# Heating Pellets in a Pellet Smoker



## ross77

I saw a thread at Pelletfan about using pellets for wood stoves in a pellet smoker.  So I decided to give it a shot.  

I found 40lb bags of Premium Hardwood Heating Pellets at a local Menards in the Twin Cities for $4.  I picked up 2 bags and have used them twice with perfectly fine results.  I would compare them to typical competition blends.  According to their website it's likely oak/maple.

I haven't used them on an extended low and slow cook yet but so far so good.  The only downside is you don't know exactly what wood it is.  But as long as it's hardwoods, you're good to go.  At the very least I'll use these for high heat grilling.


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## motocrash

I don't know man....5-10 % softwoods and their MSDS is NOT an MSDS it's titled Safety Data Sheet, excluding the Materials part.Though they say on their FAQ page there are no additives....my .02


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## lwestby

MSDS's are no more - they are called SDS's now with the new Globally Harmonized System that is in place - so that isn't really a head turner.  

I still would be skeptical about what it is them.  For instance:  Is there any softwoods? Is there any glues or other impurities (if they get them from scraps from a wood shop)?  Does the manufacturer have any input (asked directly if they are safe for use in grills)?


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## troutman

I'm running a Pellet Pro 18" in my cooker and their manual specifically says "not" to use the heating system type pellets.  Given I need to keep my warranty in tact I choose to avoid them.  I believe Traeger started this who way of cooking based on their original pellet heater designs.  Be interesting to hear what they have to say.....o_O


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## ross77

Check out the thread at PelletFan if you're a member:  https://pelletfan.com/index.php?topic=818.0

I haven't been able to find any BBQ Pellet standards setting them apart from heating pellets.  The only difference I can think of is the specific wood species you can get with BBQ pellets.  But BBQ pellets are not 'food grade'.

http://www.indeckpellets.com/faq.php

*Q:*
*Can I use Indeck Energy Premium Wood Pellets in my wood pellet grill or smoker?*

*A:*
Our premium wood pellets contain no additives, scraps, or non-wood elements. They are manufactured with a mixture of northern Wisconsin hardwood species including aspen, ash, basswood, birch, maple and oak. To the best of our knowledge, there are no standards for barbecue wood pellets.

Premium Indeck Energy™ Wood Pellets contain:

_NO_ inorganic additives
_NO_ wood glues
_NO_ wood derived from low-quality sources - like pallets or other scrap
_Hardwood_ blend


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## mowin

I wouldn't use them.  Just don't trust that there's no glue, stain, ECT in them.  Also made up from so many different woods with very light smoke flavor.   The answer to the question  "can I use these in my pellet grill"?  Well, they didn't answer it...   They don't say you can, but they don't say you can't.


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## motocrash

mowin said:


> I wouldn't use them.  Just don't trust that there's no glue, stain, ECT in them.  Also made up from so many different woods with very light smoke flavor.   The answer to the question  "can I use these in my pellet grill"?  Well, they didn't answer it...   They don't say you can, but they don't say you can't.


Exactly,and they state all hardwood and name the species and then state 5-10% softwood elsewhere on their site.

_NO_ inorganic additives  - what organic additives are in there??
It's all shifty to me.


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## ross77

Understandable. But their is no guarantee that BBQ pellets are any better. Adding BBQ or Cooking pellets to the name is marketing. The heating pellets are regulated and required to meet standards. The only benefit to BBQ pellets IMO is the ability to select specific woods but even some of those are blended with maple or oak filler.  As long as the heating pellets are premium hardwood I’ve got no problem with it. I’d be willing to bet they are very similar to typical competition BBQ pellet blends.


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## motocrash

ross77 said:


> Understandable. But their is no guarantee that BBQ pellets are any better. Adding BBQ or Cooking pellets to the name is marketing. The heating pellets are regulated and required to meet standards. The only benefit to BBQ pellets IMO is the ability to select specific woods but even some of those are blended with maple or oak filler.  As long as the heating pellets are premium hardwood I’ve got no problem with it. I’d be willing to bet they are very similar to typical competition BBQ pellet blends.


Cook'em up Dude.


