Hmm......on pellets now, but BACK to other??

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gtsum

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So I’ve been a pellet convert for a couple of years now. Had a yoder 640 and loved it, but the Memphis Elite kept calling me so I sold the Yoder and picked up the Elite. Been enjoying it, and thought my taste buds had converted to pellet life, BUT we r heading to the Husker/Maryland game this weekend and I dont want to hassle with the Davy Crockett pellet grill while tailgating (space and weight, etc) so I pulled out the Acorn mini I had sitting in the shed (and hadn’t used in over a year) and thought I’d make some burgers as a trial run before Saturday...

Let me tell you, everyone in the family said the burgers were better than the burgers I cook on the Memphis! Last time I cooked on this grill was steaks in the camper and all I tasted was lump charcoal...wasn’t very good to me (and I cooked on a ceramic kamado for 8 years)...but these burgers tonight were on time! I’m gonna cook up some creekstone ribeyes tomorrow just to see how they do, but now all of a sudden I’m looking at weber summit charcoal cook stations...I won’t go with another kamado as I’ve been there and done that and they have too many shortfalls in smoking imo....but 90% of my cooking is weeknight grilling/reverse sear steaks, burgers, chops, fish, etc as opposed to ribs, brisket, butts, etc.

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I am seriously considering going back to charcoal grilling and would get an offset smoker (Shirley patio or lsg for the infrequent bbq cooks). And in NOT really a Weber fan at all....Anyone else go from pellets BACK to another kind? We hear a lot of people going TO pellets it seems....and here I have 1000lbs of lumberjack pellets being delivered tomorrow too:(


Memphis Elite





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I never left charcoal grilling, when i got the MAK I thought it would get more grilling work but it really has not. I like lump charcoal for grilling and the MAK for smoking/roasting. The off set is fur having fun when time permits.
 
I think those of us that truly understand your post are all a little crazy in that aspect. I couldn't wait to get a LSG Large IVS charcoal cooker, even though I have had an FEC-100 Pellet Cabinet for six years which is similar in size.

The first time I used the IVS I thought - "Wow, those ribs have a much darker color than I'm used to". Flavor was good, but also different than what I'm used to and it took a good hour-plus to get up to smoking temp. Afterwards I thought I had shut my IVS down, but instead by mistake turned the ball valves all the way up and 2.5 hours later it was still going strong! IVS needs to cool overnight before cleaning, the FEC-100 I simply switch off and clean out the ash from the firepot before the next cook.

Unless I have a specific cook in mind for the IVS (I love playing with fire) I find myself using the FEC-100 most of the time for sheer ease. Today Kroger had some really nice looking Choice Ribeye Roasts on sale so I picked one up at 2:30 pm, added a handful of pellets to my FEC-100 to get it started while I seasoned and tied the roast, and by 3:00 pm I was rolling in Smoke mode.

Even my PBC takes on average thirty minutes with B&B charcoal and Weber starter cubes to get going. Hard to beat the convenience of the pellet smoker.
 
I sold my pellet pooper yesterdy. I never was happy with the smoke (or lack of) flavor it produced. Back to my drum smokers and Backwoods G2 chubby.
 
I had a pellet cooker for about 11 months. I used it often. It’s gone. GMG Davy Crockett was a helluva cooker. I sold it. I’m always looking-always. I enjoy clean new charcoal and the combination of woods available. Nothing wrong with change
 
tom b said:
I never left charcoal grilling, when i got the MAK I thought it would get more grilling work but it really has not. I like lump charcoal for grilling and the MAK for smoking/roasting. The off set is fur having fun when time permits.
Click to expand...

Same for me...I don't really care for the Mak for grilling. Granted, I have the old/original style diffuser setup but without radiant heat from coals it just isn't the same. I really like the Mak for barbecue but I never really use it for cooking above 245*. At higher temps the food kinda just tastes like it was done in an oven, for my taste buds. Even that new Weber pellet grill I'm not sure would do it for me...while it looks to do a good job of distributing the flame across a wider area, there's just something about radiant heat from some red hot coals that is hard to beat.
 
