I started cooking on a pellet grill I guess about 6-7 months ago, some of your tips I definitely did not know. The one about cleaning the temperature probe was really number one for me.
Most temperature probes these days are RTDs, which do not need cleaning. Most grill manuals will say to only clean it if it's excessively greasy, and then do so gently and carefully.
For folks that are new to pellet grills, Jake absolutely knows what he's talking about, so it would be good to pay attention to what he says. Those of us that have been cooking with pellet grills for a while can only nod our heads in agreement. Great video.
I wanted to thank you for doing the 12 Mistakes video. I was tearing my hair out trying to stabilize the temp in my Traeger. I followed your directions for start up, closed the lid when it finished the "big smoke" I put the temp at 300f and set my timer for 30 minutes. You were absolutely right...the temp climbed past 300 and then settled down to 300/285f. I quit looking at the digital temp and use my Meater+ for ambient temp. PERFECT! I look forward to more of your videos. Thank you for your time. Judy, Southern California
I watched a lot of videos before l even bought a smoker. Yours for sure. When l finally pulled the trigger and got one the info really helped me get started in the right direction.
Great video. I've had my pellet grill about 18 months and would not go back to charcoal or gas if you gave me the grill for free. When I used a charcoal grill I timed the cook, but with a pellet grill get the thermometer and cook to temperature is the best advice available. Also read your owners manual to your grill and it will help you immensely. I personally use the smoke mode for 30-45 minutes before I start the regular cook, this enhanced the flavor greatly.
@@RumandCook one of the first things we made on my pellet grill was bread and it turned out really well! It's essentially a wood fired oven anyway right? Now pizza I'm still trying to get the toppings melted and crisped enough... I'm sure someone has figured it out.
I suggest using a 1gallon paint can for the grease catcher. When your done with your cook put the lid on and store away. When full throw it in the trash.
#6. Traeger is pretty clear that I’m supposed to start up my 575 with the lid *closed*. I reread the manual when I first heard about flame-ups: It says closed.
@@RumandCook Oh good; I'm happy to change my ways if I'm wrong, but I figured I should be adhering to the manufacturer's instructions. I understand that not all pellet grills are the same. I assume [hope?] that Traeger is doing some shenanigans with the fan to control the combustion and prevent a flare-up. That, along with temperature control, would be consistent with keeping it closed. There was a warning somewhere that starting it up open will result in a cook that is unable to temperature regulate properly. I also wonder whether other pellet grills have a "cold start" detection/function? Mine does, and I suspect these abilities are somehow related. I wish I knew what it was doing on the cold start!
For 12 years I have only used BBQ Delight. Yoder used BBQ Delight when they set these up, other brands had jammed when feeding pellets due to different manufactures not making the length of the pellets consistent. Always clean the firebox completely, a quick clean with a small shop vac is all you need. Great video.
I like stumbling on videos like these because even though I've been smoking for many years (my Traeger is an old BBQ125 with the front hopper) I still look to see if there's something I can find that I didn't already know. These are all great recommendations and it seems like keeping the temp sensor clean isn't harped on enough. I religiously clean mine with #0000 steel wool and it works very well until it fails from just poor manufacturing (my original lasted 14 years, and no replacement I've used whether OEM or aftermarket has lasted more than a year and a half). I've gotten to where I have a spare on hand and ready because they fail so suddenly and quickly. I myself am a fan of Pit Boss brand pellets. Hardly any dust at all, especially compared to Traeger brand and easily available where I'm at. I pour the 20lb bags into 5-gal buckets with covers and a "rechargeable" desiccant pack inside on top of the pellets. I also plan, come tax time, to upgrade the controller and individual parts to the Pellet Pro line from Smoke Daddy along with an auger motor brace and replacing (not really an upgrade; they're just due) the heat diffuser and drip pan. Going to feel like an entirely new smoker by the time I'm done 😂
Hi Jake.. so glad I found your videos.. we are on the less than 15 hour countdown until our first smoker, a pellet smoker, gets delivered and assembled. 😀 I knew that I wanted one, based on experiences at friend's barbecues, etc.. but wasn't sure how to do any of it correctly. You provide no nonsense tips and tricks that a beginner like me can really use! Thanks so much!
Something I found is how often pellet grill is used.. Fresh smoke flavor vs 'old smoke" flavor.. a certain musty goes with a grill that does not get used very often.. I have found that a couple hours of running at the start of the season does wonders for the quality and "clean" taste of the imparted smoke flavor.. It is my guess that some of the compounds in the smoke oxidize with age and exposure to air.. much like cooking oils..
Excellent video. Kitchen ovens vary up and down a lot too. 30 degrees either way is not unusual. Most people aren't aware of this because most people don't stick a remote ambient probe in their kitchen oven to monitor. I was quite surprised how much the oven went up and down over a 1.5 hour period cooking a roast. Still came out just fine and as expected. That's why it's so important to cook by temperature and not always time. Though once you get a good feel for your grill you can start to expect average times given the size and cut of the meat you are working with. With modern pellet grills, temp control is pretty good and up there with LPG grills. Don't chase ambient or grill surface temp. Obviously you set the ball park temp, but really the only one you need to chase is the meat temperature. After a while you'll know it takes x number of minutes or hours for x type of meat or cuts. First big mistake I made with an LPG chip rack smoker was chasing that temp over a 6 hour smoke. Drove me nuts at first as I was constantly fiddling with burner control, vent, wood etc to try and maintain an exact stable ambient temperature. Then I realized after a couple sessions that I just set the temp control to 225, refill wood as needed and wait for the meat probes to send a notification when it was within 5 degrees of required internal temp. That made the process so so much more enjoyable and less stressful. Just came across your channel and it's all great stuff, keep up the good work.
