Guess who is the idiot???

[AmericanMike]

I was the idiot.

Just got my smoker and have been cooking something every day for the last week. Yesterday had some wings and ham steaks on and about an hour in the smoker was fighting to maintain temp of 230. Got as low as 170 I opened the hopper to see what was up and stir it with a stick. That is when I saw it….sawdust. Massive clean out ensued.

Why? Well even thought I read all the advice and all the warnings I dumped half my 40lb bag of competition pellets into the hopper when I set it up last week. The other half of the bag tuck into the corner of my deck. Well it’s been a humid week and two significant rain storms that hit the bag. The bag had a couple of snags I didn’t see letting in moisture. I had dumped the remaining bag into the hopper before the cook, compounding the problem.

Well lessened learned. My remaining supply now safely in 5gal pails with sealed lids stashed in a storage room in my house.

I’m enjoying this forum and now have come to realize the advise in here is not just for my entertainment value.

 

[Dab942]

Some things we learn the easy way, some we don't

 

[Steelheader1974]

It’s not a bad idea to sift ur pellets also. I got all that crap out of a 40lb bag but only sifted about 25lbs.

 

[Mike From R.I.]

It’s not a bad idea to sift ur pellets also. I got all that crap out of a 40lb bag but only sifted about 25lbs. View attachment 2679

Wow... Pit Boss brand?

 

[Dab942]

I have a 5 gallon bucket more than 1/2 full from sifting 2 forty pound bags - PitBoss from Lowes.

 

[AmericanMike]

It’s not a bad idea to sift ur pellets also. I got all that crap out of a 40lb bag but only sifted about 25lbs. View attachment 2679

Yes I am now doing that as part of my process. Definitely a design improvement opportunity to have the dust fall aside before entering the auger.

 

[Guineabear]

Live and learn. The school of hard knocks is a great teacher.

I keep all my pellets in sealed 5 gallon buckets and sift.

 

[gooose53]

I was the idiot.

Just got my smoker and have been cooking something every day for the last week. Yesterday had some wings and ham steaks on and about an hour in the smoker was fighting to maintain temp of 230. Got as low as 170 I opened the hopper to see what was up and stir it with a stick. That is when I saw it….sawdust. Massive clean out ensued.

Why? Well even thought I read all the advice and all the warnings I dumped half my 40lb bag of competition pellets into the hopper when I set it up last week. The other half of the bag tuck into the corner of my deck. Well it’s been a humid week and two significant rain storms that hit the bag. The bag had a couple of snags I didn’t see letting in moisture. I had dumped the remaining bag into the hopper before the cook, compounding the problem.

Well lessened learned. My remaining supply now safely in 5gal pails with sealed lids stashed in a storage room in my house.

I’m enjoying this forum and now have come to realize the advise in here is not just for my entertainment value.

I know we all could tell some stories.....doing a KCBS comp in Franklin, NC a few years ago. Getting the chicken about done and tipped the pan letting a ton of grease hit the coals. Fire shot up so high it destroyed my 10x10 tent when I threw my huge cup of tea on the coals. My wife trying to get away from the fire tripped and hit her head on the trailer. See, you didn't do so bad!!

 

[Steelheader1974]

Wow... Pit Boss brand?

No they were cookin pellets I got the bag off of Amazon so I’m assuming it was not handled very well plus the bag was open. I wanted to try there perfect mix which is hickory cherry maple and apple mix. I had there hickory and cherry pellets before and they weren’t that bad. I been using bear mountain at my girlfriends house and those seem pretty clean. Prior to sundays cook I was using lumber jack char hickory mixed with cherry those were pretty clean too.

 

[ANT0407]

No they were cookin pellets I got the bag off of Amazon so I’m assuming it was not handled very well plus the bag was open. I wanted to try there perfect mix which is hickory cherry maple and apple mix. I had there hickory and cherry pellets before and they weren’t that bad. I been using bear mountain at my girlfriends house and those seem pretty clean. Prior to sundays cook I was using lumber jack char hickory mixed with cherry those were pretty clean too.

Crazy, that came from cookin pellets. I've never had that much in a bag from them. I think your right, it had to have been mis handheld.

 

[Steelheader1974]

Crazy, that came from cookin pellets. I've never had that much in a bag from them. I think your right, it had to have been mis handheld.

The bag was different also then the prior bags. Maybe a super old bag lol.

 

[ideleon]

I was the idiot.

Just got my smoker and have been cooking something every day for the last week. Yesterday had some wings and ham steaks on and about an hour in the smoker was fighting to maintain temp of 230. Got as low as 170 I opened the hopper to see what was up and stir it with a stick. That is when I saw it….sawdust. Massive clean out ensued.

Why? Well even thought I read all the advice and all the warnings I dumped half my 40lb bag of competition pellets into the hopper when I set it up last week. The other half of the bag tuck into the corner of my deck. Well it’s been a humid week and two significant rain storms that hit the bag. The bag had a couple of snags I didn’t see letting in moisture. I had dumped the remaining bag into the hopper before the cook, compounding the problem.

Well lessened learned. My remaining supply now safely in 5gal pails with sealed lids stashed in a storage room in my house.

I’m enjoying this forum and now have come to realize the advise in here is not just for my entertainment value.

It happens to the best of us....
If the smoker is out on the deck, be sure to invest in a cover for it, the moisture can also sneak into the hopper.
that will cause a mess, I learned through Hard Knox Camp...

 

[speedychef]

I store my pellets on my front porch but it's a covered porch. I keep them in a far corner where no rain can get to them. Even with humidity I haven't had any problems. I have been buying the Pit Boss brand from Wal-Mart.

 

[andrew.short]

Did this yesterday for that exact purpose. Any time you transfer pellets...bag to bucket, bag to hopper, bucket to hopper, hopper to bucket...whatever...dump them in this first, shake, then transfer. eliminates most of the dust!

 

[AmericanMike]

It happens to the best of us....
If the smoker is out on the deck, be sure to invest in a cover for it, the moisture can also sneak into the hopper.
that will cause a mess, I learned through Hard Knox Camp...

I got a cover same time I bought the unit. Thanks.