Who has tried a Pellet Pooper and Not Liked it. ?

[Dweverett]

I'd never want to give it up as an option -- the ease of use is sometimes critical. I do like having something else to play around with when I have time. Complaints might include:

- Boring (again, at 2:00AM that's what I'm looking for)
- More chance to have something fail (electric etc.) though other hands off cookers can have problems as well
- Lighter smoke profile.
- Long (though easy) cooktimes. With charcoal/wood you can cook 275-300 and still get great results. With a pellet you can, but the smoke profile will be very light. It works a lot better at a low temp. That means you're cooking for 12 hours not 7. The timing might or might not be convenient.
- basic cleanup is super easy. If you want to really do a heavy cleaning, pressure washer etc., it's a problem because of the electronics.
- While there are lots of options for normal backyard quantities choices are more limited (and expensive) if you need more room. FEC and some others are options but I'd say it's easier with other types of cookers.

 

[16Adams]

Positive- got rid of my briquettes so no lighter fluid)
Pellets in DC
Lump in Primo Oval XL
Gas on Blackstone
Weber GA-Gas for travel

So that’s the future lineup

Getting rid of other 11- eventually

There may be others come along. But Im not actively looking.
For two people, this is enough.

Maybe

 

[Mcc1972]

Only real complaint I have about my YS640 is, I didn't buy it sooner. Compared to the benefits, none of the small negatives matter. They could do better on metal prep and paint. I wish the bottom cooking grate pulled out. Other than that, it is awesome. You can get a light smoke flavor with it, or if you want you can get a heavier smoke, both with very little work.

How do you get a heavier smoke profile?

 

[Stlsportster]

I’m wondering if you could have removed the pellet components and bolted a side burner in its place

Yeah, I thought about that after I had already launched it. Probably could have gotten the factory replacement controller under warranty and sold it too.

It was very cathartic to throw it off the deck though.

 

[Joshw]

How do you get a heavier smoke profile?

It starts with pellet choice. You want a pellet made of a stronger wood. I like Lumberjack 100% Hickory, or Mesquite blend. If heavier smoke is what you are after, you want to stay away from the pellets that are mostly oak. Oak is fine, but it burns very clean, and you end up with lighter smoke.

Next is your cook temps. On a pellet cooker, generally lower temps = more smoke flavor. Start your cooks out at a much lower temp, than you normally would. Give it a couple hours in smoke zone, then increase your cook temp.

If that isn't enough, break out the evil pellet tube. Not sure why people are against them, because they absolutely work.

This is just my experience with my YS640. I have had it nearly a year, and the food keeps getting better. It's just like any other cooker, it takes a while to learn how to get your food, the way you want it.

 

[LordRiffenstein]

I have a Traeger Lil Tex pro that I bought 2,5 years ago, it was my introduction into smoking.

I have had 2 problems with it:

- I always use Traeger pellets because pellets are hard to get and now that they are more easy to get, Traeger are a lot cheaper. The 1 time I did use another brand of pellets, I had an error and the fire died. :doh:

- November last year, the controller died, dealer send me a new one and I had to spend 2 hours to fix it. Has worked perfectly ever since but the 1st couple of months I was weary about using it for long cooks.

Since buying the Traeger, I've bought a bunch of other pits and I still love using the Traeger for low and slow cooking. I never use it above 250F unless it's to finish something or after wrapping a brisket. I love being able to put ribs on while I'm working in the home office, knowing they will be done in about 6hours, right on time for dinner, without having to take a look at them. (I will spritz them though :mrgreen

Things I don't like? It needs electricity but we hardly ever are out of power here. Traeger build quality is not the best but I make sure to clean it after every 4-5 cooks. And yes that takes a bit more effort then cleaning a stickburner or kettle.

 

[IFlyEm]

i'd chip in here but your posts anywhere else would be considered trolling and bordering on insulting . fish or cut bait dude .

seriousely . you want to see my man card pm me and i'll give you my adress .

Are you serious? :doh: lol

 

[MisterChrister]

Thanks for this thread, Smitty. All of your other PP threads had me percolating if I might wanna consider one.

My luck is so bad though, that ALL of the possible downsides posted in this thread WOULD happen to me! I'm now firmly planted in the "fark it, life is easier without it" camp!

 

[Kevin89]

i'd chip in here but your posts anywhere else would be considered trolling and bordering on insulting . fish or cut bait dude .

seriousely . you want to see my man card pm me and i'll give you my adress .

Feeling the need to prove man card. -10 man card points :nono: But, due to pellet usage man card already revoked :rofl:

 

[SmittyJonz]

Thanks for this thread, Smitty. All of your other PP threads had me percolating if I might wanna consider one.

My luck is so bad though, that ALL of the possible downsides posted in this thread WOULD happen to me! I'm now firmly planted in the "fark it, life is easier without it" camp!

I am firmly planted in the undecided camp

 

[Bob C Cue]

I am firmly planted in the undecided camp

Sounds like someone wants to plant you 6 feet under...

 

[Baychilla]

So you used to be indecisive but now you're not so sure?

 

[Smoking Cajun]

Sounds like someone wants to plant you 6 feet under...

...or trying to shut him the fark up! :mrgreen:

 

[dadsr4]

I am firmly planted in the undecided camp

In all honesty, no cooker is perfect.

 

[tarheelsmoker]

I am a new pellet cooker owner. I have cooked on it twice. I love the ease of cooking with it and the capacity (GMG DB). I got a very deep smoke ring on the Boston Butt that I smoked this weekend and had a good smoky flavor.
The two things that I do not like are the need for electricity and the fact that, IMHO, it should not really be called a grill. At least not for most of us on here. I wouldn’t even think of grilling a steak on it. To get the temp up to the highest takes a lot of pellets and you are not even cooking on it while waiting. Plus the top temp is only 500 degrees for most cookers unless you have a sear station or some kind of mod. It is a great tool in my arsenal. I have a 5 other things that each can do many things better than a pellet does. But for an easy smoker that does not require a lot of attention, it’s hard to beat.

To answer smitty’s question, if it was all I had and nothing else, I would not like it. My answer to the question of if you could only have one cooker, my answer is still a Weber kettle. That hasn’t changed.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Sounds like someone wants to plant you 6 feet under...

Good Luck........:mrgreen:

 

[SmittyJonz]

So you used to be indecisive but now you're not so sure?

Exactly.

 

[Whisky]

I "didn't like" my Yoder at first. Partly because it felt like cheating, partly because I was used to heavier smoke flavor, and partly because I was babying it and having to wheel it in and out of my garage every time. It basically didn't get used the first year I had it.

Now, I leave it outside, uncovered. It sure didn't take long to start rusting (typical Yoder).
I also use an Amazn Tube all the time.
I got over the fact that it was "cheating" and enjoy doing other things while food is smoking away. It gets used a lot more now.

If you think you would benefit from the added convenience of one, buy one. If not, don't. They certainly don't produce magical food.

 

[mattmountz94]

Come help me lay some flooring in my addition and you can use my yoder all you want while in town

 

[BBQ_Bama]

I've got a question for the pellet owners. My wife's uncle bought a Pitboss two weeks ago and as we were assembling it we noticed in the owners manual it stated the unit would last approximately two years. We thought we both had read it wrong, so we re-read it several times and sure enough. Right there in the owners manual it states the shelf life on the unit is 2 years. This can't be true can it?