Pellet Grills and Smokers

[Lhorn 4863]

Let us know how it goes. I happen to have an acorn squash in the fridge with no specific plans. 

[Butch Had Not 2930]

 

Tasted far better than it looks.  Also had entirely too much of the stuffing made and froze some for a later day. 

[Scary Stranger 1711]

Brisket should always be the answer.   Congrats on the new toy!

Wife gave me a Traeger for Christmas. Brisket will be the first cook. You guys have any direction without me having to read through this whole thread backwards?

[Dry Elbows 142]

21 minutes ago, Scary Stranger said:

Wife gave me a Traeger for Christmas. Brisket will be the first cook. You guys have any direction without me having to read through this whole thread backwards?

Get on YouTube and look at videos by Meat Church and Mad Scientist BBQ on pellet cooker briskets 

[morehornsepower 855]

12 hours ago, Scary Stranger said:

Wife gave me a Traeger for Christmas. Brisket will be the first cook. You guys have any direction without me having to read through this whole thread backwards?

A) your avatar is incredible

B) Agreed with Dry Elbows, above.  Not sure if this is your first brisket, or just your first on a pellet grill.  I like Aaron Franklin's brisket vids on youtube, if you're new to brisket in general.

 

Congrats on the new toy!

[Scary Stranger 1711]

I’ve had an egg for ages. Was more curious if there are any gotchas using a pellet for brisket. Those videos make it seem pretty easy.

[Butch Had Not 2930]

42 minutes ago, Scary Stranger said:

I’ve had an egg for ages. Was more curious if there are any gotchas using a pellet for brisket. Those videos make it seem pretty easy.

I still haven't done my first brisket yet. I'm paranoid that it will look like Lincoln Riley's.

[VirginiaLonghorn 4724]

53 minutes ago, Scary Stranger said:

I’ve had an egg for ages. Was more curious if there are any gotchas using a pellet for brisket. Those videos make it seem pretty easy.

Pellet smoker is the easiest outdoor cook there is.  Set the cook temp and relax.  Fire management headaches are a thing of the past.

7 minutes ago, Butch Had Not said:

I still haven't done my first brisket yet. I'm paranoid that it will look like Lincoln Riley's.

Go to ThermoWorks and order one of their Signals probe thermometers.  Set it and it will alert you when the desired internal temp has been achieved.

https://www.thermoworks.com

[PittsburghTiger 6093]

Earlier in the year I bought a new RecTeq. We love it. I have done a lot of pork and beef. Still have not done a Butt or Brisket.

I have done a lot of pork loins and prime ribs. They have been spectacular. I have also done a fair amount of salmon. The people who eat the fish love it. I don't eat seafood. The steaks and burgers come out amazingly well. And chicken is awesome. 

I'm a fan. 

For Christmas Eve is was planning on just warming up a nice semi-boneless ham, cooking a six-pound prime rib and a whole salmon but, it was just too cold.  I was afraid to try with the temperatures below zero and windchills well into the minus-0 area. Had to use the ovens. 

🥶🤬

[Hook1997 5241]

22 hours ago, Scary Stranger said:

Wife gave me a Traeger for Christmas. Brisket will be the first cook. You guys have any direction without me having to read through this whole thread backwards?

If you want a good smoke ring and flavor to brisket, whole chickens or ribs add one of these smoke tubes during the cook.  To me the smoke taste is very minimal on a long cook on a treager but adding one of these helps big time.  You just load it with pellets and light the end and it slow burns and puts out a lot of smoke. 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by Hook1997

[NoName 16241]

21 hours ago, Scary Stranger said:

I’ve had an egg for ages. Was more curious if there are any gotchas using a pellet for brisket. Those videos make it seem pretty easy.

do an overnight rest after you cook it. makes a tremendous difference in the final product.

[NoName 16241]

seriously, do not wait to do a brisket. took me forever to try one - just go get a choice brisket, smoke it, chop the whole thing, eat, freeze the leftovers.

it's absolutely worth it and you don't feel bad if half of it is messed up because it's a choice vs prime vs grass fed/wagyu/whatever

[Scary Stranger 1711]

First one with the Traeger.  Turned out pretty good.  Used the Carnivore Black seasoning. 

