Heating pellets in pellet grill

[bdud]

I donated my Weber grill to my son when he moved to his house and started looking at pellet grills.
I have a pellet boiler and stove with bulk pellet delivery so a nice available source.
I believe they are softwood from MESYS.
I was wondering if anyone has used heating pellets in a pellet grill.
I am looking at the newer gen2 Weber pellet grill.
Administrators please move these thread if it is not the correct area.

 

[ABMax24]

I have pondered the same thing. I definitely wouldn't be using softwood pellets though, that's generally a pretty big no go with any kind of smoked food. Maybe a good quality hardwood pellet though, especially if it is made from woods like oak, cherry or maple.

The reality is a lot of smoker pellets are mostly "filler" wood anyway. Traeger uses 70% alder in the west, and 70% oak in the east, with whatever flavour wood for the remaining 30%. And some flavors like their hickory don't have any hickory in it, it's just the filler wood with hickory flavor oils.

The only thing I'd be concerned about is contamination, like if something like bar oil or hydraulic oil got in the mix. Or possibly something else.

 

[johneh]

Cubix uses only waste from their flooring plant all hardwood
we have used it in the pellet grill with no ill effects but
who knows maybe we should use only food-grade
The price scares me. A 20-pound bag is almost 30$ Canadian
were a 40-pound bag of Cubix is only 5.85$

 

[bdud]

I suppose I might be pushing my luck with using my heating pellets. Lowes hardware has a Pit Boss has a 40lb Competition Blend all choice hardwood at my local store for $16.99. Cheaper than all others they sell and best seller, oh well.

 

[Harmanizer]

Spend a little extra and get food grade pellets.Do not use soft wood pellets as they produce toxic gases at the lower temps of a pellet grill.Think creosote.The Pit Boss Comp. blend are good.Make sure Weber has fixed there issues with the pellet grill.They had lots or problems as in grease fires and pellets not making it to the auger.

 

[bdud]

Spend a little extra and get food grade pellets.Do not use soft wood pellets as they produce toxic gases at the lower temps of a pellet grill.Think creosote.The Pit Boss Comp. blend are good.Make sure Weber has fixed there issues with the pellet grill.They had lots or problems as in grease fires and pellets not making it to the auger.

Weber have bought out a gen 2 which seems to have fixed the old issues and sent out parts to update the gen 1’s. 5 year warranty and good reviews it also looks good in my eyes.
Still mulling over if we need a grill at all.
Thank you.

 

[shtrdave]

I see this all the time in some of the pellet cooker pages. Just what are food grade pellets? There are no standards for so called food grade/bbq pellets. But there are standards for heating pellets. Most heating pellets that have a PFI label will show the make up of the pellet, percentage of hardwood and or softwood and anything added to it.

I have lived in the mountains of PA all my life have never came across a Food Grade Forrest where they would source wood for Food Grade pellets. I have never seen wood labeled Food Grade for using in my fire pit or smoker. Many of the pellets used for heat now have a picture of a pellet grill on them and say perfect for pellet grills. I know the ones I have used the last two years to heat with have it on.

The only downside to using heating pellets really is the make up, you can't buy cherry or apple and even those marketed as cherry or apple, how much of that actual wood in in the composition of them? Me I have tried apple, cherry, hickory, and a few other kinds but I can't tell the difference in flavors.

I have had a pellet cooker for 10 years maybe, been using Hamers Hot Ones for probably 8 or 9 of those years. I like that Hamers are small rarely find long pellets. I talked to Hamers a couple times before I started using them and asked a few questions, emailed them. I was satisfied with their answers and been vary happy using them in my cookers.

Do a bit of research on a brand you use, or have available, with the popularity of pellet cookers these days many will tell you when you contact the company that their employees or iwners use them in their cookers.

 

[Harmanizer]

Hamers are a great hardwood pellet made from high quality feedstock.Some of the hardwood pellets in my area are made from recycled pallets.Not going to use those for cooking.