# Yoder Pellet Smoker fuel consumption



## jakester (Feb 16, 2018)

I am looking to get myself a pellet smoker in the coming future. I originally thought I would get a rec tec but lately have been reading how great the Yoder YS640 is but also heard that it consumes a lot more pellets over other grills it's size. Anyone have any experience with this, if so please share your experiences.


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## troutman (Feb 16, 2018)

I don't have either, mine is custom made and probably similar to the Yoder.  At 225-250* cooking range I burn about a pound an hour.  Going up to 300* or more that increases, of course.  I personally don't think any pellet cooker is very much different from that, it depends on the size of the cooking chamber, how well insulated that chamber, heat retention (is the chamber built of 1/4" plate or 18 ga. tin) as well as cooking temperature and time.  One would have to chart those side-by-side with various cookers to know for sure.  Hope that helps.


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## jakester (Feb 16, 2018)

I know there are people out there that have used multiple pellet smokers and I would love to hear their feedback.


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## jakester (Feb 16, 2018)

1 pound an hour isn't bad at all.


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## bregent (Feb 16, 2018)

Unfortunately the original source document is no longer available, but here is one page that shows a comparison of fuel consumption. The 2nd page had even more grills listed. As you can see, there can be quite a range between different makes and models: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pellet-consumption-performance.140175/


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## jakester (Feb 23, 2018)

I was hoping someone that owns and uses a YS640 would give us the real feedback of how many pallets they go through.


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## ross77 (Feb 23, 2018)

I have a RecTec 680 and the consumption varies depending on outside temp. I haven’t actually calculated it but in the winter it will use quite a bit more pellets in order to maintain the temp. When I smoked a brisket for 19 hours I used just over half of 40lb bag. The 680 has a 40 lb hopper and it seemed to be less than half full.


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## jakester (Feb 23, 2018)

I am planning on buying a pellet smoker in about 1-2 months and The Rec Tec RT-700 and Yoder YS640 are on the top of my list, I like the Yoder but I get the impression that it uses a lot more pellets then the rec tec which I don't like.

20-25 pounds for a 19 hour smoke in the winter isn't bad at all. 

How do you like to rec tec? I am coming from a 40" electric MES and a 14.5 WSM. I can't stand the MES, very unreliable and temp differences throughout the smoker is crazy.


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## ross77 (Feb 23, 2018)

I was in the same boat as you. WSM and then a MES. WSM was too much work and the MES electronics failed twice. I felt that the smoke flavor from the MES was a little to acrid for my tastes. 

I like the RecTec so far. It is a lighter smoke flavor so I sometimes use a smoker tube to supplement but I’m satisfied with the flavor from 100% hickory pellets 80% of the time. The ease of use and solid temperature holding ability is fantastic.


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## jakester (Feb 23, 2018)

WSM is a great smoker but you do have to keep checking on it which I don't always have the time. I want a smoker that I can load up and sleep all night or be able to run out for an hour or two without having to worry about the temps.

MES last smoke I had some ribs in there and about 3 hours in the heating element stopped working so I had to finish them on the gas grill. 

How long had you had your Rec Tec?


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## ross77 (Feb 23, 2018)

About 18 months. I had an ignitor fail but they’ve since upgraded those to ceramic and will supposedly last for many years. 

No other problems. 

You probabaly can’t go wrong with most of the reputable brands. If you want rock solid temps, make sure it has a PID controller.


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## jakester (Feb 23, 2018)

That is the down side of pellet or electric smokers, they can fail and if they do it will mostly likely be right in the middle of a smoke. This is where a WSM is a winner, no parts to fail.


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## ross77 (Feb 23, 2018)

That is true but I’ve yet to have it break down in the middle of a cook. 

Once the kids get older I’ll switch back to a traditional smoker.


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## jakester (Feb 23, 2018)

How would you compare the flavor between the WSM and Rec Tec?


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## ross77 (Feb 23, 2018)

jakester said:


> How would you compare the flavor between the WSM and Rec Tec?



The smoke is not as heavy with a pellet smoker.  Of the three smokers, the WSM produced the best flavor IMO. It's hard to beat the WSM for flavor as you're cooking with charcoal and wood.

But a pellet smoker can come close with a smoke tube, I sometimes use an Amazen Pellet Tube Smoker.  The new RecTec models have new heat deflectors with a built in tray they say you can put wood chips or pellets on to add smoke.

You're giving up some flavor for convenience.  To me, it was worth it.  No more adjusting vents or adding fuel and water.  And I prefer the layout of the barrel type smokers to the WSM.


