Pellet Fan

Pit Talk -- Comments and Questions Regarding These Pellet Pits => Camp Chef => Topic started by: wahoowad on March 09, 2018, 07:26:31 PM

Title: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: wahoowad on March 09, 2018, 07:26:31 PM
I'm gonna do an overnight pork butt and chuck roast smoke - my first overnighter in the Woodwind. How long will a full hopper last? I'm gonna run it at 225.

If I put the meat on at 10 PM, and fill that hopper to the top, will I be ok if I get up around 6 AM to check on it?
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: Bentley on March 09, 2018, 08:29:30 PM
At 175° it used a little over 1/2 pound/hour.  I would guess at 225, maybe 3/4 pound an hour!
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: Kristin Meredith on March 09, 2018, 08:29:50 PM
From the performance test of the Woodwind:

Woodwind Pellet Consumption/Pellet used for Test--Smoke Pro Competition Blend Pellet-Weather Conditions/85°f, unit in shade, wind <2mph.

Unit controller set to "High" position (Chamber was appx 500°).  1lb. of pellets took 24 minutes which equates to 2.5lbs./hour.
Unit controller set to 350°f.  1lb. of pellets took 42 minutes which equates to 1.42lbs./hour.
Unit controller set to 175°f.  1lb. of pellets took 102 minutes which equates to 0.58lbs/hour.


So 225 maybe .75 lbs per hour multiplied by the hours you estimate to cook.
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on March 09, 2018, 09:13:08 PM
You need to ensure you don't have the "funnel" issue like many other grills where you may have plenty of pellets in the hopper but they do not slide down into the auger leaving a funnel with pellets on the outside of the hopper but none going into the auger.
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: wahoowad on March 09, 2018, 09:48:31 PM
Specs say 18 lb. hopper. So 18 / .75 = 24 hours. Somehow that doesn’t seem right.

Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on March 09, 2018, 09:50:04 PM
Specs say 18 lb. hopper. So 18 / .75 = 24 hours. Somehow that doesn’t seem right.

why?
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: wahoowad on March 09, 2018, 09:57:36 PM
why?

Ignorance on my part, not having enough long cooks under my belt to feel confident allowing it to go unattended for 6 to 8 hours at the risk of ruining all that meat.

So I can expect it to run 20 to 24 hours with a full load of pellets? Wow, wasn’t expecting that!

Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: Bentley on March 09, 2018, 10:00:30 PM
Refreshing honesty!

Keep in mind...It was 80+° here, no wind and the middle of a hot September!  Ambiennt conditions might knock you down 15%, but an overnight cook at 225°...with that size hopper you will be OK!

why?

Ignorance on my part, not having enough long cooks under my belt to feel confident allowing it to go unattended for 6 to 8 hours at the risk of ruining all that meat.

So I can expect it to run 20 to 24 hours with a full load of pellets? Wow, wasn’t expecting that!
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on March 09, 2018, 10:36:48 PM
why?

Ignorance on my part, not having enough long cooks under my belt to feel confident allowing it to go unattended for 6 to 8 hours at the risk of ruining all that meat.

So I can expect it to run 20 to 24 hours with a full load of pellets? Wow, wasn’t expecting that!

If you are that uncomfortable, you should look at some remote thermometers...Thermoworks, Maverick, Tappacue, Fireboard, etc.

But, I am not sure what you need to cook for 20-24 hours before it is done.  It would be interesting to hear why you would think that and where that information came from.  Outside of a 30# beef clod, I am not sure I have ever cooked anything more than 12 hours.
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: wahoowad on March 09, 2018, 11:26:46 PM
I ordered some Heritage water buffalo from Kenya  :rotf:

No, thankfully I don’t need to cook anything that long. I was just doing the math of the expected run time based on the burn rate data Bentley and Kristin were so kind to share.

Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on March 09, 2018, 11:31:59 PM
I ordered some Heritage water buffalo from Kenya  :rotf:

No, thankfully I don’t need to cook anything that long. I was just doing the math of the expected run time based on the burn rate data Bentley and Kristin were so kind to share.

I think a good rule of thumb in most units is 1# pellets/hr at 250° controller temp.
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: glitchy on March 10, 2018, 12:50:32 AM

If you are that uncomfortable, you should look at some remote thermometers...Thermoworks, Maverick, Tappacue, Fireboard, etc.

^^^This...I’m too paranoid too, so won’t do any overnights without both high and low alarms set on a wireless thermometer, even with a 20 lb hopper.
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: wahoowad on March 10, 2018, 01:24:38 AM
I’ve got my Maverick set
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: mrp116 on March 11, 2018, 01:08:01 PM
I just did my first overnight cook (brisket) in my new DLX which I believe is the same chamber as the Woodwind.  I put it on at 9:00 p.m. on high smoke with temps right at 32*.  The unit was running between 212 and 230 and at 9:00 a.m. my hopper was just about empty.
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: Bentley on March 11, 2018, 03:26:03 PM
Well, no doubt ambient temperatures make a difference.
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: wahoowad on March 11, 2018, 05:02:20 PM
Mine did fine overnight too. I just didn’t know when I started the thread. I filled it up before going to sleep and it was no more than half down when I got up. Worked great as far as capacity goes.
Title: Re: Woodwind overnight smoke - will pellets last all night?
Post by: mrp116 on March 11, 2018, 09:28:42 PM
I pretty much lucked out.  I am new to pellet cookers, and I coming from a WSM.  With that, 12 hrs is nothing, and I didn't even think about it with the cook last night.  I filled the hopper at the start of the cook, and I was up until 2:00 a.m.  It would have been nothing for me to top it off before going to bed if could have stopped swaying long enough at that time.  In the future, I will make sure I top the hopper off before retiring for the night.