Miss the smoke


 
D

DaleO

TVWBB Member
I am getting old and lazy, so have gotten into using a pellet smoker, since it’s so easy. I had convinced myself that the pellet was ideal, because I wasn’t a fan of big smoke flavor. Today I put a chuckie on the pellet, to make some slices for tonight and chili tomorrow. My VERY expensive pellet grill failed again for the umteenth time, so I fired up the WSM. What a revelation, I haven’t tasted good smoke flavor in a while. I used Jealous Devil charcoal with chucks of hickory. Now I‘m considering another even more expensive pellet cooker, but perhaps I shouldn’t be so damn lazy, and just use the WSM. This thing rocks!
 
DaleO said:
I am getting old and lazy, so have gotten into using a pellet smoker, since it’s so easy. I had convinced myself that the pellet was ideal, because I wasn’t a fan of big smoke flavor. Today I put a chuckie on the pellet, to make some slices for tonight and chili tomorrow. My VERY expensive pellet grill failed again for the umteenth time, so I fired up the WSM. What a revelation, I haven’t tasted good smoke flavor in a while. I used Jealous Devil charcoal with chucks of hickory. Now I‘m considering another even more expensive pellet cooker, but perhaps I shouldn’t be so damn lazy, and just use the WSM. This thing rocks!
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I'm with you on the old and lazy :)

Even though my pellet grill is rock solid I must admit that since I got a couple of kettles, one with a Santa Maria adapter, the pellet pooper hasn't gotten much use. It does still have its place. Used it just yesterday to smoke a couple of pastrami turkey breasts.
 
DaleO said:
I am getting old and lazy, so have gotten into using a pellet smoker, since it’s so easy. I had convinced myself that the pellet was ideal, because I wasn’t a fan of big smoke flavor. Today I put a chuckie on the pellet, to make some slices for tonight and chili tomorrow. My VERY expensive pellet grill failed again for the umteenth time, so I fired up the WSM. What a revelation, I haven’t tasted good smoke flavor in a while. I used Jealous Devil charcoal with chucks of hickory. Now I‘m considering another even more expensive pellet cooker, but perhaps I shouldn’t be so damn lazy, and just use the WSM. This thing rocks!
Click to expand...
Sell the pooper and WSM and buy a WSK. I’ll even invite you over to use my WSK so you can get a free ride before buying one. I’m down the hill from you. Maybe 15 mins or so.
 
Brett-EDH said:
Sell the pooper and WSM and buy a WSK. I’ll even invite you over to use my WSK so you can get a free ride before buying one. I’m down the hill from you. Maybe 15 mins or so.
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Or ( shameless plug for Brett ) after you taste some of his amazing cooking you might find he has an extra WSK for sale... ( I think it is still available...)
 
I don’t have to taste Brett’s efforts, it comes through in the pictures just fine (though, if I’m ever out that way, I do plan on sleeping on his couch between meals)
It appears the WSK is a very fine and capable unit, if I ever find the need to replace the 11 pieces of equipment I have, I’d probably get one of those!
 
There are some things about the WSM that prevent me from using it. Cleanup is one and also the height of the charcoal chamber is another. I’m 6’4 so bending down isn’t really my thing.

I’ve used my Performer the last few times I’ve done a longer smoke and it has been great. And easy! And the meat has been excellent.

Snake 🐍 method is good or just using the trays works too. Have to add some fuel but it hums along at 260 or so for hours. Hard to beat a kettle for price point and ease of use.

WSK is still an option I haven’t ruled out but my love affair with my Performer is real y’all!!! 🤣
 
I have a coworker who loves their traeger, Ive tasted food off of it and it barely had any smoke flavor but still tasted good. I know they had an issue with it feeding once and they thoroughly clean it every cook. I prefer the wsm flavor for smoke and charcoal for grilling
 
Up front, I don't have a pellet smoker so I don't have any experience, but what is the part it saves you in work? I'm all for the old and lazy, but with a temp control fan unit my WSM and UDS are almost Ron Popeil "set it and forget it" easy. I've got no problems throwing a pork but on late and letting it run overnight with little to no tending. The only area I can see a pellet saving would be the loading / lighting charcoal phase at the beginning and maybe some cleanup. It's not quite turning a knob and pressing a button, but pretty darn close. I've used the more inexpensive fan controllers IQ110 and a PartyQ with great success maintaining temps.

