SmokeDaddy Magnum P.I.G and Pellet Pro PID upgrade for my PB Austin XL

[RCAlan]

How long does the chunk wood last with the mostly lump charcoal mix for the SD Magnum? I have a Masterbuilt pellet grill and the smoke flavor is laughable on my pulled pork and brisket. I get better smoke flavor from my gas grill with pellet tubes! Same tubes in the pellet grill don't seem to add any noticeable smoke flavor...maybe because of the fan, I dunno. But I think it's between a SD Magnum upgrade for the pellet grill or just buy an electric smoker. I'm guessing I'd be happier with the SD, but the best pulled pork I've ever had came off an electric smoker and what got me hooked on wanting to start smoking my own meats. I wasn't even a huge fan of pulled pork till I had that smoked butt...I always thought it was fine, but it was never something I'd choose over other BBQ options. Anyhow, I need better smoke results! I got the pellet grill because I got a great deal on it and figured it would improve on my gasser and pellet tube setup...but I was sorely mistaken.

Good quality Lump charcoal gives better smoke flavor then regular charcoal briquettes... Briquettes are more uniform in shape and size, so they’ll have a more consistent burn. As for how long will a chunk of wood burn in the SD Magnum P.I.G... It’s a balancing act. The more wood you add to it the longer the wood will burn... You can get 2-3 hours of smoke time from the SD Magnum P.I.G... Adding to much wood though, will produce to much TWS and the production of Creosote. Filling the SD Magnum P.I.G. with good quality lump charcoal or charcoal natural hardwood briquettes 50% full and then adding 1 or 2 wood chunks and then topping the canister off with more lump charcoal will produce a nice charcoal/hardwood smoke mix from the canister to go along with the pellet smoke production from the pellet grill with no production of Creosote. Using 100% wood type pellets like 100% Hickory will also help produce a nice smoke flavor profile as well as running your pellet grill on its smoke setting or below 200* degrees for 1-2 hours will help produce more smoke for your bbq. If you’re looking for more Hardwood/Charcoal smoke flavor for your bbq, the SD Magnum is a good option when it’s operated correctly. Read this entire thread... It has great info and links with valuable information about Smoke Management and the tools and info required for a proper install. Good luck.

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

 

[kstone113]

I agree with everything RCAlan said above. When I first got my Rec Tec Bull - I wasn't getting as much smoke flavor as my vertical propane smoker so I was slightly disappointed but doing more research, I realized that is ALL pellet smokers. On top of that, some people prefer that deeper smoke flavor and some prefer the lighter clean smoke from pellet smokers.

A bunch of us had gotten the Heavy D heat diffuser first and then still thought it was missing some flavor and a couple of us ended up getting Magnum PIG and I've been very happy! I highly recommend it. I feel like it is the best of both worlds.

RCAlan - would you recommend a small chimney like this:

I believe I mentioned this before, I've just been using a propane torch in the magnum pig to light the bisquettes.

And when you do lump, do you mix in bisquettes in also or do you just add bisquettes as you go on?

Ken

 

[Joma]

Thanks, guys. I did read this thread...and pretty much all of the Heavy D thread as I considered that after coming across it in another post about this product. Blew through half my Sunday doing so...ha. Wish I would have seen the posts that recommended this unit EASILY over the HD before spending 2 or 3 hours reading through that huge thread wondering if it was the better option to save my pellet grill. :) I was mostly curious about how the latest method with more charcoal and less wood lasted. I did order a Magnum and hope it does the trick. I was tempted to just go the electric smoker route because I've experienced exactly what I'm looking for from one...but having to store yet another unit on top of everything else was turning me off. That, and I read electric smokers crap out way more frequently than other options...maybe that's just the reviews, though, as the people that are pissed are probably going to be more likely to write a review.