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## ross77 (Feb 25, 2018)

Found this on the Yoder website:


*How many pellets are used in a long slow smoke?*
Pellet consumption ranges from 1½-pounds to 4-pounds per hour depending on the cooking temperature and environment.


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## Ed Crain (Feb 25, 2018)

It does vary on outside temperature the most I’ve ever used is probably 30lbs in a 12hr smoke with outside temperature in the 20’s. It’s something I don’t worry too much about if it’s empty I fill it up I’ve been using competition blend I’m picking up at Walmart for now may look into a bulk buy this spring


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## Ed Crain (Feb 25, 2018)

Ok jakester ambient outside temp 55 degrees 6hrs at 250 20lb hopper not quite half


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## jakester (Feb 27, 2018)

Thank you Ed! Sounds like your right at about 1.5 pounds per hour.


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## gmc2003 (Feb 27, 2018)

ross77 said:


> I was in the same boat as you. WSM and then a MES. WSM was too much work and the MES electronics failed twice.





jakester said:


> WSM is a great smoker but you do have to keep checking on it which I don't always have the time.



Blasphemy I say - blasphemy. May you both cook in the depth's of a smokeless hell. Just kidding, good luck Jake with finding a pellet smoker to your liking. I was lucky/unlucky as I didn't start smoking meat until my kiddo's were a little older. All sorts of time on my hands.

Chris


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## Jordan Kahn (Mar 22, 2018)

jakester said:


> I am looking to get myself a pellet smoker in the coming future. I originally thought I would get a rec tec but lately have been reading how great the Yoder YS640 is but also heard that it consumes a lot more pellets over other grills it's size. Anyone have any experience with this, if so please share your experiences.


I haven't been measuring it but I got a Yoder YS640 for Christmas and can say that it is a pellet hog! I live in CA so the weather isn't an issue. But I have run the hopper dry numerous times now and it's honestly the only/biggest drawback of the YS640. Spending a 20 lb bag of pellets adds significant $$$$ to the cost of smoking a packer brisket, for example. It's kindof a bummer because the smoke flavor is very weak also - the Company line on that issue is that the smoker is so "efficient" that it doesn't give off the overly smokey flavor that stick-burners are accustomed to. But if it's so efficient, why does it burn so many lbs of pellets??

Anyways, I'll try to keep track of the burn rate on my next cook.


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## stephan (Apr 1, 2018)

I just bought a Ys640 and had my first cook on it today. I was smoking a brisket flat, I don't recall the size but it was a fairly large one. I used Lumberjack competition blend for the cook. It was a windy day right around 50 degrees. I used a 20 lb bag and it ran for about 10 hours and it pretty much used the whole bag. The smoke flavor was mild which my family likes better than a more pronounced smoke taste. I was told that using straight hickory or Mesquite will give you more of a smoke flavor than a mixed blend.


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## ross77 (Apr 1, 2018)

That is a nice looking pit with the comp cart.  It seems like a high usage rate for 50 degrees.  What temp were you running?


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## stephan (Apr 1, 2018)

I was running 250 but I have to admit I was opening it a lot to check out how it was going. Ill keep track of usage and type of pellets as far as taste goes. Ill start a log and see how it goes from there. I had a Klose offset and a Pitmaker safe before, but  this is the first pellet smoker for me.


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## electricity (Apr 2, 2018)

I think 250 is a bit high for brisket on a pellet smoker. Perhaps try 220 for the first three hours and then move it up to 250 and see if it has more smoke flavor. I would mist at three hours too. If I want smoke flavor, when the meat is cool and moist, I keep the rec tecs between 180-220. The common 250-275 temp range on a stick burner doesn't work well on pellets smokers, IMO.  The smoking range is 180-230 in my experience. The "cooking with wood range" is 250 and above. That range does impart a wood flavor, but not a true smoked flavor IMO. 

I think Aaron Franklin talking about running his pits at 250-275 is part of the "pellet smoker smoke problem".

I don't have a Yoder, but I'm skeptical about increased pellet consumption for that brand. If its true, it must have a stronger than normal fan that moves more air through the chamber. Pellets burned to ash give off the same BTUs regardless of smoker brand. The heavy steel of the Yoder may take a few more handfuls than typical to heat up, but after that the radiation from the smoker body should be roughly comparable to other brands.

Part of the Yoder or Rec Tec question should be "who is going to fix it". If you want someone else to fix it when it breaks, buy a premium brand with a dealer network. If you want low long term operating cost where you do the repairs buy a big Rec Tec with the six year warranty. You do the repairs, but with generous and free parts and support. 

