Cooking with a Pellet Grill

[rotuts]

Im placing this in the cooking section , rather than 

 

the Kitchen Consumer selection , as this is more about

 

Cooking w a pellet grill , than types of pellet grills.

 

some time ago , way back when , i began to be interested in a pellet grill.

 

\Id seen many BBQ competition shows , three entrants using 

 

their own rigs , and well experienced having successful local BBQ buineses

 

pellets interested me , as , properly PID'd , much of the fuel source was

 

being worked out for you by your rig.  nothing agains a real deal off set stick burner

 

but I wasn't going to stay up all night feeding it, as i wanted to take that variable  

 

out of the equation .  There was the small Traeger , which I almost got

 

but wanted to go  w a Yoder , 

 

Fast Forward. ;  times have changed .  Im significantly older 

 

in terns of stiffness , etc.  and now have an Indoor Cat , MC.

 

he escaped twice early on , but I was able to go get him , inspite of 20 F and a foot of snow.

 

Id not  be able to do that now.  and Id have to place him in Detention 

 

a downstairs bathroom , when I went in and out .  I do this routinely for Recycle day

 

Soo :

 

introducing the WHPS :  Woods Hole Pellet Society 

 

located in WH , MA at a friends .  Im the Chief Theoretician 

 

my friend ( His place )  is the Chief technical Officer :  he does the cooking , and maintenance.

 

I get to kibutts all I want , until he changes his email address and phone number.

 

the Setting :

 

 

 

the YS640s  , as delivered about 10 days ago :

 

 

all 418 lbs.

 

removed from pallet , which took some doing :

 

 

after the burn in :  350F  for at least an hour , the first cook ;

 

Spatched chickens :

 

 

as I understand this :  425 F ( for crispy skin ) until the probed temp was 160 F :

 

 

skin was crispy , the chicken was very moist.   my friends wife commented

 

that this was the  best chicken she ever had.   and this is a family that has traveled 

 

\and paid attention . they said the chicken had a wonderful light smokiness , delicious

 

not overpowering the flavor of the chicken.  say , in the French Style , rather than very heavy smoke.

 

pellet grills are said to offer smokiness  on the lighter side.  you want more smoke ?

 

you use a pellet tube .  noted w the brisket.

 

next brisket , Costco  Choice ( they didn't have prime that day }  about 13lbs

 

trimmed.

 

 

brisket w a pan to renewer some fat from the trim. , and a smoke tube , essential if you want to add extra smoke.

 

the meat was done at 225 F ( hickory pellets ) for a total of about 8 hours.

 

at 198 F  wrapped in butchers paper ( 4:20 into the cook )  and left for 3.5 more hours

 

 

I think this is the point the the B was wrapped in butcher paper.

 

rested ( unsure of how long ) :

 

 

rub was salt and freshly ground pepper and granulated garlic

 

 

 

I have not tried this.  my friend was delighted w it .  moist , tender , smokey.

 

today he will try high  temp grilled Salmon , on some GrillGrated that were extra

 

this model has a removable square piece of steel , over the fire box on the L 

 

that you can remove ( when cold ! ) and get direct grilling over that L afrea

 

on the grill grates.

 

we also have the blanket , the SS grease trap  ( for the from )

 

and two SS sold shelves that slide ofver the two shelves you see in the picture.

 

this is not a minor item , and you need a keen interest , outdoor space 

 

not too far from the Beverage Area 

 

and some funds  and the time to put it to good use

 

w the best meat you choose to afford.

 

Im very pleased 

 

my plans as the Theoretician 

 

is to make the WHPS  the epicenter

 

of Duck .  outside Duck , vertical Duck  , spatched duck etc.

 

for videos , I highly recommend "" Rum & Cook ""

 

he seems to have given his Yoder , and pellets in general 

 

a great deal of thought :

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3h_KluRy5g&t=394s

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9E8NriQ0sM

 

also for those inclined for this sort of thing 

 

( not really me )

 

 

there is this sort of info for y0ou iPhone.

