Bull Ash dust

[sundazes]

Anyone else here with a new Bull getting pellet/ash dust blown all over, both inside and out? I saw the one video where they said it was normal until the grill is seasoned. I have gone through a full bag of RT pellets on various cooks and testing for temps . I have done 4 lbs of bacon, couple chicken cooks, burgers, a prime rib and seasoned the griddle so far. I have cleaned its out a couple of times.
I have not called yet. Oh and it did not come with the card with with the owners cell phones on it. I have been on vacation so I have had too much time to play.

 

[Kim]

My Stampede blows ashes all over.

 

[cookingjnj]

There will always be a little ash blown around since you are cooking with real wood. However, I have noticed over time, as the pit gets more and more seasoned, the ash gets less and less. I still see some ash now, but not nearly as much as when the pit was new.

 

[Roaniecowpony]

Clean out your ash often.

 

[Midwest Economist]

And if you have to roll it out of the garage and across 25 feet of grumpy gravel surface for every cook (then put it back after it cools) you really get ash everywhere...I don’t have a high quality ash vacuum yet, so I clean out the ash before every cook Instead of immediately after a cook.

 

[Bytor]

I have a cheap stick vacuum I'm my garage that has a crevice tool the work's quite well in getting rid of any ash inside the chamber and the pot. I have.had my Trailblazer for about a month now and it does seem that the ash buildup is less than initially. I will clean out after a couple weeks or so.

 

[sundazes]

Thanks folks.. I guess the HD bucket vacuum is in my future.

 

[Tony]

That’s why I don’t use any seasoning on the meat, I use pellet dust?

 

[mooncusser2k]

Santa brought the Bucket Head vac for just this reason. I figure one bucket for ash and maybe a separate one for changing pellet flavors.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

Santa brought the Bucket Head vac for just this reason. I figure one bucket for ash and maybe a separate one for changing pellet flavors.

I got one too, works great !

 

[Kim]

Santa brought the Bucket Head vac for just this reason. I figure one bucket for ash and maybe a separate one for changing pellet flavors.

I think I need one!

 

[BrownsFan19]

I noticed the same thing. My 3rd cook was yesterday (total ~25 hours for all 3) and there was 1/2" of ash on the bottom of the the drum.
I'm using PitBoss pellets...could that be the cause?

 

[Uncle Bob]

I noticed the same thing. My 3rd cook was yesterday (total ~25 hours for all 3) and there was 1/2" of ash on the bottom of the the drum.
I'm using PitBoss pellets...could that be the cause?

Different brands produce differing amounts of ash. General belief is less ash, higher quality pellet.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

Different brands produce differing amounts of ash. General belief is less ash, higher quality pellet.

Absolutely Uncle Bob.... Another reason I stayed with Lumberjack.... I don't think I clean the ash for atleast 3-4 cooks.(and I like a clean grill) I have nothing in Lumberjack, but it is a good product. It goes back to the 100% all wood no filler aspect @BrownsFan19

 

[BigBearsBBQ]

I have the 700 had it for a few years and its always done that

 

[Roaniecowpony]

Different brands produce differing amounts of ash. General belief is less ash, higher quality pellet.

UB,
If the pellet maker is using more core heartwood vs sapwood, I had thought they'll be a hotter burn and less ash. But over on a forum about wood stoves, a guy posted that he couldn't get his aluminum melting furnace to temperature as easily with white oak as he could with pine. Also, my gunstock making experience suggests to me that growth rates, caused by enviro conditions and regions, resulting in density differences, would likely play into the mix. But maybe the big swinger on ash is wood species? I haven't received the mesquite pellets I ordered yet. But, I've read that mesquite burns hotter than most of the other common smoking woods. If so, I'd expect a cleaner fire.

I did note that the cherry I burned for a couple runs now has been pretty clean compared to the RecTec Ult Blend. I'll clean out the pot today and see if what I find supports that.

I can't say I can nail down that ash volume is connected directly to temperature.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

I think it has even more to do with the fillers involved. Plastics, flavorings, barks and base-woods, like you are talking about. One has to research the pellets they use.. here's a breakdown I found on some "100%"flavored" Traeger pellets.

The base wood if you are on the west coast is alder and the east coast is oak.

Mesquite or Hickory 100% base wood (alder or oak) with flavor oils no actual Mesquite or Hickory wood in the pellet

Apple, Pecan or Cherry 70% base wood 30% Apple, Pecan or Cherry wood

Maple 100% Maple wood

Alder on the west coast is 100% Alder on east coast 70% oak 30% Alder

Oak on the east coast is 100% Oak on the west coast 70% Alder 30% Oak

 

[Roaniecowpony]

Here's what I found today after a 6 hour burn of Lumberjack 100% cherry. While the ash blowing around was lower than earlier burns with RecTec Ult Blend, the ash under the drip pan and in the pot seemed more for the same burn times. But, the ash could be more since I ran at the lowest temperature setting than when I ran the RT UB. I did vacuum a spot in each of the pictures to illustrate the thickness of ash deposits.

I am about to do something about a dedicated vac for the pit.

Do you folks that have the HD Bucket Head vac notice the ash getting thru the filter bag and blowing out the exhaust?

 

[mooncusser2k]

Do you folks that have the HD Bucket Head vac notice the ash getting thru the filter bag and blowing out the exhaust?

I didn't notice any in the exhaust. A good amount was on the paper filter, in addition to the bottom of the bucket of course. That said, I also didn't have a ton of ash to remove. Others might have different results.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

I only use mine for pellets, but notice some getting through on the garage vac I use for clean up.