[Levi 2566]

Need some input here. My buddy is moving to a new apartment complex and there’s no grilling allowed. Luckily I get to keep the pellet smoker at my place for the time being. I got a beef tenderloin to smoke tomorrow and was wondering if y’all had any advice for seasoning options, temps, time etc. the smoker is a pit boss. Thanks. 

[Dry Elbows 142]

2 hours ago, Levi said:

Need some input here. My buddy is moving to a new apartment complex and there’s no grilling allowed. Luckily I get to keep the pellet smoker at my place for the time being. I got a beef tenderloin to smoke tomorrow and was wondering if y’all had any advice for seasoning options, temps, time etc. the smoker is a pit boss. Thanks. 

Lots of seasoning options.  I did one on Christmas Eve with kosher salt, 16 mesh black pepper, and Meat Church Holy Cow.  About 1/3 of each.  First it was rubbed with caramelized garlic olive oil.  I smoke tenderloins at 250* until they reach an internal temp of 120*.  Then I reserve sear in a cast iron pan or over a hot grill.  You may be able to ramp up the temp on the Pit Boss for this.  While it is resting after the reverse sear, you can put some finishing butter from HEB on it or make your own.

[Butch Had Not 2930]

Thinking of wrapping a pork shoulder in banana leaves. Anyone tried this on a pellet grill?

[Hpara759 1777]

15 hours ago, Butch Had Not said:

Thinking of wrapping a pork shoulder in banana leaves. Anyone tried this on a pellet grill?

no, but I will....where are you going to get the banana leaves ??

[Butch Had Not 2930]

2 hours ago, Hpara759 said:

no, but I will....where are you going to get the banana leaves ??

Probably an Asian market. Think you can buy them frozen.

[Jerry Callo 8630]

How much smoke will it get wrapped in banana leaves?

What's the purpose of the leaves?

[TPCJ007 48]

Just over a year ago I Picked up a Lone Star Grillz 20x36 pellet smoker. It's awesome but she's a beast, well over 400 pounds. I keep her in my storage shed and pull her out when I want to use her, and even with the 8" wheels its a chore to roll across the yard, so I'm thinking about downsizing. What's the market look like for a slightly used pellet smoker?

[Dry Elbows 142]

Why not keep it on your patio?

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Dry Elbows

[VirginiaLonghorn 4724]

13 minutes ago, Dry Elbows said:

Why not keep it on your patio?

 

… or pour a separate concrete pad right where you want it.  

[Sam Lin 3535]

Or just upsize the wheels.

[ohchaucer 1443]

Or just sell it and downsize? Oh, wait. Right.

[scottsins 1928]

Just over a year ago I Picked up a Lone Star Grillz 20x36 pellet smoker. It's awesome but she's a beast, well over 400 pounds. I keep her in my storage shed and pull her out when I want to use her, and even with the 8" wheels its a chore to roll across the yard, so I'm thinking about downsizing. What's the market look like for a slightly used pellet smoker?

About tree fiddy.

[kevwun 15300]

I wish I didn't know that Lone Star Grillz makes a pellet grill.  Now I want one. 

Edited February 7, 2023 by kevwun

[Anastasis 23214]

Maybe talk to Chris about retrofitting the offroad package.

[kevwun 15300]

That would help, but the last thing in the world I would want to deal with is a flat tire on a pit.  You aren't moving it until you get it fixed.

[Al_4_ISU 12321]

On 1/15/2023 at 1:30 PM, Jerry Callo said:

How much smoke will it get wrapped in banana leaves?

What's the purpose of the leaves?

Yeah, definitely curious about this.  We usually end up with quite a few shoulders every year (when my brother butchers a hog he just wants easy and quick items and gives me the shoulders) and I've always treated them like butts, with pretty excellent results.

