Pellet Cooker Brisket | Chuds BBQ
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ค. 2021
- In this week's video I try out a pellet smoker to cook a brisket. I'll give you my honest opinion on the flavor and ease of use. Let me know what you think!
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I am a working dad that owns a traeger. For years I used an offset smoker, once my kids entered my world I don’t have the time to babysit an offset. The traeger I can set it and almost forget it. I get like you said about 90% of a Texas brisket, moist and great bark just doesn’t have the heavy smoke flavor that I use to get. But with my busy schedule it is on ok trade off. I do want to give you a shout out! I did your version of beef cheeks barbacoa on the traeger and they turned out freaking amazing. I modified a couple elements but it turned out great. Made them 3 times now and look forward to many more. A million thanks. At the end of the day it’s like you at the end of all your video, “go cook something outside. Peace!”
Try starting your brisket cook at 180 for the first 4-5 hours. Allegedly that vastly improves the smoke flavor. Also I'm assuming you know but if you don't avoid traeger pellets.
@@ask_jeebs why is that? I don’t have any really options. Everywhere around me has traeger pellets. Which one would you recommend?
@@thomasmathieu4463 traeger uses a "blend" of sawdust from cheap wood that they add some types of wood oil to. So it smells like you're burning said wood but the flavor is non-existent. Lumberjack pellets are considered to be some of the best out there and should be easy to buy online. If you have an ace hardware nearby they usually have them in stock.
@@ask_jeebs awesome. Thanks for the advice
@@thomasmathieu4463 of course! I don't own a pellet grill myself but a close friend does. The taste was definitely noticeable when he switched pellets.
This channel has 100% changed my bbq game. Simple instructions, great visual aids, pretty dam entertaining and funny. Now if I could only get my family to accept bbq as a daily food group.
The struggle is real😂
Are there any other food groups?
Follow the BBB food groups.
Bourbon
Bacon
Barbeque
You'll live to be 90 and be happier then your jealous grass fed neighbors 🤣
W 5
Amen!
I had to switch to pellets after becoming unable to physically deal with an offset smoker, so I really appreciate you being open-minded to the concept.
Thanks for doing what you do.
There are better pellets to add more flavor.
You can also get a “smoke tube” for like 15 bux and a torch lighter to add more smoke. I find that with pellet you have to cook at 220ish “high smoke” mode or you get minimal smoke flavor.
"Sounds like every other BBQ youtube channel right now.." Hahaha. Love that line.
At this point Chud, your yt channel is the only bbq cooking show that I heavily watch. A pro through and through. This channel is just honest and with simple instructions. No bs, not pretentious and with a dash of entertainment. Thank you!
A few things I've learned from my PitBoss:
1. Get yourself a reliable probe thermometer. I use a ThermPro that has 2 channels - one for ambient and one for meat. Put the ambient probe in the cook chamber and monitor it. The probe used by the PID gives some odd readings. I've seen the grill report a steady 250 degrees, and watched the ThermPro swing all over the place. I've seen the grill report a 50 degree difference between the cook chamber and the set point, but the ThermPro reports that the temperature is within 5 degrees of what I set the grill at. This information is especially valuable if you have a rainstorm roll through during your cook.
2. When doing a LONG cook like a brisket or pork butt, roll your pellet grill at the LOWEST temperature it'll go for a good 6 hours. The fat doesn't want to render at 180 degrees, but you'll get some nice smoke on the meat. After 6 hours, bump it to 225 until you hit mid stall and get the bark you like, then wrap and finish it off at 250. You'll never get the smoke flavor like you get from an offset, but it will be better than just cooking at the higher temperature.
3. Temperature setting matters! A pellet grill doesn't get the same type of convection current that you get from an offset, and the air draw on an offset helps keep the meat from overcooking. You can cook at 275 on an offset and have perfectly cooked brisket. The same temperature on a pellet grill will overcook your meat. Run the pellet grill at a lower temperature than you would an offset for better results.
This is also my experience with my little GMG Davy Crockett. Starting at a lower temperature really gives a decent smoke ring. I think what happens with a pellet smoker is that the heat shield that goes over the fire box becomes much hotter than the air and turns into a radiative heat source. This cooks the bottom of whatever I put on there faster than the top. A traditional offset smoker doesn't have that problem because the firebox is so far away from the heat.
Depends on the grill itself, too. I have a Pit Boss with a couple simple mods done to it and it works flawlessly. Plan on getting into offset smokers down the road, but damn if I don't love my pellet grill. Lol
this guy has it down! your at pretty much where im at! if you haven't already id recommend you try the lumberjack 100% oak pellets they are the best i have found for smoke flavor so far. you end up cooking longer and slower on the pellet grill but it doesn't matter as its so little effort.
