# Smoke flavor on a pellet grill?



## cabin fever

Pellet grills/smokers have kind of caught my eye these past few months, but I was wondering how the overall smoke flavor is when compared to stick burners or electric smokers? I was browsing the pelletheads forums and have read more than a few posts where members complain about getting zero smoke flavor at all. That goes for every brand of pellet grill as well and not just the Mak 2 Star General, GMG or Traeger. I've seen videos of various pellet grills on their smoke cycle/setting and it looks like they produce a ton of smoke. I just don't understand how folks are getting no smoke flavor at all.


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## pokey

It may depend on the pellets. I have a Traeger and while I'm new at this game, when I used Bear Mtn pellets, I was getting plenty of smoke flavor. I tried Traeger brand and found them to be bland.


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## squirrel

I have a Traeger and I like the convenience of it, but as far as smoke flavor I don't think you can beat a good old fashioned smoke. I have only used the Traeger pellets and while I do think the flavor is good, I would hardly call it a smokey flavor like I get when cooking with chunks of hickory or maple. The other thing for me is I have used every different kind of pellet they make and I cannot tell one bit of difference in the flavor.

With that said, I do love cooking my chicken breasts on it. I can set it to 375F drop those babies on there and I don't have to flip them! Love that. I have also done pork tenderloin and it comes out nice and tender. The bottom line is that this thing is convenient to cook on, but when I want the "real" smoke, then I build myself a fire.


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## carpetride

I've got Traeger and a Stumps.  I do believe that pellets do make a difference but each to their own.  While there have been very successful competitors that use Traeger pellets I am not a big fan of them.  I like 100% (name your wood) pellets, just feal like I get a "deeper and richer" flavor.  Personally I like the Hickory that cookinpellets.com sells.  I've also used his perfect blend and it is nice but more mellow.  Smoke is such a personal taste, you'll get a different opinion everytime you ask someone!  I've been relatively happy with mine and its results.  More importantly...so have my guest.


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## carpetride

Im a idiot!  Couldn't see my old reply.


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## pokey

FWIW - Traeger has a patented process in which they use wood oil from the named flavor, i.e. they use hickory oil to add a hickory flavor to whatever would it is they use as the base for the pellets. Bear Mtn pellets, to me, have a MUCH better wood flavor becuase, I believe, they actually use the flavor wood in their pellets. I bought Traeger pellets and once they're used up, will not make that mistake again.

IRMV


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## chopperman

Have had my Traeger BBQ075 for about a yr. Love the easy way to cook. Set it and walk away. Tender, juicy all that but like many others smoke flavor is close to non existant. I can get more smoke flavor with my old weber with some wood chunks on the coals. Really disappointed with that aspect of the grill. The grill creates lots of smoke but htat's it. You see the smoke, you smell like smoke but you can hardly taste the smoke.


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## flyweed

I have a GMG Daniel Boone Pellet grill and LOVE IT!  Will never go back to anything else!  As for pellets, I use the GMG Premium Gold Blend. Hard to find a better pellet. It's a mix of 70% oak 20% hickory and 10% maple.  And they do a great job, giving a nice smoke ring to just about anything.  If I am smoking something that I really want to bring out a pronounced smokey flavor, I'll use my Amaze N Pellet Tube smoker inside the grill, filled with pellets and lit at one end, and it'll smoke a good solid 6-8 hours and give you a great smoke.

Hope that helps a bit.

Dan


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## fwismoker

AMPS or Smoke Daddy....i'm partial to the Smoke Daddy because when you really learn how to use it's one of the best things on the planet. I encourage going to their website to learn more because many pellet users use them.


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## geerock

Yeah chopper pellet munchers are sometimes low on smoke flavor.  I also have traeger 075 and I went to a premium pellet (I like bbq delite but there's other good ones).  Big difference.  Then I used amazn pellet tube and got exactly what I wanted.


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## bbq pit vulture

Yes, get an A-Maze-N-Pellet-Smoker, tube for extra smoke. I have a 12 inch tube that will burn for about three hours.

with a tube smoker you can cold smoke. I have cold smoked salt, cheese as well as all kinds of meat .


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## johnbarclay

I think [color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Pellet grills/smokers has the best smoke smell. You should try it out. I had an old once and its too good in smell.[/color]


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## tjohnson

I sell the heck out of the 12" Tube Smokers to guys with pellet smokers

Easy to use and adds a nice amount of smoke to your cook

At $29.99 it's 1/3 the cost of the competition, and much easier to use!!