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## troutman

Yea if you're happy with them use them.  After all they are a source of heat, if they claim no funny stuff than they are probably alright.  Best check your equipment and make sure they are not screwing things up in there.  I gotta admit; however, $4 a bag is almost 10x less than what I pay for Lumber Jack !!!  Are we getting ripped off ?  This was one of the main reasons I didn't become a pellethead until recently :(


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## daveomak

I've seen pellets for stove heating being made... Huge dump trucks hauling in sawdust from wood mills... Driving through mud.. Dumping the dust in a parking lot that is dirt and gravel.. They leak hydraulic and engine oil in that parking lot... The filthy front end loader scooping up filth with the dust and dumping it in an open hopper to feed the press... The press is greased with non food grade grease which drips, contaminating the pellets... Leaky hydraulics.. Who knows what happened to the sawdust at the wood mill... Collects under the saw, on the floor where there are untold contaminants infecting the dust... Mill workers spitting their "chew" on the floor... Maybe antifreeze dripped and is contaminating the dust..

It's not just the type of wood that goes into the "food grade" pellets... It's what does NOT go into the food grade pellets that makes them food grade...

Anywho... Just something to think about while saving a few bucks....


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## gmc2003

I have a pellet stove in my house for supplemental heat, and use hardwood pellets. According to the information listed on the bag and from my distributor there isn't any type of glue used in the manufacturing process. The wood itself has a natural binding agent that does the job. For cold smoking I've only used Todd's pellets and can tell you that his are all uniform in size and color. The home heating pellets not so much. Many of the home heating pellets are very long(which could cause auger jams) up to two inches, and the pellet color is inconsistent. So you don't really know what is mixed in. If I had a pellet smoker I would stick to pellets made for pellet smokers. 

Chris


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## ross77

How do we know they aren’t driving through mud and leaking fluids while producing BBQ pellets?  After all, there are no additional standards for food/bbq pellets. The FDA isn’t checking in on how these are made. 

It comes down to trusting the company I guess. I assume some are better than others. 

Did you know that Lumberjack also makes heating pellets?  Are they using a different process?  Possibly. 

IMHO they are slapping BBQ on the label and charging more for essentially the same product.


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## ross77

The particular heating pellets I bought are all uniform in size and color. They smelled good during cooking. In fact it seemed like there was less dust than the Lumberjack pellets I usually buy. 

At any rate, it’s interesting. Besides knowing what species you’re getting in some cases, I wonder if they are much different?


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## Bearcarver

I don't know about Pellet Poopers because I don't have one, but I would never use Heating Pellets in my AMNPS.

I was buying 2 Tons at a time for my House Pellet Stove for $225 per ton. 
That's $4.50 per 40 pound bag, but I would not use them in my AMNPS.

Bear


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## ross77

daveomak said:


> It's not just the type of wood that goes into the "food grade" pellets... It's what does NOT go into the food grade pellets that makes them food grade...
> 
> Anywho... Just something to think about while saving a few bucks....



There is no standard for food grade pellets.  So if the bag says "BBQ" or "Cooking" it doesn't really guarantee anything.
Short of visiting or calling each plant, you'll have to take them at their word on what does or does not go into the pellet.
Indeck is pretty forthcoming about how they make their pellets and they are a member of the Pellet Fuels Institute.
http://www.pelletheat.org/participating-fuel-manufacturers






"Not for human consumption" means you shouldn't eat the actual pellet.  Also stated on this bag of Lumberjack BBQ pellets.

Do whatever works for you.  Just have an open mind and consider what 'food grade' really means.  It's curious that a heating pellet company, Great Lakes Renewable Energy, Inc also makes Lumberjack 'BBQ' pellets.  Are they actually doing something different with the 'food' vs heating pellets besides specifying the wood species?  Not trying to anger anyone but I've been enlightened to the availability of 40lb bags of hardwood pellets for $4 and wanted to share.  The thread at PelletFan was pretty convincing.


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## hondabbq

If you really think about it, if adding all the lovely "extras" some posters have mentioned that may or may not be in the pellets used for heating, ( oils, cardboard, rubber, stains, varnishes) wouldn't you be breathing those "extras in when the fans are blowing air into your houses?

