9 Tips for Using a Pellet Grill
Smoking-Meat.com is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you if you buy through a link on this page.
Read this article without ads
Here's 9 pellet grill tips that will help you get the most out of pellet grill, also called a pellet smoker.
Pellet grills are here to stay because they work well, they're easy to use and it takes a lot of the complexity out of smoking meat.
I think everyone should learn how to tend a fire, adjust the vents, etc. just a few of the skills necessary to tend a charcoal or wood fire but while you're learning, this is a great way to get some tasty food on the table.
Even though they are easy to use, they are not without flaws and here's a few things you can do to master the art of pellet smoking or grilling:
1. Start everything out on low or the special “smoke” setting. Pellet smokers produce more smoke at low settings and less smoke as the temperature increases.
If you want more smoke flavor, start out as low as it will go for about 30 minutes to an hour then turn it up to 225°F or 250°F after that to finish.
For things that cook for a really long time like briskets and pork butts, you can leave it on this special smoke setting for 3-4 hours before turning it up to normal smoking temperatures to finish. This will increase the smoke flavor of whatever you are cooking.
2. Use a pan with a rack (like this one) to keep the smoker cleaner. Less cleanup = happier cook😃
While we're on the “cleaning” subject, go ahead and wrap your drip pan in foil as well to keep it nice and tidy and use a foil liner in your grease bucket available wherever pellet smokers are sold.
3. For the best burn, clean the ashes out of your burn pot. I recommend doing this about every 10-15 hours of use but it would not hurt to do it before every cook.
Ashes down in the bottom of the smoke chamber doesn't hurt a thing as long they aren't wet and it can even do a great job of helping to insulate the smoker in the winter but keep the burn pot clean.
The Camp Chef Woodwind is one of my favorite pellet smokers and one of the reasons is because of the ash cup on the very bottom of the smoker. It literally takes 10 seconds or less to empty the ashes from the burn pot into the cup them empty the cup into an ash bucket or trash can if the ashes are cool.
Some other pellet smokers also have a similar feature such as an ash drawer that allows the ashes from the burn pot to be quickly emptied before each cook.
4. Use pellets made from 100% wood and no flavor oils. You get what you pay for and, while finding a good deal on pellets is a good thing, make sure they are made from all hardwood and aren't using flavor oils or other additives to give them flavor. The flavor should be all natural.
I have had great luck with the Pit Boss brand as well as the Lumberjack brand.
5. Don't chase the temperature gauge! Like your home oven, pellet grills fluctuate up and down by as much as 20 degrees or more and your set temperature is simply an average.
Set the smoker and don't worry too much about the fluctuations for easy going, stress free, tasty cooking.
Ribs cooked at exactly 225°F for 6 hours will be just as good as ribs that are cooked at an average temperature of 225°F (200 to 250°F).
6. Use a good leave-in thermometer to tell you when the food is done. I use a couple of thermometers made by ThermoWorks such as the Smoke or the Signals.
The “Smoke” especially is very affordable and one of my favorites however, if you can't afford the very best right now, you can find cheaper ones that will make do until you can get something better.
Using a cheap thermometer is better than simply guessing at the temperature.
7. Keep the pellet grill covered when you're not using it. This may seem like a given but if it's under a patio or other shelter, you may feel it's ok to leave uncovered. The smoker itself may be fine, but to make sure the pellets remain dry, keep the smoker covered, especially in humid climates.
Ask anyone who's dealt with wet, swelled up pellets in their auger and they'll tell you it's just not worth the risk. Humidity is the Achilles heel of pellet smokers/pellets.
8. Expect to use about 1 lb of pellets per hour at regular smoking temperatures. This amount will increase as you increase the temperature but that's a pretty good way to figure how many pellets you'll need for that 15 hour brisket, 4 lb chicken, or whatever you are cooking.
9. Use a smoke tube to give you even more smoke flavor. Pellet smokers burn wood very efficiently and for that reason, some of you may find that it just doesn't give you as much smoke flavor as you want.
When this happens, there is a solution. It's called a smoke tube. This is a metal tube with lots of holes which you fill with pellets and light. When this is laid on the grates just inside your smoker it will produce smoke for hours on end.
This extra smoke will give the food a lot more of that “smoky” flavor that you are looking for.