Todd


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## pokemnsmokem

i have used just about every type of smoker/grill out there over the past 45 years and have found the pellet fired units to produce some of the best smokey flavor of all. the big difference is which brand at what temp. the older traegers with the 3 speed control prduced great smoke flavor but after smoking they had to be turned up to finish the product(no big deal).most of the new wave pellet cookers have digital controls, which is great for dialing in temp, but each brand will produce more or less smoke at specific temps. i use temps between 225 and 275 to get great smoke flavor, color, tenderness and these temps speed up the cooking process also. most of the bbq pellets out there are a blended pellet with oak or alder being the base wood and then a % of flavor wood depending on brand. have also tested some 100% flavor wood pellets and they produced alot of ash and lower heat(btu's) , quality pellets produce 8500 btu's per pound and low ash.no matter what type of cooker you use , temps over 275 are ussually not going to produce a smokey flavor.  best thing , no baby setting and consistant.


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## bluto

It really boils down to personal preference.  Do pellet poopers impart as much smoke as a stick or charcoal burner, no, but they do indeed get smoke into the food.  The brand of pellets do make a difference, not just with amount and flavor of smoke, but with leftover ash in the bottom of the pit.  If you like a heavy smoke, stick to a stick/charcoal burner, if you like the flavor of what you are cooking to be at the front of the flavor profile, for my $, a pellet pooper can't beat.  I have several smokers, but only smoke on my Traeger now, the rest are bound for C'list.  If I want a heavier smoke, depending on what I am cooking, I will set my controller on Smoke mode and leave it for 2-3 hours, on a warm day that usually means a pit temp of about 160'ish, then I'll bump the temp up to whatever I want for the long haul, 225-250.  If I want even more smoke, I'll light my AMNPS and let it burn for the duration of the cook.

Some great things about pellet poopers is the convenience factor is very high, and because you are still cooking with wood, they comply for use with KCBS competition rules (if you are so inclined), and the versatility of what you can cook in them is great, from chocolate chip cookies to pizza and everything in between.

When cooking at higher temps with the pellet smokers, they do impart less smoke due to the pellet burn being more efficient at higher temps, but even when cooking at those temps, 325+, everything I have cooked on them has had some smoke flavor added, while not overpowering, it is definitely there, and very pleasant.  Try some boneless/skinless chicken breasts with a HOC blend (hickory/oak/cherry) and you will see what I mean, throw some potatoes on for a couple hours and taste the magic.  :-)

All pits have their plus's and minus, pro's and con's, etc...  One great thing about pellet cookers, unlike some other smokers, is you really don't ever have to worry about creosote getting to your food , they are designed to burn so efficiently that you probably couldn't get that tongue numbing, bitter flavor even if you tried.  

Again, it is all about personal preference, I think burgers taste best when cooked over charcoal, but they also taste phenomenal cooked on a pellet cooker, and because I am just lazy enough, I will go fire up the pellet cooker in a heartbeat versus digging out the charcoal any day of the week.  :-)

Because it can be a significant investment, I'd recommend visiting some friends/acquaintances who might have one to see if you like the flavors, ease of use, etc... before taking the plunge.  Maybe even make sure where you buy it has a good return policy, or a trial period, etc...

I don't mean to sound like a pellet smoker advertisement, I'm just sharing what I have learned and experienced, but I would suggest their use to anyone looking.


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## lorenzodurantjr

So how do I purchase A-Maze-Pellet smoke tube?


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## lorenzodurantjr

Hello Todd I would like to purchase the smoke tube from you.


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## geerock

Theres an icon for Amaze N Smoker on thr screen (black with flames).  It will get you to the site.


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## andrew barnes

Very well said Bluto.  Yeah I am joining the conversation late


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## ordinary guy

I agree with all of the above. And the tube smoker will give you what you are looking for with extra smoke flavor, depending on the pellets you use. I would stay away from Traeger pellets though.


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## twissted

I have only used Traeger because I haven't looked for something better. I should!  Living in Omak Washington my options a limited.













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## pgde

On my RecTec Mini, there is a heavy smoke setting which comes on automatically between 180 and 250 degrees. I find that to be excellent in imparting smoke flavor (and yes, my smoker before the Rectec was a stick burner). I think (my opinion only) the reason why people don't get a lot of smoke flavor is that they crank the temp above 250. What I do is depending on what I am smoking, I set the initial temp to 225 and then turn it up (like for crispy skin on chicken) to a hotter temp like 375 or more for the last part of the cooking process. On the fullsize RecTec, you have to push the button on the front for the extra smoke setting. Doing this, I get beautiful smoke rings on the meat and a great flavor. Also, I use good pellets (not Traeger) -- Lumberjack and Pacific Pellets (which I can get for 9.95/20# at Sportsmans Warehouse). And I don't use an additional tube.

P.


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## billy roberts

Most Pellet Grills produce smoke but not enough to give meat that smoke saturated flavor. When I purchased a Camp Chef pellet grill it had a lot of places where the smoke escaped. Especially the lid. I bought a gasket to place a seal on the lid. Also I bought a 12 inch Amazen cold smoke tube. You can find them on Amazon. I am cooking this Sunday so I will find out if all my efforts to produce smoked meat will work. I will say that I get better results with a pellet grill, with tender juicy meat. Lots better than my stick burner.


