Any Longtime BGE Users Find Pellet Grill Taste Fake

jsdtx

We have one of the original BGE Large grills bought at the end of the Eggfest on Lake Travis almost 17 years ago.  We love it and use many different kinds of hardwood charcoal.  I recently rebuilt it with the new hardware.  The heat and taste of food varies and it is exciting to try new things. 

I bought one of those Asmoke pellet small grills (same as Country Smokers) and have tried bear mountain pellets, apple, cherry, and pecan.  The pulled pork and pork tenderloin that we have done on the pellet grill seems to taste fake or off compared to the hardwood flavor of the BGE.  The meat is wetter and less seared and that is to be expected but the tast is what we noticed. 

Thinking of selling the asmoke, but since it was $130, it is not a big deal.  Anyone think I am doing something wrong or have better results.  My egg friends tell me Texans don't use pellet grills.  Thanks  

The Cen-Tex Smoker

1- do you still live out at the lake? There are a few of us in the area. I’m in Lakeway and there are several guys out here too. There are a few in student and the 620 corridor/oasis area as well

2- I don’t know a lot about pellet grills but I have spent some time learning about pellets. Some are way better than others. Some, like Traeger, use a cheap local wood (like poplar or Alder) as the the base to form the pellet and then use flavored oils (Apple, cherry, oak, hickory etc) to flavor them. These are super fakey  tasting to me and give off a weird color as well. Other make make pellets from the actual wood flavor claimed on the bag. Green mountain grills uses 100% oak, cherry, apple, hickory etc to make the pellets and it makes a huge difference in flavor and color. 

If you are using good pellets and are not happy, then maybe pellet cookers are not for you. There are several guys on here that are down with the pellet pooper but I have very limited experience with them myself. 

Mattman3969

@Canugghead is a pellet guy I believe. Hopefully he will pop in shortly 

Calbbqer

Try BBQrs Delight pellets.

loco_engr

I was told long time ago that there is nothing better than grease dripping on hot coals

The Cen-Tex Smoker

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

1- do you still live out at the lake? There are a few of us in the area. I’m in Lakeway and there are several guys out here too. There are a few in student and the 620 corridor/oasis area as well

2- I don’t know a lot about pellet grills but I have spent some time learning about pellets. Some are way better than others. Some, like Traeger, use a cheap local wood (like poplar or Alder) as the the base to form the pellet and then use flavored oils (Apple, cherry, oak, hickory etc) to flavor them. These are super fakey  tasting to me and give off a weird color as well. Other make make pellets from the actual wood flavor claimed on the bag. Green mountain grills uses 100% oak, cherry, apple, hickory etc to make the pellets and it makes a huge difference in flavor and color. 

If you are using good pellets and are not happy, then maybe pellet cookers are not for you. There are several guys on here that are down with the pellet pooper but I have very limited experience with them myself. 

*Steiner (not student) damn phone. 

GregW

I use and recommend the Lumber Jack pellets. I always buy the 100% Hickory and 100% Cherry, 100% Apple
I haven't used the BBQrs Delight pellets, but I've been told they are excellent.

nolaegghead

I have gone through a lot of pellets.  All that I've seen are 100% wood, might say mix of oak and cherry.   

If anything, I find pellet smokers don't give you a pronounced smoke flavor.   They're like using very top end neutral lump.  That's great for baking and cooking for people that don't like smoky food.  You can put some wood chunks in a coffee can or use the maze thing.   

The airflow through a pellet smoker is fast, more like a stick burner

SGH

GregW said:

I use and recommend the Lumber Jack pellets. 

I use the Lumber Jack pellets for cold smoking. I have recommended them many times and still do. Never had any bad or off putting taste with them. 

Lowcountrygamecock

I’m thinking about adding a pellet smoker for convenience on weekday cooks. I love the flavor from food that comes off my Kamado Joe but I don’t think it has the smoke flavor that a stick burner has. I cooked a pork loin saturday using Rock wood lump. I put four big chunks of hickory mixed in the lump and still don’t think it was Smokey enough.  Now all the chunks didn’t burn because it was a fairly quick cook but it smoked good the whole time. I guess you could say we really like Smokey food!  Maybe I need to rethink a pellet smoker. 

xfire_ATX

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

*Steiner (not student) damn phone. 

My Neighbor (XL BGE) and I often lament the Pellet Grill solution as a less involved cook.  He rarely uses his BGE and mostly uses a gasser.  I think this is why he has an interest- just looking for a simpler process.

I dont have any power where I keep my current grills so I would either have to run a cord or somehow install a new outlet which is why I havent seriously considered it.

One of the BGE users in *Steiner

alaskanassasin

@xfire_ATX this is interesting to me, I throw some coal and wood chunks in, light with a handheld torch and walk away. Couldn’t ask for better results with the amount of work it takes.

Canugghead

Lots of good advice, I’ll let him soak it all in and reply, before more info overload.