 

[RCAlan]

Kstone113 the Amazon link you posted is not working... I have 2 of these.. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-Rapidfire-Chimney-Charcoal-Starter-7416/100657893
I’ll light one for the lump coals and one for the briquettes. I use lighter fluid to light the coals or if I have some Fire Starter like FatWood fire starter, I’ll use it. I’ve tried using all lump.. better smoke flavor but the burn is not always consistent due to the different sizes of the coals.. Briquettes burn more consistent, but the smoke flavor is not as good as lump charcoals. I’ll load the Smoke Canister with a mix of white hot lump coals and briquettes first, then add a couple of chunks or a hand full of wood chips and then top it off with white hot lump coals that will fit inside the canister. I’ll check the Magnum P.I.G. after the first 1-1/2 hours and add more wood chips or coals if needed with the new loading setup. Before, when adding to much hardwood would cause the wood to smolder and not burn efficiently. Also as a comparison and I posted earlier is that Masterbuilt recommends 1 wood chunk to every 4 lbs of charcoal in their MB 560GF grill.... To much charcoal in the canister is not a problem, but to much wood in it can be. The most I would ever try now is 70% charcoal to 30% hardwood in the Magnum P.I.G. to help maintain a clean burn and smoke. More oxygen definitely promotes a more consistent burn. Adding more holes to the base cap or removing it all together will definitely help make a more consistent burn as well.

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

 

[kstone113]

Thank you! Appreciate the feedback! Not sure why the link didn't work but basically just the Weber smaller Chimney made for their little Weber kettles. I'm not sure if the one you posted from Home Depot is the normal sized one or not but I don't have a charcoal grill so no need for the big one.

I'm actually as I type this using the Magnum PIG making some wings. Never tried it making wings so I want to see how the flavor changes. I am also running it with the bottom off to see how I like that. Seems like it is burning through those faster than normal which isn't a big deal.

Have you tried both off (bottom piece) and bottom piece on with your added holes - what do you like better? The advantage of leaving off the bottom piece is I don't have to check as often and take off the bottom to release the ash. And for some reason, my screw pin on the bottom to hold in the bottom piece is sometimes very hard to get off with gloves and I have to get a pipe wrench to get off. Probably oil or WD-40 to the hole and screw would help but always forget to do that.

 

[bobbytuck]

The small Weber chimney works fine. Essentially, all you need is some white hot coals.

Don't stress about charcoal type. Just put a handful in the chimney starter, heat it up, and then pour it into the SD when it's hot. Add a couple wood chunks -- and then then top off with more coals (even if they aren't burning -- that's fine. All you need is white hot coals at the bottom, some wood -- and then whatever else. The wood is between the coals. Just like on the Masterbuilt. It'll all catch fire eventually -- and burn.)

Again -- don't stress. Just sandwich the wood in between the charcoal. Lump, briquettes -- whatever you have -- and whatever you can light will work. Any kind of charcoal works -- and will dramatically improve the flavor. It ain't rocket science.

Just make it burn. :)

 

[RCAlan]

Thank you! Appreciate the feedback! Not sure why the link didn't work but basically just the Weber smaller Chimney made for their little Weber kettles. I'm not sure if the one you posted from Home Depot is the normal sized one or not but I don't have a charcoal grill so no need for the big one.

I'm actually as I type this using the Magnum PIG making some wings. Never tried it making wings so I want to see how the flavor changes. I am also running it with the bottom off to see how I like that. Seems like it is burning through those faster than normal which isn't a big deal.

Have you tried both off (bottom piece) and bottom piece on with your added holes - what do you like better? The advantage of leaving off the bottom piece is I don't have to check as often and take off the bottom to release the ash. And for some reason, my screw pin on the bottom to hold in the bottom piece is sometimes very hard to get off with gloves and I have to get a pipe wrench to get off. Probably oil or WD-40 to the hole and screw would help but always forget to do that.

The ash falls out more easier with the bottom cap removed and I’m thinking with the added oxygen with the bottom cap off allows, that it might promote a better burn if using more hardwood is desired. With the bottom cap off, it does burn through the charcoal faster and I put a metal bucket underneath the canister to catch the falling ash. Adding four more holes like the mod I did is definitely better then the stock base cap holes. When using a greater charcoal ratio to hardwood, you’re able to taste the charcoal flavor profile and the hardwood in the cooked bbq... Something that the regular pellet grill smoke can’t produce. Even when mixing Lumberjack CharHickory pellets in with their 100% Hickory pellets, it’s not the same... The Weber Chimney that I have are not small and I think using a smaller Chimney would make it easier to pour the charcoal into the canister. Good luck on the wings today and post back how they turn out.

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

 

[mike guy]

I tried running with the bottom cap on and the smoke was awful. I might could have tweaked it to make it work, but it was obvious the fire was choked and the canister wasn’t even half full. It was the first thing I tried and had the most impact.

I was thinking of trying some kind of daisy wheel for the top, but so far it’s running smooth for me with the top partial open and the bottom off.