These are very inexpensive and available on Amazon or if you're more of a DIY person, you could possibly use rolled up mesh wire to perform the same task.
I need to do a DIY tutorial on this and if this is something you've done and want to share your images, I'd be happy to give you full credit.
I can get blue smoke out of a offset pellet smoker but it’s completely an accident getting thin blue smoke from a pellet grill/smoker…
If I knew a person that made pellets for a pellet smoker maybe I could get better Blue Smoke because the moisture content would be lower than me having to wait to get a bag of pellets that have sent in somebody’s warehouse for the Lord knows only how long then by the time barbecue season comes around they deliver bags of pellets to a vendor and they sit in their warehouse for however long and all the time these pellets are soaking up moisture from the air. But yes the pellets do snap when you break them between your fingers but the moisture content is always about hitting 25 or 30% moisture content for the pellets.
I always cook low and slow but still can’t get that smokey wood flavor on the meat and it comes out of the refrigerator mighty cold ready to receive that Thin Blue Smoke.
I tried putting pellets in the microwave and wrap them a few minutes to get them to give up the moisture they have absorbed. I finally got a hold of a bag of Royal Oak smoking pellets that looked like charcoal but still all they gave off was white smoke even though they resisted absorbing moisture or water. I know how to get a fire to bypass the white smoke stage of a fire and tried every trick in the book to keep moisture away from the pellets. So I’ve come to decide the people just like white smoke possibly because that’s the way their parents told them what to do and how to create white smoke so as long as smokers are continually making white smoke why invest any more money in trying to get blue smoke. I only use Mesquite when I smoke and have never oversmoked barbecue with it. Pellet smokers are good oven that keeps you from heating up your house by cooking them in the oven in the kitchen
Jeff:
I’m curious if you see increased cook times when you use foiled pans under the racks you’re cooking on. I have a Yoder YS640S, and when I’ve used a rack with a foiled pan underneath, it has always increased the cook time significantly. I’m assuming that the pan is either shielding the meat too much from the heat from below or messing with the airflow in the smoker. I suppose it could be a combination of both, but when I remove the foiled pan, things cook faster/better. It adds quite a bit of time to clean up, which is the part that sucks.
Thanks!
I almost always use a pan to cook in to reduce my cleanup time and most of my cook times are built with that in mind. I haven’t seen significant differences between using a pan and not using a pan but this probably varies from smoker to smoker.
In your Yoder, you could probably turn the heat up about 25 degrees to make up the difference and still be able to benefit from the reduced cleanup time.
The pans probably do mess with the airflow somewhat. I also like to preheat my smoker to about 50 or 75 degrees higher initially and then turn it down once the meat is on the grate. This makes up for heat loss when I place the food in the smoker during the winter or when it’s windy outside.
Was told to use butcher paper when smoking beef brisket, I’m thinking now paper only used during rest period after 202 degrees F was reached, need help
Thanks I’m using most of those tips aleady as I’ve learned from previous tips . !!!!!!!
Dave Fleming
Hey Jeff – this message is in response to tip #3 about ash removal. I bought a Camp Chef Woodwind this past spring and have used it about 6 times now. I have yet to get *any* ashes in the ash cup at the bottom. The ashes are all over the inside of the barrel and are a pain to clean out with a small hand-held vacuum. (The ash is so fine it clogs up the vacuum filter.) When I saw the comment about leaving the ash there as insulation, I thought I might just clean it out every 2 or 3 smoking sessions instead of after every smoking session.
That is strange that you’re not seeing any ash in the cup. The ashes in the bottom of the smoker are not a problem at all as long as they do not get wet. Wet ashes are caustic and will rust metal really quick. Dry ashes are a great insulator and do a great job of soaking up any grease that may end up down there.
When you do clean it up, just use a shop vac. I purchased a smaller one that I only use for ashes.
Jeff, one of the best mods to my pellet smoker was adding a gasket around the lid. It controlled the heat and prevented smoke from escaping.
Good info! Thanks for sharing.
