Traeger Pellets

What's in This Article?

Have questions about our pellets? Let's talk about use, quality, storage and more!

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More Helpful Resources on Traeger Pellets

Pellet Flavors & Blends

Our premium wood pellets are made from 100% natural, food-grade hardwood. Traeger pure wood pellets grant the perfect burn for optimal wood fired flavor. Made in the USA.

In addition to our standard flavors, we also sell a variety of pellet blends (combinations of different flavors with possible additional spices and herbs). All pellets are a blend of either Alder or Oak plus the wood flavor.

Check out which flavors and blends are available currently at https://www.traeger.com/wood-pellets.
   

Allergens & Additives

  • CROSS-CONTAMINATION: We have multiple mills; however, they both produce multiple types of pellets. Therefore, we do not have a specific mill for Pecan or any other pellets.
  • ADDITIVES: Pellets contain no additives. They are held together by the naturally occurring lignins in the wood from the extreme pressure applied in the pellet press equipment.
  • SOY: Our wood pellets' production involves using a small amount of food-grade soybean oil, which functions as a lubricant for our machines. The food-grade soybean oil is infused with natural woods, herbs, or citrus in all of our specialty wood pellet flavors. The food-grade soybean oil helps combine these natural flavors into our 100% hardwood pellets during our patented production process. 
  • PECAN: In our Pecan pellets, there is no pecan allergen since that protein is not present. Currently, the only blend we produce that uses pecan is our Texas Beef Blend. Additionally, the burn temperature would eliminate any trace amounts of allergen substances and would not be present in the air emissions.
  • For more information on allergens and food sensitivities in our pellets, see our support article, Allergens & Dietary Restrictions.

Which Pellets Should I Use?

You will get amazing results using any of our pellets for any food, but we do have some recommendations. Check out this chart with some of our popular flavors to take your cooks to the next level.

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Can I Substitute Pellet Flavors?

Sometimes you may not find the flavor pellets you want because they're out of stock, or you want to use what you have. Here are a few comparable substitutions that will give you a flavor similar to what a recipe calls for.

FLAVOR SUBSTITUTION
Oak

Hickory (more smoke flavor) or Cherry (less smoke flavor)

Alder

Hickory (more smoke flavor) or Cherry (less smoke flavor)
Mesquite for seafood

Maple Apple or Cherry
Texas Beef

Mix Mesquite and Pecan

Realtree Big Game Blend Turkey Blend

 

Pellet Quality

Good, quality pellets should have a nice sheen to them, and you should hear a nice "snap" when breaking.

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One of the leading causes of low temperature concerns is poor pellet quality. When pellets are compromised, it becomes difficult for them to ignite, burn hotter, and/or maintain temperature. In addition to low temperature, compromised pellets can affect the grills temperature overall. If you are experiencing temperature issues, always begin troubleshooting by removing and replacing the pellets and vacuuming out any residual sawdust from the hopper and from the auger tube. 

How to Store Pellets Properly

Did you know many grill issues can be attributed to old or poor-quality pellets? Proper pellet storage will help ensure you are making the most of your cooking experience.

  • Pellets should be stored in a dry, airtight container to prevent moisture and humidity from compromising pellet quality.
  • If you live in a humid climate, we strongly suggest storing your pellets indoors. Many customers store their pellets in their garage, but even humidity in your garage may compromise your pellets.
  • A newly purchased or even a newly opened bag does not guarantee fresh pellets, especially if exposed to high humidity or moisture. 

How to Tell if a Bag of Pellets is Bad

Keep an eye out for the following to determine if a bag of pellets has been compromised.

  • Sawdust: Some sawdust at the bottom of the bag is normal, but sawdust throughout the bag is a tell-tale sign that pellets are decomposing. Keep your eye open for sawdust clumps as well.
  • Crumbling: Pellets will easily crumble when trying to break them in half.
  • Moisture: Any moisture within the bag is a sign that your pellets may not burn efficiently.
  • Dullness: Bad pellets often are light in color, have no sheen and look dull.

My Pellets Are a Different Color than My Previous Bag

Some variation in color from bag to bag is natural. Since all Traeger pellets are made of 100% natural hardwood, there is variation in color due to the wood itself and the environmental growing conditions of the trees. This does not have any effect on smoke flavor or burn performance.

My Pellets Clumped Together in My Firepot

You may find clumps of pellets in your grill's firepot. These clumps, sometimes called pucks, are caused by a buildup of oils, moisture and food debris, and will not burn.

Finding pellet pucks indicates that you need to clean your grill more often—it has nothing to do with the quality of the pellets.

How Long are Stored Pellets Good For?

There isn't an exact lifespan for stored pellets. It all depends on how well it is stored and the environment.

  • Store pellets in a dry, airtight container.
  • Moisture and humidity will affect the pellet quality.

How Much Grill Time Will I Get out of a Bag of Pellets?

The following burn rates are approximations and should not be referred to as guarantees as they may fluctuate depending on the following variables:

  • Grill Size/Model
  • Hopper Size
  • Type of Grill (AC or D2)
  • Type of Wood (pellet flavor)
  • Ambient Temperature (Temp Outside)
  • Number of Lid Openings

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Will I Void My Warranty if I Use non-Traeger Pellets?

Traeger only tests the performance of the Traeger-branded pellets, and Traeger's grills are designed for and tested using Traeger-branded pellets. 

Customers may use any brand of food-quality, wood pellets with their Traeger pellet grill without fear of voiding their grill's warranty.

  • Home heating pellets have adjuncts, binders/glues, biomass, and softwood that will create performance and reliability problems that are not covered by our warranty. 
  • Do not use non-wood pellets.
  • Other brands of food-grade, wood pellets may not provide the same heating, smoke, or flavor performance that customers expect.
 
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