Lowcountrygamecock

alaskanassasin said:

@xfire_ATX this is interesting to me, I throw some coal and wood chunks in, light with a handheld torch and walk away. Couldn’t ask for better results with the amount of work it takes.

I agree the kamado Joe is easy. It’s more of a time thing for me. I go home at lunch every day. My thought is to prep everything during lunch and remotely start the grill on my way home vs waiting until I get there. Figure I can save 30-45 minutes that way. 

pgprescott

Lowcountrygamecock said:

alaskanassasin said:

@xfire_ATX this is interesting to me, I throw some coal and wood chunks in, light with a handheld torch and walk away. Couldn’t ask for better results with the amount of work it takes.

I agree the kamado Joe is easy. It’s more of a time thing for me. I go home at lunch every day. My thought is to prep everything during lunch and remotely start the grill on my way home vs waiting until I get there. Figure I can save 30-45 minutes that way. 

Very few pellet cookers allow you to remotely start up the grill for what seem to be obvious liability reasons. They do allow for control and shutdown after startup. There are a couple that allow startup, but I can’t believe they do. 

jsdtx

I have used wood that is soaked for about an hour with the BGE and it works well.  There is nothing like the smokey flavor that comes from hardwood in my view.  I bought this small one to see if I should buy a normal sized one.  I do use a Weber 4 burner if I need something done quickly or if I need space on my BGE large.  I am going to buy one of those $250 pellet driven pizza ovens, just the get to 700 degrees quickly without having to fire up the egg.  The pandemic is having us cook at home much more these days.

We do live in West Austin although not as close to Lakeway Lake Travis as before.  Great BBQ community.  Cabo Bobs uses Kamodos to cook their chicken, beef and pork.  They used to have BGE but they run them 18 hours a day and after about 5 years they replaced them with the largest Kamodo Joes.  I think they are cheaper.  Great idea for a restaurant.  With their home made tortillas, that hardwood really makes the tacos special.

Killit_and_Grillit

I bought a pellet pooper this time last year. 

Like NOLA said, it’s a tool for other items. I bake on it, throw sides on, roast a lot of corn and other veggies, and cook big messy cooks (like 20-30 lbs of chicken thighs at a time to shred)

You’ll never get the same result vs a grill. But the wood pellets are natural, it’s just like a non smoky lump. I think what you’re missing is the sear of that heat...the pellet grill is a glorified outdoor oven. 

Teefus

I have a co-worker that's a long time Kamado Cooker advocate (he has a Vision Cooker). He was lured to the pellet side by a sale on Traegers at Costco. So far he's been real happy. Since he got it this spring he's done dozens of racks of ribs and a few pork butts. He just did two briskets at once. He claims the smoke taste is just fine. The feature he likes the best is that he can get everything staged and have his wife turn it on and add the ribs at noon so they're ready when he gets home from work.

Malcom likes them too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn5ZJz2Ta78

puddinhead

Pellet Grill results vary based on the pellet smoker and the pellets used.  Traeger pellet smokers from Costco and their entry-level equivalents may have a less smoky taste.  I have bought and returned two over the years.  I love my BGE but wanted a quicker way to grill without having to light up an XL BGE.  I now own a YODER YS640s pellet grill; 1/4" cast iron, 450-500 lbs; can heat as high as 700 degrees and can turn out smoky-tasting food. As smoky as a BGE can get?  No, but much better than a Traeger, and even better when using a smoking tube accessory.  Most good pellet brands are 1/3 source wood and 2/3 oak or alder (most Traeger pellets are this as well but in very fine print).  Lumberjack, Knotty Wood, and Cookin' Pellets are 100% source wood.  BBQ'rs Delight is probably the best combination wood with many varieties.

flexfusion

pgprescott said:I have a Rec-Teq pellet grill, and I start mine via WiFi from my phone, and control the whole cooker from my iPhone.
 

Lowcountrygamecock said:

alaskanassasin said:

@xfire_ATX this is interesting to me, I throw some coal and wood chunks in, light with a handheld torch and walk away. Couldn’t ask for better results with the amount of work it takes.

I agree the kamado Joe is easy. It’s more of a time thing for me. I go home at lunch every day. My thought is to prep everything during lunch and remotely start the grill on my way home vs waiting until I get there. Figure I can save 30-45 minutes that way. 

Very few pellet cookers allow you to remotely start up the grill for what seem to be obvious liability reasons. They do allow for control and shutdown after startup. There are a couple that allow startup, but I can’t believe they do. 

xfire_ATX

xfire_ATX said:

My Neighbor (XL BGE) and I often lament the Pellet Grill solution as a less involved cook.  He rarely uses his BGE and mostly uses a gasser.  I think this is why he has an interest- just looking for a simpler process.

I dont have any power where I keep my current grills so I would either have to run a cord or somehow install a new outlet which is why I havent seriously considered it.

That Neighbor dumped his XL for a Traeger, Neighbor across street got the RecTeq after dumping an XL.  Me when I want to feel the process of pellet I put the Egg Genius on and set and forget.   Its old no wifi so I do have to go check it.