What Pellets to Use?
Only use wood pellets specifically design for wood pellets smokers – not for water/space heating pellet boilers.
There are many brands available across Australia, so ask your local smoking community members what they recommend that is locally stocked.
If your local BBQ store or butcher doesn’t yet stock good quality pellets, tell them to speak to the team at Smokin’ to get a pallet of bags in! They are locally made in Eden NSW, excellent quality and readily available.
Recommended Brands
Smokin’ BBQ Wood Pellets
- Australian Hardwood
- Made in Eden NSW
- Low Ash – Long Burn Time
- Subtle Smokey Flavour
- We mostly only stock Southern Hardwood but additional varieties are available
- Full list of available retailers.
Heat Beads Hardwood BBQ Pellets
- Australian Hardwood
- Low Ash – Long Burn Time
- Subtle Smokey Flavour
BBQ Delight
- Quality oak blend US imported pellets
- Clean burning, good smoke flavour
- Range of wood varieties available
Regularly Ash Dumping Required!
Any oak based pellets will produce a lot more ash that hardwood pellets so it is very important to dump out ash after each cook.
Pellet Mixing
Different brands/wood types can be mixed together.
Check out our recommendations below.
| Variety | Mix Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Smokin’ Sth Hardwood | 100% | Our top pick for everyday cooking. Delivers clean, balanced flavour and super low ash. |
| Smokin’ Sth Hardwood + Flavoured Pellets | 80% Sth Hardwood 20% Oak-fruit blends or Smokin’ flavoured pellets | Great for experimenting with different flavour profiles and for additional smoke. |
| Oak-Fruit Wood Blend (Best choices are BBQrs Delight or Lumberjack) | 100% | Good for more smoke and flavour but will produce a lot of ash so require more regular ash dump and vacuuming out. Will burn through more quickly and heat up more slowly than Aussie hardwood, so not as efficient for high temperature cooks. Less heat can be good for doing very low temp cooks in hot weather if Aussie hardwood pellets are running the grill a bit too hot. |
Pellet Storage
Keep Pellets DRY!
Wood pellets must be kept dry. They absorb moisture from humid air, and while they may still look hard and dry, the additional moisture can significantly impact how well they light and burn. The most common reason for a grill struggling to reach the desired temperature is moist pellets.
Store in Sealed Container
Wood pellet bags have air holes, so should never be left outside, or even sitting on the ground. Store them inside, or up on shelves (off the ground).
As soon as a bag is opened, ideally store them in a sealed container.
This water tight plastic container available from Officeworks is a good choice. The 18L size holds 1.5 bags of pellets and is not too heavy to lift when full.
Large dry pet food containers also work well.
Don’t FILL the Hopper
Do NOT fill up the grill hopper unless planning to cook for 20+ hours, as the pellets end up sitting in there for multiple days or weeks, potentially absorbing moisture. This is particularly important in humid climates.
Instead, pour in enough pellets for the cook, plus a bit of a safety buffer. The grill and Trimal Aus app will notify you once below 20% which is still enough for several hours of low temperature cooking.
Clean Pellets Out
If not planning to use the grill for 2 weeks or more, it is a good ideal to clean out all the pellets from the hopper and feed tube.
Wood Dust
Sift out the wood dust, or let it settle in the bottom of a container. Do not pour wood dust into your hopper.