I use a foil pan to smoke brisket. Originally I did this to save from extensive clean up of the smoker but I discovered a better benefit of doing it. That is the drippings are collected and then I separate the fat from the broth and pour over the brisket. This makes leftovers especially moist and flavorful. I either separate the fat floating on the top while still warm or a better method is to put it all in the refrigerator which makes the fat floating on top solidify, making for easy removal. The flavor of the remaining “broth” is fantastic and should be a crime to allow it to make its way to the smoker’s grease cup ! :)
I can’t get enough smoke flavor out of my pellet grill. Tried different brands of pellets and still not enough. Any suggestions?
I’m not sure if you use a smoking tube, but try that. I add wood chips to the smoke tube (definitely not to the pellet hopper) and have found that helps.
Howdy. In addition to the pellet brands you mentioned, I think that Lumberjack pellets are the best at imparting smoke flavor to the meat.
What other pellets have you tried?
Thanks.
I have the Pit Boss Brunswick. Love it. I use a blend of Pit Boss competition blend and charcoal pellets. Also use the smoke tube for the smoke flavor that I want. Applewood, hickory or maple pellets.
Jeff,
Always appreciate your guidance. I use a Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett (now they call it a Trek Prime). I started following you a number of years ago, and while I may look at other’s ideas as well, you are always my first “go to” for all recipes.
I’ve always warmed the grill up to cooking temp before the cook start. The GMC Davy starts at 150, will try that for an hour or so before hitting 225 next cook.
The smoke tube is a great idea also, another thing I’ll try. Ordering as soon as I post the comment
The Davy Crockett is a small smoker, still looking for a rack and pan to use.
Many thanks for all your info!
Jim
Hi Jeff! I so enjoy your articles and products! I did sign up for the ad free link, still trying to navigate it! I liked the helping hints on the pellet smokers! I now have a Traeger Pro which I still haven’t used yet. Usually for me there’s a learning curve with each one. Think I’ve got enough smokers for now!
My sister in law’s nephew was talking about how he wasn’t getting as much smoke as he would like from his pellet smoker. I showed him that smoke tube on Amazon a couple of years ago. At a a 4th of July meal at my brother’s house he had a friend come over and talking about not enough smoke and her nephew pulled out his phone and showed him that smoke tube that I told him about. He said it was a game changer. So they do listen and you talked about it on here. Thank you
Thanks Jeff! Great info. I can attest to the mess of wet pellets. I forgot to cover mine and went out of town and we had a hide rain storm. Winds blew my pellet box open and soaked it all. Took hours to clean out!
The smoke tube was an excellent suggestion! Got one at Lowe’s for about $15 and made a huge difference! Thanks again!
I live at high altitude with cold windy winters. During the winter I still enjoying using my pellet grill, but as cold as it gets, it can be hard to maintain temperatures. I cover my grill during using both a fire retardant wool blanket and a welding blanket. The wool blanket is relatively light and the welding blanket is heavy. The combination of the two works well. If the wind is blowing, I hold the blankets in place with spring loaded clamps available at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, etc….
My Camp Chef SG24 has a louvered drip tray, will wrapping it in aluminum foil adversely effect smoke getting to what I’m cooking?
Luke, the slots or louvers are for allowing the flames to come up to the meat if you want to have a little more direct heat. You can cover the entire drip tray with foil if you want to and the smoke will come up the sides and get to the meat just fine. In fact, I keep mine wrapped in foil most of the time.
This site makes me hungry; What’s your top tip for bbq? Thanks
Top Tip for barbecue as it relates to low and slow smoked food: Cook to temperature, not time. Great barbecue is done when it’s done and not a second before.
Hi Jeff. I’m new to smoking so I bought a used Trager early model (in good cond.) 18″ with warming rack
and smoke mode which seems too run at about 100deg. I have 2 questions. Does it matter if I put a water pan on the grate or warming rack and which end? #2 I tried running on the smoke mode for 2hrs but after an hour the smoke turned white. The fire pot had gone out. I had to turn it off and let it cool, clean it out and start over. I would greatly appreciate any helpful information you could offer.
Thanks for all you do for your readers.
Carl
Hey Carl. I have a pit boss and mine states in manual to never cook without water in pan. Not really sure why other than dry heat/dry meat???
My smoke is always white color. Not sure about that one. Maybe just a fluke or temp gauge thought is was cooling done and turned it off? Mine on “smoke” mode runs about 130 to 140.