I took the advise of a guy that has a 5 gal bucket vac head from home depot. $28. Attaches to any 5 gal home depot bucket. You just vacuum the unused pellets up into the bucket and seal. Use another bucket for ash which i use in my compost pile.
Thanks for this dude! I got a Traeger about 2 months ago and figured most of this stuff out on my own but there was definitely a few things here I'm going to pay more attention to 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Per my Traeger manual: "It is not necessary to keep the grill door open at start-up; however, the grill door should be closed once the preheat cycle begins so that the grill can reach the desired set temperature."
Tip #1 should be to sift your pellets. Another tip...buy metal trays with wire racks. That way you can insulate your cook with water or beer, but also save the lard/tallow that comes off, and not gum up your diffuser. You can add the lard/tallow to the slather when you wrap in pink paper. Overall, good video, with great tips. Y'all get you a collapsible smoke tube and fill with a mix of pellets and hardwood pieces...it helps build that "dirty" smoke flavor.
Love the tips, but I don’t understand why people sift pellets. I have hundreds of cooks without issues and have never sifted pellets. Thanks for watching! 🍻
Jake makes me crazy. No flash, just honest knowledge. Saving up for a Yoder, mind was set prior to discovering him. His tips and views are appreciated. I will admit the monotone can drive you to open a bottle rum. How about a video on how to incorporate rum into your cooks
Haha I actually don’t cook with rum. I prefer to drink it. Order videos where less engaging. You’d be surprised at how long it takes you to get comfortable in front of a camera. I speak to groups 30-200 frequently, a camera was a whole new game. 🍻
Great info brother! I’m new to pellet grilling and this is appreciated. God bless the algorithm. The hot spot description was an unknown. Thanks again!
Thanks, it’s a general rule of thumb for pellet smokers. I’ve started it without opening as well, but most recommend leaving it open. Thanks for watching!
Excellent video! Mistake #8 was the reason I switched from an offset wood burning smoker to a pellet grill. I let the electronics in the grill control temperature rather than myself CONSTANTLY checking and rechecking temps. Put in too much wood and BOOM! Your temp skyrockets. Yes my Pit Boss XL varies a little bit, but overall it is a much better "set and forget" system.
yeah the ash. It gets every where... + on what ever is cooking. I keep my RecTec parked... I guess I have some kind of thing... about all the pellet dust... most likely, there isn't a health concern... but who knows. Good Video
Ive had my Yoder 640 for a few years and tonight it stopped cooking on me for the second time. I was smoking jerky at 180. I cleaned everything and let the temp come up for an hour before placing my meat trays on the grill for true smoking. Checked on things 90 minutes in and saw that it was at 90 degrees and a pellet tray overfilled with zero heat. I am finishing the jerky in my home oven. Not happy to pay over $3k for what a GMG or Traeger can give me for $500. Yoders have thick steel but the electronics seem to be as cheap as any other much less expensive pellet pooper out there.
We are new to pellet grilling and have some good success already but still found your tips a helpful review - thanks. We have found it helpful to put a layer of Al over the diffuser. (Cutting slots as needed) and after a few cooks it can be easily removed leaving diffuser in good shape. We have been using Thermoworks probes for years. Very tight coordination with each of our Camp Chef’s 4 probes. It keeps temp amazingly within +/- 5 degrees which I find outstanding, and unexpected.
Yep, I used to use a lot of foil on my diffuser and it works great. I’ve been a bit lazy recently though 😃. Congrats on the recent grill, happy to hear you are enjoying. Thanks for watching! 🍻
New to Pellet grills, I’ve been cooking with them for about 5 years There is a learning curve to use one to to get the best results, keep at it as it will pay off
After watching a few of your videos I will tell you what I like: you ask all the questions that I ask about longevity of types of BBQ's/smokers and differences between taste.
@@RumandCook When you go a big box store the bbq/smokers are all the cheapest thing you can buy. I've bought them and I usually get 3 years out of them before they rust out. Even with covers on them. When I went with a Primo kamado style it has a 10 year warranty so for a little more money you buy something that lasts. Its a big thing to consider when you make a purchase. Right now looking at a pellet grill. Looking at the yoder you have. 10 year warranty looks good. Most reviews say its great but smoke flavor is lacking.