I use the same thermpro. It's crazy how bad the temps swing in the pit boss while the little temp readout on the grill shows the temp just as steady as can be.
Even with rigorous cleaning, you have to monitor for flame outs. My Pit Boss can be very finicky. Your suggestion about ambient temp monitoring is a very good tip.
The pellets used can make a pretty big difference but one thing I found to help with smoke flavor on a pellet grill is to plan ahead and allocate at least 2-4 initial hours of really low smoking temps of just around 180. That gives the most smoke ring and flavor in my experience. Then afterward, only go to about 225-250 for cooking. I don't go near 275 since the smoke becomes very intermittent by that temp, at least on my pellet grill. After the wrap though, I will then finally turn up to the temp to about 275 or more to finish it off until it's tender. This obviously takes longer, sometimes up to 16 hours depending on how long you do the initial slow smoke. But it's just my way to account for the differences with a pellet grill.
Not sure what grill you have ! I started with a pit boss Lexington and had done some great briskets on it. I now have switched to a traeger and I also invested in a UDS as well to get some real cooking going as my kids have gotten older and I have more time to cook.
As someone who is very interested in breaking into BBQ this was great. Your comments about being beginner friendly so we can focus on some of the skills instead of all of them and failing and burning out is exactly what I needed to hear
Been using mine for over a year. Went from a total novice to being completely comfortable cooking any and all bbq style meats. Absolutely love my Z grill!
In my limited experience with my pellet grill, I find a standalone pellet tube drastically enhances the smoke flavor you get. It's the best $10 upgrade you can get.
Truth!
put woodchips in the tube, instead of pellets! it's a game changer 👌
Can you share a link to a tube you use, and where would you place it on a pellet smoker?
Just the smoke tube and Munster cheese is amazing. You can smoke anything with the tube. I keep it at least 12 inches from the cheese or what ever.
@@tomfodor1662 I've only used my pellet tube for cold smoking cheese, but I've mixed pellets and wood chips. Do pure wood chips burn all the way through without issue? And do they continue smoking anywhere as long as pellets? I might try pure wood chips in the future.
I did two awesome pork shoulders on my Weber kettle grills using the snake method with apple wood chunks. The party I took them to was full of people who raved about the pulled pork. One fellow asked me to do a party for 200 people! I don't have the means to do that large of a cook, but it was nice to hear that everyone liked it. You can do good food, as long as you put your heart into it!
Training wheels here. I just got a pit boss about a year ago and appreciate the ease of operation.
I am here 5% for the BBQ, 5% to see his unique smokers/grills, and 90% for the snake in his boot.
Yes. The snake in his boot is truly a value add:)
I'm far more interested in the end product than the process. I'm also a smoking noob. The pellet grill was the best choice for me. Being a grumpy old lady, I don't care much what others might think of that decision :) Thanks for your channel, learning a ton!
I have only been smoking the last couple of years so yup full on geriatric novice. Using a Traeger now. My last brisket turned out really well and plenty smoky. I was previously doing them at 275 but the last time I started it at 225 for 2 hours first using the Traeger “super smoke” function before turning it up to 275 for the rest of the cook. Made a difference. Definitely smokier. Love your channel. Thank you from Vancouver, BC
Bradley I made a brisket on my off brand pellet grill following your instructions for trimming, rub, smoke, boat and rest. The meat got rave reviews. The next day I seasoned and smoked the meat scraps that I called meat candy when it was done. I very much appreciated your trimming tips because that was the most daunting part of the process. I shave a little at a time until I reached the desire aero shape. I can see that with experience I can be more aggressive and do that step quicker. Thank you for your great instruction and good humor in what you do.
Very Glad you did an episode on pellet smokers. I’ve transitioned from pellet to offset because I plan on entering “Backyard” competition where electricity is not allowed. That was how I found your channel.
This has upped my game in smoky taste, and will say that stick burners demand lots more time actually controlling the temp, whereas pellets allow you to set and forget for a good amount of time.
Love your vids (I had a short term addiction to them). Love the humor, and the way you deliver your craft. Taught me a lot, perhaps more so than entire series of tv bbq shows.
Keep it up!!
Love the channel, love to smoke, and love my pellet grill in my small suburban backyard. My Camp Chef goes down to 160ºF, so it’s a star for smoking bacon. I usually do my briskets overnight at 190º, then boosting the heat to 250º in the morning, so I know it will be ready for dinner.
Yeah, in an ideal world, I'd have a big backyard to put an offset in. I don't. If I can add a UDS or vertical smoker in the future, great. But for me, the choice was a pellet smoker or none. I'd rather have the smoker I can use now.
