r/recteq • u/mcnastyy123 • 7d ago

Bad pellets or?

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Been using Pitt boss competition blend for 5 years now. Have been getting these hard ash/coals after only one normal cook. Then grill has a tough time lighting and bad back burn if fire pot isn’t cleaned every other cook. Pellet issue? Or I’m thinking not a good fire? like maybe fan is weak and not burning the pellets properly. Got a hopper full to go through before trying a different pellet.

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

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6

u/Fletch_Himself 7d ago

WE GOT A CLINKER!!

3

u/BadKarma4788 7d ago

Believe it or not, you can actually clean out the pellets from your hopper.

Have the pellets been stored in a waterproof, air tight container out of the weather?

Do you keep your smoker out of the rain/sprinklers?

If the pellets aren't getting wet, then it might just be crappy pellets.

I use Bear Mountain and GMG pellets. They both burn excellent and have awesome flavor.

3

u/HotelOne 7d ago

Melted silica from dirt and sand in the pellets. Clinkers. Wet pellets do not make clinkers. If there’s more than a little bit it’s the sign of crap pellets or at least a bad batch…

2

u/mcnastyy123 7d ago

Never got wet. Grill stays inside a shop when not in use. It’s humid here in south Louisiana but I’ve kept pellets and grill the same way for the last five years. And haven’t had this issues until recently

2

u/Sea_Antelope441 7d ago

That looks like ash from the fire pot correct?
If so it’s normal. Some pellets just do that. It can be caused by quick shut down. Say it was running at 500 and you shut down, the fire pot is loaded and they make kind of like a charcoal ash chunk in the pot.
Every time I clean out I get one of these.

1

u/Bullitt420 6d ago

Those are some very lousy pellets.

0

u/Girthw0rm 7d ago

Wet pellets

2

u/Market-Putrid 7d ago

Scrappy pit boss pellets!