[BearSchlong 8003]

I just dismantled my Recteq 590; the front half of the augur had rusted, and the sawdust inside had turned into cement. I got a good four years out of it, and I suspect that the humidity of SETX, as well as my lackadaisical maintenance, contributed to its demise.

My initial thinking is to buy another, but I wanted to check with you all to see if any other brand and model worthy of consideration had entered the scene recently.

At $899 the Recteq is priced exactly as it was Christmas of ‘18, IIRC. Which means that it's effectively less expensive than before.

[morehornsepower 855]

2 hours ago, BearSchlong said:

I just dismantled my Recteq 590; the front half of the augur had rusted, and the sawdust inside had turned into cement. I got a good four years out of it, and I suspect that the humidity of SETX, as well as my lackadaisical maintenance, contributed to its demise.

My initial thinking is to buy another, but I wanted to check with you all to see if any other brand and model worthy of consideration had entered the scene recently.

At $899 the Recteq is priced exactly as it was Christmas of ‘18, IIRC. Which means that it's effectively less expensive than before.

Is it worth calling Recteq to see if you can buy the parts to fix it up?  My buddy got a Traeger recently, and I still prefer my Recteq...*shrug*

[Pescado_Rojo 19261]

5 hours ago, BearSchlong said:

I just dismantled my Recteq 590; the front half of the augur had rusted, and the sawdust inside had turned into cement. I got a good four years out of it, and I suspect that the humidity of SETX, as well as my lackadaisical maintenance, contributed to its demise.

My initial thinking is to buy another, but I wanted to check with you all to see if any other brand and model worthy of consideration had entered the scene recently.

At $899 the Recteq is priced exactly as it was Christmas of ‘18, IIRC. Which means that it's effectively less expensive than before.

mine has jammed like that twice. Both times after a period of lots of rain/humidity. I was able to pull mine apart and clean it up and get it going both times. After the second time, I will periodically let it run out of pellets after a cook and burn off any sawdust in the auger tube. hasn't happened again. 

[VirginiaLonghorn 4724]

8 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

mine has jammed like that twice. Both times after a period of lots of rain/humidity. I was able to pull mine apart and clean it up and get it going both times. After the second time, I will periodically let it run out of pellets after a cook and burn off any sawdust in the auger tube. hasn't happened again. 

I use a hand held “mini” car vac after every two or three cooks to remove the ash and partially burnt pellets in and around the burner cup.

[Hpara759 1777]

51 minutes ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

I use a hand held “mini” car vac after every two or three cooks to remove the ash and partially burnt pellets in and around the burner cup.

 

[morehornsepower 855]

1 hour ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

I use a hand held “mini” car vac after every two or three cooks to remove the ash and partially burnt pellets in and around the burner cup.

This right here.  I use my wet/dry vac and do the same.

[Catpfish 618]

This right here.  I use my wet/dry vac and do the same.

I do this after every cook longer than a couple of hours I might be a little OCD about it though. I should probably add a brief go at the tube from inside to try to prevent the dust buildup.

[BearSchlong 8003]

Is it worth calling Recteq to see if you can buy the parts to fix it up?  My buddy got a Traeger recently, and I still prefer my Recteq...*shrug*

That's going to be the $500 question. I'll post a pic but the augur is half rusted so I'm not putting it back in, and there's no telling if I damaged the motor.

At this point it's do I pay $500 for parts or $899 for a new one. And I have a dedicated wet dry vac and was meticulous about the ashes, but apparently not unburned pellets.

And the clog was far to the left, not near the burner box.

[Buzzrock 14785]

One of my favorite grill accessories I’ve ever bought. Great for the smoker and for inside fireplaces. The hose and canister are metal lined in case you suck up a few hot coals. Doesn’t expel any ash at all (unlike a shop vac I tried) so you can use it inside.

PowerSmith PAVC101 10 Amp Ash Vacuum https://a.co/d/jgLFXTv

Highly recommend for vacuuming out cookers and fireplaces.

[Pescado_Rojo 19261]

9 hours ago, BearSchlong said:

That's going to be the $500 question. I'll post a pic but the augur is half rusted so I'm not putting it back in, and there's no telling if I damaged the motor.