Oh man, “Sounds like every other BBQ TH-cam channel right now” had me rolling! FAJITAS Chud! Show me some summertime FAJITAS!
Best BBQ channel here in youtube hands down. I've seen probably 90% of the bbq/cooking channels already they're cool respect to them but Chud is just too natural for this stuff. Simple instructions from a pro.
Love this channel, absolutely LOVE IT !!! As we say in France, making serious things without taking yourself too seriously... The tone is great, the content is very interesting (love the direct heat videos), i am a huge fan ! Keep it up Chud, you're the man !
I've got an apartment with a small front yard and a little porch, so for me the pellet grill is a really solid option. I got a Green Mountain Grill Daniel Boone this past spring, and I love it so far. I find that using a metal smoke tube with some pellets in the cook chamber provides a good amount of additional smoke. So far I've done ribs, chicken, and pulled pork. Haven't tacked a brisket yet what with beef prices, but it's on the list.
Using an Amazing Smoke Tube really helps to increase the smoke the factor. I have the exact same Z-Grill. I use the Amazing Smoke Tube to cold smoke cheese and salmon in winter. Just light the tube, and not the smoker when cold smoking.
Back in the year 2000 I started out barbecuing with my weber kettle grill. I soon upgraded to the weber smoky mountain series. I then moved on to a stick burner. Fast forward a full decade, and I now have two children a very busy job, and do not have the time to babysit my offset. I decided to splurge and picked up a recteq 700. This thing produces fabulous barbecue and I don’t have to babysit anything set it and forget it.
I have always used my Weber Smokey mountain until recently when I purchased a pit boss pellet grill/smoker. I made ribs that turned out just as good on the pellet smoker with the awesome fire and forget feature of a grill that maintains temp on its own. I wouldn’t say I am 100% sold until I complete a larger piece of meat like a brisket, but so far I love the thing!
I have done many many briskets in pellets and once u get it dialed, they are incredible. Definitely not as much smoke flavor, but using tallow in a paper wrap comes out amazing. Also, you use the fat side down to protect the meat from the heat, BUT you can do fat up if you just put a shallow pan of water underneath it to deflect the heat better...
Because I learned brisket on a really small smoker I always separate the flat from the point. I still do even though I now have a huge offset stick burner. I also didn't have a lot of money when I first started so each brisket was kind of an investment. You trim your brisket beautifully but it still makes me really nervous when I see that huge line of fat between the muscles, but this weekend you've inspired me to try it your way. Wish me luck!
killer review mate! completely agree! I started with a pellet grill as I was a complete newby, it would be very overwhelming starting out with an offset. I also love the freedom my pellet grill gives me, I can out stuff on before work, or even on the weekends it gives me the freedom to still go out and do things. Plus I think for most people, because its so easy they will use it more!!
I'm happy you went into this test with an open mind, great video. I've seen other pitmasters doing some pellet tests but putting it down all the time and giving a negative review. Of course, it doesn't have the smokey flavor of a real reverse flow, but for some folks, it does the job.
Thank you...and I love your channel by the way!
I made a 17.5 lb prime brisket this weekend on my Traeger using Malcolm Reed’s overnight method and it came out amazing. The key to pellet smokers is time- you gotta go low and slow to build that smoke flavor and bark. Mine took 18 hrs to cook and I rested it in a cooler wrapped in towels for about 8 hrs (bad timing on my part, got done too soon) and I served about 15 people, many of which said it was the best brisket they have ever had. I’m no pit master, but I felt like one after this cook and I was proud of this brisket.
Excellent video, thanks for being open minded and being honest about your pellet grill experience. If it’s smoke and bark you want, cook low & slow and you won’t be disappointed. 👍
The overnight smoke at low has been my go to as well! it really makes a difference for the barking forming and getting that smokey flavor!
Good honest review. Cheers.
Thanks for tips! I made a brisket for the first time yesterday on my GMG. I had actually never heard of the warm rest (usually store in a cooler with towels)... for me this method really helped especially considering I ran completely out of pellets when the internal hit 201!
I went 225 the entire cook. Foil wrap at 192, then into 170 degree oven for like 6 hours.
After the rest, it had loosened up noticeably.
First few cuts of the flat were a bit dry but most of it was unbelievably juicy.
Lots of great content. Thanks for the videos. Keep up the great work. I appreciate all the late nights and overnight smokes.
Pellet grills: Jack of all trades. Master of none. They get the job done and are convenient and approachable. There are tricks to better smoke flavor like lower temps and smoke tubes. Might try that.
