# Best Pellet brand for smoking?



## John Goostree (Mar 19, 2019)

I have a Camp Chef smoker and so far have used Traeger Hickory pellets which have worked pretty well. Twice now I have bought some cheapo 20 lb. bag of pellets for around $9 each which were awful. Looking for recommendations on which brand of pellets people like best. Mainly looking for Hickory/Competition blend but will take any suggestion. Looking for about $18-$20 for 20 lb bag price point but will also take any suggestion. Thanks!


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## hardhead (Mar 19, 2019)

These have been good for me. $37 for a 40lb bag


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## Winterrider (Mar 19, 2019)

Lumberjack pellets, normally $13/20lb have been good for me. Just used in tubes/tray


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## mike243 (Mar 19, 2019)

Try some Lumber Jack,they have several flavors of 100% target wood,hickory and cherry are favorites, also the Hickory/Char cant be passed up ,no 2 people like the same thing so testing may cost you some $ until you decide what you like and don't like.


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## John Goostree (Mar 19, 2019)

Winterrider said:


> Lumberjack pellets, normally $13/20lb have been good for me. Just used in tubes/tray



Where do you get them for $13/20lb ?


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## schlotz (Mar 19, 2019)

Yup, it becomes a personal thing. Most will perform well, some leave more ash which may or may not be an issue depending on equipment used in, and length of smoke.  I settled in with BBQr's Delight a number of years ago and have had consistent results with low ash output.


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## solman (Mar 19, 2019)

John Goostree said:


> Where do you get them for $13/20lb ?



this probably won't help you since there are no rural kings in your location, but rural king has them in store for $9/20lb. https://www.ruralking.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=lumber+jack+pellets


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## Winterrider (Mar 19, 2019)

John Goostree said:


> Where do you get them for $13/20lb ?


our local Home Of Economy. They were even on sale at Christmas $9.99


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## SlowmotionQue (Mar 19, 2019)

hardhead said:


> These have been good for me. $37 for a 40lb bag



Same here.


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## MattQ (Apr 6, 2019)

I also use BBQer’s Delight.  Just bought some hickory and apple on Amazon today.  Couldn’t find any peach, which is my favorite.


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## smokemypole (Apr 6, 2019)

John Goostree said:


> I have a Camp Chef smoker and so far have used Traeger Hickory pellets which have worked pretty well. Twice now I have bought some cheapo 20 lb. bag of pellets for around $9 each which were awful. Looking for recommendations on which brand of pellets people like best. Mainly looking for Hickory/Competition blend but will take any suggestion. Looking for about $18-$20 for 20 lb bag price point but will also take any suggestion. Thanks!


I use lumberjack char hickory and competition blend. Great flavor low ash and put off awesome smoke. Those traegers read are junk and filled with flavored oils.


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## smokemypole (Apr 6, 2019)

hardhead said:


> These have been good for me. $37 for a 40lb bag


 I read that people have been finding plastic in these pellets ruining there cooks. They start to smell unpleasant odor and check the pellets and finding blue plastic pieces in them


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## smokemypole (Apr 6, 2019)

John Goostree said:


> Where do you get them for $13/20lb ?


Dicks sporting goods and runnings has them also


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## hardhead (Apr 6, 2019)

I am using smoke ring pellets now. They have been good i bought a pallet and sold off some on facebook for $16 for 40lb bags


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## Fueling Around (Apr 6, 2019)

I pick up 33# bags of Traeger gourmet blend at local Costco for $20.
I get them up for a friend that has a Traeger, but he hasn't shared any of the meat with me, so I cannot comment on the flavor.

Yes, still a friend, he installed vinyl plank in my bathroom for free.

I'm a stick burner


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## dubob (Apr 7, 2019)

I'm not a connoisseur of wood smoke flavors by any stretch of the imagination.  So I keep it very, very simple and burn one blend for everything.  I use Lumberjack Comp MHC Blend.  I get them through a home business locally that sells them $10/20 lb bag out the door.  Lumberjack uses no fillers; just 100% of the flavor wood on the package.  There are a couple others that do the same, but the majority of pellet makers are using up to 70% filler wood (red oak is very popular for this) and you get very little, if any, flavor from the filler wood.  It will be very hard to generate a heavy smoke profile with a pellet grill unless additional smoke is being generated by say a smoke tray or tube.  I just bought a smoke tube to use while smoking salmon & trout fillets.  I have not used it yet; waiting for the weather to support taking my boat out of storage and for the salmon/trout waters I like to fish to get clear of their ice cap.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Apr 7, 2019)

Atwoods if you have them


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 7, 2019)

dubob said:


> I'm not a connoisseur of wood smoke flavors by any stretch of the imagination.  So I keep it very, very simple and burn one blend for everything.  I use Lumberjack Comp MHC Blend.  I get them through a home business locally that sells them $10/20 lb bag out the door.  Lumberjack uses no fillers; just 100% of the flavor wood on the package.  There are a couple others that do the same, but the majority of pellet makers are using up to 70% filler wood (red oak is very popular for this) and you get very little, if any, flavor from the filler wood.  It will be very hard to generate a heavy smoke profile with a pellet grill unless additional smoke is being generated by say a smoke tray or tube.  I just bought a smoke tube to use while smoking salmon & trout fillets.  I have not used it yet; waiting for the weather to support taking my boat out of storage and for the salmon/trout waters I like to fish to get clear of their ice cap.



I think I know what you're trying to get across.

There's a reason why these "blends" don't offer much in the way of smoke flavor by themselves.

But if the wood is 100% of what they say it is on the bag, well then the bag won't say blend.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...IGqPsmM2woVhZHxlA2xoC2wcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

60% of this pellet. is something other than actual hickory.

The Lumberjack 100% hickory must be what you're using instead of the "blend".

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...ru5cUCIjPPVFbNTOA4xoC7ZAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

A better explanation is found here.

https://bbqlumberjack.com/our-pellets/

"*Hickory Blend*
Especially good with beef, pork, poultry or game birds

_*(60% Red Oak, 40% Hickory)*_

Available in 40# and 20# bags".

Whereas the 100% hickory product is listed as:

https://bbqlumberjack.com/100-hickory-grilling-pellets-lumber-jack/

"*100% Hickory Grilling Pellets from Lumber Jack*
Lumber Jack hickory pellets are perhaps the most widely used pellet, and for good reason.  Our 100% hickory grilling pellets provide a unique smoke flavor and compliment almost any food you pair with them.  *Made from 100% hickory wood*, these pellets naturally enhance beef, pork, seafood, poultry, or wild game."


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## dubob (Apr 7, 2019)

SlowmotionQue said:


> But if the wood is 100% of what they say it is on the bag, well then the bag won't say blend.


*I will respectfully disagree.*  Lumber Jack utilizes 100% specified wood species.  And printed on the bags that I buy, it says 'Lumber Jack Competition Blend Pellets'.  The product is a perfect _*mixture*_ (blend) of one-third each Maple, Hickory, and Cherry, it is suitable for use with any food, making it a versatile option for your next backyard barbeque.  There is NO filler in this product as there is in the 'Hickory Blend' product.



SlowmotionQue said:


> https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...IGqPsmM2woVhZHxlA2xoC2wcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
> 
> 60% of this pellet. is something other than actual hickory.
> 
> The Lumberjack 100% hickory must be what you're using instead of the "blend".


Nope.  I am using the Competition Blend which is 100% of the flavor woods listed and no red oak as is used in the Hickory Blend.

I



SlowmotionQue said:


> Lumber Jack hickory pellets are perhaps the most widely used pellet, and for good reason.  Our 100% hickory grilling pellets provide a unique smoke flavor and compliment almost any food you pair with them.  *Made from 100% hickory wood*, these pellets naturally enhance beef, pork, seafood, poultry, or wild game."


From the Lumberjack website and from the Competition Blend (MHC) description: "Our most popular blend – ideal for all food preparation."


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 7, 2019)

dubob said:


> *I will respectfully disagree.*  Lumber Jack utilizes 100% specified wood species.  And printed on the bags that I buy, it says 'Lumber Jack Competition Blend Pellets'.  The product is a perfect _*mixture*_ (blend) of one-third each Maple, Hickory, and Cherry, it is suitable for use with any food, making it a versatile option for your next backyard barbeque.  There is *NO filler* in this product as there is in the 'Hickory Blend' product.
> 
> Nope.  I am using the Competition Blend which is 100% of the flavor woods listed and no red oak as is used in the Hickory Blend.
> 
> ...




Very well.

And I will respectfully disagree with you.  I didn't use the word "filler" in my above post.  Never said that all of their "blends" contained "fillers".  Never said that there was "filler" wood in the Competition Blend.



dubob said:


> .....There are a couple others that do the same, but the majority of pellet makers are using up to 70% filler wood (red oak is very popular for this) and you get very little, if any, flavor from the filler wood.



I stated in part response to that;  "There's a reason why these "blends" don't offer much in the way of smoke flavor by themselves."

With the words; "these blends", I was referring to the ones which you had just referenced, and had stated  used up to "70% filler wood".