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## wa0auu

I can tell you how the pellets have worked for us, we started with the "chunk" wood and did not like it because the pieces were to big.  We tried the pellets and liked them the first time.  The smoke flavor is just great.  And with the pellets, it is easy to mix and match for lack of a better way to say it.  If we want some apple and sone hickory we can have it.  IF we want 1/3 apple and 2/3's hickory we can do that.  I would say pellets are the way to go

mr. Martin in north east Iowa      Spring is on the way


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## cahillmd

I have had my Gridiron pellet smoker from BLAZ'N for about 18 months.  I have cooked everything from key lime pies to pork butt and I can tell you that when you want smoke you get smoke; and the flavor is excellent!  I usually run my smoke temperatures from 185 to 220.. At that range I get great smokey flavor.  When I don't want a smokey flavor (key lime pie) I bump the temp up and it comes out perfect.


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## dryespo

I agree with much of what Bluto says above. Also a little late .

Type of pellets make a big difference, I have read posts on here of people buying "heating" pellets because the bulk price was better.. *DO NOT DO THAT - I Can't tell you how wrong that is in so many ways !  *With out a lengthy discussion, they are not food safe or recommended in any way other than their "boiler/furnace" intended purpose !

I am using a Memphis Wood Fire Grill and a MES 40" (with and without the mailbox adapter) I don't even break out the Cast Iron Barrel smoker, never. Even the MES use has slowed to a trickle since getting the Memphis. 

I have tried various pellets, the Natures way I get from the dealer are a buck or 2 more, but seem to have better flavor, especially the mesquite.  I tried some others, and I could not get the flavor blast in a shorter term smoke. I cant speak to the traeger pellets, but enough people here have. 

I get the difference in wood stricks/chuncks vs pellets, but hovering over a side box for hours is not my deal.  I obtain just as must or little smoke now on the Memphis without the babysitting.  Even on the MES, I am adding chips and pellets every few hours on briskets and butts.

I will say the mail box adapter (search the forum, lots of info on how to make one) on the MES with the Amaze N tray smoker has made cold smoking pretty easy, especially the cheese.

Espo


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## loudside20

bluto said:


> It really boils down to personal preference.  Do pellet poopers impart as much smoke as a stick or charcoal burner, no, but they do indeed get smoke into the food.  The brand of pellets do make a difference, not just with amount and flavor of smoke, but with leftover ash in the bottom of the pit.  If you like a heavy smoke, stick to a stick/charcoal burner, if you like the flavor of what you are cooking to be at the front of the flavor profile, for my $, a pellet pooper can't beat.  I have several smokers, but only smoke on my Traeger now, the rest are bound for C'list.  If I want a heavier smoke, depending on what I am cooking, I will set my controller on Smoke mode and leave it for 2-3 hours, on a warm day that usually means a pit temp of about 160'ish, then I'll bump the temp up to whatever I want for the long haul, 225-250.  If I want even more smoke, I'll light my AMNPS and let it burn for the duration of the cook.
> 
> Some great things about pellet poopers is the convenience factor is very high, and because you are still cooking with wood, they comply for use with KCBS competition rules (if you are so inclined), and the versatility of what you can cook in them is great, from chocolate chip cookies to pizza and everything in between.
> 
> When cooking at higher temps with the pellet smokers, they do impart less smoke due to the pellet burn being more efficient at higher temps, but even when cooking at those temps, 325+, everything I have cooked on them has had some smoke flavor added, while not overpowering, it is definitely there, and very pleasant.  Try some boneless/skinless chicken breasts with a HOC blend (hickory/oak/cherry) and you will see what I mean, throw some potatoes on for a couple hours and taste the magic.  :)
> 
> All pits have their plus's and minus, pro's and con's, etc...  One great thing about pellet cookers, unlike some other smokers, is you really don't ever have to worry about creosote getting to your food , they are designed to burn so efficiently that you probably couldn't get that tongue numbing, bitter flavor even if you tried.
> 
> Again, it is all about personal preference, I think burgers taste best when cooked over charcoal, but they also taste phenomenal cooked on a pellet cooker, and because I am just lazy enough, I will go fire up the pellet cooker in a heartbeat versus digging out the charcoal any day of the week.  :)
> 
> Because it can be a significant investment, I'd recommend visiting some friends/acquaintances who might have one to see if you like the flavors, ease of use, etc... before taking the plunge.  Maybe even make sure where you buy it has a good return policy, or a trial period, etc...
> 
> I don't mean to sound like a pellet smoker advertisement, I'm just sharing what I have learned and experienced, but I would suggest their use to anyone looking.


I was going say everything you did. Great answer.


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## okiefisher

I've tried lots of pellet brands and the 100% pecan pellets from lumberjack beat all others for smoke flavor, hands down? Found them on sale at Attwoods this summer and was amazed at the flavor vs. all the others. Attwoods had them for 7.98 for a 10 lb. bag.


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