Offset kettle smoking vs Pellet smoking

[rwalters]

Been cooking with pellets consistently since 2015. The vast majority of my cooks are done with pellets. Had a 26 kettle in CA and sold it when we moved to TN in 2020… bringing along only my pooper. Spent a little time ‘charcoaless’ in TN then caved and bought another 26’er. Have done a fair amount of cooking on it over the past 2 years. My absolutely favorite method for cooking on the kettle is directly over the fire, on top of GrillGrates. The flavor bombs exploding back onto the meat provides a flavor profile that cannot be created any other way. When I am in the mood for that punchy flavor, it’s awesome! Have the SnS for 2 zone grilling, which I don’t do much of as I prefer semi-direct over GG’s… and of course there’s low n slow smoking. I posted a pic a couple of days ago of a slab of ribs I did on my kettle. Low n slow for 6 hours, with several large chunks of cherry wood. As I sat there and ate them, I realized that it is highly unlikely I would be able to discern the difference in flavor if I had a blind fold on. The kettle was run clean. I know dirty smoke would’ve set things apart, but I do not enjoy heavy smoke (used to) anymore. Much prefer a smoke seasoning. My experience was much the same with my last stick burner. A super clean fire produced darn near the same results as my pooper. Like the kettle, I could always choke back the stick burner if I wanted stronger smoke, but I rarely found myself doing that.

All this to say… I wonder how many of us could really discern the difference between a super clean kettle/stick burn and a pellet muncher burning quality pellets. Hmmmmm….

 

[tom b]

I get pretty close to stick burner results with the kettles, close not exact. But I don't know if I could tell in a blind taste test. The pellet, I can tell when food has been cooked on the PG, it taste excellent but I can tell it was cooked with pellets. Not because there is a lack of smoke flavor, it just taste different to me.

 

[rwalters]

Always interesting to hear others thoughts as taste is so subjective.

 

[Cookb4]

I for one can’t tell a difference between the smoke flavor on my smokers. I have figured out how get the flavor I like on any of my smokers. Maybe my taste buds don’t work as well as others.

 

[cowgirl]

I've had my pellet cooker for 13 years. I can tell the difference between it and my woodburner.

 

[rwalters]

I've had my pellet cooker for 13 years. I can tell the difference between it and my woodburner.

You still have your Memphis Pro? How reliable has it been over the 13 years you’ve had it. They were very solid grills when you bought… wasn’t until a few years ago when they sent manufacturing overseas that the quality gripes began.

 

[gtsum]

I enjoyed my pellet cooking days and the flavor was clean and crisp...like you say, more of a smoke seasoning flavor, vs a deep smoke flavor. I dont do pellets anymore as all my cooking is on the Workhorse offset, the Weber Charcoal Summit, or the M1. I can tell a difference pretty easily between food smoked on the Weber and the offset..if I use wood chunks in the Weber Summit, the flavor is heavier compared to the Workhorse (unless I purposely run the Workhorse dirty the entire cook). The workhorse gets used for briskets, ribs, butts 100% of the time...it is just a far better result than the weber...sometimes (last night) I cut up a whole chicken and didnt feel like running the workhorse, so I ran a 2 zone fire on the weber and cooked the chicken around 425 and it came out quite good...but it was pretty heavy on the smoke (one piece of oak 5 inches long and 1 inch around). The M1 is at the lake and gets used for two zone grilling 80% of the time and smoking 20% of the time...the Weber is used for 2 zone grilling maybe 90% of the time here at the house..I like them all, but nothing can beat the flavor of an offset imo (especially on brisket or beef ribs)..so much airflow and so much convection compared to a charcoal grill IMO...but they all good!