Pellet smokers. Yay or nay?

hondabbq

ive been really interested in an offset for the last little while. 
Im deterred due to the need for supplying wood and the constant maintains ofbthevfire. 
I guess I'm spoiled with the BGE. 

The happy medium in this conundrum may be a pellet smoker. 

Ive vey never cooked on one. Don't know anyone with one. 

Is is it comparable to an offset? 

What at say you?

bhedges1987

I have had two and no it's not comparable. I had a traeger and a yoder. I then upgraded to a stick burner. 

billt01

@hondabbq
...if you are looking for a cooker to maintain temps and get a good smoke flavor, research Stumps Smokers....
@Bhedges1987
 the thing is with the Lang....you have to feed it every 45 minutes to an hour...and that not pellets or wood chips...its quartered up logs...i didn't call mine a log hog for nothin'

saluki2007

Pellet smokers do a good job, but I would say they do not compare to an offset.

Big_Green_Craig

I have a pellet grill in my mix. I really like it for ribs and brisket. It is extremely easy to maintain temperatures and the end product turns out very well. It lacks the versatility of the Egg, but definitely worth adding to the arsenal. 

chrisc133

They are the easy bake oven of smoking/grilling.  I considered getting one but decided to save and get a better gravity fed smoker.

BigWader

My dad has a Louisiana grill - which surprisingly has their headquarters in Edmonton, Alberta! I believe the Country series is made there with thicker steel than Traegers have now and it is very easy to operate once I got him the digital control replacement it is like an oven.  He built a hopper extender to go longer for low & slow cooks without refilling.

What I like about his pellet smoker is when he starts it the grill doesn't spew white smoke for a while until it has a good fire going.  My grill patio is in an L-shaped part of our house between the garage and back of house.  That smoke just swirls there and you need stay away or reek of smoke for the rest of the night. 

The pellet smoker has helped him up his BBQ game significantly from a gasser but I would say he doesn't have the ability to get lots of smoke on his cooks either.  He hasn't tried doing a smoker box over the indirect plate but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work either. 

I wish he was closer because I would use the open capacity of it for smoking sausages but I think you already have that covered with a propane smoker.

beteez

 I would 2nd you looking into a Stumps Gravity fed.

chrisc133

beteez said:

 I would 2nd you looking into a Stumps Gravity fed.

I'm looking at Stumps and Deep South.  Trying to figure out what size as I dont want to go too small and regret it later.

DoubleEgger

chrisc133 said:

beteez said:

 I would 2nd you looking into a Stumps Gravity fed.

I'm looking at Stumps and Deep South.  Trying to figure out what size as I dont want to go too small and regret it later.

That Deep South GF is a damn fine unit. 

bhedges1987

billt01 said:

@hondabbq
...if you are looking for a cooker to maintain temps and get a good smoke flavor, research Stumps Smokers....
@Bhedges1987
 the thing is with the Lang....you have to feed it every 45 minutes to an hour...and that not pellets or wood chips...its quartered up logs...i didn't call mine a log hog for nothin'

 I have a lang, but I don't see where I told him that's what he should purchase??  He asked if stick burners are comparable to a pellet smoker.  The flavor profile far exceeds any pellet smoker I have owned, but requires more work.  There's a reason all the best bbq restaurants in the country still use offset cookers.

dougcrann

I am a wood snob...pellets are for home heating or cold smoking. I have a stick burner. Bit of a learning curve...mine being a home built one made the curve steeper. But now that I have it figured out I love it. Ribs, briskets, butts, roast beasts are all done in the stick burner. I do have to tend the fire, but that is part of being "the cook". My RF needs small splits to maintain a controllable fire. I need to add fuel every 40 minutes or so...you get a stick burner you may need to forget about that whole 225* thing...

YukonRon

Neighbor had a Traeger, put it on the curb within 6 months. He complained about service and quality. He now owns a BGE.

pgprescott

YukonRon said:

Neighbor had a Traeger, put it on the curb within 6 months. He complained about service and quality. He now owns a BGE.

They went through a dark period, but both areas are drastically improved over the last 18 months. They have a new one coming out with insulated double wall construction, heavier cooking grids and such. It will be a big winner for them.

hondabbq

I did also read that traeger went through some bad runs of product but it has been addressed. 
Here is the one I'm considering if I go this route. It's exclusive to Costco. I've read it's like a lil tex but with some extras and improvements. I like the closed cabinet for goodies instead of it being wide open. 

http://www.costco.ca/.product.100127917.html?cm_sp=RichRelevance-_-itempageVerticalRight-_-MultiItemViewCP&cm_vc=itempageVerticalRight|MultiItemViewCP

dogfoot

I have a Traeger it is 2 years old and I like it, I use it for different cooks than my BGE, the price and quality are good. customer service is the best, they send me free thinks all the time 

GregW

DoubleEgger said:

chrisc133 said:

beteez said:

 I would 2nd you looking into a Stumps Gravity fed.

I'm looking at Stumps and Deep South.  Trying to figure out what size as I dont want to go too small and regret it later.

That Deep South GF is a damn fine unit. 