Pellet grills in general produce less smoke than other options. I have a video where I share 11 tips to maximize smoke on a pellet grill. You can get a good amount of smoke using those steps. The Yoder does a good job overall and you get some advantages of high temp indirect cooking which is great for chicken. The Yoder can also sear which many cannot. Wouldn’t replace your Primo, but would compliment it. 🍻
Seems to be some good info I've never even HEARD of 'em till this morning, so the few questions I would have would be... *1* Give an example of how much/many pellets in weight or volume will let's say smoking an 8lb pork butt use? *2* You mentioned the quality of the pellets, so does PRICE necessarily dictate quality, or what brand(s) do you rate as a better quality? *3* Are the cooking grates/surfaces any better from one model to the next...some seem to be just a "wire" of sorts like any other grill, whereas some look like thick iron/steel ribs of sorts. *TIA*
1) very dependent on temp outside, cooking temp, and quality of pellets but I would say 12-14 pounds. 2) no price does not dictate quality directly, but probably has some input. I’m a Bear Mountain BBQ pellet guy personally. 3) nope. I’d focus on max temp and whether or not you can sear. Avoid the “best selling brand” because that’s the best part about them. 🤣🍻
Appreciate you going right into your presentation/bullet points instead of doing a "hey everyone" look at my fat head in the camera routine, a scenario I've seen.
Many good points in here, but some of these steps I'm guessing must be brand specific. I own the Traeger Timberline series and had an incredible struggle for the first year and a half trying to reach the temperature. It was typically off by about 40 degrees and typically could not get to 225 degrees. After speaking with a Traeger support agent and ruling out the possibility of poor pellet quality or storage he asked if I start the smoker with the lid open. This is what I had always done as per TH-cam experts. I didn't think it was even slightly possible that starting my smoker with the lid open could possibly impede temperature control. But the agent assured me this is a common issue and the it should be started with the lid closed. I was extremely skeptical, but figured I would try before sending the smoker back. To my surprise it fixed the problem entirely and have never had an issue since and the temp does not swing more than 8 degrees.
I misspoke on the lid tip, but I dont see why that would affect the ongoing temp. I've owned 3 Traegers and never had an issue with temp starting with the lid up. The temp is calculated in real time. That just doesn't make any sense, but If it worked, it worked. 🍻
@@RumandCook thanks for your response. I agree with you. It doesn't make any sense which I find it quite frustrating. The fellow I spoke with from Traeger couldn't' give me an answer as to why, either. Maybe this is a quick fix to a problem they haven't solved yet. With that said, great stuff on your channel.
Most temperature probes these days are RTDs, which do not need cleaning. Most grill manuals will say to only clean it if it's excessively greasy, and then do so gently and carefully.
I was stressing about temp swings super hard. Then like you said I just stopped caring about it. It’s crazy how it really doesn’t make a difference lmao
All of these “mistakes” are relative to the smoker that you have and what you’ve done to it. My pitboss 1150 pro is within 5-8 degrees left/center/right after a few mods I’ve done to it. Also you should note smoking lower for longer can also dry the meat out too
I’m going to be putting something together, but to be honest, I put about 40 hours in and I could not duplicate my guesses back to back. I tried it with my wife as well. Once you get some smoke flavor on your mouth it gets difficult to distinguish each option. I came up with 2 that I liked each time though. Bear Mountain Pellets and Lumberjack. Thanks for watching.
Just got a Traeger pellet grill. Got a question. The smoke pipe chimney top seems to sit sealed without a gap to allow smoke to escape. Is this normal? Will the pressure of the smoke create a mechanism to allow the cone top to move so smoke escapes? When i did the first curing or burn out. Smoke came out from the lid and all over. Just curious if this is normal? Thanks for your videos. I'm new here.
Great video. Very informative and you have some good points. I already do this stuff but it never hurts to see how someone else does it or if you may have missed something. Great job!
Wait a minute!!!! I just discovered this video and your 1st tip is already a questionable one!!!! In watching many pellet videos the biggest complaint is that they don’t deliver the same smoky flavor as a stick burner. This was addressed by Mad scientist BBQ by putting your meat on a cold grill as it heats up. You get the most smoke during the heat up and on my last brisket the difference was noticeable to say the least!
I have a follow up video that is called the 11 secrets to maximize smoke on a pellet grill. I put my meat on ice cold so it still gets extra time in the smoke. Remember this is a general video to apply to grilling and smoking. Yoder recommends waiting 30 minutes until temps properly stabilize. You can do that with meat in there, the big thing is not tweaking the dials. Thanks for watching. 🍻
Question about the degreasers. Is the reason for the two different kinds of degreaser would you use one for interior and is the milder one more for use on the exterior surface? Thanks
Nothing inside except if you remove the grates and do them separately. Milder one on paint and in general. The other one for stainless and tough stains. 🍻
Thanks for the video's I am looking into getting a Yoder. The problem is do I get the 640 are the 480. It's just me and my wife and not sure if I need the 640, plus I might have a problem getting the 640 up on my deck because it's just me. Thanks again for the video's
That is for a damper that moves inside. You can move the hotter spot in the grill from middle to side or side. I’ve never used it much. I’ll be doing a video to measure the differences though.
No prob. I did work on a video but it was windy and the effect of moving around the damper was minimal. I want to wait until closer to summer so I’m not doing it in the cold 😀
Have an older Traegar Eastwood pellet smoker. Could you turn a pellet smoker into an offset smoker less expensive than buying an offset smoker? I'm curious if it's worth the conversion and results. Thank you
▶ *Free Download!* - 11 Secrets to More Smoke on a Pellet Grill: www.pelletgrillsecrets.com
Great video. Cargo shorts for life gang! 👊🏻
@topfeedcoco 🤣🍻
@@RumandCook 🍻
I started cooking on a pellet grill I guess about 6-7 months ago, some of your tips I definitely did not know. The one about cleaning the temperature probe was really number one for me.
