Pellet Fan
Pit Talk -- Comments and Questions Regarding These Pellet Pits => Memphis => Topic started by: Woody on April 18, 2018, 02:45:43 PM
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Hi all. I'm a new member and I've learned a lot on this forum. After doing a ton of research I decided to get a Memphis Pro. She's a beauty but I'm wondering what others experience with pellet consumption. This last Sunday I did a 13lb Prime brisket which has been my best yet, but I used about 2lbs/hr of RecTec pellets which are mostly oak. That was only the third time using the smoker so it's just developing the right seasoning. My environment was in my garage with 35 degree Michigan temperatures. Eric at Memphis tells me that I'm within normal range but it seems a little high to me so I thought I'd ask fellow owners. Please chime in if you want to.
I've bought Lumberjack and Smokering pellets to experiment with next. All 100% bags of oak, hickory, and cherry.
By the way, I roll my Memphis from my garage to pavers to deck. I'm looking into putting larger tires on it to ease that process but the originals are attached with a small footprint bracket and it may not be easy. If any of you have done this, please let me know. Thank you
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Can't tell you my Pro's consumption . It is less than my Traeger by a bunch. Any pellet pit will consume more at higher temperatures..I can smoke 225º ish for a few hours and use about a quart of pellets. Get up in temps and the pellet consumption
accelerates - you can hear them rattling down the chute... You didn't state cooking temperature and duration.
Bentley has competition wheels on his Pro, he may chime in..Others have gone from casters to wheels as well.I just don't recall who they were.
You have a fine pit there. Enjoy it!
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If that is normal, the new units burn a lot more then mine does...Maybe 2lbs/hr on 550°!
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/lwnna/Pellethead/PelletheadspelletConsumption42114.jpg)
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Yeah, I think I am at about 1#/hr at 250 degree set temp.
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At 250°, I may burn 3/4 of a pound, but that is probably a high est.! But the Elite did start to burn more at the higher ends then the Pro or Advantage!
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Thanks all. My temp was set at 275 for about 11 hours. My math said that I burned about 2lbs/hr. I accept that but it seems high. I'll do more cooks with different pellets and see what happens.
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Were you opening the lid frequently to mop or anything like that?
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So by your est., you went through 22 lbs? I am assuming they are still 16lb hoppers? You had to fill it with 6 more pounds before the cook was finished?
As I said, maybe the new models burn more. I probably could have gone 20 hours at 275° with my Pro...
My temp was set at 275 for about 11 hours. My math said that I burned about 2lbs/hr.
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I topped the 16lb hoppers off after about 7 hours at 275 in 35 degree weather. At that time the pellets were down into the lower half of the funnels and I estimate that I burned through 1/3 of the full hoppers in the next 3.5 hours. I'm making guesses and this was my first real cook so there are many variables including my own possible mistakes, the pellets, new condition of the smoker, and others. Regardless, I'm pretty sure that I used up about 2lbs/hr.
I'll try to do more accurate usage estimates with a scale and timed smokes in the next few weeks.
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TIRES: No one has responded to Woody's request about tires. He wants to make moving his pit easier to and from his garage.
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You have a few options for making it roll easier. Looking at the pictures online of the Memphis Pro, it appears the unit comes with plate casters. The easiest solution would be finding the largest casters that has the same size mounting plate, or at least the same bolt pattern for the mounting plate. A slightly more complicated solution would be to mount a frame where the casters are now that extends further out under the shelves at each end and installing larger rubber tires to the new frame piece. Both, the tires and the casters, can be sourced from a place like McMaster-Carr. The frame for the tires would have to be custom fabricated though. The last option I can think of is dollies with large casters. The largest McMaster-Carr has are 3" so this may not be much help over what you already have.
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Thanks to those who responded.
There may be an other options: One would be to have a frame work fabricated with wheels that the Pro sits on. The other would be to make the pathway, garage to patio, easier to traverse. IE: ramps or boards laid down over uneven ground. :2cents:
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My Pro is 16, but it is 8 years old, so maybe the news ones hold more.
As far as wheels, you either need to shell out the money for the competition or fabricate something from scratch, there is no middle ground!
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Thanks to all of you for putting effort into my questions. My hopper is the new current style and holds 18 lbs, not the 16 that i wrongly suggested. I continue to use the Memphis and have tried cooking several things including Costco sliced skinless pork belly which I talk about in the pork recipe section. I wish I could do something great with these dang bellies that Costco waives under my nose every time I'm there. Anyway...
I've used the grill about 6 times and all cooks have been above 275 degrees. The ambient temps in my area have been 35 to 60 and I swear that I'm burning 2lbs/hr of these oak RecTec pellets. The grill is working fine, no smoke is leaking badly, and the temps are correct in the grill so it is what it is. I'll experiment more with other brands of pellets and try to do a more scientific study with a scale. So far I have only guessed at this consumption rate.
