Thought I wanted a pellet smoker.

[Buckeye02]

Hey guys,
So I've used an MES for a few years and loved it. But with BBQ'n for more people needed something bigger. So I decided to go the pellet route. Went with the Pitboss 5 series. I like the way the skin on chicken turns out a lot better than it turned out in the MES. One thing I've noticed is with ribs and porkbutt the smoke flavor is just not there. I smoke both at 225°. There's really no comparison at all with the smokey flavor that I'm looking for. Really considering returning the Pitboss. Was curious about the Masterbuilt 560. Ive never used charcoal in any form so have no idea what kind of flavor to expect. Any advice/help would be great! Thanks

 

[Buttah Butts]

What brand of pellets are you using? I have had decent snake flavor by using lumberjack or bbq delight pellets versus other brands. Also might want to try a smoke tube

 

[Buckeye02]

What brand of pellets are you using? I have had decent snake flavor by using lumberjack or bbq delight pellets versus other brands. Also might want to try a smoke tube

Lumber Jack hickory. Yea I'm thinking about picking up a tube this morning. I've got 10lbs of quarters and thighs marinating in the fridge now

 

[meskc]

I went from a mes40 with the mailbox mod to the louisiana vertical pellet. I really like it.. The tube should help a lot for smoke flavor. I have also set my unit on smoke for an hour or two to get more smoke flavor as well.

 

[Buckeye02]

I went from a mes40 with the mailbox mod to the louisiana vertical pellet. I really like it.. The tube should help a lot for smoke flavor. I have also set my unit on smoke for an hour or two to get more smoke flavor as well.

Yea I'm going to try that. Ever since I've got the pellet smoker my wife says the ribs don't have as much flavor. And since nothing has changed except for the smoker I know she's talking about the lack of smoke

 

[meskc]

You might try adding some of the lumberjack char hickory as well to your pellet mix. I have done that and liked the results as well.

 

[RCAlan]

Hey guys,
So I've used an MES for a few years and loved it. But with BBQ'n for more people needed something bigger. So I decided to go the pellet route. Went with the Pitboss 5 series. I like the way the skin on chicken turns out a lot better than it turned out in the MES. One thing I've noticed is with ribs and porkbutt the smoke flavor is just not there. I smoke both at 225°. There's really no comparison at all with the smokey flavor that I'm looking for. Really considering returning the Pitboss. Was curious about the Masterbuilt 560. Ive never used charcoal in any form so have no idea what kind of flavor to expect. Any advice/help would be great! Thanks

Here’s a few helpful tips for you that will help add some more smoke flavor profile to your bbq.

1. Page 15. in your owners manual... Always allow your smoker to preheat @ 300-* degrees for 20-30 mins before you add your meat to the smoker...
2. Page 13. in your owners manual ... TIP: To intensify that savory flavor, switch to SMOKE or 150* degrees (low) temperature range immediately after putting your food on the smoker. After preheating your smoker for 20-30 mins. set your Smoker to Smoke mode or 150* degrees and wait until the temp settles down below 200* degrees before adding your meat/food to the smoker. Having the the Smokers door/lid open a bit will help drop the temp a bit faster, but always be “Safe” and nearby the smoker to monitor the temp drop. Allow your meat/food to cook there for 1 hour ... This allows the smoke to penetrate the meats, before the pores of the meat close at 49°C / 120°F.
3. After the first hour on the Smoke setting or 150* degrees, then you can set your smoker to bbq low and slow at 225*-250* to finish your cook. Depending on the cut of meat, you may want to allow it too Smoke for 2 hours first, before bumping up the temp to finish your cook.
4. The key is to experiment with the length of time you allow for smoking, before the meal is finished cooking.
5. Give these tips a try on your next cook/bbq and see if it adds the extra smoke you’re looking for. Pellet Grills are great, but it is an adjustment. The lower the temp, the more smoke pellet grills produce. Temps above 250* degrees produces very little smoke from pellet grills unless they are modified. If running on Smoke mode for an hour or two isn’t enough smoke, you can always add a pellet tube for extra pellet smoke or you can add the Smoke Daddy Magnum P.I.G. Smoke Generator/Canister for extra hardwood and charcoal smoke flavor... Good luck.

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

 

[Buckeye02]

Here’s a few helpful tips for you that will help add some more smoke flavor profile to your bbq.

1. Page 15. in your owners manual... Always allow your smoker to preheat @ 300-* degrees for 20-30 mins before you add your meat to the smoker...
2. Page 13. in your owners manual ... TIP: To intensify that savory flavor, switch to SMOKE or 150* degrees (low) temperature range immediately after putting your food on the smoker. Allow your meat/food to cook there for 1 hour ... This allows the smoke to penetrate the meats, before the pores of the meat close at 49°C / 120°F.
3. After the first hour on the Smoke setting or 150* degrees, then you can set your smoker to bbq low and slow at 225*-250* to finish your cook. Depending on the cut of meat, you may want to allow it too Smoke for 2 hours first, before bumping up the temp to finish your cook.
4. The key is to experiment with the length of time you allow for smoking, before the meal is finished cooking.
5. Give these tips a try on your next cook/bbq and see if it adds the extra smoke you’re looking for. Pellet Grills are great, but it is an adjustment. The lower the temp, the more smoke pellet grills produce. Temps above 250* degrees produces very little smoke from pellet grills unless they are modified. If running on Smoke mode for an hour or two isn’t enough smoke, you can always add a pellet tube for extra pellet smoke or you can add the Smoke Daddy Magnum P.I.G. Smoke Generator/Canister for extra hardwood and charcoal smoke flavor... Good luck.