Yeah that is one that a lot forget about. Can really have an impact on what temp you are actually running. 🍻
@@TexasScout
a clean probe is always best .
Most temperature probes these days are RTDs, which do not need cleaning. Most grill manuals will say to only clean it if it's excessively greasy, and then do so gently and carefully.
For folks that are new to pellet grills, Jake absolutely knows what he's talking about, so it would be good to pay attention to what he says. Those of us that have been cooking with pellet grills for a while can only nod our heads in agreement. Great video.
Thanks so much!! I really appreciate that. 🍻
Yes sir!
Great tips. When it comes to pellet storage, I use 5 gallon buckets and throw a couple moisture absorbing bags in. Works great to keep pellets fresh.
Good tip! 🍻
I wanted to thank you for doing the 12 Mistakes video. I was tearing my hair out trying to stabilize the temp in my Traeger. I followed your directions for start up, closed the lid when it finished the "big smoke" I put the temp at 300f and set my timer for 30 minutes. You were absolutely right...the temp climbed past 300 and then settled down to 300/285f. I quit looking at the digital temp and use my Meater+ for ambient temp. PERFECT! I look forward to more of your videos. Thank you for your time. Judy, Southern California
Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching. 🍻
I watched a lot of videos before l even bought a smoker. Yours for sure. When l finally pulled the trigger and got one the info really helped me get started in the right direction.
Awesome, glad I could help! 🍻
Great video. I've had my pellet grill about 18 months and would not go back to charcoal or gas if you gave me the grill for free. When I used a charcoal grill I timed the cook, but with a pellet grill get the thermometer and cook to temperature is the best advice available. Also read your owners manual to your grill and it will help you immensely. I personally use the smoke mode for 30-45 minutes before I start the regular cook, this enhanced the flavor greatly.
Thanks for watching!
Trick I learned was to use a can of biscuits placed across the grill to determine where your hot spots (and cold spots) were. Works like a charm..
Yep that works well!
interesting concept, plus you have biscuits with dinner.
Haha unfortunately they don’t taste very good. One of the few things that doesn’t taste good smoked 😀
@@RumandCook one of the first things we made on my pellet grill was bread and it turned out really well! It's essentially a wood fired oven anyway right? Now pizza I'm still trying to get the toppings melted and crisped enough... I'm sure someone has figured it out.
Yeah I can see bread, can do that on my KK as well. Just wasn’t sure about premade biscuits. Never know I guess!
I suggest using a 1gallon paint can for the grease catcher. When your done with your cook put the lid on and store away. When full throw it in the trash.
That’s a good tip! 🍻
Unless you have a raccoon problem...lol😊
#6. Traeger is pretty clear that I’m supposed to start up my 575 with the lid *closed*. I reread the manual when I first heard about flame-ups: It says closed.
Yeah I misspoke on that one. 🍻
@@RumandCook Oh good; I'm happy to change my ways if I'm wrong, but I figured I should be adhering to the manufacturer's instructions. I understand that not all pellet grills are the same. I assume [hope?] that Traeger is doing some shenanigans with the fan to control the combustion and prevent a flare-up. That, along with temperature control, would be consistent with keeping it closed. There was a warning somewhere that starting it up open will result in a cook that is unable to temperature regulate properly. I also wonder whether other pellet grills have a "cold start" detection/function? Mine does, and I suspect these abilities are somehow related. I wish I knew what it was doing on the cold start!
Recteq too.
I've been cooking on my camp chef 4 years and never realized a couple of these points. Great video!
Thank you sir! Glad to hear you found it useful. Thanks for watching 🍻
For 12 years I have only used BBQ Delight. Yoder used BBQ Delight when they set these up, other brands had jammed when feeding pellets due to different manufactures not making the length of the pellets consistent. Always clean the firebox completely, a quick clean with a small shop vac is all you need. Great video.
Worth trying Bear Mountain. I have over 200 cooks with them and never had an issue. More smoke flavor than BBQ Delight. That’s what I started with. 🍻
I like stumbling on videos like these because even though I've been smoking for many years (my Traeger is an old BBQ125 with the front hopper) I still look to see if there's something I can find that I didn't already know.
These are all great recommendations and it seems like keeping the temp sensor clean isn't harped on enough. I religiously clean mine with #0000 steel wool and it works very well until it fails from just poor manufacturing (my original lasted 14 years, and no replacement I've used whether OEM or aftermarket has lasted more than a year and a half). I've gotten to where I have a spare on hand and ready because they fail so suddenly and quickly.
I myself am a fan of Pit Boss brand pellets. Hardly any dust at all, especially compared to Traeger brand and easily available where I'm at. I pour the 20lb bags into 5-gal buckets with covers and a "rechargeable" desiccant pack inside on top of the pellets. I also plan, come tax time, to upgrade the controller and individual parts to the Pellet Pro line from Smoke Daddy along with an auger motor brace and replacing (not really an upgrade; they're just due) the heat diffuser and drip pan. Going to feel like an entirely new smoker by the time I'm done 😂
Yep a clean temp probe goes a long way. 🍻
Hi Jake.. so glad I found your videos.. we are on the less than 15 hour countdown until our first smoker, a pellet smoker, gets delivered and assembled. 😀
I knew that I wanted one, based on experiences at friend's barbecues, etc.. but wasn't sure how to do any of it correctly. You provide no nonsense tips and tricks that a beginner like me can really use! Thanks so much!
