Pellet grill fuel ?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

ChasesAces

Member
Aug 26, 2021
24
South Dakota
Anyone with any experience using hardwood stove pellets in their pellet grill? With the exception of mesquite, I don't notice much if any difference in flavor from the "blended". grill pellets.
 
Was brought up here before. Seems there is no way to ensure the smoke will be safe for human consumption, but there's also no way to prove a smoking pellets smoke is either.

 
  • Like
Reactions: vinny11950
Was brought up here before. Seems there is no way to ensure the smoke will be safe for human consumption, but there's also no way to prove a smoking pellets smoke is either.

Food grade pellets 🤣
 
I have burned pellets that gave off hints of green, light blue and some weird yellow. I thought it was chemicals left over in the wood from whatever manufacturing process the wood came from. No way I would want that near my food.
 
I buy food grade pellets from a restaurant supply, I would never use heating pellets in my pellet grill.
 
I buy food grade pellets from a restaurant supply, I would never use heating pellets in my pellet grill.
The winco food pellets are even cheaper.
 
I have been using Hamers Hot Ones in my pellet cookers for 9 years with no issues. I have used some LJ and 2 other brands but I can't tell a difference.
I have never seen a food grade forest so no idea where food grade pellets would come from. The stick burner people never seem to be concerned about food grade splits or chunks.
 
I have been using Hamers Hot Ones in my pellet cookers for 9 years with no issues. I have used some LJ and 2 other brands but I can't tell a difference.
I have never seen a food grade forest so no idea where food grade pellets would come from. The stick burner people never seem to be concerned about food grade splits or chunks.
I wouldn’t be concerned about the wood itself. It’s the binding agents they might use. Or other things, say for example they grind up pallets that might have had chemicals spilled on them. Also when you close the grille it’s not like an open fire.

If I paid the money for a pellet grille, the least I would do is burn an appropriate food pellet in it. It’s easy enough to do. IMO anyway.
 
I have been using Cubix pellets in my grill I know where they source there material
and they do not use any binders other than the natural lignin.
Why pay 20 to 40 dollars for a bag of pellets when the same pellet can be had for
around 6 dollars Just know your source
 
  • Like
Reactions: shtrdave
If there is no recognized third party authority that sets standards, something like "food grade" does not mean a thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shtrdave
Heated my house for many years with these. Never tried in my grill though. Says they are fine.

3D9D806C-EB49-442A-B235-DAEB70779E16.jpeg D66CFE4B-73D9-4D23-8A15-1D0D79DB23A0.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: ABusWrench
Easy way to show that heating pellets are not safe to cook with ... Look and the carbon/minerals and ash that is left over in your burn pot on your heating stove.. That is all going into your food if your using them to cook with
 
Easy way to show that heating pellets are not safe to cook with ... Look and the carbon/minerals and ash that is left over in your burn pot on your heating stove.. That is all going into your food if your using them to cook with
So you are saying that so-called food-grade pellets have no ash!
 
Well i have yet to scrape any minerals, or carbon out of my pellet grill where that is a given every week on my heating pellet stove.. All pellets create ash. Plus you do not know what they are using for binders in heating grade pellets
 
The reason smoked and grilled food tastes so good is the Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons released from the wood when burning are absorbed by the food being grilled. It may make it taste great but its probably cancerous long term http://www.idph.state.il.us/cancer/factsheets/polycyclicaromatichydrocarbons.htm#:~:text=Long-term exposure to low,, bladder, and gastrointestinal cancers. and the far bigger concern for health effects than from potential contaminants in the feedstock or process.

I see a lot of echo chamber type discussions on the web when I actually search for third party certification for "food grade pellets' and have not found one. There may be a Canadian standard but didnt find it. My guess in the US is that anyone can slap "food grade" on a grade A heating pellet bag and its magically becomes food grade as there is no spec for food grade. Feel free to pay more for that extra ink that says food grade. Its a fairly profitable business, slap food grade on a bag and charge a premium price for a standard grade A pellet. Not a lot of down side, since there doesnt appear to be a standard to fall back on.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: johneh
Easy way to show that heating pellets are not safe to cook with ... Look and the carbon/minerals and ash that is left over in your burn pot on your heating stove.. That is all going into your food if your using them to cook with

I regularly scrape the carbon and minerals from the burn pot of my pellet grill when using 100% "food grade" pellets. That dog don't hunt.
 
  • Like
Reactions: johneh
All wood produces some carbon and all wood has minerals
Whether it be food grade or the cheapest heating pellets
So as HighBeam says That dog don't hunt
 
Great PR but without an agreed upon third party standard for food grade, its just advertising.
 
So regular wood pellets from like I use and most others need biding agents but pellets made on the same machines for cooking do not?
The fire is open in a grill pretty much as it is in stove. You just can't see it.
 
Fuel grade pellets might contain chemical binders, which are polymer resins.
]Try using wood chips. Chips are almost always wood.
Yes but chips aren't pellets and won't feed through a pellet appliance
 
force them through. a bigger motor and a stronger auger.



Have you ever run or worked on pellet stoves????? Watching YouTube videos is really not a replacement for actual experience