My point being, that if there is a standard for home heating pellets, aside from the soft wood varieties, is there really any difference?


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## ross77

Correct, the heating pellets are regulated and they are supposed to meet standards depending on the grade of pellet.  The main difference I think is with BBQ pellets you can get specific wood species. 

As far as the unwanted extras, the fact they claim it’s a “food grade” pellet doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything. 

It comes down to the company. As with any industry, some are better than others. 

People hear heating pellet and they just assume it’s full of junk. When in reality there are standards and the reputable companies include the analysis of their product on the bag and/or website. 

Clearly they are charging more for a very similar product. The process to produce a heating pellet is more or less the same as a BBQ pellet. There are not any higher standards to meet nor any regulating body overseeing the production of BBQ pellets. 

Based on what I’ve found I’m certainly not going to pay a lot more for a bag of competition blend. I’m still willing to spend more to get a 100% hickory pellet even though I can’t really know for sure it’s 100% hickory. ;)


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## Bearcarver

When we burn pellets in a home heating Pellet Stove, the Smoke goes up & out the chimney, and if it's a good stove it only smokes for about 15 seconds when starting.
So we aren't breathing any of the foul smoke from $225 per ton heating pellets.

I'll continue to get my Pellets & Dust from Todd, at "Amazing Smokers".

But like others, all I do is put the warning out there, and let the individual Smoker do what he thinks is right & safe.

Bear


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## tjohnson

The debate over "Food Grade Pellets" comes up over and over.  There currently is no regulation to qualify bbq pellets as "Food Grade".  Pellet producers use "Food Grade Grease" in there machines.  What's in the pellets does not designate whether the pellet is "Food Grade" or not.  It's up to the plant to produce pellets that will be safe for use around food.

Yes, some plants do use the same machines for both heating pellets and bbq pellets.  Depending on the operation, the plant can choose the exact species of wood fiber for the pellet, or choose a blended pile that may contain some unknown species of wood.  For example, some pellet producers use sawdust from a sawmill for the fiber in their pellets.  It would be up to the sawmill to separate oak, maple, cherry, pine and other species of woods.  Since sawdust is not the primary profit center for the sawmill, they may or may not have the ability to separate into different species.  Some sawmills have conveyors and silos, similar to a feed mill, and can collect & separate the different wood species.  There's a cost associated to this.

We buy semi loads of bbq pellets from various reputable pellet producers.  Yes, I can purchase heating pellets for less $$$, but just can't take a chance on not knowing exactly what's in the bag.


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## ross77

Good info. Thanks. I see you’re near the Twin Cities. Where do you get your pellets locally?


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## troutman

I'd still be careful to jump into this without knowing what you're getting.  Granted the cost difference is substantial but there's a reason for that. It appears (according to the Pellet Fuels Institute that governs quality control) they often times make heating pellets out of what ever bio mass products are available;

_*"What is biomass fuel?*

Cordwood, wood pellets, wood chips, waste paper, along with dozens of other agricultural products and by-products capable of being used for energy, are all examples of biomass fuel. The most compelling principle of biomass is that it is renewable. The remarkable consistency and burn efficiency of pellet fuel produces a fraction of the particulate emissions of raw biomass. Pellet burners feature the lowest particulate matter emissions of all solid fuels burners. Given the proper Sustainable Forest Initiatives and agricultural management, biomass is virtually limitless, and has proven to be price stable in comparison with fossil fuels.

The majority of North America’s forest is second-growth, and requires periodic treatment in order to address forest health and fire mitigation. A tremendous amount of unusable material remains on the forest floor after such treatment. This material is rejected by high-end wood product manufacturers but is a perfect resource for commercial pellet manufacturers.

