him out ...

 

[plume-o-smoke]

I'm super excited to hear about some good pellet options. I just checked out Lumberjack.

1. 80% of their pellets are blends with a lot of oak or something mellow. Just like I'd expect from Trager. Do you avoid the blends? It seems like the 100% hickory from my local Dicks Sporting Goods for $15 is a no-brainer,
2. They use a lot of cherry. Does the Lumberjack cherry stay lit better than the a-maze-n cherry? The a-maze-n cherry was good to mix with, but darn near fire retardant on its own. But if it burns well, I'm leaning toward picking up the fruitwood blend (80% cherry 20% apple).

 

[Fueling Around]

Lumberjack cherry doesn't stay lit in a tube for me. I didn't experiment, but went to a 50/50 blend with maple and it worked.

I put pellets in a pail and give them a quick mash to break the larger pieces.

 

[GaryHibbert]

I use BBQers Delight. Never had anything but excellent burn, flavor, and aroma. A real good variety of woods to choose from, too.
Gary

 

[MJB05615]

I use Cookinpellets, 100%. Hickory. Never have a problem lighting and staying lit in my tube. I mix LJ HickChar sometimes. The LJ I have trouble lighting, but once it's lit, it's good.