My other point is that any of Lumberjack's  brands labeled "blend" are not 100% *one* wood type.  Be those other woods "fillers" or otherwise.

I just bought this bag of pellets a few minutes ago at my local Field and Stream.








It says 100% Hickory.  The only type of wood in these pellets is hickory.  It is not a "blend".

What I said earlier was; "But if the wood is 100% of what they say it is on the bag, well then the bag won't say *blend*."

And indeed, that bag  above, does not say "blend".  Be it "blended" with "fillers" or other hardwoods or fruitwoods.

However this one below does indeed say "blend".  Which lets us know that it's not 100% of anything.

Also, the point that I was attempting to make with the links was that the reason why the MHC and other "blends"  are stated to be  "blends" is because there is more than one type of wood  used to make it.  Be the additional wood red oak, alder, "fillers", maple,  etc.

I wasn't saying that all "blends" contain "filler" woods.  My favorite pellet, Cookinpellets Perfect Mix, is a "blend", though it has no oak, alder or "filler" woods in it.

The last bag pictured below, Maple, Hickory, Cherry, is obviously not and cannot be 100% one wood type, hence the designation "blend" on the bag as opposed to the bag that I just bought which says "100% Hickory", and the word "blend" is nowhere to be found on it.  Hickory and nothing else.  Be it another hardwood or softwood.










dubob said:


> *I will respectfully disagree.*  Lumber Jack utilizes *100% specified wood species.*  And printed on the bags that I buy, it says 'Lumber Jack Competition Blend Pellets'. * The product is a perfect mixture (blend) of one-third each Maple, Hickory, and Cherry,* it is suitable for use with any food, making it a versatile option for your next backyard barbeque.  *There is NO filler in this product as there is in the 'Hickory Blend' product.*



100% "specified wood species".   They aren't "specifying" one wood species, on the Competition *Blend *bag below,  but indeed they are referring to three.

33% maple, 33% Hickory, 33% Cherry,.  But not 100% of anything.

However they are in fact,  "specifying" one wood species on the "Hickory Blend" bag, that one species they state on the bag being "Hickory".   But we know that there are other species of wood in the bag labeled "Hickory Blend", namely oak.



dubob said:


> *I will respectfully disagree.*  Lumber Jack utilizes *100% specified wood species.*



Not necessarily.  Or rather "yes" and "no".

They "specify" Hickory on the Hickory Blend bag. A picture of it is above and in this post.  But that's not 100% of what's in that bag.  In fact only 40% of the wood content is hickory.  Those pellets are made using portions of 100% hickory, but they have *mostly* another type of wood in them too.  Hence the pellets are referred to as a blend.

To wit, the bag labeled “Hickory Blend”, has less hickory in it 40%, than it does oak 60%, even though “”hickory” is the species stated on the bag. and the word "oak" is nowhere to be found on the front of it.

So in that 20lb bag of “Hickory Blend”, by weight, one would expect 12lbs of that to be oak and only 8lbs to be hickory.  If I sold you a 20 lb bag of mixed pellets and 12 lbs of the pellets in the bag were 100% oak, and only 8lbs of the pellets in the bag were 100% hickory, am I selling you a bag of "hickory blend" pellets.  Or am I selling you a bag of oak pellets with some hickory mixed in them?

So the statement “Lumberjack uses 100% of the wood species specified” is not quite accurate. The wood species specified on their “Hickory Blend” bag is of course “hickory”. But in fact less than half of what’s in that bag is actually hickory.



*




*


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## dubob (Apr 7, 2019)

SlowmotionQue said:


> But if the wood is 100% of what they say it is on the bag, well then the bag won't say blend.


This statement by you is what I was addressing before.  The Competition Blend (MHC) is 100% Maple/Hickory/Cherry which in my mind makes it 100% of what they say it is.  There is no other wood in there, so for me it is exactly 100% of what they say it is and yes, it is a blend.  It will be counter productive to continue with this discussion and we shall agree to disagree on the semantics.  I wish you well on all your future cooks regardless of which wood product you use.  Peace.


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 7, 2019)

dubob said:


> This statement by you is what I was addressing before.  The Competition Blend (MHC) is 100% Maple/Hickory/Cherry which in my mind makes it 100% of what they say it is.  There is no other wood in there, so for me it is exactly 100% of what they say it is and yes, it is a blend.  It will be counter productive to continue with this discussion and we shall agree to disagree on the semantics.  I wish you well on all your future cooks regardless of which wood product you use.  Peace.



And I wish you well too.

But I have always been taught that a "mix" or a "blend" by definition, cannot be 100% of anything, or else it wouldn't be a mix or a blend.


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