New Pellet Blend I Tried


 
Rich Dahl

Rich Dahl

R.I.P. 7/21/2024
Just thought I would share an observation I had with a new pellet blend I tried.

A few days ago I smoked some bacon on my Camp Chef and used for a first time a blend of Weber’s apple pellets which I have used before and a new to me Pit Boss All Natural Charcoal Traditional Smoky Blend. A 50/50% blend of the two.

Barb and I were both impressed the PB Charcoal blend added a smoky flavor that was just like a charcoal grill using briquettes. Seeing that I haven’t been able to use charcoal for five months it was amazing to have that charcoal smoky flavor again.

For what it’s worth the flavor definitely came from the PB pellets and not the Weber apple which is also very good and being the first time I’ve used the PB pellets I like it.

EDIT: I corrected Camp Chef All Natural Traditional Smoky Blend on the pellets to Pit Boss ...Another senior moment.
 
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Thanks for sharing this, Rich! I'm a total pellet newbie (making my way through a bag of Traeger Gourmet Blend, since it was the only thing I could find locally at a decent price before my grill arrived.) I also have some Bear Mountain Gourmet Blend (same name as Traeger, different pellet, and Cookin' Pellets Perfect Mix. Once I've made my way through that stockpile, I think I'll be exploring single variety pellets, and blending my own. My favorite blend on the WSM was hickory/cherry/apple, so I'll be doing that for sure. I'll have to try some Weber and CC pellets if I can find some good prices on them.

R
 
Rich G said:
Thanks for sharing this, Rich! I'm a total pellet newbie (making my way through a bag of Traeger Gourmet Blend, since it was the only thing I could find locally at a decent price before my grill arrived.) I also have some Bear Mountain Gourmet Blend (same name as Traeger, different pellet, and Cookin' Pellets Perfect Mix. Once I've made my way through that stockpile, I think I'll be exploring single variety pellets, and blending my own. My favorite blend on the WSM was hickory/cherry/apple, so I'll be doing that for sure. I'll have to try some Weber and CC pellets if I can find some good prices on them.

R
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Rich, you might want to see if you can get Pit Boss Competition Blend It's my go to for general smoking. It's really good and Wal Mart carries it and it's less than $15 for a 40lb bag.
Be aware that single variety pellets are still a mix of woods Weber's apple is 40% apple and 60% oak.
 
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I'm going to keep an eye out for the Pit Boss Charcoal pellets. I haven't seen any around here but I don't go looking as much as I used to.
 
Do most folks prefer a pellet blend? I had some ribs the other day cooked on a Traeger with Traeger Gourmet Blend and wasn't very impressed with the taste - seemed bland to me. I primarily cook with mesquite and hickory pellets.
 
LKruse said:
Do most folks prefer a pellet blend? I had some ribs the other day cooked on a Traeger with Traeger Gourmet Blend and wasn't very impressed with the taste - seemed bland to me. I primarily cook with mesquite and hickory pellets.
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I have never used Traeger pellets so I can't speak to their flavor. I used Lumberjack Hickory and it had a stronger taste than the blends I now use. I'm good with either but my wife prefers the milder flavor of the blends. I did a spatchcocked chicken using the Weber Pitmaster blend and we both noticed the smoke flavor after a 1 hr. 400° cook. On the other hand I did a batch of Beef Jerky with the Pit Boss competition Blend and after 5 hours of smokeboost it had a very strong smoke flavor. The blends work for us but if you prefer the taste of Hickory and Mesquite that's good too.
 
Rich Dahl said:
Rich, you might want to see if you can get Pit Boss Competition Blend It's my go to for general smoking. It's really good and Wal Mart carries it and it's less than $15 for a 40lb bag.
Be aware that single variety pellets are still a mix of woods Weber's apple is 40% apple and 60% oak.
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Hey, Rich, just a note back on the blends vs. single varieties. Looking at the Lumberjack web site, they do make 100% variety pellets (Hickory, Oak, Cherry, Apple, etc.) that are 100% made from a single variety of wood (or so they claim) versus their blends that use de-barked oak as "filler". I haven't found any of their stuff locally, as Dick's Sporting Goods is the only retailer that seems to carry it close by, and they are all cleaned out. Shipping is not tenable.... :)

R
 
That's another thing I gained in my move to semi-rural Indiana: Having a Rural King not too far away. They carry a pretty big selection of Lumberjack at great prices. I do like that Lumberjack offers 100% wood types. I like to use the Apple sometimes for pork shoulders. Also, you can use them to make your own custom blends. I have a couple Lumberjack blends I have not been able to try due to my move. I will report when I do. At this point, Weber's GrillMaster gets my vote for favorite pellet blend. Even my wife commented favorably on the smell of food done with those, and she doesn't even like smoked or charcoal grilled food!
 
I tease a lot about my wife, Faith, and her wish that I had a different hobby. But she is actually pretty patient with my craziness and overzealous gathering of grills and parts vs. what I get done. She has even helped me with getting my shed/shop functional.

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A week ago I tried to design the place for you but my drawing skill have faded..er never existed. So imagine if you will.

Parking for all, lit driveway. Deck. 200ft by 500 foot with seating and discrete refrigerators every so often. Pits, grills, paradise.

"Shed" all tools, two (2) full-time sandblasters, smelters, metal shop. Glass and enamel. Foundry. Heat keeps the snow out and you feel at home.

Workshop has drive-thru car wash style display. Concours ramp for inspection and rebuild. Full lighting and paint/finishing booth. Metal shaping and finishing. Powder coating area.

Small air strip. Used partly for buyers to vacation and see their dreams being realized. But mainly it will be used to fly LMichaels in. He will arrive well cared for, as soon as he alights servants will remove his coat and fasten his cape. He will be escorted posthaste to the gas valve inspection room, where another attendant will confirm the codes after the retina scan. Another group of attendants, in yellow coats, busily transcribe a few scowls and grunts. (The other attendants are restocking the plane.) After his approval, the line continues.

No fear Bruce, I got you covered. A high-speed train carries materiel from you to the WGRC. What are underground vacuum trains for anyhow.

What next....
 
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Even though we have backed out of the rehab business, not due to a lack of wanting too but a lack of grills to buy and customers to sell them too. Also downsizing our Weber fleet to a more manageable size from 11 to 4 working grills and one Gen 2 waiting to be restored. I have a very small storage shed for our charcoal, pellets and smoke wood and grilling accessories and it's full to the roof.
I brought up the question to Barb about getting a small walk in shed to replace the little on we have. She smiled and said "Sweetie you'll just get more stuff and fill that one too, Why don't you get rid of some of the stuff you have like all that smoke wood seeing you sold the WSM"
Logic I hate Logic! I'm surprised she didn't bring up the fifteen bags of Charcoal I have in there and all I have that burns charcoal is the performer now which I can't use in the summer because of fire restrictions.
Of course she's right, sometimes I think the only time I open my mouth is to change feet.:censored:
 
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