Might be an option to save a few bucks and invest in a fan unit instead of a new pellet
 
David-B said:
I have a coworker who loves their traeger, Ive tasted food off of it and it barely had any smoke flavor but still tasted good. I know they had an issue with it feeding once and they thoroughly clean it every cook. I prefer the wsm flavor for smoke and charcoal for grilling
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if i had to take a guess, people like pellet poopers as they're somewhat brainless. not to make a jab at that product or market, but my own view of friends that own them. it's a level of convenience for them; load pellets where you choose the "blend" for a perceived flavor profile, turn on, heat up, place protein on grill and walk away. come back to grill after watching it cook on your phone (remote temp broadcasting), remove protein and serve. it's a good-enough option and model with little to no knowledge required to get the essence of smoke on your food.

i had a prime rib off a traeger. it was okay. nothing spectacular. now cooking over real wood, or real charcoal does take some skill and expertise but the results are miles apart from a pooper, IMO.

but the market does what it does. a pooper does give more flavor than a gasser, IMO. so i can see why people like a pooper over a gasser, which is where i think the sales are coming from.

charcoal enthusiasts will choose charcoal as their fuel source. but many use briq's, which is a halfway point to flavor, IMO.

so the market on coal is real charcoal versus briqs and the skill level required for either isn't that far apart. i'm pretty sure briqs outsell real charcoal by 90-10.

but IMO, real charcoal is where the flavor is at. even if you make your own charcoal by cooking down some wood splits.

but i don't think most people have the time or patience, nor skill to get to real live charcoal. life is too busy for many. it's just is what it is.

probably not much different that cars today. automatics are like 99.5%+ of the market. but that .05% on manuals probably have a higher satisfaction rate and a much higher engagement rate.

we, here on this forum, are the crazy ones. less than the 1%. embrace your quirkiness. we are who we are. and it's okay. we have no religion to sell. we just seek a better experience and result.
 
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I'm old slow and full of fleas and lazy and proud of it! Worked my butt off for 47 years.
We have a pooper, two gassers and four charcoal grills.
As stated above a pellet grill will give in my opinion a far more decent smoke flavor compared to gas.
I had a WSM and yes it was superior to the pellet grill in flavor, but to me the effort wasn't worth it. Plus, with our charcoal restrictions every summer now I couldn't use it anyway. So the pellet grill comes into play and yes I love the set it and forget it and in the Winter I can make almost anything on it and watch the TW smoke from inside the house and no running out in the cold to adjust vents on the WSM.
Up here in the mountains I don't know if it's the high altitude or the winds but sometimes the WSM was perfect but most of the time it was swinging temps all over.
We all do what we need to do to get the job done.
 
@Brett-EDH pretty accurately lays it out.

I’m a charcoal fan, always will be, but anymore the charcoal is special occasion stuff or weekend cooks and not so much weeknight cooks. With 6 kids and work and activities, it’s far FAR easier to fire up the pellet than charcoal. And that’s why I love the Smokefire, it’s got more/better flavor than any pellet on the market (that I’ve had food off of…) and yes less than charcoal. But it’s SO good.

It’s fun to compare and contrast between these pellets and those pellets, and against briqs or lump. And that’s just something you can’t really do with gas (although I’m determined to step my gas game up this summer to where I can actually enjoy something off of it…).

My youngest is 9. She helps me grill and cook. So I bought her an 18” kettle and the smile on her face when we picked it up….was awesome. She knows how to fire up the Smokefire and is learning charcoal now.
 
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