# Just bought a camp chef smokepro SE



## rl7greg (Aug 2, 2017)

Walmart clearance at $169....couldn't resist.  My father in law has a traeger, and I liked that and this seems pretty much the same.

Just wondering about wood pellets...are some of the heating wood pellets good for pellet smokers.  I was looking at these that are $5.99 canadian for 40 lbs, the website says "may be used for cooking"...so I'll try a bag and see:

http://canawick.com/en/produits.php?cat=Advantages&c=25

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/hardwood-pellets-40-lb-0642776p.html

seems like it could be maple, ash, aspen or birch... - http://www.groupesavoie.com/en/wood-species

I bought a 40lb bag of 'competition blend' pellets at walmart, but wondered what else people like using that's cheaper.


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## SmokinAl (Aug 3, 2017)

Welcome to SMF!

Congrats on the new smoker!

Can't help with the pellet questions though, I don't own a pellet smoker.

Al


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## okiefisher (Aug 3, 2017)

rl7greg said:


> Walmart clearance at $169....couldn't resist.  My father in law has a traeger, and I liked that and this seems pretty much the same.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Congratulations on the new smoker. 

As far as pellets are concerned most heating pellets are made different than the cooking pellets. Heating pellets use binders to hold the dust together whereas cooking pellets are all natural for the most part. For best results use the best pellets. I've used the competition pellets vs. traeger and actually prefer the competition pellets. 

I personally wouldn't use the pellets you showed in your link unless I done some research first to find out if they are all natural or if they have binders.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk


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## rl7greg (Aug 3, 2017)

Bought a bag.  They look like they're made on the exact same machine the pit boss pellets are.  The consistency is the same.  They're not as dark, but that's what I'd expect as I think they're mostly maple.  (Pit boss competition blend on the left).  













IMG_20170803_151315802_HDR.jpg



__ rl7greg
__ Aug 3, 2017






Going to try some with salmon later.


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## zerowin (Aug 4, 2017)

I would be wary of using heating pellets as well, and have read on several places on here, that they must specifically say "Food Grade" on the packaging to be trusted.  If you notice any off taste, I wouldn't keep the meat or pellets.  But congrats on the new pellet grill, I have a camp chef also, and love it!  I originally found a huge amount of pellet info here:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/140632/affordable-cooking-pellets

I've used louisian pellets, because they are cheap and local, and the B&B rebrand and pit boss from walmart.  I haven't had any complaints about any of them, though I don't think the maple flavor from the pit boss goes with everything, but for the price, it's easy "foil" fuel.  Keep an eye out on the CC website, as I've seen others mention here that they put the digital controllers on sale from time to time for 35 plus 5 shipping.  You may have to call periodically,  but the digital display and chamber probe are worth it, and surprisingly accurate.

Rob


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## bregent (Aug 4, 2017)

>  and have read on several places on here, that they must specifically say "Food Grade" on the packaging to be trusted

I've used many brands and have never seen a "Food Grade" designation on any of them. I doubt many would want to carry that label because that might imply they are safe for consumption. However, it's obvious from the label if they are meant for use in a pellet grill. But that doesn't mean that some heating pellets aren't also safe. As long as they are made from hardwood, with no filler, glue (from flooring scraps), binders, etc, they should be fine. A phone call to the mfg will answer that.


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## zerowin (Aug 4, 2017)

bregent said:


> >  and have read on several places on here, that they must specifically say "Food Grade" on the packaging to be trusted
> 
> I've used many brands and have never seen a "Food Grade" designation on any of them. I doubt many would want to carry that label because that might imply they are safe for consumption. However, it's obvious from the label if they are meant for use in a pellet grill. But that doesn't mean that some heating pellets aren't also safe. As long as they are made from hardwood, with no filler, glue (from flooring scraps), binders, etc, they should be fine. A phone call to the mfg will answer that.


A simple google of "food grade wood pellets" will return several results that specify the designation, including discussions on this board.  As a new smoker, I don't mind doing my research if I wish to stray outside those lines.  I wouldn't recommend anyone else do otherwise unless they choose to do their homework as well.


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## bregent (Aug 4, 2017)

>  I wouldn't recommend anyone else do otherwise unless they choose to do their homework as well.

Well then I will explicitly state that a pellet does not need to carry the term food-grade to be safe to use in a pellet grill. The term food-grade carries no weight - there is no industry standard for food-grade pellets or governing body that oversees this.