At this point it's do I pay $500 for parts or $899 for a new one. And I have a dedicated wet dry vac and was meticulous about the ashes, but apparently not unburned pellets.

And the clog was far to the left, not near the burner box.

I disconnected the auger from the electric motor and connected it to my DeWalt drill. Spun that shit out of there with the quickness. 

I also use a small Rigid brand wet/dry vac

[Al_4_ISU 12321]

Has anyone had a hot spot develop in the middle of the grill, directly above the fire pit?

The last cook I did, I was getting pretty uneven heat, even with the grate shut.  I wondered if the metal on the grate directly above the heating pit is just getting thin with age and heat exposure?

[BearSchlong 8003]

Recteq customer service is amazing. I opened a ticket and they replied quickly, the net of it is I’m basically getting all new guts (controller, auger, motor) for about $225.

Also on March 20 they are unveiling two new models, I’m excited to see what they’ve got.

[BearSchlong 8003]

I do this after every cook longer than a couple of hours I might be a little OCD about it though. I should probably add a brief go at the tube from inside to try to prevent the dust buildup.

I’ve got a new ryobi 40v shop vac that I can turn in to a blower, I’ll use my old vac for ash then blow the dust out the firebox end.

[kevwun 15300]

Gonna try smoking a pastrami pork belly on Saturday.  I got the recipe from thermoworks awhile back and it sounded delicious.

[kevwun 15300]

I think this is better than brisket pastrami. Used a smoke tube and it made a big difference. The wife made homemade marble rye for Reuben’s.

[Scary Stranger 1711]

Made some Costco pork ribs today.

[Jerry Callo 8630]

15 hours ago, kevwun said:

I think this is better than brisket pastrami. Used a smoke tube and it made a big difference.

How many days did you have to cure the pork belly?

[kevwun 15300]

I did it for 6 days.  You could probably get by with 5, but I wouldn’t go less than that.  A brisket takes 7 days.  The extra fat on the pork belly takes a long time to penetrate even though it’s a lot thinner.

[kevwun 15300]

Here’s the recipe I used.  It’s from ThermoWorks, but I did some tweaking.  
 

INGREDIENTS

·       1 slab pork belly, about 8–10 pounds

·       1 gallon water

·       3/4 cup kosher salt

·       1/2 cup sugar

·       2 tsp pink salt (sodium nitrite, Prague powder #1)

·       5 cloves garlic, crushed

·       2 Tbsp pickling spice

For the seasoning:

·       1/3 C whole coriander seed

·       4.5 Tbsp black pepper

·       2 Tbsp all-purpose beef BBQ rub

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the brine

·       Crush the pickling spice roughly and put it in a pot with the garlic, sugar, salt, and curing salt.

·       Add 2 quarts water to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salts.

·       Pour the concentrated brine into a vessel large enough to hold the pork belly.

·       Add 4 lbs ice to the brine and stir. 

·       Submerge the pork in the brine and weigh it down if needed. Put it in the fridge to cure for 6 days.

Season and smoke the pastrami

·       Preheat your smoker to 250°F (121°C), 

·       Toast the coriander in a hot dry skillet until very fragrant and a little toasty, with whisps of smoke just starting to form.

·       Cool the corriander somewhat and grind in a spice grinder until medium-coarse. Combine with the BBQ rub.

·       Retrieve the pork belly from the fridge and rinse it well, removing any whole spices from its surface.

• Pat the surface of the pork belly dry.
• Slather in yellow mustard then season liberally with the spice mixture. We used all of it—don’t skimp!
• Place the pork belly in the smoker, inserting a probe into its thickest section and cook to 165°F (71°C).
• Smoke the pork until the high alarm sounds, about 3 hours then wrap in foil.
• Cook to 195°F (91°C) then let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

 

[BurntOrange&White 38877]

I’m about to throw this on

[Antidean 200]

Recteq 590 delivered yesterday. Can't wait to join the club.