I have a Grilla Grills Silverbac original pellet smoker and love it. I have noticed that it seems to cook a little faster than my old electric and wood burner smokers. Even when set at 225. I when I do pork butts or brisket they tend to get finished in 6 to 8 hours instead of 12 to 14. Am I doing something wrong? My brisket always taste good but seem a little dryer than when I used the other smokers.
Have you tested the temperature with an oven thermometer? I suspect it is cooking hotter than what it is reading.
My first smoker was an electric. It had a small chip tube that I had to keep refilling. When I first heard of pellet tubes, about 8/9? years ago, I bought one and was hooked. I got 2 A-maze-n long tubes, but found filling 1 was enough to give enough smoke for most cooks. I usually use a blue propane or mapp gas torch to light it. I have since upgraded to a Louisiana Grills upright pellet smoker.
Hi Jeff, I got a Pit Boss pellet grill a few years ago and have really enjoyed it. Shortly after I started following you, make your rubs and have enjoyed your recipes. My question is about the chimney on my pellet smoker. The directions didn’t say much, and I have not seen you talk about it. You mention temp settings, but I am wondering what effect opening or closing the chimney has? How will this affect the smoke?
The chimney on pellet smokers simply determines how quickly the smoke exits the smoker. If you want more smoke flavor, then decrease the chimney opening. If you’re getting too much smoke (not likely in a pellet smoker) you can open it up a little.
By letting the smoke out slower, the smoke has more time in the smoker to flavor the food before it exits.
Jeff, do you have any experience with RecTeq’s “new and improved” RT-1250, which has a heavy-duty cast iron heat deflector that they claim can double as a platform for putting extra pellets or wood chips on for added smoke? I’m wondering if anyone has any experience using this to know whether it is sufficient to take the place of a smoke tube or whether this is just a sales gimmick.
I have not used the 1250 so it’s hard to say.. I get great results by using a smoke tube all the way on the left side with the probe entry door open when I am wanting to add extra smoke.
I will have to do some research on that 1250 and see how folks are liking it.
Jeff,
I tried a smoke tube several times, and it did produce a lot of smoke, but the food tasted like it had been cooked in an ash pot. The smoke was thick and white, about what the grill looks like when the fire pot catches. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Zach
Hi Jeff I have been smoking for years now. I have purchased your book and have made your rub and BBQ Sauce both are outstanding.
I just recently received a tube kit for Christmas from Amazon it comes with two tubes and instructions and a igniter But I can’t find the tank of butane it has a real strange connection. Any ideas of were to purchase one or more.
Thank you very much and happy smoking
Tom, would it be possible to snap a picture of that tube kit and send it to me.. especially the connector you are mentioning? My email address is [email protected]
Brand and model number would also work.
I may be able to help you out if I can see what you’re working with.
Hello Jeff.
I have followed you since I have started smoking a few years back. I like how you can explain in terms that I understand quite well. The pork loin you just featured sounds great. I however have a question about smoking tubes. I bought 2, a long & short one. I have problems getting it started & to keep it burning to the end of the tube. Have tried a few different things, but 95% of the time it goes out after about 1/2″ of pellets burning. Any advice or tricks you could give me. Thanks.
A couple of things that make a huge difference for me, make sure the pellets are absolutely dry. I often fill the tube then pour those pellets into a bowl and microwave them for a minute or two to dry them.
the other point is air flow, the tube must be getting some air in order for it to stay lit. I try to find a place in my smoker or grill that allows a little air in. On my RecTeq I place it on the left side right next to the probe entry.
You may even have to prop the lid open with a small stick or something to give it some air that way.
The last tip is to use a butane torch to light it and really get the pellets to burning before you leave it. I often use one of those blue butane torches used for plumbing and it works really well. Once I get it burning, I let it burn until it goes out which can be several minutes.
I need to do a video on this to show you guys how I do it.
Thanks for the microwave trick Jeff! I was having trouble getting the pellets to stay lit in the smoke tube. But 1:30 minutes in the mickcrowafe and they lit like a champ.
We do awesome with Smoking deer jerky on our Smoking Gun 007 pellet smoker. But when we try beef jerky with eye of round, same recipe, our beef jerky turns out a little tough and chewy. Any suggestions or recommendations?
