New to Pellets

[mrp116]

I'm new here and new to pellets, but not new to smoking. I've been smoking on a WSM for about 15 years, and just ordered a Camp Chef DLX. I have a few generic questions about pellet smoking.

1. I am unable to store the CC inside or under a covered roof of any type. I ordered the cover for the pit. Is the cover sufficient? Do I need to empty the hopper after every use to ensure that the pellets do not absorb too much moisture? I do live in a humid climate in northern/central VA.

2. What if it rains in the middle of a cook? How resilient is the cooker? I am not talking about torrential downpours or even a steady rain, but what if there is a period of showers that come up during a rib cook? I know my WSM might drop a few degrees, but I can open up the vents a bit more and counter that temp swing. What about with the pellet cooker?

3. Should I foil the plate under the rack?

4. Are Grillgrates worth it with the pellet grill? In addition to my WSM, I also have a Performer. I have never felt the need for them in the past, but I'm not sure if they will be worth it now.

5. Meat probe? Do you leave plugged in all the time? If so, what do you do with it on cooks when you're not using it? If not, what if water gets into the open plug hole?

I have 40 lbs of Lumberjack 100% Hickory pellets on order from Amazon. Is there anything else I should be aware of and do not know that I do not know?

Thanks, I'm sure that I will end up with quite a few more questions in the future.

 

[BandCollector]

Camp Chef has a great Customer Service department with knowledgeable employees. If you direct your questions to them they could give you direct answers regarding these questions.

In my experience with my Woodwind and the fact that I work for a small company that sells natural gas grills, I will try to answer your questions:

1 The cover that came with my Woodwind seems pretty durable but I really don't think it would last very long exposed to the elements 24/7. Yes you should empty the hopper after every use. Damp pellets do not burn very efficiently.

2 Ambient temperatures, direct sunlight, wind, rain, and snow storms affect cooking chamber temperatures regardless of what smoker you are using when it is exposed to the elements.

3 Just put a throwaway aluminum pan under it. . . . A lot easier

4 I never used Grillgrates so I can't help you there.

5 I unplug my meat probe, clean it, and put it in a drawer when not in use

6 If possible, store the pellets in a water proof container inside the house

I hope this helps,

John

 

[markh024]

Camp Chef SmokePro STX owner here so i will answer to the best of my own experience and knowledge.

1. I live in Chicagoland, we have every portion of weather imaginable and sometimes all in one day. I have a campchef brand cover and it has done very well. It is a good thickness and should last quite some time I imagine.

2. I try to not smoke while it rains but if it happens to start coming down, I like to drape a towel or somethign over the hopper and control just for added protection. Anythign to aid would be better than just leaving it be. For the actual chamber, as stated, everythign effects it so expect temps to drop some. I've smoked in single digit weather with no problem, it just burns more fuel.

3. I do. Extra large foil, i replace the sheet as needed. Beats scraping the crap out of the metal drip pan.

4. No idea. cant' comment here.

5. I rarely use the probe on the controller, mainly because I've never tested ti for accuracy. I've used it a few times but prefer my Maverick and my instant read to take my temps. When not using the probe, I leave it in doors, the cover has that area protected so no worries here.

6. Clean your chamber out with a shopvac every 2-3 cooks. You will see pellet dust in the bottom, it's inevitable.

Have fun with the CC. I love mine and am really happy so with my purchase.

 

[SmokinGame]

I'm new here and new to pellets, but not new to smoking. I've been smoking on a WSM for about 15 years, and just ordered a Camp Chef DLX. I have a few generic questions about pellet smoking.

1. I am unable to store the CC inside or under a covered roof of any type. I ordered the cover for the pit. Is the cover sufficient? Do I need to empty the hopper after every use to ensure that the pellets do not absorb too much moisture? I do live in a humid climate in northern/central VA. ... I don't have ability to store my DLX inside or under a covered area. CC's cover is well made and will at least keep the elements off. As others have said, empty after each use.

2. What if it rains in the middle of a cook? How resilient is the cooker? I am not talking about torrential downpours or even a steady rain, but what if there is a period of showers that come up during a rib cook? I know my WSM might drop a few degrees, but I can open up the vents a bit more and counter that temp swing. What about with the pellet cooker? ... Smoked yesterday in a drizzle. The DLX was under a patio umbrella, so it stayed dry. I do think the ambient temps affected control somewhat though. Not drastic, but noticeable. It was a little windy as well. I am interested in CC's "blanket" for those colder days but don't have any experience yet.

3. Should I foil the plate under the rack? ... Foil or the foil pan makes cleanup easier and I am all for that.

4. Are Grillgrates worth it with the pellet grill? In addition to my WSM, I also have a Performer. I have never felt the need for them in the past, but I'm not sure if they will be worth it now. ... Never used them.

5. Meat probe? Do you leave plugged in all the time? If so, what do you do with it on cooks when you're not using it? If not, what if water gets into the open plug hole? ... My probes are removed and cleaned after each use. Stored in a tote with other smoking stuff.

I have 40 lbs of Lumberjack 100% Hickory pellets on order from Amazon. Is there anything else I should be aware of and do not know that I do not know?

Thanks, I'm sure that I will end up with quite a few more questions in the future.