I've been happy with rec tec, and now really like the wifi. But I would not hesitate to buy a Yoder based on increased pellet consumption. A smaller high quality smoker is an excellent choice for people concerned about cost but who don't buy cheaper products: Less up front cost, lower pellet consumption, and better high temp performance for things like pizza (faster to high temp and usually higher max temp).


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## stephan (Apr 2, 2018)

This is my first pellet smoker so I guess Im using what I know works for my offset stick burner and cabinet smokers ( charcoal ). Ill try the lower temp on my next brisket. Although I was very pleased with the results from my first smoke.


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## electricity (Apr 2, 2018)

stephan said:


> This is my first pellet smoker so I guess Im using what I know works for my offset stick burner and cabinet smokers ( charcoal ). Ill try the lower temp on my next brisket. Although I was very pleased with the results from my first smoke.



The Yoder is a fine piece of equipment. 

My feeling is that a lot of practices don't carry over meaningfully from stick burners. I don't think wrapping brisket is usually a benefit, especially when bumping the heat up after three hours to 250-275. The cleaner burn on a pellet smoker at those temps become an advantage as there is little risk of bitterness developing. The stall isn't a problem with an automated system as long as total cook time are estimated correctly and the food is ready in an appropriate time period.

But if I was feeding a stick burner I would probably want to shorten cook time by an hour or two. If I was running a BBQ restaurant I would benefit from wrapping brisket both financially (fewer labor hours) and quality control (less chance the new guy over-smokes the meat).

I also don't think doing 3-2-1 ribs is particularly beneficial, at least on better pellet smokers with excellent temp control. Not foiling allows somewhat more smoke flavor. But I'm not looking for "fall off the bone" at the end. I like a small amount of firmness in ribs. Foiling may be a good idea for people who prefer "fall off the bone" over best texture.

But I may be a crazy person. I think finishing long smokes in the oven indoors in the winter is fine. I'll even sous vide a brisket for a day after a smoke outdoors. I'm more of a cook than a BBQ guy.


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## stephan (Apr 2, 2018)

I tried the wrapping the rib routine many years ago and tossed it rather quickly. I also prefer a slight tug when I bite into a rib. I have more of a keep it simple mentality when it comes to smoking food. The offset stick burner I had just needed to much tending to. Not to mention a supply of seasoned wood.


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## stephan (Apr 11, 2018)

This will be my third cook and heres my pellet usage so far.

04/01/18
Outside temp 50 degrees and windy
Lumberjack Comp blend pellets
Cook temp was set to 250 degrees
9 hour cook
20 lb of pellets
Damper 3/4 open

04/08/18
Outside temp 43 degrees, breezy
B&B Hickory pellets
Cook temp was set to 225 degrees
6 hour cook
10 lb of pellets
Damper 3/4 open

4/10/18
Outside temp 54 degrees no wind
Pit Boss Applewood pellets
Cook temp was set to 350 degrees
2 hour cook
6 lb of pellets
Damper 3/4 open

Average pellet use to date 2.1 lbs an hour. So is this to be expected or am I using more than average.


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## ross77 (Apr 11, 2018)

Wow. That seems high especially for lower temps. 

6 pounds in 2 hours?


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## stephan (Apr 11, 2018)

The only thing I can say was it was set at 350 degrees and they were Pit Boss Apple wood pellets, I would like to hear from others on their thoughts. It had just occurred to me that I have only given the cook time, I leftout the start up time before I actually put the meat in the smoker which for me is about 20-30 minutes.


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## clue (May 10, 2018)

I got my Yoder YS640 last Oct. I find that I go through about 1 to 1 1/4 lbs. of pellets an hour at 220.
I have done 14 hr. smokes over night in winter and 20 lbs. of pellets were more than enough.
I do live in Ca. and and the low was about 40. When I'm grilling at 350 I go through a lot more pellets but haven't paid attention usage.


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## texomakid (May 11, 2018)

I too just bought a Yoder 640 but I haven't really kept up with consumption. I did a break - in (2 hours @ 350), seared rib eyes, cooked a 14 lbs brisket & finished off with burnt ends, a couple of chickens & pork belly and just finished off a 40# sack of cookinpellets perfect mix and a few pounds of cookinpellets hickory. I'd say that's probably less than 2 lbs per hour average? I'll try and get a better number on mine. I live in N. Texas and I don't open the door often - I rely on my meat thermometers. 6 pounds in 2 hours does seem high?


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