I do think you could run with the bottom on if you got a stronger air pump. Maybe even put a splitter on the air hose and pipe some into the bottom.

 

[kstone113]

I tried the cap off and it did burn through faster but I think I like the cap on more. I probably will drill some holes in it like RCAlan did. One thing that unfortunately did not change is I still have to push down charcoal or wood down to the bottom after awhile and gravity doesn't seem to do it? Do others have this problem? I pretty much always after an hour or so open the top and push down stuff and that gets it smoking more without even adding anything.

The wings came out good. I don't think the extra work made a huge difference but did have a slightly more charcoal smoke taste to them but I won't say it was a game changer. I still haven't done a brisket with the Magnum PIG but should be soon and can't wait for that. I have done chicken thighs/legs which made a big difference(longer time with smoke than wings) and also pulled pork. But your shorter cooks, I don't think it makes a huge difference. Sometimes with shorter cooks(and I've done this with wings and liked the results), I will use a smoke tube and mix in wood chips with the pellets. Problem with that though is my pellet tube doesn't stay lite unless I have the grill higher like 250 to have enough air flow to keep the pellets/wood burning.

So wing wise, I'm still testing out methods and smoke flavor. But even without a tube, two hours on low (Xtreme smoke) and turn up to 425 has good results.

I do still plan to buy some lump charcoal and mix with briquettes in the near future.

 

[Joma]

I tried the cap off and it did burn through faster but I think I like the cap on more. I probably will drill some holes in it like RCAlan did. One thing that unfortunately did not change is I still have to push down charcoal or wood down to the bottom after awhile and gravity doesn't seem to do it? Do others have this problem? I pretty much always after an hour or so open the top and push down stuff and that gets it smoking more without even adding anything.

The wings came out good. I don't think the extra work made a huge difference but did have a slightly more charcoal smoke taste to them but I won't say it was a game changer. I still haven't done a brisket with the Magnum PIG but should be soon and can't wait for that. I have done chicken thighs/legs which made a big difference(longer time with smoke than wings) and also pulled pork. But your shorter cooks, I don't think it makes a huge difference. Sometimes with shorter cooks(and I've done this with wings and liked the results), I will use a smoke tube and mix in wood chips with the pellets. Problem with that though is my pellet tube doesn't stay lite unless I have the grill higher like 250 to have enough air flow to keep the pellets/wood burning.

So wing wise, I'm still testing out methods and smoke flavor. But even without a tube, two hours on low (Xtreme smoke) and turn up to 425 has good results.

I do still plan to buy some lump charcoal and mix with briquettes in the near future.

With wings and the short cooking times, do you think doing a heavy wood mix in the Magnum with the less desirable TWS would result in better smoke flavor? To me, it seems like the pellet tubes tend to give off TWS to begin with, and smoked wings on my gas grill with the pellet tubes came out pretty good...more than pretty good actually. Some of the best wings I've had. On the pellet grill they're still good, but like everything, lack smoke flavor...even with pellet tubes...doubled up even. But I never have great smoke flavor from the pellet grill...(fingers crossed this changes when this guy shows up!)

 

[RCAlan]

Kstone113, I do pull the top cap off to check the progress of the burn after about an hour and I’ll tap the sides of the canister to help the ash fall through and out of the bottom of the canister. I tend to get a better smoke burn when I fill the Magnum halfway with coals then add a wood chunk or 2, then add some more coals on top of the wood chunk and lastly add some wood chips on top. It’s filled just below the outlet tube. FYI... You never want to over smoke bbq chicken...

Joma, does your pellet grill have a smoke setting on it? If it does, always run it for at least an hour to help add more pellet smoke and use a strong flavor pellet like 100% Hickory. When you get your SD Magnum Smoke Gen. installed remember, the more wood you burn the more smoke the Magnum will produce, but your goal should be is to produce good smoke. Start with a hot base of coals, about 50% full, then add your wood about 30% and then add a few more coals and then some wood chips to top it off. Run the SD Magnum Smoke Canister while your grill is on its Smoke setting or between 180*-200* degrees to help maximize good smoke production. Good luck.

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

 

[Joma]

Kstone113, I do pull the top cap off to check the progress of the burn after about an hour and I’ll tap the sides of the canister to help the ash fall through and out of the bottom of the canister. I tend to get a better smoke burn when I fill the Magnum halfway with coals then add a wood chunk or 2, then add some more coals on top of the wood chunk and lastly add some wood chips on top. It’s filled just below the outlet tube. FYI... You never want to over smoke bbq chicken...