 

we also have :

 

https://www.thermoworks.com/signals/

 

in red of course.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2022 by rotuts
Adjusted title (log)

[weinoo]

Nice looking rig - and certainly nice looking back yard.

 

(The end grain butcher block inside looks nice too).

[rotuts]

Its an exceptionally nice place .

 

Im pleased for my friends.

 

the butcher block inside is a butcher block

 

table   you can guess the dimensions from the first pic.

 

that's a large chicken , and the larger AppleWatch.

 

the Yoder is very very heavy and seems very well made.

 

for me and my friends :

 

the right thing at the right time at the right place .

Edited November 5, 2022 by rotuts (log)

[Okanagancook]

What fun and the fine looking results so far a bonus!

[rotuts]

Ive been having a Yoder on my mind

 

for quite some time.

 

This is the time , and that's the place .

 

we do need a YoderCam

 

to pan the cook area , see what under the lid

 

every 3 hours 

 

probably not ' Live: inside the Yoder right now '

 

etc.

 

PS this Yoder has a name

 

The Eagle , as my friend emailed me th first pic

 

on the pallet

 

"" The Eagle has Landed """

 

you bet !

 

also N.B. : it has a high quality dial indicator

 

on the R .   A bit historical , in the BT//WiFi age

 

w 6 channel temps ecording .

 

but a vital addition as Im more of a dial Indicator person .

 

the thermal blanket also had a hole so this instrument 

 

can be used at all times.

 

very classy

 

 

Edited November 5, 2022 by rotuts (log)

[&roid]

Great thread, Rotuts. If/when we move I’m definitely going to look at getting a pellet grill to go alongside my kamado. 
 

What made you go for the Yoder over the Traeger?

 

Also, beautiful trees there

[rotuts]

I believe the Yoder is in a different class than the Traeger

 

and you get what you pay for

 

this model is updated 

 

( at some point )  different diffuser plate 
 

w removable door for his heat

 

different igniter system

 

more accurate PID   etc

 

check the price and the weight of the i9tems involved

 

I got the system w the ' competition ' wheels 

 

much easier to move around 

 

and the mid size       its all about that extra space

 

800 sq inches for the YD480s  1070 sq inches for the YS650 s

 

there is a third party shelf that slides all the way out

 

w a second shelf that fits over so its 1/2 size or full size depending what you want to do

 

https://smokercarts.com/640-shelf-combo/

 

this is a serious purchase 

 

its going to be used a lot.

 

esp in winter w the blanket on it.

 

Im very pleased so far.

 

I wound not ' over buy '

 

but you are not going to trade in a smaller one for the medium

 

then there is this :

 

https://www.yodersmokers.com/pellet/the-ys1500s-pellet-grill/

 

1500 sq inches .   bit no winter blanket !

 

I get the pellets 

 

https://bearmountainbbq.com/collections/frontpage

 

from NH.  No tax !  very pleasant 30 min trip sunday morning

 

no traffic   come to 15 USD // bag when buying 10 or more

 

I can easily fit 20 in the back 1/3 of my Highlander 

 

they load it up , my friend unloads it.

[&roid]

19 minutes ago, rotuts said:

then there is this :

 

https://www.yodersmokers.com/pellet/the-ys1500s-pellet-grill/

 

1500 sq inches .   bit no winter blanket !

Wow! Looks like a locomotive! 
 

I feel there’s a good rabbit hole for me to go down here, I love a good rabbit hole. 

[Tri2Cook]

My Bradley smoker reached the end of it's usable life this past summer and it's so old a model that replacement parts are no longer available for it. I also gave my propane grill to my daughter because I never really was happy with it. It was a case of I got what I paid for but she said it was fine for their purposes. So I have until spring to replace my outdoor cooking.

