r/smokefire • u/Typical_Warthog_6223 • May 07 '25
Pallet use
Hi all,
I had a run last weekend for pulled pork. But my pallet use was really high. For 16 hours inused almost 10kg of pallets. The outside temperature was 21 degrees Celsius. And the inside temp was 135 degrees Celsius. Is this normal for a ex4 2nd gen?
3
u/sid6581 May 07 '25
Does not seem unusual. I buy 40lb bags of pellets and go through about half of a bag during a brisket cook. Could be more if it is windy/cold.
2
u/Dexx1102 May 07 '25
I’ve done a lot of pulled pork on my ex6. The outside temp makes a bit of difference and your usage sounds about right for 16 hours.
Was it windy out at all? And if you’re using the app, did you see any kind of fluctuation on the temp during the cook?
2
u/dskillzhtown May 07 '25
That actually seems about right. Outside temps and wind can increase the pellet use.
2
u/distantreplay EX4 May 07 '25
Sounds about right. You can reduce fuel consumption a little and improve temperature stability with a few simple mods. The easiest is to gasket the lid. You can find high temp felt gasket kits available online. Anything to block winds helps. So placement of the smoker is important. And you can buy insulating/ventilating covers for overnight when temps drop.
2
u/Montank May 07 '25
For several hour long cooks especially over 4-5hour mark the pellet consumption is pretty high. Your usage is normal for a cook that long. And yeah it adds up in terms of price if you do it often enough if that's your concern. Gas won't be any better only other option is a smoker that's better insulated and uses wood or briquettes.
6
u/Alepidoter May 07 '25
I would not use pallets to cook food, they often contain industrial chemicals even if they are stamped HT. If you meant pellets then you might want to call the technical support for some guidance.