I know that this question has a lot of variables that could impact the answer, but on a nice day (70 - 80 F), how many hours will a full hopper last if doing low and slow (225 F)?
1 50 1 1/2 pounds of pellets an hour, but, this depends on a lot of other variables, with the biggest variable being the pellets, i.e., brand, flavor, fly ash content (bark), etc.
Thanks Herb, is your estimate based on BBQ Delight pellets?
Dr ROK wrote:Thanks Herb, is your estimate based on BBQ Delight pellets?
They are all we use and the factory, and all I personally use.
I'd say 1.5 per hr is decent. I don't use BBQ D but I use another popular brand.
When I do pork butts (6 at a time) I fill the hopper to almost the top. It does hold more than 20 lbs, could be close to 27 lbs when filled to the top. I start heating up at 930 PM, butts on at 10 PM. The butts are cold so the smoker needs a lot of heat to get back to temp due to the butts and the cover being open for more than a few minutes. I monitor for 30 mi and go to bed. I'm up at 3-4 AM to check/rotate butts from the hotter side to cooler side and wrap. The hopper is still over 1/2 full, I refill and go back to bed.
My temps are cooler since it's at night (50f?). I do have a welding blanket and a moving blanket (cheap at Harbor Freight) I use for long nighttime cooks.
I'd like to estimate I use about 20 lbs for a 10-12 hr cook.
Yoder Herb's store (or this website) has BBQ D pellets. I'm sure they get them at amazing discounts and honestly, if I was him I'd push the pellets. They are very good pellets, just too expensive for me here in smaller quantities.. There are some junk pellets out there, just pick the one you can get that is good at the best price. I'd order BBQ D by a ton if I needed that many and didn't have massive shipping costs. Not too many trees in Las Vegas.
Conumdrum wrote:I'd say 1.5 per hr is decent. I don't use BBQ D but I use another popular brand.
When I do pork butts (6 at a time) I fill the hopper to almost the top. It does hold more than 20 lbs, could be close to 27 lbs when filled to the top. I start heating up at 930 PM, butts on at 10 PM. The butts are cold so the smoker needs a lot of heat to get back to temp due to the butts and the cover being open for more than a few minutes. I monitor for 30 mi and go to bed. I'm up at 3-4 AM to check/rotate butts from the hotter side to cooler side and wrap. The hopper is still over 1/2 full, I refill and go back to bed.
My temps are cooler since it's at night (50f?). I do have a welding blanket and a moving blanket (cheap at Harbor Freight) I use for long nighttime cooks.
I'd like to estimate I use about 20 lbs for a 10-12 hr cook.
Yoder Herb's store (or this website) has BBQ D pellets. I'm sure they get them at amazing discounts and honestly, if I was him I'd push the pellets. They are very good pellets, just too expensive for me here in smaller quantities. There are some junk pellets out there, just pick the one you can get that is good at the best price. I'd order BBQ D by a ton if I needed that many and didn't have massive shipping costs. Not too many trees in Las Vegas.
Thanks for the info Conundrum! Definitely some info here that I'd like to dig into a little deeper.
I purchased the 640 to do large cooks. In the past I've used a small electric Cookhack Smokette that could only hold 2 butts and a pan of beans under them. I'm hoping the Yoder will hold 6 butts on the top shelf, with 3 pans of beans on the bottom shelf. While my electric can only do small loads, I never had to wrap or rotate. I could put them on at 10 PM and sleep till 7 without checking anything. Sounds like I will have to now, so if your willing I have a few questions for you so i don't screw up a case of butts!
1) When you do 6 at a time, how long does your cook typically take?
2) Have you ever tried cooking butts on the top shelf with beans on the lower shelf?
3) Do you wrap based on time, bark development, or internal temp?
4) You use the blanket in 50º F weather?
5) If you have a Walmart nearby, you can find BBQ Delight pellets branded as B & B pellets. If they don't carry them maybe you could get them to order some for you.
I cook my butts at 250-260. They go on at 10 PM, get wrapped at 3-5 AM, and all 6 are off about 11 AM
I have cooked two butts with beans on the lower shelf.
I wrap on temp and probe tenderness. I wrap at about 160f
In the desert things are a bit different even at Wally World and ordering isn't for me. I get a decent price on my brand from a wood supply store. I like the mixes, not a pure wood. Maple/Hickory/Cherry for pork Oak hickory maple for beef.
Yes, when it's really windy and lows in the 40/50s the blanket saves some pellets, so why not?
You were able to do the two butts on your electric smoker because it was vertical. Now you have a much larger horizontal space so the temps can change from left to right. It's the way it is. Yoder also has radiant heat from the bottom so butts on the top rack will cook slower, so rotating on a long cook helps them to come off at the same time. I still have my electric, first smoker. It's used for Jerky and fish now. Low temps.