 

I've been seriously considering a pellet grill to cover both missing items but the research I've done seems to show that while they do both, they don't do either as well as their dedicated individual counterparts without bolstering. So now I'm not so sure.

 

I still have the PID controller I bought for my Bradley so another of those (although I wish the non-digital model was available in 6 rack, the 4 rack fills up pretty fast) and a new grill (probably a Weber kettle, wanting to move away from propane) would be the easy option. But I'm not ruling out the pellet grill yet so thanks for this post. I'll continue to watch your adventures while I decide.

[rotuts]

@Tri2Cook 

 

your question re : High Heat Grilling on a pellet grill

 

is an interesting one

 

this might prove helpful .  it's a little long winded :

 

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

 

the WHPS was going to try using the GrillGrates

 

over the ( open ) firebox  for high heat salmon grilling.

 

but have not received a report yet.

 

personally Ive used the grill grated on a 3 burner Wewber for some time

 

Vertical chicken , bup to 6 at a time.

 

the issue w chicken is fat dripping down to the ' flavor bars '

 

( Weber defectors that cover the gas jets )

 

and they prevent flare ups , so doing the chicken that way

 

is a now brainer

 

Im not sure Id use GG for an expensive steak , any heat soiurse

 

Im not a fan of grill marks per se  

 

its a mark that essentially is a burn mark.

 

Id rather have uniform color for high heat grilling .

 

the visual mark doesn't mean much to me.

 

if high heat grilling works well on the Yoder

 

Id try a 3d party ( Weber replacement small grill  --- circular ) 

 

instead , or usage a charcoal chimney.

 

again th Yoder is not a trivial purchase 

 

an Im pleased Im involved in using one.

 

 

 

[Tri2Cook]

On 11/7/2022 at 7:44 AM, rotuts said:

@Tri2Cook 

 

your question re : High Heat Grilling on a pellet grill

 

is an interesting one

 

this might prove helpful .  it's a little long winded :

 

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

 

the WHPS was going to try using the GrillGrates

 

over the ( open ) firebox  for high heat salmon grilling.

 

but have not received a report yet.

 

personally Ive used the grill grated on a 3 burner Wewber for some time

 

Vertical chicken , bup to 6 at a time.

 

the issue w chicken is fat dripping down to the ' flavor bars '

 

( Weber defectors that cover the gas jets )

 

and they prevent flare ups , so doing the chicken that way

 

is a now brainer

 

Im not sure Id use GG for an expensive steak , any heat soiurse

 

Im not a fan of grill marks per se  

 

its a mark that essentially is a burn mark.

 

Id rather have uniform color for high heat grilling .

 

the visual mark doesn't mean much to me.

 

if high heat grilling works well on the Yoder

 

Id try a 3d party ( Weber replacement small grill  --- circular ) 

 

instead , or usage a charcoal chimney.

 

again th Yoder is not a trivial purchase 

 

an Im pleased Im involved in using one.

 

 

 

 

I won't buy a gas Weber, no danger there. If I go that route, it'll be charcoal. I also won't be buying a Yoder, those don't fit the budget. It'll either be another Bradley and a charcoal Weber or a more budget-friendly pellet burner (Traeger, etc.). I've also been doing a little research into the gravity feed charcoal smokers as well. They seem to solve the most common complaints about pellet grills but introduce other issues of their own. 

[rotuts]

@Tri2Cook 

 

pleased you are taking your time

 

and considering all options.

 

The Yoder is not cheap , in any way.

 

maybe to 20 years for me to get to the WHPS.

 

what do the gravity feed charcoal units correct about 

 

pellet grills ?

 

for quite some time there are accessories 

 

that are PID'd controlled 

 

that regulate air intake for charcoal burners

 

that can be sealed :  Weber , Eggs , green or other shades 

 

maybe you should look into that accessory 

 

my friend in WH has that accessory and has used it 

 

for his BGE, and liked it as I recall

 

cheers

 

P.S. : this sort of rig ?