It's simply a marketing term that is term is redundant, as it is put on bags that are intended to be used in BBQ pellet grills. Some of the highest quality BBQ pellets do not carry this term on the label - pellets like LumberJack, Cookin' Pellets, BBQers Delight, SmokeRing and many others. If a pellet is made for use in a grill, it will be obvious for plenty of reasons and does not need the redundant "food-grade" label. 

This is not to say that all pellets can be used in grill. If it's not explicitly intended for cooking, then you should avoid or do more research.


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## rickplaysbass (Aug 5, 2017)

Damn, they got anymore at that price?


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## WillRunForQue (Aug 5, 2017)

I found one for $169 also, anxious to try it out at my parents' place.  Pretty easy assembly but helped to have a second person.

I found it using this link that another member posted.

http://brickseek.com/walmart-inventory-checker?sku=54189385

Good luck!


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## zerowin (Aug 5, 2017)

Thats a great price find guys.  I've seen the camelcamelcamel site on here and used it a lot since.  That brickseek will be very helpful too so tha ks for posting it!


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## rickplaysbass (Aug 6, 2017)

Went to the one listed as $169 and they had it tagged at $249. Wasn't worth it to me. Sigh...


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## zerowin (Aug 6, 2017)

You might have argued that one.  It's false advertisement if it shows that price in store on the site and was marked higher as far as I know.


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## rickplaysbass (Aug 6, 2017)

Pretty sure brick seek isn't an official Walmart site.


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## zerowin (Aug 6, 2017)

Ah, you didn't check the walmart site and specify pick up in store?  Bummer.  Best price local to me for the SE is from walmart at 344.  I wish I had those options before I ordered my STX.


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## rickplaysbass (Aug 6, 2017)

Walmart website has them all at 344. Some are marked lower in stores. My dad found one marked at 196.


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## WillRunForQue (Aug 6, 2017)

I would also take the quantity listed on brickseek with a grain of salt.  The place I went to said 2 on the site but there was only 1 in the store.


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## rickplaysbass (Aug 6, 2017)

Yup... 3 @ $169 turned into 1 @ $249

Which still isn't bad, but it didn't excite me the way $169 did.


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## zerowin (Aug 6, 2017)

Good to know for initial price comparison but further homework is required.  Thanks for the input.


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## sssmoking (Aug 9, 2017)

wow 169. Whish I had bought it for that much. I paid 249 . not too thrilled about it...where do you guys find these deals????


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## smokingclay (Aug 21, 2017)

My uncle and I bought the last 2 from our local walmart at a steal, we paid $88 for them!


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## rickplaysbass (Aug 22, 2017)

SmokingClay said:


> My uncle and I bought the last 2 from our local walmart at a steal, we paid $88 for them!



Whoa!!!!


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## zerowin (Aug 22, 2017)

Awesome find!


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 22, 2017)

SmokingClay said:


> My uncle and I bought the last 2 from our local walmart at a steal, we paid $88 for them!


Which model is it? 
Good deal!
:th_nopicsye3:


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## smokingclay (Aug 22, 2017)

SmokePro.jpg



__ smokingclay
__ Aug 22, 2017


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## Rings Я Us (Aug 22, 2017)

[emoji]128565[/emoji][emoji]129297[/emoji]
Man! That's a sweet azzz deal. 80% off is really a good sale. Lol


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## smokingclay (Aug 22, 2017)

Smokepro2.jpg



__ smokingclay
__ Aug 22, 2017






I'd gone to walmart to buy a $64 Akorn jr. but they were sold out, so I ended up finding this great deal.


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## zerowin (Aug 22, 2017)

Just so you know, when camp chef has them on sale, the digital controllers to upgrade that to an STX is 35 plus 5 shipping.  I've never found them on the site, but others here have commented on calling customer service to check the sale price and order.  The probe is fairly accurate compared to my thermoworks readings.  It's reportedly very easy to install.


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## smokingclay (Aug 22, 2017)

Thanks @Zerowin  I might give them a call and order one!


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## rickplaysbass (Aug 24, 2017)

If anyone in the Houston area reads this.. I'll gladly pay a fee on top of the $89 for one of these if you find it. THANKS!!

PS it's for my pops and little brother if I can score 2


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## stephan28 (Aug 27, 2017)

I snagged one as well. I couldn't pass that deal up. It's still in the box awaiting some free time to build it. I also purchased a 40 lb bag of CookinPellets off of Amazon. I'm running out of room on my patio! 

It'll be fun to learn how to use a pellet burner and compare the results.


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