<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhat is a Pellet Smoker and How Does It Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n A pellet smoker is also called a pellet grill. A pellet smoker offers you the option of smoking, grilling, baking, and roasting meat. Pellet grills operate on electricity and are wood-fired. Simply put, you connect to an outlet to turn on its function but the wood fire cooks your meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are horizontally oriented to support most of the components. So what are these components and why are they important?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hopper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The hopper is fitted on the side of the pellet grill. This is where you pour your supply of hardwood pellets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on the size and brand of your grill, the hopper capacity may be large or small. Some pellet grills have a hopper capacity of 20 lbs and others 5 lbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A larger capacity will give your smoker longer periods of uninterrupted cooking. From there, the wood pellets met the auger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Auger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n This component is responsible for feeding pellets into the firepot. It’s a rotating shaft made of metal that shuffles the wood forward. It is powered by an electric motor, called an auger motor which is connected to a controller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The auger and the digital controller are what set pellet grills apart from other cooking appliances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Digital Controller<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Just like with an oven, you start by inputting your pull temperature in the control panel. This controller is connected to a sensor located in the food chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think of the sensor as a thermometer built into your grill. If the temperature measured by the sensor is less or more than the set temp, it rotates the auger slower or faster. This will either speed up pellets into the firebox or slow them down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the pellet grill finally reaches the set temperature, the controller does one of two things: feeds pellets at a rate that maintains the temp or stops feeding pellets altogether. Pretty simple, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fire Pot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n This is where the hoppers go to meet their demise, the pot of fire. It houses an electric rod whose sole job is to ignite wood pellets. They then produce smoke and heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sitting right above the firepot is a deflector plate. It is commonly referred to as a baffle plate. It serves two functions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIt keeps the firepot safe from drippings to avoid flare-ups<\/li>\n\n\n\n To distribute heat and smoke inside the grill<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe Fan and Blower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Regardless of fuel type, it is oxygen that fuels a fire. Without oxygen, your fire will choke. This is where the fan and blower come in. They blow in air from the surrounding into the firepot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just like we work the vents of a charcoal grill or a Kamado grill to manipulate the amount of oxygen, the fan kicks in to drive more air rich in oxygen into the chamber when a higher temperature is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chimney<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The chimney is typically located either on one end away from the pellet hopper or behind the cooking chamber. It is also called a smokestack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chimney allows for a sufficient flow of air within the system by expelling gases from the combustion of the system. Optimum airflow ensures that your meat smokes evenly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n