How to Start a Pellet Grill for the First Time

Hey there, BBQ lovers! 😎🔥 Today, we’re diving into the wonderful world of pellet grills! If you’ve been wondering how to get started with this bad boy of backyard cookouts, we’ve put together this guide to help you learn how to start a pellet grill for the first time.

Grab your favorite grilling apron and let’s learn how to fire up a pellet grill for some mouth-watering, finger-licking goodness. If this is your first time firing up your pellet grill, congratulations on taking a big leap into better more flavorful cooking.

Read also » Become a Grill Master: 50 Sizzling Tips & Tricks for Grill Enthusiasts.

How to Start a Pellet Grill

If you’ve recently bought your first pellet grill, you might be wondering how to start that bad boy up. It’s not a difficult task, but it does come across as a big confusing at first. If you want more information on how a pellet grill works read here.

In this post, we’ll guide you through the 5 steps of starting up a pellet grill. This is assuming you’ve got a brand new pellet grill that hasn’t been used yet. If that’s not the case, you’ll first want to make sure these things are covered before moving on to step 1.

• Make sure the grill is clean and free of debris or ash from previous use before you start it.
• Remove any leftover pellets from the ash pan and wipe out any leftover grease that has pooled around the barrel.

Step 1: Load the hopper

Load the hopper with wood pellets. You can use any sort of wood pellets you like, but keep in mind that different woods will impart different flavors to your meal. Popular hardwoods include hickory, mesquite, and applewood.

You’ve likely bought a 10- or 20-lb bag of pellets. Most hoppers won’t fit all of those pellets. So just fill the box about 3/4 full and close the lid. As you cook, you’ll want to keep an eye on the hopper to make sure the pellets aren’t running low. However, it takes a good many hours to burn through a 3/4-full hopper. For more information check out How Long do Pellets Last for Grilling and Smoking.

Step 2: Turn it on

Plug in the grill and push the power button to turn it on. Open the lid. That’s simple enough, right?

Step 3: Feed the auger

When you first fire up the machine, you need to feed the auger to get the fire going inside.

The auger is a long screw-like device that feeds pellets from the hopper into the firepot in the base of the pellet grill’s barrel.

This process varies by model, so you’ll have to determine which way yours works.

On my Z Grills pellet grill, I turn the temperature dial to “Smoke”. This triggers the auger to automatically feed the fire box. There’s also a “feed” button that speeds up the auger so the pellets drop into the fire box faster. This can help speed up the process, but I’ve not found it very necessary, to be honest.

On our Traeger grill, we have to push the auger button, which feeds the pellets into the fire box. When you push the button, you should hear pellets fall into the box.

Step 4: Wait for the smoke to start

When the pellets are in the firepot and have been ignited, you’ll notice smoke streaming from the grill. This is as expected. As soon as you see the plume of smoke, you can close the lid.

Leaving the lid open for too long after startup is not a good idea and can result in more pellets be delivered into the fire-pot and large temperature spike when the lid is finally closed.

The smoke should very rapidly dissipate on your first start up. It’s only when there is residual grease in the barrel that it will smoke for longer. If you’ve done the job of cleaning up first, you shouldn’t have too much smoke.

Step 5: Set the temperature

This is when you will turn the temperature dial to your preferred temperature and allow the grill to preheat for 10-15 minutes.

The Smoke setting is a special mode that produces maximum smoke. In this mode, the temperature swings between around 158F to 194F with cycles of smoke released every 5 to 10 minutes. You can leave it on smoke, if you’re planning to cook something that you want to get maximum smoke. Or you can turn up the temperature to your desired setting.

The temperature range on most pellet grills is 180-500 degrees Fahrenheit, so choose a temperature based on what you’re cooking. If you’re smoking meat, keep the temperature low, around 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit. When cooking burgers or poultry, use a higher temperature, around 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 6: Begin cooking

It’s time to start cooking now that the grill is preheated and ready to go! Place your food on the grates and close the lid.

The temperature you set will be maintained by the grill, so all you have to do is wait for your food to cook. Here’s a detailed guide on how to use a pellet grill, so you can learn the next step.

Keep an eye on the temperature of the food you put in the grill with a digital thermometer. Your grill might have come with one. If not, then I really recommend buying this Smoke X thermometer. It has two parts, so you can take one with you wherever you go so you don’t have to keep going out to the grill to check on the temp.

When you’re smoking, it’s important to keep the grill closed without disturbing it. Every time you open the lid, you let out some heat and some of that precious smoke. So avoid the temptation. Let it do it’s thing.

How to Turn Off a Pellet Grill?

Now that you’ve completed your cook, it’s time to shut down the pellet grill. As if turning it on wasn’t easy enough, this is the extremely easy part.

All you have to do to shut off most pellet grills is turn the temperature knob to off. On my Z Grills, turning the knob all the way to the left puts it on a shutdown mode.

If that doesn’t also turn off the grill entirely, you can press the OFF button on the machine and unplug it.

It might take a while for the grill to finish burning the pellets that were in the auger and fire box already. During this period, the grill will continue to smoke. You can close the lid and wait for it to finish. The cover it up for the night.

What If There’s Too Much Smoke?

There are situations when too much smoke is undesirable, such as while cooking vegetables or fish. Here are some pointers to help you start your pellet grill with as little smoke as possible.

Let the grill to run for a few minutes with the lid open before beginning to cook.

When you turn on your pellet grill for the first time, it might emit a lot of smoke as the pellets begin to burn. This is natural and anticipated, but it can be an issue if you are not smoking meat.

Let the grill run for a few minutes with the lid open before you begin cooking to lessen the amount of smoke. This will let the extra smoke to escape, ensuring that your dish does not taste unduly smoky.

Use only high-quality, well maintained wood pellets

The quality of the wood pellets you use will also influence the amount of smoke produced by your barbecue. High-quality, carefully stored pellets emit less smoke than old or moist pellets.

To get the greatest results, use fresh, dry pellets that have been stored in a dry place. If you notice that your pellets have swollen in the hopper, you will want to remove them and clean out the hopper before starting it back up. Those swollen pellets are full of moisture, which will smoke more than dry ones.

Maintain the cleanliness of the grill

Excess oil or ash buildup in your pellet grill can cause it to create more smoke than usual. To avoid this, make sure you clean your grill on a regular basis.

After each usage, empty the ash tray and scrape the grates with a grill brush to remove any food particles. This will help to maintain the condition of your grill and prevent excessive smoke generation.

Seasoning your grill aids in the formation of a good nonstick surface on the grill grates. This is important because it keeps your food from clinging to the grates. This will help you clean the grates easier and overall help keep the grill clean.

Adjust the temperature

Some pellet grills include a smoke setting that generates more smoke than usual. If you’re not smoking meat, make sure the temperature dial is not set to Smoke.

The temperature range on most pellet grills is 180-500 degrees F, so choose an appropriate temperature for what you’re cooking. When cooking burgers or poultry, use a higher temperature, around 400-450 degrees F. If you’re smoking meat, keep the temperature low, around 225-250 degrees F.

If you’re still experiencing excessive smoke generation, you might think about upgrading to a higher-end pellet barbecue with stronger smoke management features.

Some versions have sophisticated smoke control systems that let you to modify the quantity of smoke created, allowing you to tailor the flavor of your meal to your preferences.

How to Clean a Pellet Grill

Once you’ve completed your cook and the grill has completely cooled down, you might want to do a quick clean up so the grill is ready for you to use next time.

• Take out the grate and the grease tray.
• Remove any leftover pellets from the ash pan.
• Scrub the grates with a grill brush to remove any food particles.
• Wipe out the interior wherever you see grease buildup.