Recommendation needed - cost effective flavorful pellets

[bregent]

Cookin Pellets are excellent. I didn't compare the ash levels, but I did a blind taste test with my family between LumberJack Hickory and Cookin Pellets hickory and none of us could taste any difference. Cookin Pellets are expensive on Amazon ($1/lb right now) but you can get them in bulk (600lbs) delivered for about 65 cents/lb.

 

[Crazy88]

Cookin Pellets are excellent. I didn't compare the ash levels, but I did a blind taste test with my family between LumberJack Hickory and Cookin Pellets hickory and none of us could taste any difference. Cookin Pellets are expensive on Amazon ($1/lb right now) but you can get them in bulk (600lbs) delivered for about 65 cents/lb.

I wish I could order 600 lbs of pellets at once, but it may end my marriage, lol. Mostly due to the obvious space required to store them.

 

[bregent]

I wish I could order 600 lbs of pellets at once, but it may end my marriage, lol. Mostly due to the obvious space required to store them.

Understood. But the space might be less than you think. It's only 15 bags and I can fit them on one shelf of a gorilla rack in my garage. Of course, if you live in an apartment that's not gonna work.

 

[ross77]

You might have a local independent Lumberjack seller nearby. Check the Lumberjack website, Craigslist or Facebook marketplace. I have a guy close to me who sells 40lb bags for $17. You can also order a bunch and split with other people. I ordered 1.5 tons of LJ pellets and split it with 4 others. Ended up being about $12 per 40lb bag delivered. 100% hickory is the way to go. LJ or otherwise.

 

[Smokin' in AZ]

Have only used Lumberjack and they are the best.

Atwoods has them on sales right now...$6.99 for a 20lb bag.

Search results for: 'pellets wood 20 lb for pellet grill'

Because at Atwoods - It's Just Like Coming Home

www.atwoods.com

John

 

[WV_Crusader]

I am strictly Lumber Jack only. Virtually no dust and pure real flavor!

 

[nomad_archer]

I found some locally. I had a once a year coupon that got them down to $11. 99 a bag. Not great but beggars can't be choosers. I bought all they had to try them out. Next step is probably a group buy. I got 5 20lb bags. These won't last too long as I went through 20lbs in just over a week.

 

[mike243]

good choice, did you get apple or comp blend? great flavor on those also

 

[RCAlan]

I found some locally. I had a once a year coupon that got them down to $11. 99 a bag. Not great but beggars can't be choosers. I bought all they had to try them out. Next step is probably a group buy. I got 5 20lb bags. These won't last too long as I went through 20lbs in just over a week.

View attachment 435361

Great buy and just a few tips for you to get you started. It’s best to use the 100% hickory pellets just as it is to have a nice hickory flavor profile on your bbq... or you can mix it with some of the char-hickory pellets to have a touch of charcoal flavor as well. Using just the char-hickory pellets for some, has cause their pellet grills temps to run a little hotter/higher due to the charcoal being burned. If you want higher temps from your grill for searing, mix the 100% hickory pellets and the char-hickory pellets 50/50 for some great flavor. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the flavor profile from the Lumberjack Pellets and always keep the fire pot in your Smoke Hollow pellet grill clean of ash from prior cooks as well to allow the pellets to burn cleaner and to help prevent flame outs. Good luck.

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[Wildwill532]

https://www.farmandfleet.com/s/?keyword=lumber jack pellets

Used to be spend 35$ to free shipping they may have upped it to 50$ now.

Looks like they don't have the free shipping after a certain price point now. I got six bags shipped for free a couple months ago.

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks W Wildwill532 I'll keep an eye out there if free shipping comes up again I'll be ordering.

 

[nomad_archer]

R RCAlan thanks for the info. I learned years ago after my first propane grill caught fire to keep the inside of the grill clean. So I shop vac out the pot and grill the day after each cook.

Also my plan for the charhickory pellets was to see how hot I can get the grill for searing. I've been using it more for a grill and less as a smoker. I can't get away from using my WSM when it comes to doing a long smoke.