 

https://www.masterbuilt.com/products/gravity-series-560-digital-charcoal-grill-smoker

 

Edited November 17, 2022 by rotuts (log)

[Tri2Cook]

From what I've found, the gravity feed charcoal smoker/grill will hold low and slow temps as well as pellet burners but will also reach 700 F or higher for grilling. They take a very short amount of time to go from 200 F to 700 F as well. They produce more smoke than most pellet grills and you can mix chunks of smoker wood in with the charcoal in the hopper to create even more smoke of choice. The main downsides I've read about are cook time on a single load in the hopper, which is about half that of most pellet burners in low and slow mode and having to manually start the coals instead of just pushing a button. The cook time isn't entirely trivial for me, I generally do pork butts overnight so getting up during the night to check the hopper could be a deal breaker on those.

[rotuts]

@Tri2Cook 

 

sounds like you are on the right track .

 

w pellet smokers 

 

if one wants more smoke , one uses a pellet tube.

 

the WHPS uses this one :

 

Lanney Pellet Smoker Tube (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

I think we got the one w/o that snazzy brush .

 

so far so good.

[Shelby]

Wow that is a thing of beauty!  The meats too!

 

 

[&roid]

14 hours ago, Tri2Cook said:

From what I've found, the gravity feed charcoal smoker/grill will hold low and slow temps as well as pellet burners but will also reach 700 F or higher for grilling. They take a very short amount of time to go from 200 F to 700 F as well. They produce more smoke than most pellet grills and you can mix chunks of smoker wood in with the charcoal in the hopper to create even more smoke of choice. The main downsides I've read about are cook time on a single load in the hopper, which is about half that of most pellet burners in low and slow mode and having to manually start the coals instead of just pushing a button. The cook time isn't entirely trivial for me, I generally do pork butts overnight so getting up during the night to check the hopper could be a deal breaker on those.

having owned various permutations in the past, if a high end pellet grill like this was out of budget I’d really consider a kamado. My kamado joe big joe has given me years of faithful service. 
 

As rotuts says you can get a blower which will accurately control temperature for hours on end and a single basket of charcoal can last easily north of 12 hours. 
 

Plus the ability to get hotter than I ever got a Weber grill. 
 

whichever way you turn there are always compromises and decisions to make but a good kamado should do what you’re after in a single unit

[pastameshugana]

The Yoder's are really nice, top of the heap when it comes to pellet grills/smokers.

 

I think the next step down would be Green Mountain Grills - they used to be *much* better than Traeger's, but I think Traeger has caught up a fair bit in the last couple of years. We sold our little GMG when we moved to South Africa last year, but it was a good friend for a long time.

 

[rotuts]

my friend came by the other day , to pick up a few more items 

 

destined fo0r the WHPS

 

he dropped of a VacBag of the brisket

 

 

this one , but probably not those same pieces , which were probably

 

gobbled up.  he froze it , then I left it in my refrigerator to thaw.

 

id post a pic of the bag , but its not impressive.

 

I brought out a few slices , and let them get t room temp.

 

they were delicious !   I do not wish to imply trying this 

 

w a LesserYoder would give you lesser meat .

 

the meat was choice,   the smoke lever was very present

 

 it was not harsh , or acrid.  it lingered on the p[alate very nicely.

 

I pulled the meat apart and there did seem to be some fat between the strands.

 

it was not salty , and had a pleasant black pepper glow , alongs the smoke.

 

the pellets were hickory ( 85 % oak , the rest the ' flavor wood ' )

 

first  of all , Im not a big fan of brisket.  Ive had it in TX

 

at a few places w my sister , N. of Austin .  it was at two 

 

bbq places w very good reputations .  it has sliced right infant of you.

 

I preferred the ribs , and smoked sausage

 

the meat was tender , the various cuts in my Bag were thickly cut.