*By engineering crops and waste such as cornstalks, straw, and residual forest waste, pellets can utilize millions of tons of waste and put them to work.*

Many pellet manufacturers take by-products (like wood waste) and refine them into pencil-sized pellets that are uniform in size, shape, moisture, density and energy content. Why not simply burn raw biomass? First, the moisture content of pellets is substantially lower (4% to 8% water–compared to 20% to 60% for raw biomass). Less moisture means higher BTU value and easier handling especially in freezing situations with green raw biomass materials. Second, the density of pellet fuel is substantially higher than raw biomass (40 lbs. per cubic foot verses 10-25 lbs. per cubic foot in raw material form). More fuel can be transported in a given truck space, and more energy can be stored at your site. Third, pellets are more easily and predictably handled. Their uniform shape and size allows for a smaller and simpler feed system that reduces costs. This high density and uniform shape can be stored in standard silos, transported in rail cars and delivered in truck containers."
_
Most heating furnaces operate via a heat exchanger, so the direct exhaust from these pellets is exhausted into the atmosphere, not on your food.  Please be careful that you're not buying into a red herring.


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## ross77

Makes sense but how do we know that BBQ pellets also don’t contain other biomass? We are trusting the manufacturer. There are no additional standards for BBQ pellets. 

Note that there are different grades of heating pellets as well. 

According to the manufacturer of the heating pellets I bought, they are hardwoods with no other fillers. 
I certainly don’t want to use a dangerous product but from what I researched, Indeck is reputable and stand behind their pellets as being up to the premium standard.


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## troutman

Well one thing I would say, if that 40# bag of pellets cost $4 and the $33 bag of Lumberjack Pellets I just bought are essentially the same thing, then someone is getting over on all of us...know what I mean?


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## ross77

troutman said:


> Well one thing I would say, if that 40# bag of pellets cost $4 and the $33 bag of Lumberjack Pellets I just bought are essentially the same thing, then someone is getting over on all of us...know what I mean?



Well $33 is way too much. You should be able to find Lumberjack cheaper depending on where you live. I’ve seen them for as low as $16 on Craig’s List from local dealers. 

But I do think there is a markup for branding them as BBQ. I wouldn’t think it costs 4x more to do some extra sorting. The raw material would probabaly cost more for certain woods but 4x as much?  Only someone at one of the factories would know the true cost. But it sure seems suspect to me.


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## bregent

troutman said:


> Well one thing I would say, if that 40# bag of pellets cost $4 and the $33 bag of Lumberjack Pellets I just bought are essentially the same thing, then someone is getting over on all of us...know what I mean?



It's the shipping!!
One reason that heating pellets are cheap are because they are typically manufactured close to the end user. Try having a bag of hardwood heating pellets delivered to you from WI and see how much that costs. If you live close to the plant you could get a 40lb bag of Lumberjack for less than $10.  If you want to lower your cost on LJ, do a group buy. I get them delivered to CA for about $14/40lbs.


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## troutman

Yea I remember you talking about that in another thread.  I will look into a group buy.  Actually there are other brands locally that are cheaper, I just like LJ which don't have a local presence in Houston for some reason.


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## bregent

There's a group buy happening right now in Houston:

https://bbqpelletsonline.com/index.php/contact-us/current-group-buys


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## hondabbq

I sent out an email asking for information on this from the Wood Pellet Association of Canada.  

Here is their response, and this comes from one of the executives of the association. As per their request I didn't disclose their name. 

Damian,
You can find the standards on page 6 of the document at this link.  https://www.pellet.org/CANplus/documents/WPACST03.pdf
You can use hardwood or softwood pellets for your grill.  I live in BC where our pellets are mostly made from pine, spruce, balsam, and Douglas fir.  The ones I use are mostly pine.  Canadian wood pellets are 100% pure wood with no additives or binders, so contamination is not a concern.
Marketers of heating pellets charge more because people use smaller quantities, the packaging is fancier, and they promote exotic woods claiming that the flavours are unique.  Most people that only grill occasionally are not too concerned about the fuel cost.  I leave the flavouring for you to judge.  I can’t tell the difference and I have tried them all.  So I use heating pellets for grilling, and so do all my pellet industry industry colleagues.  In fact, we even use heating pellets when putting on barbecues at our annual conferences where we have international delegates attending from Europe and Asia.
I would prefer if you don’t quote me on this because the marketers of grilling pellets would not be very happy with me telling you this.