Awesome congrats! 🍻
So... how did it go?
You happy with you new appliance?
Something I found is how often pellet grill is used.. Fresh smoke flavor vs 'old smoke" flavor.. a certain musty goes with a grill that does not get used very often.. I have found that a couple hours of running at the start of the season does wonders for the quality and "clean" taste of the imparted smoke flavor.. It is my guess that some of the compounds in the smoke oxidize with age and exposure to air.. much like cooking oils..
Interesting. Ive never let mine sit that long so I’ve haven’t noticed that. Makes sense though. 🍻
Excellent video. Kitchen ovens vary up and down a lot too. 30 degrees either way is not unusual. Most people aren't aware of this because most people don't stick a remote ambient probe in their kitchen oven to monitor. I was quite surprised how much the oven went up and down over a 1.5 hour period cooking a roast. Still came out just fine and as expected. That's why it's so important to cook by temperature and not always time. Though once you get a good feel for your grill you can start to expect average times given the size and cut of the meat you are working with. With modern pellet grills, temp control is pretty good and up there with LPG grills. Don't chase ambient or grill surface temp. Obviously you set the ball park temp, but really the only one you need to chase is the meat temperature. After a while you'll know it takes x number of minutes or hours for x type of meat or cuts. First big mistake I made with an LPG chip rack smoker was chasing that temp over a 6 hour smoke. Drove me nuts at first as I was constantly fiddling with burner control, vent, wood etc to try and maintain an exact stable ambient temperature. Then I realized after a couple sessions that I just set the temp control to 225, refill wood as needed and wait for the meat probes to send a notification when it was within 5 degrees of required internal temp. That made the process so so much more enjoyable and less stressful. Just came across your channel and it's all great stuff, keep up the good work.
Very true. 🍻
I add a DIY smoke maker to my pallet grill for higher heat settings.
Yep that works. 🍻
Use Simple Green as a Degreaser, it's non toxic and works great.
Yep, I have that on hand as well. 🍻
I took the advise of a guy that has a 5 gal bucket vac head from home depot. $28. Attaches to any 5 gal home depot bucket. You just vacuum the unused pellets up into the bucket and seal. Use another bucket for ash which i use in my compost pile.
Sounds like a great tip! Thanks for watching.
@@kicknadeadcat yup I use the same thing.
No bs, no filler...SUBBED!👍👊
Thanks so much! 🍻
@@RumandCook Just subbed as well. Excellent vid, eh?
Thanks for this dude! I got a Traeger about 2 months ago and figured most of this stuff out on my own but there was definitely a few things here I'm going to pay more attention to 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
No problem, glad you found it useful! 🍻
Per my Traeger manual: "It is not necessary to keep the grill door open at start-up; however, the grill door should be closed once the preheat
cycle begins so that the grill can reach the desired set temperature."
Yeah that one of those where I spoke too broad. My bad. The rest are good though! 😂. Thanks for watching!
My GMG specifically says to keep all doors closed before start up.
Pit Boss open lid.
Tip #1 should be to sift your pellets. Another tip...buy metal trays with wire racks. That way you can insulate your cook with water or beer, but also save the lard/tallow that comes off, and not gum up your diffuser. You can add the lard/tallow to the slather when you wrap in pink paper. Overall, good video, with great tips. Y'all get you a collapsible smoke tube and fill with a mix of pellets and hardwood pieces...it helps build that "dirty" smoke flavor.
Love the tips, but I don’t understand why people sift pellets. I have hundreds of cooks without issues and have never sifted pellets. Thanks for watching! 🍻
I just got a King Chii off Temu - lol - anyway, it takes some getting used to. Loved your tips. Great video!
Thanks! 🍻
Newer Traegers start closed. Best advice is to "follow the instructions on startup and shut down" -- both are very important. Great tips. Thanks.
Yep. I shared an update on that topic here: Pellet Grill Myths Exposed: 5 Myths Busted!
th-cam.com/video/8Kzc7RgwESc/w-d-xo.html 🍻
Jake makes me crazy. No flash, just honest knowledge. Saving up for a Yoder, mind was set prior to discovering him. His tips and views are appreciated. I will admit the monotone can drive you to open a bottle rum. How about a video on how to incorporate rum into your cooks
Haha I actually don’t cook with rum. I prefer to drink it. Order videos where less engaging. You’d be surprised at how long it takes you to get comfortable in front of a camera. I speak to groups 30-200 frequently, a camera was a whole new game. 🍻
Great video, thanks for sharing and taking the time to educate us newbie’s!
Thanks! Thanks for watching. 🍻
Tip #9! Genius!!!! Don’t chase temps!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥 we’re new here and just smashed that subscribe button!!!!👏☺️
Haha, thanks! Thanks for watching and subscribing! 🍻
I'm an experienced pellet user, just wanted to say, one of the better "tips" video's out there.
