Pellet Grill Auger Jam

[SlowmotionQue]

I've used a stick burner and I know how they work too.

... Consider the fact that with true pit cooked barbeque which were all trying to emulate there is actually no smoke at all except from the fat dripping onto the hot coals used to cook the meat. The wood is burned down to hot coals in a separate burn barrel then the glowing hot coals are shoved under the meat in the cooking pit.

One surely would not be able to tell from the above.

I also know the temperature is neither constant, exact or consistent. If it draws at all, it cant be. Simple physics but its good enogh to cook barbeque and that's the only important part.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has read your post who gets the impression that you are attempting to demonstrate that you know more than you actually do.

There are other tidbits in some of your posts which demonstrate that you don't.

I won't point them out, so as not to be rude.

You need not state the obvious to me, I've been doing this for awhile and have the successes and failures to prove it. I know how an offset stick burner works, you've demonstrated not only that you didn't, but further demonstrated that you have an exceptionally poor understanding of what gives smoked meat it's smoke taste.

In light of that lack of basic knowledge, I'm going to forgo any other "advice" that you have to offer, until you demonstrate that you know at least as much about barbecue as I do.

So far, you haven't.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Well that part is likely true especially the old guy busy shoveling hot coals from his burn barrel and spreading them out in his cinder block pit. I wonder how exact and consistsnt his cook temperatures are? LOL
But man oh man does that barbeque ever taste good. My mouth is watering just thinking about that stuff. I'd settle for either whole hog or just shoulder right now.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

Do you actually think that wide and wild temperature swings using garden variety compressed sawdust pellets, in a cheap, less than $1,000.00 pellet grill, is going to give your food smoke flavor anywhere near what temperature swings in a seasoned stick burner, tended by an experienced person and burning seasoned hardwood will give you?

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Dang slow, "unwad" your panties and keep it friendly!

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Dang slow, "unwad" your panties and keep it friendly!

Yeah, you're right.

 

[Mtorell]

Hi all, wanted to follow up on this in case it could help someone else out. I did shoot a little video for it but haven't had time to edit it so it is not too long and more helpful.

Long story short is...It WORKED! Not only did it work, it only took about 5 to 10 minutes (including taking the grates out, heat plate out and then vacuuming out the inside. The fix part itself of drilling into the auger feed tube took less than 30 seconds.

Here's what I bought to attach to my cordless drill:
My drill bits weren't the right size for the hex fitting so I ended up using a flat head tip. Not ideal but it did the job of breaking up the clog. Afterward, I plugged it back in and hit the feed button on the auger and it pushed out the junk, I vacuumed it up with my shop vac and then fired it right up. Great time saver!

Hope this helps and happy smoking!

Hey G-Rod, i posted a similar issue yesterday. I actually ordered the drill attachment you posted as well. Quick question. did you go in from the fire pot or the hopper? and ive found so far that the attachment is a little big for the auger itself and am having a hard time using it.
thanks man

 

[G-Rod]

Hey Mtorell! I went in through the fire pot. I don't you can reach it through the hopper. And it is a tight fit but I was able to get it in about 6" in which was enough to break up the clog. That said, I had another clog that I was unsuccessful with this same approach and had to take it apart to clean it out.

Now I no longer do slow cooks on that pellet grill. Just quick cooks. I got an offset smoker for this last Father's day and I do my slow cooks on that. :) Good luck to you and let us know how it goes.

 

[G-Rod]

Test

 

[G-Rod]

Just so you know I cook almost everything at 225 and you dont need any PID loop to smoke meat.
PID loops are meant for precise control and maintaining constant and consistent temperatures where its needed. Go to any good old Carolina or Texas barbeque joint that has great Q and just try to find a PID controller anywhere on the premises. You won't and they'll be laughing their asses off at you while you're looking.

All top notch Q joints use offset smokers and manage their temps very well. I'm not going there looking for pellet smokers. That said, any pit master will tell you that maintaining consistent temps is important for your cooks. For pork shoulders and thicker ribs, it is not as important but for St. Louis style ribs, brisket and beef ribs, temp spike can make for a not so great end product.

I still love my pellet grill for higher heat short cooks. But for longer cooks, I now only use my offset and am doing the best Q I've ever done.