Joma, does your pellet grill have a smoke setting on it? If it does, always run it for at least an hour to help add more pellet smoke and use a strong flavor pellet like 100% Hickory. When you get your SD Magnum Smoke Gen. installed remember, the more wood you burn the more smoke the Magnum will produce, but your goal should be is to produce good smoke. Start with a hot base of coals, about 50% full, then add your wood about 30% and then add a few more coals and then some wood chips to top it off. Run the SD Magnum Smoke Canister while your grill is on its Smoke setting or between 180*-200* degrees to help maximize good smoke production. Good luck.

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

It does have a smoke setting. I did a pork butt over the weekend and started it on the smoke setting for an hour and a half along with two pellet tubes going most the entire cook. I used Traeger 100% hickory pellets in the tubes and Pit Boss 100% hickory pellets in the grill. I'm sure neither are great, but would the difference be significant with better pellets? A little difference maybe...but significant?

The pork butt...the only 'real' smoke flavor came from spraying the pulled meat with a liquid smoke spritz...after trying it and not tasting any smoke prior. Shoulda spritzed with the smoke broth mix while it was cooking.

 

[RCAlan]

It does have a smoke setting. I did a pork butt over the weekend and started it on the smoke setting for an hour and a half along with two pellet tubes going most the entire cook. I used Traeger 100% hickory pellets in the tubes and Pit Boss 100% hickory pellets in the grill. I'm sure neither are great, but would the difference be significant with better pellets? A little difference maybe...but significant?

The pork butt...the only 'real' smoke flavor came from spraying the pulled meat with a liquid smoke spritz...after trying it and not tasting any smoke prior. Shoulda spritzed with the smoke broth mix while it was cooking.

Joma, I have couple of questions for you... What type of bbq grills did you use to have and are most familiar with? When you were using your old smokers/grills, what kind of smoke where they producing and how much? Was it white smoke and if so, could you see it clearly or just a little? I’m thinking if you had your pellet grill on smoke mode and was using two pellet tubes at the same time and the smoke still wasn’t enough, then I’m thinking that it’s the type of smoke that you’re use to... and that type of smoke may be hard, if not impossible for a pellet grill to produce. The SD Magnum P.I.G. will give you a lot more options in obtaining the type of smoke that you’re looking for, but even the Magnum P.I.G. smoke is not overpowering when it’s TBS. TBS type smoke to me doesn’t taste overpowering or super strong. TWS to me definitely produces a strong flavor profile and can be overpowering to some. Some TWS is not bad, but to much TWS for long periods of time can be overpowering... Hopefully the Magnum P.I.G. Smoke Gen. works out for you, because it does burn real hardwood and lump charcoals... Something a pellet grill in its normal function can’t. I hope everything gets figured out and you’re finally able to get the type of smoke you’re looking for.

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

 

[Joma]

Joma, I have couple of questions for you... What type of bbq grills did you use to have and are most familiar with? When you were using your old smokers/grills, what kind of smoke where they producing and how much? Was it white smoke and if so, could you see it clearly or just a little? I’m thinking if you had your pellet grill on smoke mode and was using two pellet tubes at the same time and the smoke still wasn’t enough, then I’m thinking that it’s the type of smoke that you’re use to... and that type of smoke may be hard, if not impossible for a pellet grill to produce. The SD Magnum P.I.G. will give you a lot more options in obtaining the type of smoke that you’re looking for, but even the Magnum P.I.G. smoke is not overpowering when it’s TBS. TBS type smoke to me doesn’t taste overpowering or super strong. TWS to me definitely produces a strong flavor profile and can be overpowering to some. Some TWS is not bad, but to much TWS for long periods of time can be overpowering... Hopefully the Magnum P.I.G. Smoke Gen. works out for you, because it does burn real hardwood and lump charcoals... Something a pellet grill in its normal function can’t. I hope everything gets figured out and you’re finally able to get the type of smoke you’re looking for.