Thanks, I appreciate that! 🍻
Rum and coke is for young whipersnappers. Try an old fashioned with Four Roses single barrel. You will be amazed. 😊
🤣 just can’t get into straight alcohol unfortunately. 🍻
Or just sit and drink beer like a man.
Lots of good information, I just picked up a used Pit Boss Rancher XL and I'm hooked!
Awesome congrats! 🍻
Great info brother!
I’m new to pellet grilling and this is appreciated. God bless the algorithm.
The hot spot description was an unknown.
Thanks again!
Awesome, happy to help! Sign up for my newsletter at www.pelletgrillsecrets.com and you’ll get a free guide. Good luck! 🍻
First time pellet grill user just started it, thank you for this video very helpfull
Help to help! Sign up for my newsletter and you’ll get my 11 secrets to more smoke download. Might be helpful: www.pelletgrillsecrets.com 🍻
Good tips video. I've been cooking on my pellet grill for 12 yrs and there were some good reminders here. I subscribed.
Thanks much! Welcome. 🍻
Got my first Traeger this helped a ton thank you
No prob! 🍻
Just picked up a Yoder, thanks for this, much appreciated
Congrats! No problem, thanks for watching.
Great advice, I have a YS640s and wasn't aware I had to start the grill with the door open? I read the manual twice and don't recall seeing this?
Thanks, it’s a general rule of thumb for pellet smokers. I’ve started it without opening as well, but most recommend leaving it open. Thanks for watching!
Nice video. Straight to the point and very informative.
Thanks much! 🍻
Good videos. Just purchased a YS 640S YODER pellet smoker and your videos are spot on and helpful. Thx
Awesome congrats! Sign up for my newsletter and you’ll get my 11 secrets to more smoke download. Might be helpful: www.pelletgrillsecrets.com 🍻
Right on time. Just bought my first pellet grill
Congrats! Thanks for watching.
Informative video! Kinda new to the game, and having a blast. Great tips! (“The fist thing”, had me lol)
Haha congrats, tons of fun once you get the hang of it. Thanks for watching! 🍻
Great video. Thanks, because I just bought Pitboss 1600...
Glad you found it helpful. 🍻
Nice. I learned some stuff. I’m going to clean my grill more often. 👍
Awesome! 🍻
Thanks for the tips. I just bought a Traeger yesterday (5.3.2024). My only experience is with my son-in-laws Traeger but he does all the maintenance.
Congrats. Most of these will translate directly to it as well. 🍻
Intelligent. Makes sense. Stick has been my choice but gonna buy a pellet. Too many’s ayers
Thanks. They are nice when you don’t have time to feed wood. 🍻
It's still a good safety practice, though. I think I'm going to start doing that.
Excellent video, just got my first smoker :)
Thanks. Congrats! 🍻
Nice video, you earned a new sub!
Thanks much, welcome! 🍻
Awesome no-hype video. Good tips
Thanks much! 🍻
Thank you that was a very good video I learned a lot...........Zeke
Happy to help! 🍻
Excellent video! Mistake #8 was the reason I switched from an offset wood burning smoker to a pellet grill. I let the electronics in the grill control temperature rather than myself CONSTANTLY checking and rechecking temps. Put in too much wood and BOOM! Your temp skyrockets. Yes my Pit Boss XL varies a little bit, but overall it is a much better "set and forget" system.
Yeah that all vary a bit. Any pellet grill that doesn’t show any variation is lying 😃🍻
yeah the ash. It gets every where... + on what ever is cooking. I keep my RecTec parked... I guess I have some kind of thing... about all the pellet dust... most likely, there isn't a health concern... but who knows. Good Video
Yep, side effect of a pellet grill unfortunately. I don’t think there is an issue, but I try not to breath it in 😀. Thanks for watching. 🍻
Great video I really enjoyed watching it and I did learn something as well. Thanks for sharing. Paul Kendrick In Douglasville Georgia
Quite welcome! 🍻
Awesome video! I just purchased a pellet grill. This was all helpful. Thank you sir.
Congrats. Quite welcome. 🍻
Ive had my Yoder 640 for a few years and tonight it stopped cooking on me for the second time. I was smoking jerky at 180. I cleaned everything and let the temp come up for an hour before placing my meat trays on the grill for true smoking. Checked on things 90 minutes in and saw that it was at 90 degrees and a pellet tray overfilled with zero heat. I am finishing the jerky in my home oven. Not happy to pay over $3k for what a GMG or Traeger can give me for $500. Yoders have thick steel but the electronics seem to be as cheap as any other much less expensive pellet pooper out there.
I have hundreds of cooks on it and have never had a flame out. What kind of pellets are you using? 🍻
New to this - thank you for the video!
No problem! 🍻
Howdy Jake! I clean my temperature probe with rubbing alcohol on a paper towel.
That works as well! 🍻
We are new to pellet grilling and have some good success already but still found your tips a helpful review - thanks. We have found it helpful to put a layer of Al over the diffuser. (Cutting slots as needed) and after a few cooks it can be easily removed leaving diffuser in good shape. We have been using Thermoworks probes for years. Very tight coordination with each of our Camp Chef’s 4 probes. It keeps temp amazingly within +/- 5 degrees which I find outstanding, and unexpected.
