What do you use - sifting

[DaveXDm9]

I do not sift as a saw dust does not hurt anything.

 

[HuntJ08]

FYI--In a humid environment, the sawdust buildup will clog up the auger system.

 

[DaveXDm9]

FYI--In a humid environment, the sawdust buildup will clog up the auger system.

Really...never heard of that ever happening to anyone I know that lives in a humid climate and Its gets very humid where I live and I never had a problem.

Is there a cerain manufacturer that states that you need to sift your pellets?

 

[HuntJ08]

No. Just picked up on it while "listening" to other users via YouTube videos. I have only used the PB pellets, and notice the difference among different varieties within their company, some worse than others.

 

[DaveXDm9]

No. Just picked up on it while "listening" to other users via YouTube videos. I have only used the PB pellets, and notice the difference among different varieties within their company, some worse than others.

I appreciate the response back it is interesting that Pit Boss and other Pellet manufactures never mention this issue.

 

[Sparky]

I look at it as preventive maintenance.

 

[MikeInFla]

I live in Florida where the humidity is high year round. I have never had a problem with a clogged auger but i think what can happen is the sawdust can harden if water gets in the hopper due to rain. I have a sifter and I use it from time to time but I use it mostly on abused bags of pellets. Sometimes I get a bag with little or no saw dust and just pour the whole bag in. Other times I get a bag that seems like it has been tossed around the store for 6 months and the sawdust will be very bad. That's really the only time I sift. Or when I make a 50/50 blend of charcoal pellets and something else. I'll load the sifter with charcoal pellets, dump it in a bucket then do the same with competition blend and repeat until the bucket is full.

 

[DaveXDm9]

I had a argument with some guy in another forum claiming that Sawdust causes hopper fires....it was too much time wasted that I could not get back.

 

[JerryM]

Finally bought one from Amazon. You can see the amount of dust on my truck bed before I even fully sifted the pellets.

Is the dust causing you issues? It should just burn up as it hits the fire pond and be no big deal.

 

[JerryM]

I live in Florida where the humidity is high year round. I have never had a problem with a clogged auger but i think what can happen is the sawdust can harden if water gets in the hopper due to rain. I have a sifter and I use it from time to time but I use it mostly on abused bags of pellets. Sometimes I get a bag with little or no saw dust and just pour the whole bag in. Other times I get a bag that seems like it has been tossed around the store for 6 months and the sawdust will be very bad. That's really the only time I sift. Or when I make a 50/50 blend of charcoal pellets and something else. I'll load the sifter with charcoal pellets, dump it in a bucket then do the same with competition blend and repeat until the bucket is full.

Yeah I see what you're saying here about the moisture. Moisture in the auger would be a big problem even with pellets. As you probably know when they get damp they just start to puff up and fall apart.

 

[MikeInFla]

Is the dust causing you issues? It should just burn up as it hits the fire pond and be no big deal.

No, dust never a problem. I sift sometimes, most of the time I don't. Only if I happen to get a dusty bag.

 

[Guineabear]

Yes you should sift! I don't have one of these but I am planning on getting one (once Amazon prime starts back with 2 day shipping on non-essential items).

https://www.amazon.com/SE-GP2-14-Patented-Stackable-Sifting/dp/B008B0T5Z2/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=1/4+inch+pellet+sifter&qid=1587753785&sr=8-2

I happened to buy a bag of "Classic" at the end of the season at Walmart and it must've been tossed around quite a bit because it had a ton of swadust in it. That's when I grabbed one of our home sifters and sifted out the sawdust. Then I saw someone on YouTube use the one above so I will get one of those.

If you don't sift you run the risk of the sawdust building up and created a hardened wood blockage and your Pit Boss will not perform as it should.

I have one of those and use it every time I put pellets in the hopper. It does a good job with the shorts and dust.

 

[Warthog]

1/4” mesh works for me.

 

[Desert_Smokin]

Oklahoma Joe’s makes a bucket kit that a 20lb fits perfectly into. There’s a metal mesh insert that fits inside the plastic that allows the dust to fall to the bottom. Also includes a scoop that I drilled some holes in to allow additional dust to fall when I’m scooping.

Pellet Bucket Kit

The Oklahoma Joe's® Pellet Bucket Kit includes a filter and scoop in a bucket with an airtight lid to keep your hardwood pellets fresh, dry and ready to use.

www.oklahomajoes.com

 

[JerryM]

Oklahoma Joe’s makes a bucket kit that a 20lb fits perfectly into. There’s a metal mesh insert that fits inside the plastic that allows the dust to fall to the bottom. Also includes a scoop that I drilled some holes in to allow additional dust to fall when I’m scooping.

Pellet Bucket Kit

The Oklahoma Joe's® Pellet Bucket Kit includes a filter and scoop in a bucket with an airtight lid to keep your hardwood pellets fresh, dry and ready to use.

www.oklahomajoes.com

Okay I keep seeing people worried about dust. The only way I see it would be a problem is if moisture is getting into your system somehow. Are you saying that the dust builds up in your auger and that clogs it?