As far as the wheels, I see the $400 competition setup and it's not worth that much to me but I appreciate the problem solving. Rigging up a decent looking new bottom with larger wheels wouldn't be that tough. The existing castors use an uncommon mounting plate which appears to be triangular and riveted in. If I go to the effort of changing it I'll post it.
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When you are ready to check the consumption rate for real, after you have it running at temp and had a couple oscillations above and below the set temp, fill the pellet bin to the top. Then run it for some period of time. Measure the amount of pellets it requires to fill it back up. That is the best way I have found.
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Thanks Slaga. Today I'm doing some pork belly at 225, This is my first time using the smoker under 275 and i can see after 5 hours that it's using much less than before. Same brand of pellets but my outdoor temp is 60 degrees.
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>I'll experiment more with other brands of pellets and try to do a more scientific study with a scale.
I'd be surprised if you see much with other pellets. All pellets/wood species have roughly the same BTU, and the Memphis controller does a great job burning the right amount to keep a constant temp.
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Damp pellets don't give off as much heat as some of the energy is used to rid them of water by converting the water to steam..An other variable is ambients and wind, even in the mighty Memphis.
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For what it's worth, yesterday I did an 8 hour smoke at 225 and it used less than 1lb/hr. As I said above, the outdoor temp was about 60. I must make the assumption that my earlier consumption rate of 2lbs/hr is a result of cooler ambient temps and higher smoker temps(Duh).
Bottom line...my Memphis Pro used 2lbs/hr+ of RecTec pellets at 275 degrees, if the outdoor temps are 35 or below. Same grill, same pellets, cooking at 225 degrees with 60 degree ambient temp uses less than 1lb/hr.
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As far as the tires I was asking about...I learned that the original casters are what they call grip ring stem casters which can be easily removed by sticking something like a tiny screwdriver into the hole in the caster housing from above. I've ordered replacement casters which are 5" wheels instead of the smaller 2 3/4" original size. It looks like the replacements will fit right into the original housing and work fine. I've included a picture of the original caster along with what I ordered as a replacement. These larger wheels will help with moving the grill across pavers and grass, although pneumatic tires would be better but I couldn't fine any with the stems that will fit.
I ordered grey replacement casters with brakes very similar to the originals, but I found blue and red ones that would look cool to some. Total cost of these replacements with shipping was $36.00
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This is the original wheel? And it is not working for you? You really would not have like the wheels 8 years ago!
(https://pelletfan.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2371.0;attach=6853;image)
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That's for sure...one of my wheels fell off and I only roll it across a threshold from garage to patio.
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As far as the tires I was asking about...I learned that the original casters are what they call grip ring stem casters which can be easily removed by sticking something like a tiny screwdriver into the hole in the caster housing from above. I've ordered replacement casters which are 5" wheels instead of the smaller 2 3/4" original size. It looks like the replacements will fit right into the original housing and work fine. I've included a picture of the original caster along with what I ordered as a replacement. These larger wheels will help with moving the grill across pavers and grass, although pneumatic tires would be better but I couldn't fine any with the stems that will fit.
I ordered grey replacement casters with brakes very similar to the originals, but I found blue and red ones that would look cool to some. Total cost of these replacements with shipping was $36.00
$36 vs. $375 to $400 for the comp wheel set, I think I know which way I would have went too. Personally I'd prefer the hard rubber casters over the pneumatic tires. The pneumatic tires might roll easier over the terrain you have to go through but I'd hate to have to get a pump out to inflate a tire so I could roll my grill out to cook with it.
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As far as the tires I was asking about...I learned that the original casters are what they call grip ring stem casters which can be easily removed by sticking something like a tiny screwdriver into the hole in the caster housing from above. I've ordered replacement casters which are 5" wheels instead of the smaller 2 3/4" original size. It looks like the replacements will fit right into the original housing and work fine. I've included a picture of the original caster along with what I ordered as a replacement. These larger wheels will help with moving the grill across pavers and grass, although pneumatic tires would be better but I couldn't fine any with the stems that will fit.
I ordered grey replacement casters with brakes very similar to the originals, but I found blue and red ones that would look cool to some. Total cost of these replacements with shipping was $36.00
$36 vs. $375 to $400 for the comp wheel set, I think I know which way I would have went too. Personally I'd prefer the hard rubber casters over the pneumatic tires. The pneumatic tires might roll easier over the terrain you have to go through but I'd hate to have to get a pump out to inflate a tire so I could roll my grill out to cook with it.
Yeah, I removed the air wheels from my Blazn cart and replaced with non inflatable tires for the same reason you mentioned.
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The original wheels are quality casters, they just shake the heck out of the whole unit when I push it 20 feet on pavers. We will see if the few inches in wheel diameter makes much difference. If it doesn't I'll run four screws down through these original caster holes into sheets of treated plywood and screw airless pneumatic casters up into that.