Smoke tube Def adds smoke flavor. I use one and it makes a substantial difference in smoke flavor. You can also just use the smoke tube for cold smoking. I would say it's a must have for pellet grills
"jack of all trades master of none is often better than a master of one"
I’ve learned it helps to mix wood pellets with charcoal pellets. I have a pit boss that I’ve been happy with but it seemed to really be a game changer when i mixed the charcoal pellets on there.
I've been BBQing since I was 14 with my dad in Texas, I own a Yoder YS630s pellet smoker "not a tin can for sure" and it is my go to for smoking. I would like to add that if you have a family with little ones running around your time availability is going to make BBQing frustrating having to manage a fire. AWESOME VIDEOS Chud keep'em coming
Did my first brisket ever on my treager it turned out amazing .. I used pink butcher paper for the wrap it was super tender and very smoky .. It was a wonderful experience for smoking my first ever brisket.
Awesome man. This just further proves it’s all about the cook, not the cooker! Please add an A-maze-N smoker tube for added smoke nest time and let us know if you get a better result! I’ll be glad to send you one, got a spare new one in the garage !
I’ve been cooking on a Traeger from Costco for about 8 years. It delivers bbq that’s more than good enough for me, and I’m in the category you mentioned in the beginning… small back yard. And I’m also busy and a bit too lazy to deal with fire management. I love that I can just throw a brisket in the Traeger and let it smoke over night while I’m sleeping. And my Traeger maintains a temp within +/- 5 degrees.
SUPERSMOKE MODE!
@@commonsenseandreason2492 I just got myself a smoke tube. The Pro series don't have supersmoke.
Not going to lie, I moved from an offset smoker to a pellet grill. What I have learned is that while I love working a fire all night/day I just do not have the time between family and work and having my pellet smoker makes it so much more convenient as I can set it, put my meat on and just watch my internal temps.
Great video Chudd Man!! I use a pellet smoker all the time. I keep my temp at 250° f the whole time for brisket. I wrap when the color looks right, about 4 hours give or take. I throw in some butter and wrap the whole thing. Usually it is done at 8 hours, internal temp 198° f. I unwrap it set it carefully back on the smoker for 30 minutes to tighten up the bark. Works good for me and is always tender and juicy! Play around with it and have fun!!
I own a ReqTeq and there’s almost no temperature swings. I plan on learning to use an offset but for now, the reqteq fits my needs.
I bet you aren't opening yours unnecessarily and that is why you can maintain an even temp. My theory from using my pellet smoker is when you open the lid the temp drops a lot triggering it to feed pellets. The drastic cooling this causes creates a "pellet dump" (as I call it) causing it to then get too hot. By the time the temp is back where it should be, those pellets have burned down so much that they are too far spent to maintain the desired temp with just a small feed of pellets, so it creates another pellet dump, but this dump is smaller. After a few cycles of this it eventually settles back in to maintaining the desired temp. I suspect those who have problems with temp swings in their pellet smokers are needlessly opening the lid creating this cycle of pellet dumps and temp swings. What do you think?
@@tubehound69 I can't open the lid much on my old RecTec 680 during a brisket or pork shoulder cook because I'm asleep through the first 8 hours.
I have a reqtec and it is simply awesome. Holds temperature like no other and it PUMPS tons of smoke. I do not have the time to babysit an offset unfortunately so this fills all of my needs.
@@tubehound69 If you're looking, you ain't cooking.
@@johnsmith-em2wp none of us have time to babysit an offset. We have to make time and sacrifice. BBQ is definitely a life style and takes lots of dedication. And there are those with electric smokers. 🤭
"Smells like a freshly cut table." LMAO
That was funny as hell, but wood is wood...all they do is compress the sawdust to make the pellets, nothing added. Recycling is good stuff. My jeep runs on recycled dinosaurs. (do a quick image search on that for a laugh)
Gotta love it when the ladies get into the cook. Great video! Love from dallas
Great video as usual and I love my vertical pellet smoker and love all your videos buddy. Thanks ya'll
I've been using a pellet smoker for about 3 years, now. It was the best thing I've bought in many years. I'm thinking about buying another for my large gatherings.
Buy a real pit 😂
@@777Revolutionary if you can smoke with it, it's a real pit.
Try starting at a lower temp (200°) several hours. This will give it more smoke and then increase temp after BP wrap
Just finished a brisket today. Turned out great. My method is exactly what you described. Gotta do it low. Not sure why ppl say pellet grills dont give a good smoke flavor. I've never had any issues getting my bbq to taste like any of the best smokehouse I've eaten at.
Great video. I am a pellet head for pretty much all the reasons you mentioned and really enjoy your videos. I was ready for you to trash the pellet smoker and was pleasantly surprised at the end. Made my first brisket ever last weekend and I am hooked. See an offset in my distant future, but for the time being, enjoying some great BBQ that I never would have cooked had it not been for the ease of use of a pellet grill. Keep up the good work!!