No doubt. I've just discovered gravity feed, now it's all I can think about.
Those Deep South GF units are most impressive. I've got my eye on a GF28

Hans61

My brother in law bought one he thinks he gets better smoke from his weber kettle

pgprescott

hondabbq said:

I did also read that traeger went through some bad runs of product but it has been addressed. 
Here is the one I'm considering if I go this route. It's exclusive to Costco. I've read it's like a lil tex but with some extras and improvements. I like the closed cabinet for goodies instead of it being wide open. 

http://www.costco.ca/.product.100127917.html?cm_sp=RichRelevance-_-itempageVerticalRight-_-MultiItemViewCP&cm_vc=itempageVerticalRight|MultiItemViewCP

If you can wait, the new one coming out is a game changer. They said June, but you know how that goes. I saw it at HPBA show. It's double wall insulated and the cook chamber is taller with multilevel cooking and split grids for tall or vertical cooking. I was impressed. The new pro series ones have a built in probe system as well. The new model will be wifi, I believe. 

hondabbq

I'm in no rush as all I have been doing is reading for a couple months now. 

Ozzie_Isaac

My only experience with a peller pooper was one evening/morning.  My buddy asked me to help him trim and season a brisky.  Well, he passed out before it came time to put the brisket on.

After a night of liquid courage I still figured out how to turn it on and get it stabilized,  even though I had never used or seen one use.

They are idiot proof and turn out a decent product.

billt01

chrisc133 said:

beteez said:

 I would 2nd you looking into a Stumps Gravity fed.

I'm looking at Stumps and Deep South.  Trying to figure out what size as I dont want to go too small and regret it later.

@chrisc133 I cannot comment on the Deep South cooker, but I can probably get you a deal (relatively speaking) on a Stumps. I know where a couple of Baby XL's are, as well as, maybe a Junior, Classic or Stretch... I am friends with a bunch of those folks still...people that own Stumps are like people that own EGGS...very close nit community...let me know what your plans are and I may be able to help you out...

chrisc133

billt01 said:

chrisc133 said:

beteez said:

 I would 2nd you looking into a Stumps Gravity fed.

I'm looking at Stumps and Deep South.  Trying to figure out what size as I dont want to go too small and regret it later.

@chrisc133 I cannot comment on the Deep South cooker, but I can probably get you a deal (relatively speaking) on a Stumps. I know where a couple of Baby XL's are, as well as, maybe a Junior, Classic or Stretch... I am friends with a bunch of those folks still...people that own Stumps are like people that own EGGS...very close nit community...let me know what your plans are and I may be able to help you out...

@billt01 sent you a PM

ra1nman967

I just sold my Traeger Texas after having it less than a year.  We just couldn't get the food off of it that we wanted.  Some cooks were decent but an example of what wasn't good were the burgers.  You get no sear and no real BBQ taste.  You can't own a BBQ that doesn't produce good burgers.  So on to Facebook for sale it went.  Sold within a day.

Proud new owner of a Large Egg.  Luckily the Traeger sale helped offset the cost.

smokeyw

if you want a really good quality smoker, check these out. They are built like a tank.   http://www.bqgrills.com/Smokers Page.htm

Big_Green_Craig

ra1nman967 said:

I just sold my Traeger Texas after having it less than a year.  We just couldn't get the food off of it that we wanted.  Some cooks were decent but an example of what wasn't good were the burgers.  You get no sear and no real BBQ taste.  You can't own a BBQ that doesn't produce good burgers.  So on to Facebook for sale it went.  Sold within a day.

Proud new owner of a Large Egg.  Luckily the Traeger sale helped offset the cost.

Did you try changing pellets?

beansberry

I have had nothing but great luck with traegers. Sold my 3 yr old Texas for a new pro 34,   Happy with the upgrade.  Also just got my first egg, minimax.   Loving it so far also!  

hondabbq

Thank for the comments, suggestions and banter. 

I have 2 eggs for grilling etc, I just want to know if this will provide a better grade of BBQ than the egg currently does without the incessant babysitting if an offset. 

bhedges1987

hondabbq said:

Thank for the comments, suggestions and banter. 

I have 2 eggs for grilling etc, I just want to know if this will provide a better grade of BBQ than the egg currently does without the incessant babysitting if an offset. 

A traeger will not produce better BBQ than your egg. If you spend money for a pellet cooker at least get something that's actually built heavy and air tight.bThere are great pellet cookers out there, thur traeger isn't one of them.  My traeger didn't leak smoke out of the lid, it was basically like there was no lid they leak so much.   Get a yoder if your getting a back yard pellet cooker. 

I however suggest you think about what you want. You started by saying you have wanted a offset for some time, but kind of seems like now your wanting somebody to convince you more to get a pellet cooker.  Don't make any rash decisions. 

Spaightlabs

I have a green mountain and like it pretty well - it produces a consistent product that is good but not great and is very user friendly.  The Egg is so much more versatile and  the end product is better than a pellet smoker/cooker.

Best part about the GMG is that my wife isn't afraid to use it - it is less 'messy' than the BGE and less finicky/complicated in her mind.  You won't read any posts anywhere about people not being able to get their pellet burner to hold the same temp for 20 hours...


If you've been thinking stick burner or gravity fed, save yourself the money you'd spend on a pellet burner and get what you really want and what will turn out the superior product you are after.

hondabbq

bhedges1987 said:

hondabbq said:

Thank for the comments, suggestions and banter. 

I have 2 eggs for grilling etc, I just want to know if this will provide a better grade of BBQ than the egg currently does without the incessant babysitting if an offset. 

I however suggest you think about what you want. You started by saying you have wanted a offset for some time, but kind of seems like now your wanting somebody to convince you more to get a pellet cooker.  Don't make any rash decisions. 

that's not what I am saying. 
Yes I would like an offset, but as I said in the original post,  I don't have the want to babysit it all day or want to have a stack of split wood in the corner to feed it or have to split said wood. 

What I wanted was to know if cooking food on a pellet grill is closer to an offset than the the egg. 

There re are no Yoder dealers in my province.