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

I'm somewhat new to smoking my own meats...in the past I've just been a fan of eating at BBQ joints. Didn't know how to make my own and was a bit intimidated by the thought. But my obsession with it came after my in-laws got an electric smoker and we had a pork butt from it. The smoke flavor was strong and it was incredible! And it didn't seem all that difficult. I was going to just get an electric smoker of my own, but it was winter so they were out of season and no good deals to be found. I did get a couple pellet tubes, though, and used them on my gas grill and got pretty good results doubling them up. A few months later I happened upon a Masterbuilt pellet grill on clearance for only $100 so I figured what the hell? Unfortunately I haven't been able to get good (aka strong) smoke flavor on it even with the pellet tubes. You'd think I should just ditch the pellet grill, but I DO like how easy they are to use, getting the temp set and not going through most of a tank of propane doing an overnight cook. Yes, you go through most a hopper of pellets, too, so what's the diff? Well, the difference is you can easily top off the hopper before you start your cook rather than making sure you're starting with a full propane tank...and holding a consistent temp on a gasser isn't the easiest. At least I hadn't gotten it down yet to be able to easily get to 225 for most meat or 275 for wings and hold the temp. And it's much easier to just grab a bag of pellets while you're out and it crosses your mind rather than, oh yeah, I need more propane so I have to go home and get the tank to swap it out. It's possible, though, I'm looking for a smoke profile most would find too much.

 

[RCAlan]

Just wanted to post an update on how everything is going with the SmokeDaddy Magnum P.IG. Smoke Gen. going on 1-1/2 years now. With COVID-19 still going on... smh.. I have more time on my hands. I did some testing and a few more modifications on my Magnum P.I.G... I put a stainless steel sleeve inside the canister to help the cleaning process be a little easier and perhaps produce better smoke.

The stainless steel sleeve was a pain to get too fit inside the Smoke Gen. canister, but I’m happy I installed it. During the test smoke, I loaded the Magnum P.I.G. about 90% full with Kingsford charcoal briquettes, pre-burned and white hot in a chimney starter and just a few wood chips sprinkled on top. I wanted to see the smoke production of just mostly charcoal... I was quite surprised by the volume of smoke from mostly charcoals being burned.

This is the smoke production from just the Smoke Gen., about 90% full of charcoal and few wood chips on top of the coals... and no pellet smoke from the grill. I also relocated the Magnum P.I.G. Smoke Gen. from being installed on the side of the cooking chamber, beneath the smoke stack, and remounted it to the back of the cooking chamber. When the grill is on, the grills fan is always running and kicks in harder at higher temps... The air pressure produced by the fan can cause the smoke to be blown out the bottom of the smoke canister and not in the grill, if the Smoke Generator is installed in the wrong location. This new location eliminates that from happening and the smoke goes directly onto the meat and throughout the cooking chamber. 200* degrees or 300* degrees grill temps, no problem... Just a nice flow of Charcoal and Hardwood smoke... and if there’s ever to much smoke, I can always dial it back with the shut off valve. Overall, I’m very happy and the lack of Hardwood Smoke from my Pellet Grill is never an issue anymore.

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

 

[RCAlan]

FYI... Lone Star Grills new Pellet Grill promo video...
In the promo video, about halfway through it, they offer a unique feature that allows it to produce true Hardwood and Charcoal smoke from their pellet grills... Guess what you it is?? It’s a Smoke Basket... Something I’ve been using in my current setup going on a year...

I’m not knocking their pellet grill. It looks like a very well built, top of the line, made in the USA pellet grill for the $2000.00 price tag. I guess like minded bbq minds think a like when it comes to bbqing and creating a traditional smoke flavor profile environment for their bbq. The only way to get and enjoy true hardwood and charcoal smoke from a grill, including Pellet Grills, is from true hardwood and charcoal. Even the $4000.00 IronSide Vertical Wood burning Pellet Grill uses a Smoke Basket...

Extra work indeed, fire and smoke management definitely requires some extra work and knowledge... FYI.. there’s a lot more room for errors when you’re dealing with hardwood and coals, but the end results from the extra effort is great hardwood and charcoal smoke from a pellet grill. For all the doubters, running the SmokeDaddy Magnum P.I.G. Cold Smoke Generator and adding a Smoke Basket at the same time, can put the smoke level right at stick burner level, with the bonus ability of dialing back the smoke and going straight Pellet smoke as well. This is going to be fun Spring and Summer 2021 for bbqing for sure.

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

 

[nawlinsborn73]

Kstone113, I do pull the top cap off to check the progress of the burn after about an hour and I’ll tap the sides of the canister to help the ash fall through and out of the bottom of the canister. I tend to get a better smoke burn when I fill the Magnum halfway with coals then add a wood chunk or 2, then add some more coals on top of the wood chunk and lastly add some wood chips on top. It’s filled just below the outlet tube. FYI... You never want to over smoke bbq chicken...