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

Thank you! Maybe my wife is on to something. Reading things might have a few benefits! Lol

 

[Jabiru]

simply run under 200f then after a few hours turn up the heat. Plenty of smoke.

or if you have time on your side run at 180f for hours turn up at end.

 

[Buckeye02]

simply run under 200f then after a few hours turn up the heat. Plenty of smoke.

or if you have time on your side run at 180f for hours turn up at end.

Ok thank you!

 

[chopsaw]

I don't own a pellet smoker , but I do use the tube . I mix wood chips in with the pellets . Seems to work good for me , but not sure how it works with a pellet smoker .

 

[Buckeye02]

I have a question. Everyone says a thin blue smoke is the best smoke. But out of my MES whenever I add the chips it smokes white. Once its done with the white thatll last for about 20 min then it goes clear. I have to add every 40 minutes or all ill have is ash in the tray. Is that white smoke what everyone says is a bitter/dirty smoke?

 

[texomakid]

Smoke is such a subjective thing. What I considered "Smoked" 10 years ago is much different than what I consider smoked today. IMO - nothing can match the flavor of a stick burner when ran properly. Charcoal and wood is the next best thing and again, hard to beat when done properly. Pellets are a completely different animal but when using a quality 100% type wood pellet such as Lumberjack, Cookingpellets, or a few others, I get a flavor, it's a wood/smoke flavor. lower temps help increase the smoke aroma & flavor. I also taste the smoke/wood flavor when cooking with higher temps but it's not near as pronounced. When we want good ole smokey BBQ I break out the WSM 22 but most days I use the Yoder YS640. It's just too easy and the quality of the finished products is absolutely amazing. I've also gotten lazy over the years and pellet cookers just seem to make cooking with wood easy as well a a wonderful flavor profile that we like. Evidently a bunch of my friends like it. I've turn down several request for cooking from friends who've had our BBQ. I'm not in the catering business, I want to keep it fun.

 

[Buckeye02]

From the MES

 

[Buckeye02]

Last cook on the pitboss

 

[RCAlan]

I have a question. Everyone says a thin blue smoke is the best smoke. But out of my MES whenever I add the chips it smokes white. Once its done with the white thatll last for about 20 min then it goes clear. I have to add every 40 minutes or all ill have is ash in the tray. Is that white smoke what everyone says is a bitter/dirty smoke?

Here’s a good read about Smoke Management...

Understanding Smoke Management - updated 12/08/14

Understanding Smoke Management Recently, on several meat smoking and BBQ forums, including this one, I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of threads pertaining to the color of the smoke being produced, specifically Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) vs. Thick White Smoke (TWS). Various posts on the threads...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

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

 

[mneeley490]

Second the idea of going with a lower temp on pellet smokers. I did a beef clod recently on my GMG, and set it for 200°. Came out with a good smoke flavor and fantastic smoke ring.


I do bacon on it at 150°, and there is plenty of smoke flavor.

 

[bigfurmn]

Stuffed Turkey Tenderloin and black beans on the Pit Boss. Momma and the little man loved them. Used P3 on the Boss for most of it.

 

[Buckeye02]

Second the idea of going with a lower temp on pellet smokers. I did a beef clod recently on my GMG, and set it for 200°. Came out with a good smoke flavor and fantastic smoke ring.
View attachment 449258

I do bacon on it at 150°, and there is plenty of smoke flavor.

Yea the last brisket I did had a great smoke ring. I guess it's just a different kind of smoke flavor. Yesterday with the chicken it was night and day different smoke flavor from the MES and the pellet. I must just prefer the flavor from actual wood vs pellets. Because its definitely a big difference in taste

 

[ross77]

Yea the last brisket I did had a great smoke ring. I guess it's just a different kind of smoke flavor. Yesterday with the chicken it was night and day different smoke flavor from the MES and the pellet. I must just prefer the flavor from actual wood vs pellets. Because its definitely a big difference in taste

So I started with a WSM then a MES. Next was a RecTec pellet smoker and now I'm using a MB560 Gravity. IMO you just aren't going to get a strong/intense smoke flavor with a pellet cooker. I tried all sorts of things with the RecTec. Lumberjack 100% hickory pellets, smoke at the lowest heat first then turn it up or use a pellet tube. It is more of a wood fired flavor to me. Ribs, brisket and pork shoulder just don't compare to my WSM or MB560. I don't like really strong smoke flavor but the RecTec is just not strong enough. Everyone has different tastes but for me it's charcoal and wood chunks. I haven't touched the RecTec since getting the MB560 in January. The flavor is strong, light or anywhere in between depending on how you choose to setup the cook. The RecTec is built better and a bit simpler to use but it just doesn't produce the flavor I like. It will be interesting to see if other manufactures copy the MB560.