Pellet tube for hot and fast cook?

[Robert Dilbert]

One thing I am missing from my smokefire compared to my weber performer charcoal is the smoke flavor I could get from the performer. When cooking something hot and fast (chicken breasts) on the performer I would throw a wood chip/chunk right onto the hot charcoal to get some good smoke flavor to the food. On my Smokefire, I have tried starting low (200-225f) to get some smoke flavor, and it works somewhat, it really just extends my cooking time. Weeknights after I have worked all day, drove home, worked out etc, I am looking for a quick cook with good flavor. Will a pellet tube work on a hot and fast cook (500f+)? Will it catch on fire? How well do they work for adding flavor?

 

[Chris R.]

great Question: Curious to se what the community says. Might Play a part in settling my decision to keep or let go of my Performer when the Smokefire arrives and is up and running.

 

[Jim C in Denver]

Pellet tubes are commonly used to add a smoke boost to pellet grills.

At 500F, the pellet tube would likely go from smoldering to burning. Which is not really a problem for a hot/fast cook. The smoke will still be fine -- after all, the entire point of a pellet grill is to cook with burning pellets.

The issues with a burning tube are that it adds heat and it will burn out sooner. Neither should be a concern with a short hot/fast cook.

 

[Lew Newby]

I put wood chunks in a perforated foil packet, set them on top of the heat deflector of my Camp Chef, and cranked up the heat. That gave me extra smoke. I haven't tried it in the SmokeFire. Since you're looking for charcoal taste use charcoal pellets.