I have green mountain pellet grill; so a good step up from the z grill and I love it. My green mountain holds temp very well usually within a few degrees of set point and I've never felt that lacks smoke flavor, ive cooked many of things on it from brisket to Mac and cheese to your wing recipe and it has yet to dissapoint. Last brisket I smoked I started at 180 for about 8 hours until it hit an internal temp of 160, then I wrapped in butcher paper cranked it up to 275 until it probed nice and soft, let it rest a couple hours and it was no lie the best brisket I've ever had. I started my smoking journey on a webber smokey mountain and once I got the green mountain grill I haven't touched the smokey mountain.
I have the same pellet grill from zgrills. Pretty happy with it.
Love the channel, brisket looks great for your first cook on a pellet smoker. GMG will go down to 150, also pellet grills are better at smoking at lower temps. 275-300 is starting to get into baking territory and they constantly have to blow on the embers, which doesn't leave much time for smoldering. If you want good smoke in a pellet grill but want to cook at 275-300 you'll need a smoke tube of one variety or another.
Love your vids bro, keep doin it. Can't believe your channel isn't more popular.
Thank you for not completely trashing pellet smokers. I started smoking about 6 months ago with a pellet smoker and so far I love it. As you said though, for me this was the best entry into smoking. I live in a cookie cutter residential neighborhood and I just don't have the room right now. That being said, I am originally from Owensboro, KY, the "BBQ Capital of the World," and my heritage has been calling and I really want an offset smoker.
I enjoy all your content, period. We love to cook and while our heat source may differ, our goal is the same. You're NOT a sellout for cooking on a pellet grill and your honesty and insight are of tremendous value. Great job, keep up the great work!
I cook briskets on a pellet all the time. Set it to 180-200 and throw it on at midnight and then get up and wrap or boat it between 6-8 hours. They turn out pretty great. We use an offset too but I get pretty tired of it after about 6 hours. The more I watch and learn about offsets I think having one that's bigger and can use full splits would make it a lot more enjoyable.
Yep, I put our briskets on the pellet at 10pm at 190º. In the morning I watch the probe for 175º and then wrap in paper, with a boost to 250º. Once I hit ~200º it comes off, wrap it in a blanket which is now exclusively our "Brisket Blanket", and into the cooler to rest until it's time to eat, typically 2~3 hours of rest.
Do you put it in the oven overnight like he does in the video? Somewhat new to this, looking for pointers
@@adamelliott8424 the last one I did I tried the oven trick for like 6 hours or so. I personally didnt notice much difference from that to a normal rest. I also live in baltimore and the quality of beef here is trash so as Chud likes to say "polishing a turd" is pretty commen lol
Okay thanks for the tip, pretty new to this. Doing a 3.5lb Brisket tomorrow, how long do you think it would take ?
@@adamelliott8424 Im guessing its just the flat? It should take more then a few hours. id wrap it around 160 degrees and take it to 204ish
Great video as always! I’ll say though I learned on a traditional smoker and later bought a pellet. I love the convenience and consistency. Looking forward to what you create next amigo.
Hi Bradley, I enjoy watching your channel and am sub'd! :-) I've been cooking over coal and wood for 45-years and have several smokers, kettles, and recently, a pellet grill. From my perspective, there are pros and cons to them all. I bought a high-end, feature-rich pellet smoker/grill two years ago and love it for the automation. If a pellet grill uses a PID controller, your temperature control is +/- 3-5 degrees (max) and it will maintain that even if night temps drop. Plus, the bigger ones have a 20+lb hopper that will easily give you an overnight cook for low-n-slow, are double-wall insulated, etc, etc. I wouldn't say they are for BBQ beginners as you still need to know how to cook on a grill/smoker (i.e how to trim, season, when to wrap, and so on). On the downside, the finished product isn't as smokey as from an offset, but sometimes that is a benefit. The last note is that the Z-grills model you used is an entry-level pellet grill (I'm not trying to knock them) but it doesn't compare to a high-end pellet or offset. I still use all of my grills depending on how much time I have and what I'm cooking. Keep up the great videos and thanks again! :-)
I’ve used a Yoder Pellet smoker for two years among other styles. I have found that to get a heavier smoke on my meat I have to start off at a lower temp. On pork shoulders and brisket I usually start at 175-225 then I finish the cook off at 275 when I wrap. Just some thoughts on my experience. Nothing compares to an offset though.
Same
Same I do a brisket at 180 for three hours just to get the smoke in it and then start the cook. I get a really nice thick smoke ring.
