Chips, Chunks or Pellets?

[Greg_M]

What's making your smoke?

I've tried all three and have pretty much decided to stick with the pellets.

It's really just a cost issue. Chunks run about $1 per pound (i.e. $5 per 5 lb. bag) around here and chips are even more. I've gotten bark in both and whether not thats bad is your own taste issue. I get a slightly bitter taste from bark smoke. To each his own.

Anyway, with the pellets you get no bark at all and I can get a 20# bag at cookshack for $12. Now don't ask me why CS is selling Traeger pellets for $6 less per 20# bag than Traeger itself. I just pay the $12 and smile

I only need about 1/2 cup of pellets to do the job of 1/2 bag of chips. I toss 'em in my cast iron box and set 'em right on the coals. I get just as much smoke and my cost per volume of smoke is cut drastically. Everything tastes just as good too.

Just wondering if anybody else had tried all three methods and what conclusions you've come to.

 

[Bryan S]

Tried em all and I prefer chunks. Easier to get round here. I cut most of my own wood for free, so it's just easier than buying wood. The only wood I really buy is pecan, as it's not readily available in these parts.

 

[Greg_M]

Well, free wood definitely skews the cost ratio considerably. Free wood is the best wood! And, for the record, I was definitely a chunk user prior to my pellet discovery.

I have a neighbor with a big woodpile that goes to bed pretty early maybe... Nope, sorry, can't do it. Guess I'll stick to my Internet pellet orders.

 

[Larry Wolfe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
Tried em all and I prefer chunks. Easier to get round here. I cut most of my own wood for free, so it's just easier than buying wood. The only wood I really buy is pecan, as it's not readily available in these parts.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Ditto to the chunks!! I also LOVE the apple wood that my friend in PA keeps me hooked up with!! He's a great guy too!!

 

[Carl H.]

Good quality smoke wood is so readily available around here for low cost at fire wood suppliers, I almost never buy packaged wood in any form. So, it's chunks for me.

 

[Mike Resler]

I just paid $6 for 30 pounds of apple wood. I cut and split it down to chunks.

Oak is free and hickory is cheap too.

Chunks for me.