Who sifts pellets to remove pellet dust and if so, how do you do it?

[good eats]

Being new to pellet grill cooking, I'm doing a lot of reading to learn the basics. The other day I ran across a discussion about sifting pellets through a sieve to remove the dust and fragments from crushed pellets. In some respects this practice seems to make some sense, especially if the dust truly has an adverse effect on the machinery or the end result of the cook.Is it worth the effort?

 

[Slimpicker]

Search results for query: sift

Traeger Pellet Grill & Smoker Owner's Forum. Discuss BBQ Tips, Recipes, Reviews, How-to's, and more!

www.traegerforum.com

 

[MidwestSmoker]

Everyone has different experiences, but in my view it depends on how old the pellets are. Sometimes when you buy cheap pellets from big box stores what you get can be years old. If so, there will be a lot of dust. If you buy directly from a high quality manufacturer, such as Bear Mountain, they are freshly made and have very little dust.

If you end up with a bag of old pellets, it is best to sift them to minimize problems in the auger. The best sifter is made by Oklahoma Joe's and it is on sale right now:

Pellet Bucket Kit

The Oklahoma Joe's® Pellet Bucket Kit includes a filter and scoop in a bucket with an airtight lid to keep your hardwood pellets fresh, dry and ready to use.

www.oklahomajoes.com

 

[primeone]

I have a cheap sifting scoop I picked up from a dollar store that I use. It doesn't take any extra time, so I figure why not.

Also, you might find this thread interesting:

Pellets - Pellet Dust Test ► Results Are In

I'll just get right to it ► Test was for DUST amount in each 20lb bag which in my opinion also means pellet strength against crumble, and also means less worries of DUST clogs in Hopper... probably also means less affected by humidity too. Using my OKJoe sifter bucket and 1/3 of a bag at a time...

www.traegerforum.com

 

[RayClem]

We use a sifting scoop to sift cat litter. I purchased a second one to use for sifting cooking pellets.

However, unless the pellets are super dusty from rough handling (or poor quality pellets), I have never found that sifting makes a significant difference. I primarily use Bear Mountain and Lumberjack pellets. Although there is some dust, I just pour the pellets into the hopper without sifting. If I were using Traeger pellets, I would sift them.

 

[good eats]

Search results for query: sift

Traeger Pellet Grill & Smoker Owner's Forum. Discuss BBQ Tips, Recipes, Reviews, How-to's, and more!

www.traegerforum.com

Thanks Slim, your pellet comparison was enlightening. I just bought 2 40 pound bags of Bear Mountain Hickory from Lowe's. Haven't tried them yet.

 

[DoofusOfTheDay]

Made from old peanut can and some hardware cloth and self tapping screws

 

[Like Smoke]

I always sift my pellets. I have used about every brand that is available in my area and have found very little difference in the amount of dust and particles in the brands. I use a sifter that has a 1/4 inch screen and I find that all brands I have tried have dust and pieces that will pass through the screen. I don't think it has much to do with the manufacturing process of the pellets but the handling and shipping process.
As I stated in an earlier post, I went to ACE to pick up a bag and they were out on the floor. The ACE person took me back to where they store the pellets, and the pallet they were stacked on was at least 10 foot high. the ACE person climbed up on a pallet beside them and handed me down a bag. I thought at the time, I feel sorry for those folks that get the bottom bags.
After I sieve the clean pellets get stored in a bucket with a snap on lid and marked as to the flavor.
Bottom line I sieve all brands of pellets, and vacuum out my pellet hopper when the pellets are almost gone at the end of a cook.
In answer to your question, I think it is worth it.

 

[good eats]

I always sift my pellets. I have used about every brand that is available in my area and have found very little difference in the amount of dust and particles in the brands. I use a sifter that has a 1/4 inch screen and I find that all brands I have tried have dust and pieces that will pass through the screen. I don't think it has much to do with the manufacturing process of the pellets but the handling and shipping process.
As I stated in an earlier post, I went to ACE to pick up a bag and they were out on the floor. The ACE person took me back to where they store the pellets, and the pallet they were stacked on was at least 10 foot high. the ACE person climbed up on a pallet beside them and handed me down a bag. I thought at the time, I feel sorry for those folks that get the bottom bags.
After I sieve the clean pellets get stored in a bucket with a snap on lid and marked as to the flavor.
Bottom line I sieve all brands of pellets, and vacuum out my pellet hopper when the pellets are almost gone at the end of a cook.
In answer to your question, I think it is worth it.

Thank you!

 

[traeger860]

5 gallon bucket and one of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008B0TJAI?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[good eats]

Everyone has different experiences, but in my view it depends on how old the pellets are. Sometimes when you buy cheap pellets from big box stores what you get can be years old. If so, there will be a lot of dust. If you buy directly from a high quality manufacturer, such as Bear Mountain, they are freshly made and have very little dust.

If you end up with a bag of old pellets, it is best to sift them to minimize problems in the auger. The best sifter is made by Oklahoma Joe's and it is on sale right now:

Pellet Bucket Kit

The Oklahoma Joe's® Pellet Bucket Kit includes a filter and scoop in a bucket with an airtight lid to keep your hardwood pellets fresh, dry and ready to use.

www.oklahomajoes.com

After reading the responses to my question, I ordered an Oklahoma Joe's Pellet Bucket Kit from Amazon. Got it yesterday just in time to try it on half a 40 pound bag of Pit Boss pellets that I bought at Lowe's. I was surprised to see how much dust and little pieces of pellets that I got from that half bag.

 

[Jayhawkwx]

I sift pellets using an Oklahoma Joe's bucket pellet kit. The sifter bucket fits inside the bucket. They are out online. The link is: https://www.oklahomajoes.com/pellet-bucket-kit-copy

 

[RayClem]

After reading the responses to my question, I ordered an Oklahoma Joe's Pellet Bucket Kit from Amazon. Got it yesterday just in time to try it on half a 40 pound bag of Pit Boss pellets that I bought at Lowe's. I was surprised to see how much dust and little pieces of pellets that I got from that half bag.

Because pellets are essentially compressed sawdust, packaging, shipping and handling of the bags is always going to break off small pieces. The more tightly the pellets are compressed, the less dust will be generated. The real question is whether dust left in the hopper is problematic to the cook. As long as the hopper and auger are not clogged, the dust will feed into the burn pot and be consumed just as intact pellets will be.

I have found Traeger pellets to be somewhat soft, so I usually screen them. Typically, I use Bear Mountain or Lumberjack pellets that come from a plant about 250 miles from my home. I do not find it necessary to screen them.

 

[Shedd]

I was sifting mine until one of my buddies told me what he does. I rigged up an air line that I run into the auger tube after I vacuum the pellets out. Fortunately I have an air compressor in my garage and it’s close to my outdoor kitchen so it’s very convenient. I’ve been used the Kirkland pellets from Costco and they do have more dust than the Bear Mountain I was using before I switched.

 

[BobbyQ]

Big candy scoop and plastic spaghetti strainer. Couple of shakes over the garden and into the hopper.