Yep, I used to use a lot of foil on my diffuser and it works great. I’ve been a bit lazy recently though 😃. Congrats on the recent grill, happy to hear you are enjoying. Thanks for watching! 🍻
New to Pellet grills, I’ve been cooking with them for about 5 years
There is a learning curve to use one to to get the best results, keep at it as it will pay off
After watching a few of your videos I will tell you what I like: you ask all the questions that I ask about longevity of types of BBQ's/smokers and differences between taste.
Thanks! I didn’t think about longevity when I was younger and wasted a lot of money 😀. Thanks for watching. 🍻
@@RumandCook When you go a big box store the bbq/smokers are all the cheapest thing you can buy. I've bought them and I usually get 3 years out of them before they rust out. Even with covers on them. When I went with a Primo kamado style it has a 10 year warranty so for a little more money you buy something that lasts. Its a big thing to consider when you make a purchase. Right now looking at a pellet grill. Looking at the yoder you have. 10 year warranty looks good. Most reviews say its great but smoke flavor is lacking.
Pellet grills in general produce less smoke than other options. I have a video where I share 11 tips to maximize smoke on a pellet grill. You can get a good amount of smoke using those steps. The Yoder does a good job overall and you get some advantages of high temp indirect cooking which is great for chicken. The Yoder can also sear which many cannot.
Wouldn’t replace your Primo, but would compliment it. 🍻
Seems to be some good info I've never even HEARD of 'em till this morning, so the few questions I would have would be...
*1* Give an example of how much/many pellets in weight or volume will let's say smoking an 8lb pork butt use?
*2* You mentioned the quality of the pellets, so does PRICE necessarily dictate quality, or what brand(s) do you rate as a better quality?
*3* Are the cooking grates/surfaces any better from one model to the next...some seem to be just a "wire" of sorts like any other grill, whereas some look like thick iron/steel ribs of sorts.
*TIA*
1) very dependent on temp outside, cooking temp, and quality of pellets but I would say 12-14 pounds.
2) no price does not dictate quality directly, but probably has some input. I’m a Bear Mountain BBQ pellet guy personally.
3) nope. I’d focus on max temp and whether or not you can sear. Avoid the “best selling brand” because that’s the best part about them. 🤣🍻
Appreciate you going right into your presentation/bullet points instead of doing a "hey everyone" look at my fat head in the camera routine, a scenario I've seen.
🤣 Thanks haha. 🍻
Thanks for this video! I’ve found myself chasing the temp! Just leave it alone and don’t touch it! Thanks!
Can’t put smart the tech 😉🍻
@@RumandCook nope! Shout out coming your way!
I just watched this and it is 3 years old haha. Just got a pellet grill. What did you decide was the best pellets to use? Thanks
Awesome congrats. Check out www.pelletgrillsecrets.com I tested and use Bear Mountain BBQ. 🍻
I have the thermo pro that is wireless and good for 1000' and love it
Many good points in here, but some of these steps I'm guessing must be brand specific. I own the Traeger Timberline series and had an incredible struggle for the first year and a half trying to reach the temperature. It was typically off by about 40 degrees and typically could not get to 225 degrees. After speaking with a Traeger support agent and ruling out the possibility of poor pellet quality or storage he asked if I start the smoker with the lid open. This is what I had always done as per TH-cam experts. I didn't think it was even slightly possible that starting my smoker with the lid open could possibly impede temperature control. But the agent assured me this is a common issue and the it should be started with the lid closed. I was extremely skeptical, but figured I would try before sending the smoker back. To my surprise it fixed the problem entirely and have never had an issue since and the temp does not swing more than 8 degrees.
I misspoke on the lid tip, but I dont see why that would affect the ongoing temp. I've owned 3 Traegers and never had an issue with temp starting with the lid up. The temp is calculated in real time. That just doesn't make any sense, but If it worked, it worked. 🍻
@@RumandCook thanks for your response. I agree with you. It doesn't make any sense which I find it quite frustrating. The fellow I spoke with from Traeger couldn't' give me an answer as to why, either. Maybe this is a quick fix to a problem they haven't solved yet.
With that said, great stuff on your channel.
I love this thing! The taste of meat is awesome!
Most temperature probes these days are RTDs, which do not need cleaning. Most grill manuals will say to only clean it if it's excessively greasy, and then do so gently and carefully.
Yep, every pit is going to be different. 🍻
Good info, thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching! 🍻
Thank you for this!
Welcome! 🍻
TIP - inside you're grease bucket, use old jars of product like spaghetti sauce instead of tin foil. works great...seal it...throw it out.
That works! 🍻
Jarred Sauce? 🤮
My weber Smokefire recommends starting with lid closed
Yeah I misspoke on that one. Everyone is different. 🍻
Great info!
Thanks! 🍻
GREAT info!!
Thank you sir.
Happy to help! 🍻
New pellet smoker.Thank you for the tips.
Awesome congrats. Glad it helped! 🍻
Excellent video thanks very much!!!
No prob! 🍻
Awesome advice. well said
Thanks much!
