Northwest Fishing Reports

I am pondering using wood pellets in my Big Chief Smoker. But the question is: Will pellets work? When the Chief was designed there were only wood chips available.

If it is made out of wood, it will smolder and smoke. You might not want to put a bunch in to start. Just a few to see how they do. Might be more money using smoking designed pellets?

Let us know how it works .I have loads of bags of pellets from my Traeger. Id love to find a use for them.

Augwen wrote:If it is made out of wood, it will smolder and smoke. You might not want to put a bunch in to start. Just a few to see how they do. Might be more money using smoking designed pellets?

From the wee bit of price comparison I have done between chips vs pellets, in the wood variety. Pellets are cheaper per quantity sold. Is compressed, so you get more wood per volume. Is not glued to form its shape but instead compressed at super high PSI. The moisture in the wood, plus heat created from being compressed is what holds the dust in its pellet shape.

Quantity and price comparison: Smokehouse brand sells a bag of wood chips that weighs 1.75lbs.
Smokehouse also sells a bag of wood pellets, in the same bag that weighs 5lbs. And costs less
than the bag of chips. The pellets weight is almost 3 times at a cheaper cost. Peterson's
Pucks sells a 24 puck pack for 9.99, and claims that to equal 4 bags of chips. ("Peterson 24
Puck Pack", say that 3 times real fast.......LOL!!).


I have a sneaking suspicion, it will depend on the heat of the burner. Or BTU output. Might require a chip and pellet mix, in the pan, to get the smoking party started.

I've seen other pellets advertised as working in the Big/Little Chief pans, they were the big ones (pucks), can't remember the name right now but I can't see any reason they wouldn't work. The pitch was a single puck was worth like 4 pans of chips or something like that. Put in the puck and forget it. I thought it would be good for smoking bigger cuts of meat but for salmon I normally only use 2 pans so I didn't buy any. I'd like to hear how they work too, a bag of little pellets would go a long way.

racfish wrote:Let us know how it works .I have loads of bags of pellets from my Traeger. Id love to find a use for them.

What is the weight of the Traeger bag of pellets? Do you recall a rough cost per bag?

I believe they are 20 lb bags at 10.00 a bag at Cash N Carry

I have had good success with the pellets. They really smoke and burn complete, much better than chips. I've also tried a combination which worked pretty good.

Mike Carey wrote:I have had good success with the pellets. They really smoke and burn complete, much better than chips. I've also tried a combination which worked pretty good.

Mike, what brand of smoker are you using the "Pellets"? This is good news if using a Big Chief.

racfish wrote:I believe they are 20 lb bags at 10.00 a bag at Cash N Carry

That is a good buy. Was there wood pellet flavor choices?

MotoBoat wrote:

Mike Carey wrote:I have had good success with the pellets. They really smoke and burn complete, much better than chips. I've also tried a combination which worked pretty good.

Mike, what brand of smoker are you using the "Pellets"? This is good news if using a Big Chief.

Campchef. Uses propane.

I have for my Traeger Applewood, Alder,Cherry,Grape,hickory,Mesquite. Those are my Favorite ones Traeger makes pellets in an aray of types. I like the natural wood pellets. They had onion and garlic which was a wood pellet with flavoring. I dont like flavored pellets I like natural wood varieties. I mentioned grape because I eat both goat and lamb frequently and smoking either of those are great with grape.Apple is always my go to wood. Apple is great on all meats and seafoods.

racfish wrote:I have for my Traeger Applewood, Alder,Cherry,Grape,hickory,Mesquite. Those are my Favorite ones Traeger makes pellets in an aray of types. I like the natural wood pellets. They had onion and garlic which was a wood pellet with flavoring. I dont like flavored pellets I like natural wood varieties. I mentioned grape because I eat both goat and lamb frequently and smoking either of those are great with grape.Apple is always my go to wood. Apple is great on all meats and seafoods.

All the natural wood types mentioned are available at Cash-N-Carry? I had imagined one or two wood pellet options..maaaybe.

I just use regular chips, Although I prefer chunks cause they last longer. and Its only 2.89 at outdoor emporium and sportco

I smoke a lot of fish in my Smokin' Tex electric smoker. Each 4 hour smoke only uses 6 ounces of wood. If I want just a light smoke, I use 4 ounces. As I prefer Pecan, I will stick with the regular wood. I have asked my local Cash and Carry (United Grocers) if they can get Pecan but they said no they cannot. I by most of my meats to smoke there. Taking one of their 15 pound corned beefs and making Pastrami is great!!!

c_saeteurn wrote:I just use regular chips, Although I prefer chunks cause they last longer. and Its only 2.89 at outdoor emporium and sportco

Thats a good buy on chips.

Augwen wrote:I smoke a lot of fish in my Smokin' Tex electric smoker. Each 4 hour smoke only uses 6 ounces of wood. If I want just a light smoke, I use 4 ounces. As I prefer Pecan, I will stick with the regular wood. I have asked my local Cash and Carry (United Grocers) if they can get Pecan but they said no they cannot. I by most of my meats to smoke there. Taking one of their 15 pound corned beefs and making Pastrami is great!!!

Augwen, when you say "I will stick with the regular wood". Are you referring to chips, chunks or wood pellets? Does United Groceries carry chips as well as pellets?

I just tried the Peterson pucks for the first time in my little chief and it took 7 of the pucks to get a 4.5 hour smoke. I also found that the smoke really starts to dissipate after about half the puck has burned down in the first half hour or so.

Augwen Im with you on Cash &Carry. What a fantastic store. I buy my babybacks,spare ribs Briskets there. Its all IBP meats ( Iowa Beef Packers) meat. That store is great for certain foods. Especially meats.I go to the C&C on 21st south behind Stewart Lumber. Thats where I got those Traeger pellets from. The also carry the big bag of mesquite wood that is great for the BBQ. Prices are very reasonable.

I've had good luck with Bradley's Bisquette's (pucks) They are not too expensive either if you get 'em in the big 120pks. Cabela's has a lot of their smokers, chips, and accessories on sale 20% off until the end of the month.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home/Oct ... 713970.uts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home/Oct ... 713868.uts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home/Oct ... 714539.uts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse.c ... Rprd714539" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;