New Pellet Grill Questions and Observations

[rwalters]

I have cooked on a stick burner for the last 7 years. First cook is going on the yoder ys630 tonight. I will let you know what the smoke flavour is like tomorrow. I'm told yoder replicates a perfectly attended firebox.

Please do let us know...super curious to hear your thoughts!

 

[DBBQ]

I had a REC TEC like for almost 2 years. I enjoyed it, for a pelley grill. I don't think I ever cooked something like a brisket with it that was I enjoyed as much compared to my WSM/Hunsaker, or LSG IV. It was very convenient for weeknight meals, like chicken, but I ultimately sold it due to the likelihood of it not working when I wanted to. Something can, and will go wrong with them due to the moving parts and electronics involved.

 

[jasonjax]

If budget permits look at Cookshack. I own a PG-500 and FEC-100. The FEC-100 is my goto smoker, and the PG=500 my goto grill.

The FEC-100 is insulated and has ZERO problems with temperature and wind. It always amazes me how little fuel it consumes.

 

[Turkey]

I have a Yoder YS640. I start long cooks at 225 or less for the first couple of hours and use a tube, but it's still not stick burner flavour.

 

[Vision]

I love my mak 1 star. The only grill that has a chance of replicating a stick burner is the ys1500...they say.

 

[northwesto]

I like the smoke profile I get on my FEC 100. The wood flavor is prevalent but not overpowering. Hopefully I will graduate to the FEC 240 soon!

 

[qposner]

You will get a wide variety of answers. I had similar issues with the Traeger, even with using the $25 tube for added smoke. Some guys here will tell you that Yoder and Mak impart plenty of smoke. I've never had food from one so I can't say.

I will tell you I switched to charcoal and wood chunks on a Pit Barrel Cooker and get great smoke flavor. There are lots of options for charcoal and wood combo smokers (Weber Smokey Mountain, Ugly Drum Smoker, Insulated Cabinets like a Humphreys). I think all of them have better flavor than your Treager.

Of course a stick burner is the best smoke flavor but requires constant tending. Just depends on what you want.

THIS! I had a Treager for years and then went with a Green Mountain JB. Wasn't happy with that and bought a PBC. Sold the GMG and haven't looked back. Love my PBC.

 

[WilliamD]

I'll add my .02 here as well. I have two Pellet Grills that I have used for many years with great success. First I would like to say that the term "smoke" is a relative term from person to person. If you are one that likes a heavy smoke flavor than a pellet grill might not be for you. It will also depend on the brand, type, etc. of pellets you use. Oak pellets will give you a more full flavor than pecan which I find is close to non existent in a pellet grill by itself. I've learned to mix my own concentrations for the flavor profile I like on the Pellet Grill. That yields me the best results (About a 50/40/10 % Mix of Cherry, Pecan and Hickory; I'll do an Oak/Maple mix for brisket) With that said; I still do not get the same results on the pellet grill as if I smoked the product on my WSM or my Humphrey's....I'm not saying it's better or worse.....just different. And finally, when I purchased my pellet grills, I narrowed it down to 3...The MAK, The Yoder YS640 and the Rec Tec's.I don't think you can go wrong with any of those brands as all 3 are built like tanks, have heavier gauge SS, and don't suffer from temp swings that others might. I have no problem here in Mass breaking out the pellet grill all throughout the winter and doing a cook; temps are rock steady!!! Hope that helps and All the Best....Bill

 

[rwalters]

I'll add my .02 here as well. I have two Pellet Grills that I have used for many years with great success. First I would like to say that the term "smoke" is a relative term from person to person. If you are one that likes a heavy smoke flavor than a pellet grill might not be for you. It will also depend on the brand, type, etc. of pellets you use. Oak pellets will give you a more full flavor than pecan which I find is close to non existent in a pellet grill by itself. I've learned to mix my own concentrations for the flavor profile I like on the Pellet Grill. That yields me the best results (About a 50/40/10 % Mix of Cherry, Pecan and Hickory; I'll do an Oak/Maple mix for brisket) With that said; I still do not get the same results on the pellet grill as if I smoked the product on my WSM or my Humphrey's....I'm not saying it's better or worse.....just different. And finally, when I purchased my pellet grills, I narrowed it down to 3...The MAK, The Yoder YS640 and the Rec Tec's.I don't think you can go wrong with any of those brands as all 3 are built like tanks, have heavier gauge SS, and don't suffer from temp swings that others might. I have no problem here in Mass breaking out the pellet grill all throughout the winter and doing a cook; temps are rock steady!!! Hope that helps and All the Best....Bill

So,what 2 pellet grills do you own? Now you've got me curious!