 

[Crazy88]

Understood. But the space might be less than you think. It's only 15 bags and I can fit them on one shelf of a gorilla rack in my garage. Of course, if you live in an apartment that's not gonna work.

Thanks for the recommendation of buying in bulk. Just ordered my 15 bags, after first clearing it with my wife of course. It will save me $210 compared to buying one bag at a time off Amazon.

 

[runway1]

Between Rectec and CookinPellets, what do you folks think?
I'm almost out of my 200# of Rectec pellets from when I bought my Stampede. I think they're working good, but I really have nothing to compare them to.

 

[mike guy]

The rectec pellets are merely ok in my opinion. They are delegated to heat fuel source only for me. I got a bunch of the competition blend with my cooker and I don't really use them for main cooks. I'll throw some in there if I'm going to cook at 350+ and then use a smoke tube for something like a bunch of chicken thighs.

Or if I'm doing a large brisket or butt and I need to refill around hour 12, I might throw them in there just to finish off the cook because there isn't a lot of point of continuing to use a good pellet when it's time to wrap.

 

[runway1]

ok, so you would prefer Lumberjack or CookinPellets ?

 

[SmokinEdge]

I have luck with pitboss pellets, Walmart usually has them for around 6-7 bucks for 20lb. i've tried the more expensive ones and really didn't see a difference.

This is sound advice. I use them in a pinch and never disappointed. GMG gold are very good also.

 

[BC Buck]

How I get more smoke flavor with pellet grills

I like cutting my own smoking woods but dont always have time to baby sit a smoker. My Memphis pro is a true turn it on and forget but smoke profile is mild. Iv tried many, many,ways but this works every time. If you use foil pack you dont need to worry about flareups. You will need to...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[tallbm]

I found some locally. I had a once a year coupon that got them down to $11. 99 a bag. Not great but beggars can't be choosers. I bought all they had to try them out. Next step is probably a group buy. I got 5 20lb bags. These won't last too long as I went through 20lbs in just over a week.

View attachment 435361

Congrats on finding a bunch of lumber jack pellets! I dont run a pellet grill/smoker but I do use LJ pellets for my MES with an A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker tray. BTW. Dick's Sporting Goods also sells LJ pellets and I bet you can order to the store to get any they sell online but dont have in the store... like Mesquite for amazing flavor with beef! :D

I didn't see anyone mention it (but might have missed it) but I have read a ton of threads where pellet smoker guys want more smoke flavor.
The best solution they come to seems to be the A-Maze-N Pellet Tube, the extendable version here:

You can get 4-6 hours of smoke generation from it AND the important thing is that it was made to work in lower oxygen environments like your pellet smoker!

If I owned a pellet grill I would do the following strategy:

1. Buy and use the cheapest, well working and locally availble pellets to put into the hopper, something like Bit Poss Competition Blend which can be found at most walmarts and lowes
2. THEN I would use the good LumberJack pellets in the tube to generate my real flavor smoke
   • The idea is that less expensive pellets provide heat and higher quality better pellets provide flavor.

See when wood burns the hotter the fire the less smoke you get. The lower the fire temp the more smoke you get. Pellet smokers/grills use your wood pellets for heat and to get more heat they have to burn hotter thereby reducing your smoke production.

That is the one thing to understand with pellet smokers/grills. If you want heat u get less smoke. If you want more smoke u get less heat. Finally, your control over heat may not be so fine grain so you are at the mercy of the machine.

As others have reported in the past, getting and using a tube to generate smoke gives more control and a better smoked product.

Again, I don't own a pellet smoker/grill so I can't tell you that I do this BUT if you search and scour over the forum and the internet you will find the cases that report what I'm relaying to you 2nd hand :)

I hope this info helps! :D

 

[candurin]

Right now dicks has $20 off $100, so I can get 7 lumberjack bags shipped for $90 (tax included). Free shipping over $49.

Debating on pulling the trigger.