Which Yoder do you have? I'm thinking a future purchase is in need. YS640S maybe. Are you completely satisfied with yours?
@@i12C. I have a YS640. I love it. Im moving to an offset soon but will always keep my Yoder for smoking sides and other quick things.
This exactly. Wish I saw this before I posted my comment.
That looks delicious! I am a newbie just starting with a new pellet grill and this was really helpful. I have a full time job and am a sing foster mom of a 4 and 5 year old, so the pellet is for me! I was a little worried when you first started that I made the wrong purchase but that looks pretty good. If you learn a trick to step up the smoke flavor with the pellet grill, please let me know! :)
Lower temperatures allow for a longer smoke session. Dial it down to 225F for example. Some smokers have a smoke setting too. I hope that helps.
Thanks for the video- I feel a little less guilty now... I am a busy dad and got into smoking mostly for making cold-smoked foods like bacon, lox, jerky, and smoked cheese. I built a cabinet from wood paneling and 2x2 pine with some slots so I could slide metal racks in to really load it up. I've tried a number of ways to supply smoke and for this set up, a small pellet grill with some dryer vent directing the smoke from the smoker into the cabinet has really done the trick! I do have concrete tiles in the bottom of my cabinet and an electric burner that can be controlled with a PID so I have options on temperature control, either the PID or adjusting the pellet grill, but as you noticed, the controllers on the grills don't do a great job maintaining a temp. I have done some foods in the pellet grill itself, though it's small, and would love a bigger smoker of some sort, but don't have the time or energy to tend a fire for long smokes, so I suspect I'll go with another (larger) pellet smoker, gravity smoker, or Kamado.
Great video. I agree with pellet grills being a good introduction to bbq. I have a Rec Teq and I love using it but ready to add a stick burner to the arsenal. I don't think I'll ever stop smiling when I turn my 340 on leaving the grocery store so its ready when I get home though lol. Pellet grill baking is amazing and it's the only way I bake now. Pellet grills are handy when you're a Parent so you can smoke and play with your kids.
Love to see you use a pellet. I’m getting old and lazy, my pellet is just too damn easy to use. I am also not a fan of big smoke flavor, so find the kiss of smoke just right. Think of a grill like this as an outdoor convection oven. Look forward to more. 👍
Same here. I prefer a lighter smoke flavour as well. I find it doesn’t overpower the meat and the rub.
So I’m not the only one…lol. This suits me just fine, I’m too old and lazy to tend an offset anymore 🤷♂️
@@SanJoseDale not even remotely close to the only one. I don't like an overpowering smoky flavor either. For me pellet grills produce exactly what I want in the flavor department.
Same here! Love my Traeger Timberline…not too much smoke.
I’m sure Bradley strongly disagrees, that’s OK. I love all his recipes, they work great on the pellet.
I would definitely appreciate seeing you do some side dishes!
A barbecue side dish series would be great.
I smoke weekly on my Memphis pellet grill. It is a higher end really sealed well grill. Love it, works perfectly, and the food taste's just as good with a lil less smoke as you put it. How I do it is put the temp to 190 and cook approx.12hours and get the internal temp into the low 170's..bark is set and there are no wet spots or pooling. I then pull it off and moisten the butcher paper heavily with my tallow and wrap super tight and then I repeat with Aluminum. She then goes back in until she gets to about 196-198 and I also do a feel test. I then pull it off, remove foil in about an hour and let her sit in the butcher paper for about 3-4 more hours in my oven ready for supper that night with family and friends. My first one sucked and this last one with the aluminum trick worked. Great channel subscribed!!
Just got my first pellet grill, I wanted a traditional smoker but it was a gift & I'm thankful, it's definitely an upgrade from my kettle. My first brisket was on the kettle & boy did I learn that day.
I run my pellet at low as it goes for few hours just for smoke flavor then turn it up
I have a Yoder smoker and it turns out killer bbq. Z grills is gonna be your lower end pellet smokers.
"Z grills is gonna be your lowEST end pellet smokers." FTFY
Love your videos and have learned a lot , don’t have time for the offset but have a reqtek and still trying to perfect the brisket on it and have gotten some pretty good bark
Great video... I'm the same way .. never wanted a Betty Crocker set it and forget it easybake oven .. but like you I find myself with one... It's still in the box ... Soon it will be cooking great to see you were mildly impressed with it... I agree is about the journey
the fortune teller lady was rather positive
Great video. I have the same cooker and went with a smoke tube and that helped with getting more smoke.
I was thinking a smoke tube would help increase the smoke flavor
The fact you need a smoke tube should tell you they're crap.
Same here. I have a Louisiana Grill 1200 and use 2 smoke tubes. It smokes up a large ring in a brisket.
