Pellet Smokers in Competitions - Your opinion

[lcgc]

My wife and I started competing about three years ago and have had a blast so far.  One think I have noticed are more pellet smokers.  Every team I have ever set up next to always have the same opinion about these pellet smokers.  The opinion seems to be they are acceptable for the backyard bbq but should not be allowed in competitions.  There was a trailer that pulled in this weekend and the guy next to me says "Great, we have a guy with two Easy Bake ovens".  He was referring to two gravity fed pellet cookers on the back of this trailer.

We talked a couple more times about the pellet cookers and after thinking about my past conversations with my other neighbors, it seems like we the same issue come up.

Part of the challenge of cooking competition bbq should be about maintaining a constant temperature using wood logs.  Nothing has been mentioned about fan controllers.  Just the pellet smokers.  The biggest challenge is keeping a constant temperature without the assistance on an electric auger to feed the fire.  Also controlling air flow and the responsibility of the cook to get up out of bed during the night to tend their fire.

I look forward to the responses.  

 

[JckDanls 07]

I agree whole heartedly ... no kind of electric at all... charcoal and/or wood only ...

 

[SmokinAl]

I didn't think electrics were allowed in competitions.

Al

 

[lcgc]

They're pellet cookers. Not the electric types like Masterbuilt. I hope I'm describing this correctly.

 

[lcgc]

The first two paragraphs explain exactly what I'm talking about.

http://www.rectecgrills.com/how-it-works/

 

[JckDanls 07]

yes... and they still use electric... I say BS ... charcoal/wood and air vents only...

 

[sfprankster]

...

 

[bbqbrett]

Yeah, I don't think they should be allowed. I guess I am a bit of a purist but the machine is doing all the temp control and no real challenges for the competitors.

 

[sfprankster]

...

 

[lcgc]

 
Shouldn't be, but you see them everywhere... 

They take the guesswork out of the pit and really simplify a major portion of the effort... 

I don't have a pit controller so I don't know if I am for or against them since you still have to physically add wood to your fire.

What I do know is that I got under two hours of sleep this past Friday so I could maintain my fire.  While the pellet guy slept all night while his meat cooked in his electric oven.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Some say they shouldn't even be allowed to use digital remote therms....

So pit controllers are out as well? 


charcoal: check
wood: check
air vents: check
electric: check

:confused:

"pit controller" ... what does it run off ??

 

[lcgc]

Some say they shouldn't even be allowed to use digital remote therms....
"pit controller" ... what does it run off ??

That's why I'm kinda on the fence on a pit controller.

 

[sfprankster]

...

 

[lcgc]

I don't see a problem with instant read thermometers. Mainly for food safety more than anything. We were in a competition last month where there were disqualifications due to raw meat.

 

[bbqer-ma]

Pellet smokers nor bbq guru type units should be allowed!!! If you think about it a Pellet smoker has an electrode lit all the time to ignite the pellets, by def of kcbs rules that would be a HEAT SOURCE run by elec, SAme for Elec draft control devices, if you are allowed to use Pellet smokers, and draft controls, they might as well let U use gas smokers, or what the hell cook in the oven of your moterhome or camper!! lol We are competing against the "big Boys" this weekend at Mohegan Sun in conn. I gaurentee you they will be using Pellet smokers and Gurus. My buddy who cooks with me would quit if I ever bought a draft controller, his idea of competing is to stay up and tend the pits. I wonder how they would do if they didn't have thier pellet smokers and gurus,and had to stay up and cook instead of going to bed after putting thier meats in the smoker !! Heaven Forbid if something goes wrong it will set off the buzzer and wake them out of a sound sleep LOL  remote meat therms are ok as it at least lets you keep from opening the lid as much. I love getting a call knowing we did our cook the way I thought comps were supposed to be cooked. I know for a fact we could improve our scores using draft controllers, but if was going to do that i'd just go back to playing Golf instead of BBQ comps "both expensive hobbies !!'

Mike

 

[bbqer-ma]

By the way, Anyone want to come cook with a 2 man team in the Mohegan Sun contest this weekend to se what cooking a comp is like? We can always use a helping hand and new ideas, We are doing the sunday KCBS using "Bare naked BBQ' (no Controlers) as well as 2 Peoples choice contests on Sat. 

 

[mowin]

[/quote]

Pellet smokers nor bbq guru type units should be allowed!!! If you think about it a Pellet smoker has an electrode lit all the time to ignite the pellets.
Mike

The ignitor doesn't stay "lit" or have power to it all the time. It's only powered when first turning the smoker on. Once the pellets catch, they burn on there own without any power to keep them lit.

 

[sfprankster]

...

 

[bbqbrett]

I don't see a problem with instant read thermometers. Mainly for food safety more than anything. We were in a competition last month where there were disqualifications due to raw meat.

I agree with that. Also the thermometers are used to take the temp of the meat, not regulate the temp of the pit, it is not designed to affect the cook. In any case you could just use a standard meat thermometer and it would just take a moment anyways.

 

[JckDanls 07]

By all means an instant read therm (or the like) is to be used... that's for safety reasons obviously ...