Some newbie questions.

[sac1016]

Please forgive my ignorance on this subject, that is why I am here.

Since the weather has finally started to calm down in Florida I have been smoking a lot. I really enjoy this hobby and I feel like I am perfecting a craft using my Weber Smokey Mountain. I am a die hard charcoal guy and have a bit of brand loyalty to Weber as well.

Anyway, I was watching some YouTube videos and getting different ideas on what people do to smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving. I have never smoked a turkey before because I honestly don't care for turkeys because they dry out so easily. Until I smoked one. It was fantastic. My turkey was the favorite at Thanksgiving over my Mother-in-laws oven roasted one. With that being said, I woke up before the sun to get the coals hot and the thunder chicken going so it would be ready in time for lunch.

One of the videos I seen was Meat Church. I'm sure most here are familiar with him. Anyway, he said he puts his turkey on his Traeger and lets it go overnight. Is this factual information? I know these things cook using pellets so how does it go all night and not run out of pellets? I have never once in my life cooked with pellets so I have no idea.

If this is true and you can cook for a great deal of time without having to babysit a smoker, I am intrigued.

It would be awesome if next Thanksgiving (Since mine was the favorite I got voluntold that I get to do it next year.) I could put the turkey on the night before and be able to sleep in and not have to worry about the bird.

Or another scenario be able to go run errands with my wife on the weekends and have something cooking while we are gone for a few hours and not have to worry about it.

Apparently you have an app on your phone that alerts you if anything is off and you can fix it or just turn the grill off?

Is any of this possible or am I way off in la-la land somewhere?

Again, I have zero experience with pellet smokers but if any of this is possible I am willing to dive into that realm of cooking.

 

[TNJAKE]

Pellet smokers have a big hopper that holds and feeds pellets. Mine holds 40lbs. At low and slow it uses roughly a pound per hour. That's how you are able to do extended smokes. Yes some have WiFi and app controls but I'd never recommend leaving your home while it's cooking. You can't turn off a fire with an app. You can however stay close by and use some digital probes that have alarms that will alert you for a high/lo temp.

 

[sac1016]

When you decrease the temperature, is there a minimum temp you can get too? Like 125 or so? You can’t decrease the temperature enough to cause the grill to go out?

I know that pellet grills require electricity. What happens when you power them off? What does that do to the fire?

 

[TNJAKE]

They are all different as far as lowest temp you'll have to search around for that. Mine is 180. When you power them off the fan stops running and the auger stops feeding pellets. Shutdown process on mine is 10min then the flame is out and smoker gets cool fast

 

[slater]

Sac
The pellet smoker are amazing for no fuss smoking & yes all night long while youre in bed sleeping......
Some cry that they dont produce enough smoke which can be supplemented by adding a pellet tube & lighting off using a small torch.
Like Jake stated look at the different brands & sizes & compare hopper size, Jake & my Pitboss has a 40lb hopper which is bigger than the more expensive traeger in the same size....
I smoked a brisket last saturday at 250 degrees. Went on at 11pm & off the cooker at 11 am & by no means did I use all my pellet in the hopper & never did I have to refill.
Lots of options though, treager, pitt boss, camp chef, rec tec, gmg, yoder, louisiana grill, weber, zgrills, list goes on.....
Dont think you will get one to go as low as 125.
I saw your thread about smoking cheese, all you do is use a smoke tube w/ pellets & cold smoke....
Essentially using the pellet smoker or bbq as cabinet & not utilizing the fire / heat source that they provide at all.
You mentioned hating turkey, If you brine & smoke a turkey its an amazing treat compared to the boring turkey most of us have learned to hate that we have once a year at thanksgiving......
I hated turkey too till I brined / smoked one!

 

[FFchampMT]

When you decrease the temperature, is there a minimum temp you can get too? Like 125 or so? You can’t decrease the temperature enough to cause the grill to go out?

I know that pellet grills require electricity. What happens when you power them off? What does that do to the fire?

My green mountain grill only goes down to 150 on the controller (about 170 actual with a thermometer). The controller pushes pellets in to the fire box according to your temp settings and it's temp measurements. Running at 150 I never flamed out, but it can happen.
When you power down there's an "off" cycle. It blows the fan but stops the auger, anything left in the firebox just burns out.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Can I assume 125 is a typo and you smoke at 225°F?...JJ

 

[slater]

They are all different as far as lowest temp you'll have to search around for that. Mine is 180. When you power them off the fan stops running and the auger stops feeding pellets. Shutdown process on mine is 10min then the flame is out and smoker gets cool fast

Can I assume 125 is a typo and you smoke at 225°F?...JJ

Tweeking the p setting & depending on what is in the smoker I know you get a pellet smoker to swing below 180, maybe 150????
I remember seeing a pretty low # when I played with mine but like most non pids, temps swing....
Pittboss pro 1100

 

[sac1016]

Can I assume 125 is a typo and you smoke at 225°F?...JJ

If you read the first few posts then the 125 will make sense to you. I am asking a question about the operation of pellet smokers. Not cooking temperatures.

 

[sac1016]

Sac
The pellet smoker are amazing for no fuss smoking & yes all night long while youre in bed sleeping......
Some cry that they dont produce enough smoke which can be supplemented by adding a pellet tube & lighting off using a small torch.
Like Jake stated look at the different brands & sizes & compare hopper size, Jake & my Pitboss has a 40lb hopper which is bigger than the more expensive traeger in the same size....
I smoked a brisket last saturday at 250 degrees. Went on at 11pm & off the cooker at 11 am & by no means did I use all my pellet in the hopper & never did I have to refill.
Lots of options though, treager, pitt boss, camp chef, rec tec, gmg, yoder, louisiana grill, weber, zgrills, list goes on.....
Dont think you will get one to go as low as 125.
I saw your thread about smoking cheese, all you do is use a smoke tube w/ pellets & cold smoke....
Essentially using the pellet smoker or bbq as cabinet & not utilizing the fire / heat source that they provide at all.
You mentioned hating turkey, If you brine & smoke a turkey its an amazing treat compared to the boring turkey most of us have learned to hate that we have once a year at thanksgiving......
I hated turkey too till I brined / smoked one!

I brined and smoked one this year and it was really good. I don't care turkeys cooked in the oven. You usually have to soak them in gravy or they are too dry to eat.

 

[chef jimmyj]

If you read the first few posts then the 125 will make sense to you. I am asking a question about the operation of pellet smokers. Not cooking temperatures.

My mistake...read about Smoking Turkey, then asking about 125 and put them together as unsafe...JJ

 

[aabail]

Any experience with the prime button usages on the Louisiana estate series?