I was stressing about temp swings super hard. Then like you said I just stopped caring about it. It’s crazy how it really doesn’t make a difference lmao
Yep 😃. Most ovens have a swing and no one even knows because there isn’t a digital temp shown on those. Thanks for watching! 🍻
Recteq recommends starting your grill with the lid closed
Pellet Grill Myths Exposed: 5 Myths Busted!
th-cam.com/video/8Kzc7RgwESc/w-d-xo.html 🍻
All of these “mistakes” are relative to the smoker that you have and what you’ve done to it. My pitboss 1150 pro is within 5-8 degrees left/center/right after a few mods I’ve done to it. Also you should note smoking lower for longer can also dry the meat out too
@@sik05civic i just got that pit. What upgrades you recommend?
Is the pellet smoke production video still coming? I'm new to the pellet grill game and I'd love to have some info on this
I’m going to be putting something together, but to be honest, I put about 40 hours in and I could not duplicate my guesses back to back. I tried it with my wife as well. Once you get some smoke flavor on your mouth it gets difficult to distinguish each option. I came up with 2 that I liked each time though. Bear Mountain Pellets and Lumberjack. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this. I'm planning on buying a pellet grill and this video helped me a lot! Sub'd!
No problem, happy to help.
Thanks for watching and subscribing! 🍻
Really good advice I don't ever cook / 225 smoking
Thanks. 🍻
Great information and video. Wonderful beneficial tips for a newbie.
Thank you sir!
This Guy is F ing awesome found him today ... knows his stuff 👈🏿👍🏿💯
Thanks much! Check out: www.pelletgrillsecrets.com and you can get my 11 secrets to more smoke guide. 🍻
Did they video about the different kinds of pellets happen? I can’t seem to find it.
Unfortunately had microphone issues and the video was destroyed. I don’t have enough day light this time of year to redo.
Just got a Traeger pellet grill. Got a question. The smoke pipe chimney top seems to sit sealed without a gap to allow smoke to escape. Is this normal? Will the pressure of the smoke create a mechanism to allow the cone top to move so smoke escapes? When i did the first curing or burn out. Smoke came out from the lid and all over. Just curious if this is normal? Thanks for your videos. I'm new here.
Sounds like you tightened the cap too much. There should be a gap there. Check out www.pelletgrillsecrets.com and sign up for my newsletter. 🍻
Great video. Very informative and you have some good points. I already do this stuff but it never hurts to see how someone else does it or if you may have missed something. Great job!
Thank you sir! I appreciate it. 🍻
Wait a minute!!!! I just discovered this video and your 1st tip is already a questionable one!!!! In watching many pellet videos the biggest complaint is that they don’t deliver the same smoky flavor as a stick burner. This was addressed by Mad scientist BBQ by putting your meat on a cold grill as it heats up. You get the most smoke during the heat up and on my last brisket the difference was noticeable to say the least!
I have a follow up video that is called the 11 secrets to maximize smoke on a pellet grill.
I put my meat on ice cold so it still gets extra time in the smoke.
Remember this is a general video to apply to grilling and smoking. Yoder recommends waiting 30 minutes until temps properly stabilize. You can do that with meat in there, the big thing is not tweaking the dials.
Thanks for watching. 🍻
You’ve got my sub! Excellent video☺️
Glad you enjoyed and welcome! 🍻
Would suggest to calibrate your pellet grill if allowed. GMG you can move heat diffuser left or right to help even temperature across the grill
It’s been calibrated. I did a video on that not too long ago. It’s def a good idea to do that once or twice a year.
Thanks for watching! 🍻
Question about the degreasers. Is the reason for the two different kinds of degreaser would you use one for interior and is the milder one more for use on the exterior surface? Thanks
Nothing inside except if you remove the grates and do them separately. Milder one on paint and in general. The other one for stainless and tough stains. 🍻
Im curious about the new 100 percent charcoal pellets for searing with open flame on my yoder. Maybe a review on them too?
On my list! I’m curious to see how they taste as well. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video's I am looking into getting a Yoder. The problem is do I get the 640 are the 480. It's just me and my wife and not sure if I need the 640, plus I might have a problem getting the 640 up on my deck because it's just me. Thanks again for the video's
480 is probably going to be just fine for you. You have 2 levels of racks so you can still cook a good amount of food.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you, great information!
Welcome 🍻
So what do I do if I have a vertical smoker as far as lid open when doing initial burn on start up?
Check your owners manual, but I misspoke on this one. Many manufacturers says start with lid closed. 🍻
I really like your channel.
Thank you! Appreciate that 🍻
I’m watching a few more vids right now!
Great video
Thanks! 🍻
Great video. Thank you
Thanks! 🍻
How do you use the slide bar on the right hand side of the grill? Is the for temperature control etc.
That is for a damper that moves inside. You can move the hotter spot in the grill from middle to side or side. I’ve never used it much. I’ll be doing a video to measure the differences though.
@@RumandCook thank you for the damper effect
No prob. I did work on a video but it was windy and the effect of moving around the damper was minimal. I want to wait until closer to summer so I’m not doing it in the cold 😀
Have an older Traegar Eastwood pellet smoker. Could you turn a pellet smoker into an offset smoker less expensive than buying an offset smoker? I'm curious if it's worth the conversion and results.
Thank you
Not worth the effort. The metal on one of those is too thin to hold enough heat for an offset and the airflow won’t work properly. 🍻