I bet its a nice outdoor oven
@@TOMVUTHEPIMP in an ideal world, we'd all have huge offsets (I do), and can dedicate 12+ hours to fire management. But it's an imperfect world. A lot of us have jobs that don't involve staying at home. A pellet grill makes a lot of sense in those circumstances. The idea of brisket in the middle of the week without taking off work makes me happy.
I have a vertical pellet smoker and did a brisket this past weekend. Had great results with spg! I've come to realize that for low and slow stay at a 225 temp. That's when I had my best results!
Great and honest review, I learned a lot!! Thank You!
Awesome video...as usual. I mostly use a pellet smoker and I've found that when you increase the temp above 250° F you lose smoke. They may be a little too efficient because the fan stays on and burns the pellets faster based on your temp.. Great looking brisket though. Btw, you can buy a smoke tube to add more smoke.
This is so true. That is why I use a smoke tube. Its also good to remember that your meat will stop absorbing smoke after after a while so in the large scheme of things smoke during the first couple of hours of any cook is all you need
start at 190 for the first 8 to 5 hours depending what you are cooking and if the bark is how you like it then wrap it and finish it at your desired target temp
Every pellet grill has hot and cold zones. To figure this out to better tune your cook, grab 2 cans of biscuits and evenly cover the grate edge to edge and front to back after your grill is up to temp. Check at 10 mins and 15 minutes. The bottom of the biscuits will tell you where your hot zones are and you can cook around those hot zones on the lean end of the brisket.
If you want a deeper smoke flavor, grab a stainless steel smoke tube and fill with pellets and light the closed end of the tube. Run 2-3, tubes of pellets on your next brisket cook for a much nicer bark and more smoky flavor.
Thank you for this! I am a pellet smoker, because I lack skill and time. It is the best I can do for now and I was glad to feel you could still be successful!
Just gave away my pellet grill to live the journey on my stick burner . Great video ,thx for the reassurance on stick burner life .
Love that you tried a pellet grill. With my Traeger lower temps (225 degrees) and cold weather give me better results, assuming due to the increased pellet consumption. You should do another brisket but set at 225 degrees and fat cap down. It will be a longer cook but I think you will find it gives you a better bark (similar to your traditional) and smoke flavor.
How long would the cook be?
225 is a total waste of time.
I agree completely! I cook mine fat cap down at 225, and paper wrap at an internal temperature of 165. Never had a bad brisket.
@@davejones7122 Never? Even top Texas joints screw it up. You're better than them?
@@TOMVUTHEPIMP I never claimed to be better than anyone, just that I’ve never had a bad brisket with my pellet smoker.
My first smoker was a Traeger. I think it’s a really good grill to get you into the bbq game. It’s super easy, and hard to screw up. I am a busy dad so it works for me. That being said, now that I’ve got a bunch of brisket cooks under my belt, I’ve been wanting to try an off set or a Kamado style grill because I think mastering the fire process is more authentic than turning a dial.
Thank you so much!!! I’ve been off set smoking for years and I’ve thought about a pellet smoker so I didn’t have to do so much babysitting. I can’t wait to load up the old girl for thanksgiving now
Great video buddy. I started smoking with my regular Webber using the snake method, and then used a Webber Smoky Mountain for a number of years. I now use a Reqteq pellet smoker and really like it. I’ve never used an offset simply because I don’t have the time. Thanks for the excellent review.
Great video! I use my Zgrill pellet smoker all the time, it’s a great way to get in the bbq game and also affordable.
Man, a 30 degree temp swing seems like a lot. I’ve owned a RecTeq 340 for 2 years now and mine stays within +/- 5 degrees. I think the PID controller has a lot to do with it though. Awesome video, Chud!
Same, my 340 will occasionally swing up to 11° over, but it’s short-lived. Usually drops back down within a handful of minutes.
Right?! I was caught off guard with that temp swing. That’s pretty bad.
@@JasonZoeller it’s definitely a quality issue. Friend of mine owns a pit boss that’s 3x the size of my Recteq but cost $200 less. And his temp swings are closer to 50° most times.
I wouldn't trust any of the controllers that come on pellet/gravity smokers. I always test the ones I've had out with my fireboard and they're off. I personally don't mind the swings I just wish they would show what the smoker is actually doing instead of using a algorithm
You using their thermometer or yours? I have a 700 and to be honest I don't trust their thermo because I get very little temp change opening the door. Sorry but holding open the door long enough to wrap 3 racks of ribs does not drop the temp by only a couple degrees I don't buy it. Gonna test it with a third party thermo.
