# PELLETS AND BTU'S



## goliath (Apr 5, 2014)

i am totally new to this pellet grill game and have done alot (maybe too much) reading on the web. as i have come to trust the info from this site i am looking for some feedback PLEASE.

does the type of wood used in the pellets effect the heat they generate. i guess what i mean does 100% oak give more heat than 100% hickory thus needing less volume to do a 6 hour smoke. and in comparison to other pellet make ups do the blends give the heat and flavor . personally i have been using and really like the Lumberjack 100% hickory for my AMNPS in my big electric freezer build. have had great results when doing sausage, have used blends or oak for my cheese smokes.

can i expect the same flavor from the pellet grill as i get from my electric when i do a chicken or a butt, ribs ???

thanks

GOLIATH


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## cliffcarter (Apr 6, 2014)

GOLIATH said:


> ....
> 
> does the type of wood used in the pellets effect the heat they generate. i guess what i mean does 100% oak give more heat than 100% hickory thus needing less volume to do a 6 hour smoke...
> 
> GOLIATH


No the type of wood does not effect BTU output. One pound of wood, no matter what species, contains approximately 8000 BTU. One pound of wood pellets, therefore, contains 8000 BTU regardless whether it is oak, hickory or any other wood.


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## phrett (May 9, 2014)

You will find some pellets are compressed much more than others.  That compression and the moisture content will affect btu's and amount of ash left after a cook.  Sometimes it can be significant and shows in pellet consumption rates but not in the quality of the cook or maintaining temps.


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## shtrdave (May 9, 2014)

I think it may be the way the pellets are made with types of wood, moisture and maybe even the pressure that it is run through the dies. On the Pellet Stove forum there is someone that has done many tests with different heating pellets and the results he got from amount of ash produced, temps achieved, and the other things he recorded seem to show that there is a difference in heat output.

Do some searches on the net for wood pellet reviews or testing, all heat out put is not the same.


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