Cut the meat 1/4” thick. Marinate over night. Smoke at 180 degrees for 4-5 hours
Hi Jeff,
I have a Camp Chef pellet smoker. For years I have relied on a Therma Pro Instant Read Thermometer. You can get them on Amazon (link below) for $17.99. I have tried many other brands, but the Therma Pro wins the contest. If will give you a read in 3-4 seconds. I know that you like the more expensive ones, but give the Therma Pro a try. I think you will be surprised how fast they can read the meat temperature at a fraction of the cost of the expensive ones. If you try it, please email me with your thoughts. Keep up the great work!!!
https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-Thermometer-Grilling-Waterproof-Ambidextrous/dp/B07XXSYLL8/ref=sr_1_5?crid=UC3N5E1IGZED&keywords=bbq+thermometer&qid=1641659657&sprefix=bbq+thermometers%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-5
Phil, the ThermoPro is not bad as I actually have an older one that the company sent me. I have no problem with it and it works just fine if you’re on a budget or just prefer to not spend a lot on a unit.
After having used the Thermoworks models, the cheaper one feels very lightweight and easy to break. Sort of like, I was fine with my black and decker tools until I used a DeWalt, now I can feel the huge difference in the higher quality from the way it feels in the hand to the way it drives to the way it sounds and even brakes to that quick satisfying stop.
I will tell you that I have been blown away by this new 1 second thermometer that Thermoworks has and waiting 4 seconds on a reading, feels like an eternity now! I can check 60 chicken wings in 1 minute..that’s faster than I can poke ’em and throw ’em in the pan.
Hi Jeff,
I started using a pellet tube in my Camp Chef DLX abot a year ago. I think it makes a great difference in the outcome of the meat – especially if you like a lot of smoke flavor. I’ve experimented using different pellets in the tube, like apple in the smoker and maple in the tube when making bacon. It comes out really good
Hey Jeff in tip #2 you suggest using a pan with a rack. I’ve seen you suggest this before with other recipes. So my question is this, when doing this do you feel the meat still gets the full smoke flavor even though the smoke doesn’t hit the meat directly from underneath as the smoke has to go around the pan and since smoke rises do you feel the smoke still makes good contact with the meat?
Thanks for your response and I love your website and I use your rub on everything!!
Jim, I get great smoke flavor using this method and the same smoke rings that I get when I don’t use a pan. The smoke does come up from the bottom but it surrounds the meat entirely and is able to flavor the meat in the same way as it would if the meat were sitting directly on the grate.
That is my take but others may have a different opinion about this. I recommend trying it both ways or, better yet, place a piece of meat on the pan and one on the grate and see if you can tell any difference.
Jeff, I have made both Beef jerky and Elk jerky on my Traeger smoker and It worked well, I did rotate it for an even cook.,
Jeff the home made smoke tube is easy to make and use. I like to put a pan of water in my smoker.
Hey Jeff! Great article! I got the RecTeq RT-700 a couple weeks ago and love it! I’m preppin’ to do my first batch of beef jerky with it. I have a tried & true recipe that I’ve used for years, with gas/wood-chip smoker that was hard to keep low temp; I think “The Bull” is gonna do a good job with this! Just wondered if you have any jerky-specific tips that you could add?
I have not made any jerky in a pellet smoker but I think it would work well since there is no water and the heat is pretty dry. The Bull puts off great smoke at low temperatures and I feel like it will probably do an amazing job with the jerky. Let me know how it goes.
Hi Jeff! Just FYI, I have now done 20+ Lbs of beef jerky on the RT-700, and it’s great! Gotta use the LOW setting for max smoke, which (using Eye Of Round Roast, depending on thickness of slices) I leave in for 60-90 minutes, then transfer to the dehydrator (125F for as long as it takes); next batch goes in the smoker, and so on. Merry Christmas to all!
Been a subscriber for a few years. I’ve got a Pitts & Spitts pellet grill (made locally in Houston) . All of your recipes and tips are spot on. Also your BBQ sauce is the best! I’m a regular buyer.
I started a brisket a couple hours ago just as described above. Low temp start, smoke tube with cap for laying down just inside farthest away from stack (Amazon), foil tray with mesh basket so meat is exposed on all sides. (Pearly for cleanup). I’ll be putting some pics on the forum in a bit
Looking forward to seeing that, Jim!!😋