 

[G-Rod]

Just so you know I cook almost everything at 225 and you dont need any PID loop to smoke meat.
PID loops are meant for precise control and maintaining constant and consistent temperatures where its needed. Go to any good old Carolina or Texas barbeque joint that has great Q and just try to find a PID controller anywhere on the premises. You won't and they'll be laughing their asses off at you while you're looking.

All top notch Q joints use offset smokers and manage their temps very well. I'm not going there looking for pellet smokers. That said, any pit master will tell you that maintaining consistent temps is important for your cooks. For pork shoulders and thicker ribs, it is not as important but for St. Louis style ribs, brisket and beef ribs, temp spike can make for a not so great end product.

I still love my pellet grill for higher heat short cooks. But for longer cooks, I now only use my offset and am doing the best Q I've ever done.

 

[mooncusser]

I'm certain G-Rod wasn't referring to something bought in a big box store.

A guy I knew years ago was the regional rep for Southern Pride. Sold some serious gear, beautiful stainless indoor commercial cookers of all sizes. He had customers across multiple states ranging from corporate chains to individual joints.

That said, there are plenty of BBQ places that run offsets. You don't have to look any farther than Franklin Barbecue. Custom built from 1,000 gallon propane tanks.

...and with that, back to the pellet auger jam conversation.

 

[G-Rod]

I'm certain G-Rod wasn't referring to something bought in a big box store.

A guy I knew years ago was the regional rep for Southern Pride. Sold some serious gear, beautiful stainless indoor commercial cookers of all sizes. He had customers across multiple states ranging from corporate chains to individual joints.

That said, there are plenty of BBQ places that run offsets. You don't have to look any farther than Franklin Barbecue. Custom built from 1,000 gallon propane tanks.

...and with that, back to the pellet auger jam conversation.

Exactly and excellent example MoonCusser. It appears that Richard is more intent on trying to act like he knows more than he actually does, (as SlowMotionQue previously pointed out).

Most people on here are cool as hell and I've learned a lot from many and have been able to help a few. People that strut around like know it all roosters (when they aren't), should go do it on a Facebook thread. Not here.

 

[Partaker]

I was two hours into smoking two turkeys for Thanksgiving when my second auger jam happened in my Pit Boss Rancher XL. During the course of my Thanksgiving meal my FIL and my wife's cousin said it could be an issue caused by subpar pellets.

So today I had some time and rectifying this issue came to mind so I tore it down and cleared the jam. I refilled the hopper and primed the auger with traeger pellets. Once the fire pot was producing smoke I started replacing the drip pan and griddles. I came to realize I had been installing the drip pan incorrectly. I wondered if that might have been my actual issue. The reason I wonder that is because installing the drip pan incorrectly means that it sits much closer to the fire pot which probably traps more heat than the unit was designed to withstand this causing the fire to burn into the auger and cause the jam.

So I decided to put it through its paces. I ran it for 1 hour at 400* then backed it off to 225* for 3 hours then back to 400* and grilled some delicious burgers. What do you think? Could it be that installing the drip pan incorrectly caused the issue? Rather than the pellets?

This is the first cook since the first jam without any issue.

 

[negolien]

Could be run it a few times and see. Auger Jams and backfires are a known issue with some pellet grills so couldn't hurt to experiment if u have the time and resources

 

[bill1]

Thanks G-rod for the flex drill adapter. I have a 4" one that came in some kit but I still went a grabbed one of those 12" ones. Lots of uses besides auger cleaning, but your idea is a great one! Of course they're really just a flexible spring inside, so you can't transmit a lot of torque through them, but most drills have a clutch adjustment so there you go.

Also, you've probably thought of this and believe it defeats the simplicity of the pellet grill, but I always put my pellet machine away "clean". I empty my pellets from the hoppper when I'm getting within a few degrees of my pull point. So I've still got nearly a full auger's worth then when I pull the meat, but at that point, I set the set-temp to about 300 and go inside and eat. When I come out to clean up, I've errored on undertemp (out of pellets so it can't maintain temp) but while it was trying I consumed most of the ash in the pot and got a little high-temp cleaning of the rest of the grill. Then it's stored away with no pellets in the hopper, the auger, nor the crucible. One less thing to worry about. Of course it costs me an extra 5 minutes to prime the auger the next time I use the grill, but I'm usually profitably using that time setting up and doing other things. Plus it's a check that things are working at about the right speed before I actually start a fire so I like that extra check too.