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## ross77

That’s quite interesting. I’m not going to use pine to cook with anytime soon though.


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## Bearcarver

ross77 said:


> That’s quite interesting. I’m not going to use pine to cook with anytime soon though.




That strikes me as strange too.
If we wouldn't use actual wood from Pine, Balsam, Spruce, or Douglas Fir, why would we use Pellets made from those Species?

Bear


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## ross77

Not for smoking anyway. I’ve certainly cooked some hotdogs and marshmallows over a firepit with pine and other random wood. Maybe over a high heat grill it’s not as noticeable.


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## troutman

bregent said:


> There's a group buy happening right now in Houston:
> 
> https://bbqpelletsonline.com/index.php/contact-us/current-group-buys



Thanks bregent !!!  At $14.36 per 40# bag that's less than half what I've been paying.


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## daveomak

IMO...  My thoughts...  In a pellet smoker, there is flame...  the flame may burn up some of the carcinogens associated with burning softwoods..   It's your choice... 
In a "smoke generator", there is no such luxury of an "afterburner" to clean up the smoke of known carcinogens.. 
That's the reason I choose "so called" food grade pellets..  Their higher price, is more than likely, the price to separate wood sawdust..   Todd chooses to do a "complete" separation to provide us with unique wood flavors..  That's probably the most expensive process of all processors...  Thank you Todd.. 
I liken it to buying meat at the market..  The meat guy has select, choice and prime meats in the back room..   He mixes them in a random fashion..  Now you have no idea what you are getting...  Some cost him $1.50/lb.. some $2.50/# and some $4.00/#...   He sells it to me for $3.50/#....   NOT....  I'm willing to pay for the real stuff....
So, where's this going...   Hang on....  we're almost there....
Todd's pellets sell from $1.50/# to $3.00/#...  plus shipping if you don't buy ~$50 worth...   I try to purchase enough to get free shipping..  I'm cheap....  and I know what I'm purchasing...  Means a lot to me... 
I generally smoke a batch of meat for 3-6 hours and I generally have 10-20#'s of meat in the smoker when I do...
3-6 hours of smoke consumes 5-10 oz. of pellets...  1/3 to 2/3 of a #....
Given the price of $1.50 to $3.00 per # for pellets, my costs are  $0.50 to $2.00 for that smoke... depending on the pellets and how I purchase them...  I'm usually in the $0.50-$1.00 range..  Free shipping is where the break comes..
If I smoke 20#'s of meat and I'm using the $2.00 load of pellets, my costs just increased by $0.10 a pound...
*10 cents* a pound..  Now, I'm cheaper than most of you folks, but that's a small price to pay for a quality product that comes from a long time member....


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## troutman

I think the nail has been hit on its proverbial head.  Cost of shipping, a more refined product avoiding soft woods and additives, all add up to a marked increase in price.  Given avenues for buying power certainly narrows the margin and makes for an economical solution, that's what I was trying to get at in the first place.  

If interested, here is Lumberjack's reply to my inquiry to them about this subject;

_Good morning,_

_In response to your question regarding heating pellets versus BBQ pellets, there are several factors that contribute to the difference in our BBQ pellets versus our other products._

_First of all, most of our heating products contain softwoods (pine, etc) and as you mentioned, softwoods are not conducive to cooking or smoking food products because of the unappealing flavor the pine wood produces.  _

_Secondly, the size of our BBQ pellets is a smaller diameter than our heating pellets.  Our heating pellets are a ¼” diameter pellet and our BBQ pellets are a 5.5mm diameter.  The smaller diameter BBQ pellet is advantageous as it goes through a pellet grill auger more easily._

_Thirdly, we do not offer our heating pellets in the flavors and varieties that we have available for our BBQ pellets.  The cost difference has much to do with cost of the woods that we purchase to make the BBQ pellets versus the heating pellets.  The only possible cross-over between heating pellets and BBQ pellets would be the “First Choice” heating pellet and the 100% oak BBQ pellet.  However, we do not recommend nor package the “First Choice” pellet as a BBQ grilling or smoking pellet as the recipe for our “First Choice” heating pellets may contain many different varieties of hardwood, including ash, maple, and other mixed hardwoods.  Our 100% oak BBQ pellet contains just that…100% oak wood._