 

[Smoke Dawg]

I'll add my .02 here as well. I have two Pellet Grills that I have used for many years with great success. First I would like to say that the term "smoke" is a relative term from person to person. If you are one that likes a heavy smoke flavor than a pellet grill might not be for you. It will also depend on the brand, type, etc. of pellets you use. Oak pellets will give you a more full flavor than pecan which I find is close to non existent in a pellet grill by itself. I've learned to mix my own concentrations for the flavor profile I like on the Pellet Grill. That yields me the best results (About a 50/40/10 % Mix of Cherry, Pecan and Hickory; I'll do an Oak/Maple mix for brisket) With that said; I still do not get the same results on the pellet grill as if I smoked the product on my WSM or my Humphrey's....I'm not saying it's better or worse.....just different. And finally, when I purchased my pellet grills, I narrowed it down to 3...The MAK, The Yoder YS640 and the Rec Tec's.I don't think you can go wrong with any of those brands as all 3 are built like tanks, have heavier gauge SS, and don't suffer from temp swings that others might. I have no problem here in Mass breaking out the pellet grill all throughout the winter and doing a cook; temps are rock steady!!! Hope that helps and All the Best....Bill

Good info. It sounds to me that the OP likes a heavy smoke and it will be difficult to achieve on any pooper.


My opinion is that you want an arsenal of cookers. Unless the Treager is totally shot, keep it and invest in other types of cookers.

A lower cost stick burner or a used one and a kettle. I don't have any experience with a PBC, UDS, or 007 (yet - It's coming) but they all seem good options also.

We have a GMG and use it a lot all year long with no issues (the ignighter went out after 6 years and I replaced it 2.5 years ago. I love having options on which grill(s) I use depending on what I am cooking and how much time I have to tend it. They all have their place.

Good luck - What ever works for you is the right choice.

 

[smokeONice]

Quote:
Originally Posted by smokeONice View Post
I have cooked on a stick burner for the last 7 years. First cook is going on the yoder ys630 tonight. I will let you know what the smoke flavour is like tomorrow. I'm told yoder replicates a perfectly attended firebox.

Please do let us know...super curious to hear your thoughts!

Finished a 7lb butt. Smoke flavour was definitely less than the old stick burner.

Having said that. The product that came out of the ys640 was far superior than the stick burner. It sure was nice to press a button at 3am when the temp was -10 celcius and have the pit ready to go in 30 minutes. The coyotes liked the smell as a big pack of em showed up 2 hours into the cook.FWIW super happy with the cooker!

 

[Al_T]

Quote:
Originally Posted by smokeONice View Post
I have cooked on a stick burner for the last 7 years. First cook is going on the yoder ys630 tonight. I will let you know what the smoke flavour is like tomorrow. I'm told yoder replicates a perfectly attended firebox.





Finished a 7lb butt. Smoke flavour was definitely less than the old stick burner.

Having said that. The product that came out of the ys640 was far superior than the stick burner. It sure was nice to press a button at 3am when the temp was -10 celcius and have the pit ready to go in 30 minutes. The coyotes liked the smell as a big pack of em showed up 2 hours into the cook.FWIW super happy with the cooker!

I agree with your conclusions. I have had a YS640 for about 3 years now and I will not go back to s stick burner. I probably would not be cooking If I did not have my Yoder as I just do not have the time to manage a stick burner anymore. The addition of a smoke tube does increase the smoke flavor. I use one with brisket. Pork ribs do not need them. I also use a tube with my beef ribs. I also agree that pellet selection makes a big difference. I use B&B pellets which I have been told are rebranded BBQ Delights. I use either the Oak or the Mesquite both of those pellets give a good flavor profile and give a stronger smoke than some of the others I have used. I have eaten at all of those places and with a little effort you can get close to the flavor profile and IMHO the Q coming off my Yoder is every bit as good, just a little different. My neighbors love me as a family of 3 can only eat so much and they always get donated BBQ.

 

[gtsum]

I hear there is a pretty large difference in product off a yonder 640 vs the 1500?? Stronger smoke profile?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[NKSmoke]

I visited a local Yoder dealer on Saturday and looked them over. The dealer also had the GMG and the MAK PGs as well and it seemed to me that the Yoder was all around better of the three that would fit my needs. The MAK 2 Star was a little smaller but did have a nice controller and was almost all stainless which are both a big plus but just didn’t seem worth the extra grand. They Yoder doesn’t have a fancy controller but it sure is heavy duty compared to the GMG or MAK.

From the local dealer I can get the Yoder 640 with the direct grill grates, front and side shelves, and the second upper shelf for $1799. Is this a decent buy? I can’t imagine what shopping would be if I ordered straight from Yoder.