What I've done on a pellet grill is start off on its lowest setting ( 180 degrees ) for the extra smoke for about 4 hours then start raising temp to 250 to 275, i also sop or spritz it every hour. Fat side down, no flip. Wrap or boat it at about 180 ish internal, pull it at 200, rest either overnight in oven or old ice chest for a few hours if you are gonna eat that day. Great smoke ring, juicy, hard to beat. I have a rec tech.
I had an offset smoker for 9 years and I loved it. The pellet grill i got to replace it after it died was the Pit Boss Vertical smoker. It still gives me the smoked meats I want with decent flavor but it's alot more convenient and easy to use. The offset is still the king of flavor but these pellet smokers are definitely convenient and a game changer for those with limited time or like you said for beginners. They are pretty well idiot proof.
What Temps do you use when cooking
12:39 good lord that smack sounded SOLID
Seems almost as if someone competent built it, eh? What is it about slapping metal that makes a man feel good?
I damn hope it sound solid, that's metal...
I went back to hear it again...sheesh
I really do appreciate you bringing the point of of, sometimes we really don’t have another option. I have never owned a pellet grill and most likely never will. I started using a charcoal grill to offset cook and barbecue ribs and other chunks of meat. That was in my opinion, the best way to start.
PS - ultimately, as long as people understand that this is an easy bake oven, then barbecue away
Why do people "need" to understand what it is? It's a grill/smoker. It cooks food. The food tastes good. That's all I need to understand.
Nate, dont worry about M Dog.
He hit my comment as well, and seems to be trying to pick a fight.
I'm with you, I dont like gas, and I dont ever plan to own a pellet grill. I like charcoal and wood chunks, and I buy for what I like. Everyone else is welcome to do the same for their own likes and needs. For those who need the convenience, well I'm glad they have the option. Heck, I have family that own Pellet smokers.
Best of luck to you, and safe grilling.
Smoking my very first brisket as I watch this... I cannot wait until it's done and rested. These videos always make me so hungry. Lol
Brad I have had a Tragaer for about a year now and I find that for the brisket you need a strong smoke wood like hickory or mesquite to get the smoky flavor. The lit smoke flavor of pecan or oak and apple are better suited for fowl. Thanks for the videos I have learned a lot from them .
A quality pellet grill will prevent those temp swings. Also, try adding a pellet tube to add smoke. Great video!
I love my Yoder YS640. And I competed and catered on a pull behind stick burner for 17 years. Call me a sell out lol. I get to sleep at night now haha
Yoder🤘🇺🇲
I had a traeger and it was very useful for smoking 3 briskets for the mother I -laws wedding. Pre cooked. Cooled down in the fridge then vacuum sealed. Re-heated on the day at the facility. Took it back up to 150 and it was an absolute hit. Saying that. I recently sold it. I love using charcoal. My Weber kettle is my baby with the Cajun bandit attachment. Just so much more flavour from a smoke perspective.
You’re right! My pellet smoker was a great start to BBQ. I’ve moved up to a drum smoker now. I will graduate to a off set one day. Try beef jerky on the pellet. It comes out great! Thanks for the videos!
from everything I have seen, a gravity-fed smoker is better than a pellet smoker.
Ansolutely agree !! Pellet grills are old news and old tech ! The problem is all the good manufacturers just spent billions on them !!!! I can’t wait till a great company makes a really well built one !!!!! There seems to be only two companies making them Master built and Chargriller and neither are well built IMO .
@@philipsmith6424 Is this the HMC from the Iowa? - Jack
Did that brisket grow? Looks nothing like the one you seasoned up
It swelled up. Completely normal
Awesome video. I’m about to get my brother 1. He doesn’t have the time for an offset but really wants to get into smoking. This showed me it the right choice for him. Cheers Brad.
Appreciate how you kept it real, simple and spoke to the working weekend pit master. A couple other channels that run offsets come across a bit pretentious. They seem convinced everyone should want a $5K Franklin offset and have the time to use it.
Offset before kids. Pellet after kids.
I have a Yoder for 8 years now. Pretty solid and easy to use. Definitely is a time saver and food quality is good
I love the ease of my GMG pellet grill. I can come home from work, press a button and 15 minutes later I’m smoking. I do love a really smoky flavor so I’ll often use a smoke tube which is also super easy.
Good honest opinion by a pitmaster. I will say I own a pellet grill and when I cook brisket I always use hickory/oak blend, which always gives me the smoke flavour I want and the best brisket I have ever tasted came off a pellet grill. These pellet grills allow you to experience true Texas barbeque brisket, along with the best smoky ribs you will ever taste. and the best part is, you simply put the food on and forget about it for several hours, because its fully automatic. my normal brisket cook is 15-18 hours with a 4-6 hr rest. perfect every time. Pork ribs- 5 hrs