_None of our pellets contain leaves or debris or anything of that nature.  All of our pellets are made from 100% wood and are either bought in chip form or chipped by us from logs that we purchase._

_Hopefully this helps to answer your questions._

_Let me know if you have any further questions or would like to order our Lumberjack BBQ pellets._

_Thanks._

_Audrey_

_Great Lakes Renewable Energy, Inc._


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## ross77

Thanks for posting the response from Lumberjack. I would definitely not use softwoods but based on what they mentioned about the First Choice heating pellets, I’m fine with using the heating pellets I got. Yes they are a mixture of hardwoods but so are the typical bags of competition blends. 

I plan on using the Premium Hardwood heating pellets for my high heat grilling. I’ll continue to use Lumberjack hickory or pecan for my low and slow cooks.


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## Bearcarver

daveomak said:


> IMO...  My thoughts...  In a pellet smoker, there is flame...  the flame may burn up some of the carcinogens associated with burning softwoods..   It's your choice...
> In a "smoke generator", there is no such luxury of an "afterburner" to clean up the smoke of known carcinogens..
> That's the reason I choose "so called" food grade pellets..  Their higher price, is more than likely, the price to separate wood sawdust..   Todd chooses to do a "complete" separation to provide us with unique wood flavors..  That's probably the most expensive process of all processors...  Thank you Todd..
> I liken it to buying meat at the market..  The meat guy has select, choice and prime meats in the back room..   He mixes them in a random fashion..  Now you have no idea what you are getting...  Some cost him $1.50/lb.. some $2.50/# and some $4.00/#...   He sells it to me for $3.50/#....   NOT....  I'm willing to pay for the real stuff....
> So, where's this going...   Hang on....  we're almost there....
> Todd's pellets sell from $1.50/# to $3.00/#...  plus shipping if you don't buy ~$50 worth...   I try to purchase enough to get free shipping..  I'm cheap....  and I know what I'm purchasing...  Means a lot to me...
> I generally smoke a batch of meat for 3-6 hours and I generally have 10-20#'s of meat in the smoker when I do...
> 3-6 hours of smoke consumes 5-10 oz. of pellets...  1/3 to 2/3 of a #....
> Given the price of $1.50 to $3.00 per # for pellets, my costs are  $0.50 to $2.00 for that smoke... depending on the pellets and how I purchase them...  I'm usually in the $0.50-$1.00 range..  Free shipping is where the break comes..
> If I smoke 20#'s of meat and I'm using the $2.00 load of pellets, my costs just increased by $0.10 a pound...
> *10 cents* a pound..  Now, I'm cheaper than most of you folks, but that's a small price to pay for a quality product that comes from a long time member....




Exactly!!
Well said Dave!

Bear


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## bregent

daveomak said:


> IMO...  My thoughts...  In a pellet smoker, there is flame...  the flame may burn up some of the carcinogens associated with burning softwoods..   It's your choice...



Not just a flame but a very HOT flame with a fan blowing right into it - so it's a very different fire than if you were burning softwood in a stick burner. Still, I would not be comfortable with softwood pellets. 



daveomak said:


> Now, I'm cheaper than most of you folks, but that's a small price to pay for a quality product that comes from a long time member....



I don't know if you're cheaper than me, but most of us in this thread are running pellet grills and your cost analysis kind of goes out the window  - we're not using ounces per cook. On a long cook we may use 10-15 pounds so we're always looking for ways to cut costs. I'm not going to spend $2-3 a lb for pellets, but I don't need the cheapest either. I'm happy paying $0.37/lb for single species hardwood.


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## jtrainor56

Personally I would not put my family or friends at risk by using them, then I guess for some saving a buck is more important then their family.... just my opinion.