 

[tallbm]

Hi there and welcome!

I don't use a Pellet Smoker but I have read up a ton on it.
Something that seems to be a common theme is that you may not get much smoke or smoke flavor from your pellet smoker. What most guys seem to do is to buy the A-Maze-N Pellet tube (AMNPT) to generate their desired smoke since the pellet smoke may be weak with the smoke.

The reason why Pellet Smokers seem to produce less smoke and therefore less smoke flavor, is that they use pellets for heat/fuel. When burning for heat wood/pellets wont produce much smoke. When burning for smoke wood/pellets don't produce adequate heat for cooking.

With this all said I would imagine that if you burn any run of the mill cheapo pellet for fuel/heat then you would be fine for cooking. For producing smoke, you could use the AMPNT and those amazing Lumberjack 100% Hickory pellets for smoke and flavor.

I love the Lumberjack pellets and I know that they are expensive compared to other brands. This is why I bring all of this up so you are not feeding caviar to a pig by burning up the Lumberjack pellets as pure fuel and still not getting the desired smoke flavor.

I am way wrong I hope some of the reputable pellet smoker guys here will please correct any of my statements as again I don't use a pellet smoke BUT I do use pellets to generate my smoke flavor in my electric smoker (MES).

Best of luck!

 

[SonnyE]

Only one suggestion... (well, one leads to another usually with me... :oops: )

First, have you considered a Patio Umbrella to help ward off the occasional rain storm?
I use them now and then around here.

Second, I don't have a Pellet Smoker. But I use pellets to smoke. I use an AMNPS tray.
So I have fuel stored. Since our home came with a pool, I use the chemical buckets (thoroughly washed and cleaned of course) to store my Pellets and Dust in. I keep it as dry as possible. Tight fitting lids.
In your new grill, if you don't clean them out, they could swell up from dampness or moisture. Then really mess things up, making the auger stick or worse.
So be very careful to follow the manual to the letter.

Third, My outdoor cooking equipment lives outside. So it lives under covers. As long as it can breath to stay dry, everything can stay fine. That means the bottom wide open, yet close to the ground. The goal is to allow things to stay dry, without closing them up so condensation forms under your cover(s).
I've seen where folks wrapped equipment up tight, and I know what happens under their well intended attempt at protection. It becomes a sauna and the moisture just destroys what's under there.
So I caution to make sure equipment under covers can readily breath.

Fourth, OK, I'll shut up.... ;)

 

[ross77]

I keep my extra pellets in the blue charcoal storage containers with a pour spout. I have never completely emptied out the hopper in my pellet smoker. Never have had a problem with wet pellets. As long as you use the smoker regularly you shouldn't have to empty the hopper.

I keep mine outside and use a cover when not in use. I bought my cover on Amazon and it fits a little loose and has vents.

The outside temp will affect the startup time and recover time when you open the lid. The controller will compensate for any outside temp variations to maintain the smoker temp. When it's cold you'll use more pellets.

I've cooked in the rain without issue. Just don't open the hopper when it's raining unless you have an umbrella.

 

[mrp116]

I appreciate your replies. Like I said, I'm not new to smoking, I just wasn't sure about some of the technical aspects of using a pellet grill. For example, my WSM's charcoal/wood chunk grate is elevated. Therefore, when it rains, although rain does get in, it gathers in the bottom under the fuel source. I noticed from watching videos about operating the CC and other pellet pits, that the pellets sit directly in the bottom of the cup. If water gets in while raining, I was worried it would run directly down into the burn pot and extinguish the heat source. I have also been concerned about the electricals, but I guess they are sufficiently sealed to withstand a shower. I have been using a Maverick for years (not on my first) that I trust, and I may use that in conjunction with the pit's probe initially until I am confident with the readings that the pit's probes are giving.

 

[bregent]

1. I am unable to store the CC inside or under a covered roof of any type. I ordered the cover for the pit. Is the cover sufficient? Do I need to empty the hopper after every use to ensure that the pellets do not absorb too much moisture? I do live in a humid climate in northern/central VA.

I kept my DLX under the supplied cover during a very heavy rains and never had a problem. I never emptied the hopper and pellets stayed completely dry. I do not see any reason you would need to remove the pellets other than for long term storage.

2. What if it rains in the middle of a cook? How resilient is the cooker? I am not talking about torrential downpours or even a steady rain, but what if there is a period of showers that come up during a rib cook? I know my WSM might drop a few degrees, but I can open up the vents a bit more and counter that temp swing. What about with the pellet cooker?

It's an outdoor cooker - works fine in the rain. Make sure it's plugged into a GFCI outlet for your protection.

3. Should I foil the plate under the rack?

I started out foiling, then found that it was faster and easier to remove any burnt on grease with a putty knife. Plus, foil will change the radiant heat output from the drip tray.

4. Are Grillgrates worth it with the pellet grill? In addition to my WSM, I also have a Performer. I have never felt the need for them in the past, but I'm not sure if they will be worth it now.

I tried them and got rid of them. If you're planning on keeping the Webers, you won't need them.

5. Meat probe? Do you leave plugged in all the time? If so, what do you do with it on cooks when you're not using it? If not, what if water gets into the open plug hole?

Remove the probe and store in a covered area in between uses.