The space on the upper rack can easily hold two 9-10lb butts without touching and 4 on the bottom.
If you like bean recipes, I have an awesome one called wicked beans. If you want it please PM me and I will send you a PDF or a link if I can find it.
The Yoder is a great pellet smoker and has been great for me for many years. You can't go wrong. It's more pricey than other smokers, but worth every penny. If you need more upper space you need to look at the big daddy, the 1500.
When I do beans and butts, I prep my beans and warm in a large pan on the stove just to bring to temp maybe 150f or so. When the butts come off the smoker to rest in a cooler, I put the beans in pans and then onto the smoker. I take some butt drippings (yum) and add to the beans, so they have that fat dripping goodness like they have been in the smoker for hours. When the butts come out of the cooler, the beans come off the smoker. Works like a champ, and you can better control the bean 'doneness'.
Message sent. Appreciate the help!
04/01/18
Outside temp 50 degrees and windy
Lumberjack Comp blend pellets
Brisket-
Cook temp was set to 250 degrees
9 hour cook
20 lb of pellets
Foil on defuser plate
Damper 3/4 open
04/08/18
Outside temp 43 degrees, breezy
B&B Hickory pellets
3 racks of ribs-
Cook temp was set to 225 degrees
6 hour cook
10 lb of pellets
No foil on defuser
Damper 3/4 open
04/10/18
Outside temp 54 degrees no wind
Pit Boss Applewood pellets
Roster chicken
Cook temp was set to 350 degrees
2 hour cook
No foil on defuser plate
6 lb of pellets
Damper 3/4 open
These are my cook times and pellet consumption so far.
Steves yoder wrote:04/01/18
Outside temp 50 degrees and windy
Lumberjack Comp blend pellets
Brisket-
Cook temp was set to 250 degrees
9 hour cook
20 lb of pellets
Foil on defuser plate
Damper 3/4 open
04/08/18
Outside temp 43 degrees, breezy
B&B Hickory pellets
3 racks of ribs-
Cook temp was set to 225 degrees
6 hour cook
10 lb of pellets
No foil on defuser
Damper 3/4 open
04/10/18
Outside temp 54 degrees no wind
Pit Boss Applewood pellets
Roster chicken
Cook temp was set to 350 degrees
2 hour cook
No foil on defuser plate
6 lb of pellets
Damper 3/4 open
These are my cook times and pellet consumption so far.
Looks like you are really putting your Yoder through the paces. Thanks for sharing!
Steves yoder wrote:04/01/18
Outside temp 50 degrees and windy
Lumberjack Comp blend pellets
Brisket-
Cook temp was set to 250 degrees
9 hour cook
20 lb of pellets
Foil on defuser plate
Damper 3/4 open
04/08/18
Outside temp 43 degrees, breezy
B&B Hickory pellets
3 racks of ribs-
Cook temp was set to 225 degrees
6 hour cook
10 lb of pellets
No foil on defuser
Damper 3/4 open
04/10/18
Outside temp 54 degrees no wind
Pit Boss Applewood pellets
Roster chicken
Cook temp was set to 350 degrees
2 hour cook
No foil on defuser plate
6 lb of pellets
Damper 3/4 open
These are my cook times and pellet consumption so far.
Latest update
04/29/18
Outside temp 60 degrees breezy
Smoke ring Hickory BBQ pellets
Ribeye roast Montreal seasoning
4 hour cook
No foil on defuser plate
6 lb of pellets
Damper 3/4 open
It would seem to me that the warmer temps make a difference as I suspected they would or possibly the pellets themselves. We shall see.
620# of pellets used with an average burn (hopper set at 225- 250) over 2# per hour in cold conditions and less than 2# per hour in hot conditions. Winds over 10mph seemed to increase burn rates more than temperature. Most efficient cooks (1# per hr) were low and slow 225 deg during mid day sun, low/no winds above 90 deg ambient.
• 120# Cooking pellets PM: All flavor-wood(amazon)
o Temps varied with medium ash
o Readily available at under $2/pound delivered
• 120# Lumberjack: Hickory, Cherry (local)
o Good results but seemed to burn a fast
o Readily available at over $2/pound
• 120# BnB: Apple, Cherry, Hickory, Pecan, Jack Daniel’s (web)
o Steady cooking temperatures with low ash (similar to BBQ delight)
o Acadamy sports now $1 per pound
• 260# BBQ delight: Hickory, Cherry (web/firecraft)
o Steady cooking temperatures with low ash
o Readily available at under $2/pound delivered
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