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## motocrash

I can't believe this thread is still going.Talk about beating a dead horse...speaking of which I'm having an exquisite dinner party tonight Kal Kan Mystery Meal flavor seared over the finest local Mystery pellets I could find.Didn't wan't to pay shipping as I used all my money on the Kal Kan shipping.Come one,come all! :)


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## Cory32

New to this site and I know this post is older, but I wanted to add what I know/have heard on this topic. My brother-in-law works at a pellet plant and runs the machinery. I was telling him last night how I had smoked up some ribs earlier in the day with my pellet smoker. He said dont buy pellets, cause I can get them for you for free. Well, I was concerned about not getting the grilling pellets, so I asked him if they were the grilling or heating pellets. He said, dude theres no difference besides the bag. It's all ran through the same machine. All they do is change bags when making the grilling pellets and then they up charge for the "grilling" pellets.


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## Bearcarver

All I can say is I wouldn't buy pellets for a Smoker from that company.

Bear


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## ross77

I could believe this depending on the company, since there really isn’t a grilling pellet standard. Some are more trustworthy than others. 

As long as they are 100% hardwood you’re fine.


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## Cory32

Yeah, the woods used are different, i guess I should've stated that, but its all hardwood. They are all ran through the same press. He said the only ones that are truly different are the bedding pellets snd that's because soft woods, like pine or poplar, are used.


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## ross77

I bet you can’t tell the difference between comp blend and hardwood heating pellets.


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## ross77

They were certified hardwood heating pellets.


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## Bearcarver

The 3 Tons of Heating Pellets I bought for my home heating stove were certified Hardwood Heating Pellets, but below is why I would not use them for smoking meat:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/heating-pellets-in-a-pellet-smoker.269573/#post-1765527

Bear


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## ross77

I get it but at the end of the day none of us really know what's in the pellets.  We are trusting the manufacturer as there is no 'grilling/bbq' pellet standard.  No governing body like the USDA is checking the factory periodically to make sure their BBQ pellets are ok for cooking.  Meeting the Pellet Institute standard is optional for heating pellets.  Even Cookin' Pellets had a run of pellets with plastic bits in them.  I generally use Lumberjack 100% hickory for most cooks.  This pic is from a bag of premium hardwood heating pellets I bought at Menards for $4.50/40lbs.


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## JWFokker

If they're hardwood, there's no problem. And I agree with the competition blend comparison. Once you start mixing woods you probably can't tell what it was smoked with anymore.


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## krisa1281

Interesting forum thread.

I've been hunting for the 15 years I have been heating with wood pellets for straight softwood.  Very hard to find because most people on the east coast are blindly looking for hardwood-only pellets. In actuality, softwood pellets produce 17-20% BTUs by weight.  This is due to the structure of softwood - it contains more resins than hardwood does.  Many pellet heaters used to heat with round wood and are baptized against softwood, mainly because of the concern over creosote (not an issue when pellet heating) and the fact that you get WAY more heat from a cord of hardwood.  The fallacy here is that we all buy pellets by weight and not volume.  Even my local sources of heating pellets don't understand this and they perpetuate the myth.

The reason I bring this up is that there is a marketing issue with mentioning that you have softwood in the pellet blend you are marketing.

My experience, from 25 years working as a forester in the Northeast is that all out pellet plants come in one of two flavors.  Either they are an existing lumber mill that is manufacturing pellets as a value-added process to increase fiber utilization or they are single-product outfits that buy that wood residue from a mill and convert it into pellets.  The good news is that list roundwood going through a lumber mill is debarked and the bark likely does not make it into the pellet.

If you are lucky (like me) you know the source of your pellets.  If they come from a hardwood mill, you can feel pretty safe you aren't getting softwood in the mix.  Otherwise, you are getting some combination.  If you don't know the source, give the pellets a try them and see if you liked the cooked result.  At the end of the day, if you can tell the difference (and that bothers you) you might spring for grilling pellets and see if that makes any difference.  After all, it's all about the taste in the end...

To me the "cancer concern" expressed about using softwoods is a red herring - softwood pellets burn actually hotter than hardwood ones (see above about the BTU content).  At the end of this whole debate is the bottom line that just by smoking meat you are introducing carcinogenic compounds into your food (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7447916/) .  If you really are worried about cancer risk from the type of wood you use, you are way deep into the weeds - you might better pick a different way of cooking meat ... or switch to steamed vegetables ;)


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