A workable size chip for the pellet smoker hopper
Since our start as a company in 2005, we’ve heard this question asked more times than we can count. Is there any way to use wood chips with my pellet smoker?
The equipment manufacturer protection response is, No. But, as with any thought of a new potential sales market, many manufacturers wanted a means of saying “yes”.
Leading the Way
Years ago, there were attempts to integrate hardwood sawdust in the pellet hopper. Thinking that sawdust is so fine it would never cause an equipment breakdown, many pellet owners used this method. In the end, it never gained legs due to no change in overall flavor.
It wasn’t until recently that one grill/smoker manufacturer wanted to step into the pellet smoker market. You might say, that’s nothing new but this was a different effort. Instead of just making a piece of equipment, this manufacturer tested the affect of combing pellets and wood chips on the equipment. He found it worked!
Did We Follow?
We include a database on our site called, Match Your Cooker that allows for product match to be made to hundreds of equipment brands on the market. There are all types of equipment listed: ceramic cookers, kettle grills, electric grill/smokers, offset smoker, commercial-grade brands, bullet smokers, etc. One group of equipment that we don’t include and won’t plan to include is pellet smokers.
The reason is simple. The majority of pellet grills and smokers instructions clearly state to only use pellets. There is an unspoken understanding that if you go against this instruction, you will void any warranty.
Minuto® Chip Option
SmokinLicious® prides itself on helping others navigate the wood cooking world. For this reason, we can state that using our Minuto® Wood Chips in sizing #4 IS an option for pellet smokers. The key is in the mix between the pellets and wood chips. There are many suggestions for using equal parts of each but we feel it is more important to always blend a larger percentage of pellets to chips. The hopper is designed for the compressed wood pieces that are called pellets. Wood chips are not compressed. The other key factor is to only use wood chips that are sifted or screened into one concise size. Remember, pellets are uniform. The wood chips must mimic this uniformity.
This could finally be the first modification in using a pellet smoker for increased smoke flavor. It’s a great time to experiment. A great time to share your findings with others who love the ease of use of the pellet smoker but want just a bit more for the flavor outcome.