Anyone solve the Pellet Void issue

[Jayjay1976]

I see wisely used a drip pan. Excellent. I haven’t paid attention so maybe you already addressed it, but have you removed the wiregaurd over the pellet chute/auger? I never have a bridging problem…wire guard removed and pellets to the top of pellet hopper at all times.

I did not remove the finger guard but now that you mention it I'll definitely do that tomorrow since the first burn-in revealed an obvious bridging potential. Like I've read, one screw at a time with a rag stuffed into the chute just in case

On a side note, I did see a lot of glowing pellet fragments blowing around under the flavorizer bars and also some in the ash drawer, and I thought the fan was maybe unreasonably loud during the 450 burn-in? Guess I have never seen a pellet grill operating in person and incorrectly assumed they were as silent as gassers and charcoal grills are. I live in a row of townhouses and our unit is admittedly hunched between larger units so I have a tiny patio leading out to a sloping lawn dominated by a Linden tree, so I may have to cart this sucker to the far end to make all-day cooks more tolerable. Also, in the back of my mind a no-tech stick burner might be in the cards for those days I have nothing better to do than drink homebrew and tend to a fire.

 

[TimA]

I'm thinking about installing a wifi camera in the hopper so I can check on pellet feeding conditions remotely during long cooks. A step further would be to rig up a stirring motor or vibrator that can be activated as needed via wifi outlet, though that is really pushing the lazy factor.

Don’t think it will work, certainly not in all situations.

The two or three bridging issues I had that ruined a cook the hopper looked full. I made it a point to watch for it, this was the first three to four cooks.

I come from charcoal so tending doesn’t scare me. I go out to check pellet level and run my hand down right over the auger. Not a single issue since, it’s not fully a “set and forget” cooker and that’s perfectly ok with me.

 

[MackeyC34]

Don’t think it will work, certainly not in all situations.

The two or three bridging issues I had that ruined a cook the hopper looked full. I made it a point to watch for it, this was the first three to four cooks.

I come from charcoal so tending doesn’t scare me. I go out to check pellet level and run my hand down right over the auger. Not a single issue since, it’s not fully a “set and forget” cooker and that’s perfectly ok with me.

Tend to agree; SF is not a set and forget. If you want that - go buy an electric vertical smokerbox. I had one (MasterBuilt) and it would cook for days unattended if I needed it to. I prefer to stay close to my cook and in my case I don't do the long, overnight type cooking anymore such as a big brisket would entail.

 

[Goneincognito]

Anything other than an oven or a gas (propane) smoker is not a "set and forget" cooker as far as I'm concerned.
There are too many variables in anything else to just let it go from start to finish.
Sure, there are some that are easier to use and maintain than others but that doesn't make it "set and forget".

 

[TimA]

Tend to agree; SF is not a set and forget. If you want that - go buy an electric vertical smokerbox. I had one (MasterBuilt) and it would cook for days unattended if I needed it to. I prefer to stay close to my cook and in my case I don't do the long, overnight type cooking anymore such as a big brisket would entail.

Bigger cooks are an event. The entire day is scheduled around the meat...and the meat is the boss. Kids: “when are we going to eat?” “When the meat says we can”

 

[Jayjay1976]

I didn't think to take a damn photo of it but here's what happened. I was smoking some chicken thighs and checking on them frequently, kept adding a scoop of pellets every hour or so, not wanting to fill the hopper with pecan because I don't use it all the time. I got busy with something else and forgot to check in a while so I ran out there to find the auger drawing up the last bit of pellets, so I quickly added more to keep it going. I didn't get a low fuel notification because the sensor glass was still covered by pellets that somehow had tetris-d themselves together, supported by the hex head screws around the window. I'm going to replace those with pan-head screws or maybe tape over them so the pellets slide off easier.

I still love this thing but damn they really couldnt have done much worse designing the hopper. I mean, who spec'd those fasteners?

 

[JpsBBQ]

I would recommend keeping the hopper pretty full. The fuller the hopper the less likely for issues to occur. This is true with all brands. The weight of the pellets aides in the flow.

 

[TimA]

And conversely, the weight of the pellets allows bridging to occur in the first place, locking them together.

I always fill it full, but maybe somewhere around half is the key to where there’s enough to feed but not enough to aid in bridging.

 

[JpsBBQ]

And conversely, the weight of the pellets allows bridging to occur in the first place, locking them together.

I always fill it full, but maybe somewhere around half is the key to where there’s enough to feed but not enough to aid in bridging.

All I know is I’ve never had an issue with mine. Never. I’m not saying it has to be full but I firmly believe more pellets will generally flow better. Since I’ve never had an issue I’ll continue on my path. If you did have a bridging issue, I would not suggest removing pellets to elieviate the bridge. I suggest either adding pressure or stirring them. Of course, I could be wrong and just lucky.

 

[Jayjay1976]

 

[Goneincognito]

Nothing wrong with that (apart from the blocked sensor).

Just checked my hopper for the first time after 8hrs at 250
.

 

[bbqking]

Listen fellas, in all reality. If you leave the SmokeFire for long enough to run out of pellets it’s just plain irresponsible imo. Now if you wanting to do certain flavor pellets for different foods/meats….same. Pellet voids have never happened to me. Only time I ever had anything happen was I ran out once when I was low already. I’m always stirring them up. I keep my hopper completely full at all times. If I see a dip over the hopper I just move some down over the auger entrance.

 

[JpsBBQ]

Listen fellas, in all reality. If you leave the SmokeFire for long enough to run out of pellets it’s just plain irresponsible imo. Now if you wanting to do certain flavor pellets for different foods/meats….same. Pellet voids have never happened to me. Only time I ever had anything happen was I ran out once when I was low already. I’m always stirring them up. I keep my hopper completely full at all times. If I see a dip over the hopper I just move some down over the auger entrance.

Exactly.

 

[MackeyC34]

Exactly.

Concur - SF is not a 'set and forget' type cooker.

 

[JpsBBQ]

Concur - SF is not a 'set and forget' type cooker.

None of them are. It’s about as set and forget as they get. Non set and forget are offset smokers that require attention about every 30 minutes or so for hours on end.