 

this meat is basically a braise , but from a pellet smoker 

 

wrapped it butcher paper .  total cook time was 8 hours

 

the meat itself was  as expected w any braise , on the dry side :

 

the meat got up to 185 f - 190 F 

 

at those temps  , the fibrils must have contacted , and the jus // fat 

 

went off to the surface thus giving you the  ' bark '

 

however , I thought about this re: braise 

 

and came up w this idea :

 

this meat might have been much better  hot.  but its still going to

 

have a braise dryness .

 

so :   after cooling , and vac-bagging => freezer 

 

Im projecting this would be outstandsing

 

sliced thinly 

 

for a ' roast beef sandwich '  w your usual fixings 

 

and might then be the best RBS you eve had.

 

that would take care of the braise-effects

 

and Ive thought of another item I have not had in a long while :

 

a French Dip.   

 

the WHPS is now woking on how to make that dip.

 

my friend reheated a bad he had vac'd and frozen :

 

via SV !   he said it was almost as good as the initial slices.

 

I also think the meat , cubed into the same cube-size as potatoes 

 

( small fish cube )

 

would have a truly outstanding  Roast Beef Hash !

 

the WHPS  will be getting its own refrigerator / freezer 

 

for the utility room , so that the refrig has plenty of space 

 

for overnight drying on racks of the appropriate 

 

nest study.   I can see do8ing two voice briskets at the same time

 

very little extra work  and then cutting the  ' extra '  into 4 - 6 " hunks

 

and freezing for the future

 

I also know , from personal experience :

 

Freezers abhor emptiness , and the WHPS-RF would fill up

 

quickly., but deliciously

 

P.S.:  when I say ' dry ' above , I meant a little dry 

 

you know , quality braise a little dry .

 

a few drops of Jus would fix it

 

not the same as ' sauce '

 

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

the WHPS also is the proud owner of this :

 

 

I asked for an inner measurement , and got a can of corn for a reference.

 

 

this is meant for ' Brisket Resting ' and other sorts of restings 

 

in brown butcher paper .   10 hours ? 12 ?

 

im hoping I can convince the Technical Officer 

 

to take the next brisket(s) off the yoder at a 10 - 15 degree lower tem

 

but then rest ( them ? ) in the yoder for some time.

 

Its said the Yeti keeps cool or warm for quite some time

 

since Aaron Franklin uses them 

 

so must the WHPS  .  we got a large one

 

as we are not going to get two !

[&roid]

Interesting thought about pulling 10-15° lower - received wisdom is that the collagen isn’t properly broken down at that temp, so everything’s  still a bit tough.  but I’d be VERY interested in the results… please fill us in if you get this test across the line with the TO

[rotuts]

@&roid 

 

excellent thoughts .

 

my tendency , w meat

 

is to think of what Id learned re SV.

 

then remembering those temp

 

move them to newer temps

 

now w a pellet grill.

 

IM wonder what the time w the brisket wrapped 

 

9in the cooler   might get some tenderness 

 

I will say this :  Im eating my friends first 

 

WHPS brisket .   it's delicious , tender 

 

and fantastic

 

next time , a little more surface fat , and then the same

 

or pull off a little earlier 

 

and leave wrapped for several hours .

[rotuts]

WHPS Turkey

 

 

Spatched Turkey 

 

 

instrumentation 

 

 

as I read the pics :  Eagle set @ 313F   dial indicator ( R ) 275 F   ( its a cold day , blanket not used )

 

turkey breast  160 and 156.

 

new stainless steel shelf selves in place .

 

no other info just yet.

 

hopefully more later .

Edited November 25, 2022 by rotuts (log)

[&roid]

Looking forward to this one…

 

I’d love to convince the family to try a smoked turkey at Christmas. More chance of me getting a Lamborghini under the tree 

[rotuts]

the verdict on the Turkey was that it was

 

very good , w nice but not overpowering smoke flavor.

 

My friend prefers chicken to turkey 

 

so there is that.  

[&roid]

Any pics rotuts?