Joma, does your pellet grill have a smoke setting on it? If it does, always run it for at least an hour to help add more pellet smoke and use a strong flavor pellet like 100% Hickory. When you get your SD Magnum Smoke Gen. installed remember, the more wood you burn the more smoke the Magnum will produce, but your goal should be is to produce good smoke. Start with a hot base of coals, about 50% full, then add your wood about 30% and then add a few more coals and then some wood chips to top it off. Run the SD Magnum Smoke Canister while your grill is on its Smoke setting or between 180*-200* degrees to help maximize good smoke production. Good luck.

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

I'm a LITTLE late to the party. Can you tell me where you bought the larger baffle spring?

 

[RCAlan]

I'm a LITTLE late to the party. Can you tell me where you bought the larger baffle spring?

I bought the larger baffle spring at Home Depot. The one I bought was about the same length as the original SD baffle spring, but it was definitely about an inch wider in width. I had to cut the end hooks off to make a clean shaped baffle. FYI. When loading the canister… The Magnum P.I.G. canister, I would put 2 small hardwood chunks at the bottom of the canister and then load the rest of the canister with lit/ashed over charcoals, just below the outlet air line and then put some hardwood chips on top of the lit coals. The hardwood chunks placed at the bottom of the canister will burn slower/smolder, while the lit charcoals on top of the hardwood chunks will clean the smoke.. Kinda like the logic of a Gravity Feed burn. Lastly, read posting #115.. The stainless sleeve I installed made a huge difference in cleaning the canister. The stainless sleeve came from Home Depot as well. .02. Good luck.

__________________
Char-Griller 980 GF… Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... In SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[kstone113]

I haven't looked at this forum or this thread in awhile.

Time has passed and while I still like the magnum PIG, I've found myself using a smoke tube filled(alternating pellets/wood chips/pellets/wood chips) with wood chips and pellets. I also use the royal oak charcoal pellets instead of regular pellets. This takes a lot less effort and produces good smoke flavor. If I have time, I still use the magnum PIG. But for those who want to save money at the very least, the smoke tube with wood chips and pellets works pretty darn good.

The stainless steel sleeve is a good idea.

RCAlan - I saw you posted a combo smoker above(pellet and offset). I believe Mephmis makes one also.

But for those who read this long forum, don't sleep on a smoke tube. Just has to have wood chips in there to get more smoke flavor. Filled just with pellets, I never really noticed a difference.

 

[RCAlan]

I haven't looked at this forum or this thread in awhile.

Time has passed and while I still like the magnum PIG, I've found myself using a smoke tube filled(alternating pellets/wood chips/pellets/wood chips) with wood chips and pellets. I also use the royal oak charcoal pellets instead of regular pellets. This takes a lot less effort and produces good smoke flavor. If I have time, I still use the magnum PIG. But for those who want to save money at the very least, the smoke tube with wood chips and pellets works pretty darn good.

The stainless steel sleeve is a good idea.

RCAlan - I saw you posted a combo smoker above(pellet and offset). I believe Mephmis makes one also.

But for those who read this long forum, don't sleep on a smoke tube. Just has to have wood chips in there to get more smoke flavor. Filled just with pellets, I never really noticed a difference.

I agree, if someone is looking for a little extra smoke flavor profile on their pellet grill bbq’s, then there first choice/step up should be a pellet smoke tube filled with a mixture of hardwood chips and smoke pellets… Mainly for the cost savings, but also for the little extra boost in smoke flavor. The pellet tube mixture of hardwood chips and pellets is not overpowering… it’s just a nice increase in smoke flavor that many are missing from pellets alone from their pellet smokers. The smoke generators from SmokeDaddyinc are very effective as well and can burn more volume of hardwood chunks, charcoal and pellets then a smoke tube can, but at the expense of the increase in cost. I see the new Camp Chef Woodwind has a hardwood burning smoke generator built into it as well, so other pellet grill manufacturers are catching on as well. It’s always nice to be able to increase the smoke intensity if desired or dial it back if necessary. Oh and those with pellet grills that have the extra interior real estate inside, can add a smoke basket and load it with charcoal and hardwood chunks as well at the cost of a pellet smoke tube. It’s great to be able to think outside the box and produce great bbq. .02

__________________
Char-Griller 980 GF… Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... In SoCal and Always... Semper Fi