16Adams said:
I had a pellet cooker for about 11 months. I used it often. It’s gone. GMG Davy Crockett was a helluva cooker. I sold it. I’m always looking-always. I enjoy clean new charcoal and the combination of woods available. Nothing wrong with change
Click to expand...

I guess that is how I am also...I dont collect cookers and have multiple units on my deck..I usually try something for awhile and sell it and try something else. My Kamado was the longest cooker relationship I have had (8 years). Pellets have been about 2-3 years..I have a GMG DB also for the camper, but its so heavy and awkward to move around and its loud and heats uneven...at least mine is.

Awhile back we went to Texas De Brazil and the whole family didnt care for it..all I could taste was the charcoal they used...especially on the Picanha...so last night the burgers surprised me and the family...they definitely had a little something extra over our pellet grilled burgers...will try some steaks tonight on both the Memphis and the little kamado and see which we like better...who knows, maybe I will be selling the Memphis for a good deal (and about a half ton of pellets...I cant believe I am considering all this when I literally have 1000lbs of Lumberjack pellets being delivered today)
 
I sold my Rec Tec and replaced it with a WSM and PK.

I may buy the new version of the RecTec Bullseye when it comes out, because I do enjoy pellet cooking on chicken and Prime Rib.
 
Give it 2 weeks. Maybe your new tastebuds are defective. [emoji1787]

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So, tonight I cooked up 4 creekstone ny strips..2 on the Memphis and 2 on the acorn mini. Full disclosure - I overcooked 2 of them to medium (we eat mid rare at most)....had both kids and the wife blind taste test and the kids picked the pellet cooked steaks....wife wasn’t sure until the 12 year old explained to her he tasted more of the beef flavor and the seasoning on the pellet grilled steak, and more smoke on the charcoal cooked steak...then the wife picked the pellet cooked steak as well. I liked both, but back to back, the charcoal taste overpowered the steak and seasoning (royal oak lump and SPG and killer hogs steak rub).

So...maybe I’m itching to buy something, or maybe I’m getting antsy with pushing a button on the Memphis and that’s the extent of my fire management???!! But, the taste test on steaks was pretty clear...Memphis pellet cooker for the win! I did like the burgers better off the kamado though....

I guess the weber summit charcoal is off the table now....if the new weber pellet cooker can lay down more smoke on low and slows than my memphis (and it appears to grill just as good), maybe I’ll order one of those to try? I do think I need a stick burner to play with for bbq though...Shirley patio (cuz I ain’t waiting years) or lsg? Anyways, it had been a long time since I had some back to back taste tests, so it was interesting and fun for sure!


Memphis Elite





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I went back to my WSM less than a year after buying my pit boss. I have fired up the pit boss twice since then but I prefer my WSM. If the Weber Pellet cooker turns out to be as good as the hype I plan to get one.
 
I don't like pellet grilled meat. It tastes like it was cooked in a furnace.
Y'All know where the Pellet Cooker started, don't you?

You can frog around, and hop from one cooker to the next, or back. No skin off of me.
But how can you be consistent when you are frogging around?
I think you are cornfuzed. :loco:
 
Fun experiments for sure! You know how much I love my MAK... and it gets used for 90+% of my grilling/smoking needs. That said, I love my 26.75 kettle for when I get the charcoal itch. Why not keep it simple and get a 26 kettle for when you wanna switch things up a bit. IMO, your Memphis would play very well with an XL kettle. The 26 kettles flat out cook!
 
I have a Yoder YS640S now.. its nice, but the flavor profile isn't what Im after; My Hunsaker drum just delivers on all fronts smoke flavor wise; Which has brought me to consider an Ole Hickory pit as my 'one and only'... the deep charcoal/wood smoke flavor + the ease of use/convection of the Yoder.

Ive managed to tweak pellets and smoke tubes to get the flavor kicked up a bit and it helps.. but pellets just will never deliver the same flavors as charcoal I'm used to and after... living in CA its a blessing that we have no real tradition to uphold, but a curse, as it leaves everything 'open'.
 
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