 

[mattmountz94]

I visited a local Yoder dealer on Saturday and looked them over. The dealer also had the GMG and the MAK PGs as well and it seemed to me that the Yoder was all around better of the three that would fit my needs. The MAK 2 Star was a little smaller but did have a nice controller and was almost all stainless which are both a big plus but just didn’t seem worth the extra grand. They Yoder doesn’t have a fancy controller but it sure is heavy duty compared to the GMG or MAK.

From the local dealer I can get the Yoder 640 with the direct grill grates, front and side shelves, and the second upper shelf for $1799. Is this a decent buy? I can’t imagine what shopping would be if I ordered straight from Yoder.

When you say front and side shelves do you mean the standard bar type that come with it? Or the upgraded stainless. I paid right around 1700 for mine. Has 1-probe port, the standard bar type shelves and the second upper shelf(Also STANDARD now i believe on all 640s). This price included shipping to my local dealer(He gets a few in at a time and splits the shipping between them). So basically similar to yours minus the grill grates.

PS I love mine. Only complaint is the paint is pretty crappy. I'm just coming up on one year and a fair amount of paint has flaked off the front where the drippings drip and the top where it seals. It is stored under roof so rain has never touched it. I also never took mine above 300 with the deflector in and my deflector looks like the ocean during a big storm. I would get the 2pc deflector if you decide on Yoder.

 

[NKSmoke]

When you say front and side shelves do you mean the standard bar type that come with it? Or the upgraded stainless. I paid right around 1700 for mine. Has 1-probe port, the standard bar type shelves and the second upper shelf(Also STANDARD now i believe on all 640s). This price included shipping to my local dealer(He gets a few in at a time and splits the shipping between them). So basically similar to yours minus the grill grates.

PS I love mine. Only complaint is the paint is pretty crappy. I'm just coming up on one year and a fair amount of paint has flaked off the front where the drippings drip and the top where it seals. It is stored under roof so rain has never touched it. I also never took mine above 300 with the deflector in and my deflector looks like the ocean during a big storm. I would get the 2pc deflector if you decide on Yoder.

The front and side shelves are standard bar type I believe. Same as here: http://www.yodersmokers.com/ys640-pellet-grill.html

Good to know about the paint! I wonder if others have the same problem. I don't expect to always look new but it shouldn't be flaking!

 

[mattmountz94]

 

[IXL]

I've owned a YS640 for 16 months now and it looks about as good now as when new. It has been kept outside the entire time but is under the Yoder cover when not in use. Also, we clean it up once in awhile.

 

[smokeswirl]

Im a huge pellet grill fan because of the combination of the ease of use and flavor. I have a green mountain grill Jim Bowie and love it. The smoke flavor isnt overpowering and complements the meat. Now I was born and raised in NYC so I didnt have the advantage of stick burner. For many years the only bbq options was Dallas BBQs. I know its an offense to BBQ.

I had to make some modifications to the GMG to get it where I wanted it to be but the two most important thing for smoke flavor was the pellets itself and lower temps. Be sure to use a quality pellet as they are not all created equal. I prefer pellets made from whole logs rather than 100% wood from the by products of wood mills. There is a notable difference in flavor and aroma of the smoke. 3 great brands by reputation is Lumberjack, CookinPellets and SmokeRing. Personally have only used the smokering brand but have compared it favorably over GMG branded pelles, BBQr's Delight, and Camp Chef.

If heavier smoke flavor from a pellet grill is desired seek out 100% hickory and especially 100% Mesquite Pellets. Maybe not exactly stick burner but a definite improvement

Also if you like the heavy smoke of a stick burner but the ease of control of a pellet grill look into a Kamado Type Grill. Getting it going takes longer than push button but once you get everything dialed it it can easily coast low and slow for 12 plus hours. I have a kamado grill but use the pellet grill much more often.

 

[NKSmoke]

When you say front and side shelves do you mean the standard bar type that come with it? Or the upgraded stainless. I paid right around 1700 for mine. Has 1-probe port, the standard bar type shelves and the second upper shelf(Also STANDARD now i believe on all 640s). This price included shipping to my local dealer(He gets a few in at a time and splits the shipping between them). So basically similar to yours minus the grill grates.

PS I love mine. Only complaint is the paint is pretty crappy. I'm just coming up on one year and a fair amount of paint has flaked off the front where the drippings drip and the top where it seals. It is stored under roof so rain has never touched it. I also never took mine above 300 with the deflector in and my deflector looks like the ocean during a big storm. I would get the 2pc deflector if you decide on Yoder.

After looking at your pictures I am having second thoughts. On the Yoder website I found these suggestions about the paint peeling. Apparently you aren't the only one having the problem. How long did you have it before the paint started peeling?

http://community.yodersmokers.com/d...at is used on Yoder cookers is purposeful.pdf

http://community.yodersmokers.com/download/Best Practice and how to/Prep and Paint Procedure.pdf