How long will a full hopper last?

[Daba's BBQ]

On average,, how many hours will a full hopper last at 200 degrees?

 

[CMTiger]

I think the temp may play a part. I know I did a turkey at 275 for close to 5 hours and wasn’t anywhere near empty. It was last month and 30 or so when I put it on. I would think a 200 degree cook a hopper would last awhile.

I’m doing the same as you though so it does make me a little nervous. I can almost guarantee I get up around 3 and add more just because

 

[midwest]

Too many variables to say. Different pellets burn at different rates, ambient temps being a huge factor. Which model do you have?
I know on my 780 Pro I can put a brisket on at 11:00 pm (in the summer) and put it on 180 degrees and it is still going at 8:00 am the next morning. If it's 30 degrees outside you are going to burn a lot more pellets than you will when its 80 degrees outside.

 

[Shedd]

I did a butt last month and my 780 Pro ran completely out. I put it on about 10pm, but fired up about 9:30. Luckily I had my Fireboard thermometer and it woke me around 4am with low ambient temperature (I set my hi and low limits) it was 34 degrees and out of pellets. It wouldn’t let me ignite back after refilling pellets I had to remove everything, vacuum the thing out, prime auger then after 30 or so minutes I got it back going.
I did another butt a couple weeks ago started around same time frame, I fixed the issue. I had a two gallon bucket that I cut the bottom out, filled the hopper leaving door open I put the bucket on top of the pellets and filled it with pellets. Added foil around the edges to keep everything in place, worked out great. I slept all night and it cooked all night. Much cheaper than a pellet alarm and I didn’t have to get up early and add pellets. Simply fix. Keep in mind I have an enclosed outdoor kitchen so no worries of rain or moisture but if it was outside I could have just covered the hopper area.

 

[RayClem]

I believe the "typical" pellet usage is around 1 pound per hour. Thus, if you have one of the larger grills with a 20 pound hopper, it should last about 20 hours. However, there are numerous factors that will affect this.

If the pellets do not slide down smoothly into the auger, you could get a flameout well before the hopper is empty.

Bitterly cold temperatures and high winds are expected this week in many parts of the USA and Canada. The colder the temperature and the stronger the wind, the more pellets it will take to keep the grill hot.

In colder weather, an insulated grill will burn fewer pellets than one that is not insulated.

If you are planning on cooking this week for Christmas dinner, try to use something to block the prevailing wind. Just be careful with corrugated cardboard as if it blows against the grill, it might ignite. Using a blanket or plywood would be a safer option. If you do not have a custom insulation blanket for your grill and you live in a cold area, you can use a welder's blanket or a wool or cotton blanket or rug to insulate the grill. If you have one of the models that vents out the back, make sure the vents are not blocked by your insulation.

 

[OldMayfield]

My non-scientific observation: a half full Pro780 hopper drained about half after 90 minutes at 350F.

 

[CMTiger]

It’s going to get down in the teens here Christmas Eve so I’m a bit concerned about pellets now. @Timmy do you ever feel the need to insulate your 780 or Bronson?

 

[Timmy]

I’ve cooked do into the teens before on my 780 with no insulation or cover on the grill with no problem. I’ve also have never ran out of pellets during an overnight. I also use a FireBoard with a low temp alarm on the pit and protein, and a high temp alarm set at about 170 on just the protein.
When it gets down to zero then I get a little nervous and put a welding blanket on it.
As of late I purchased the Traeger insulation.
Last weekends cook got down to 2.3f according to my FireBoard. This is how much it used in about 6 hours.

 

[The Salt Rub]

9 hour short rib cook here with an ambient temperature of approx 32°F at 220°F for 6 hours, then 275°F for 3 hours.

Used 50% of full hopper.

 

[Shedd]

Then something is definitely wrong with my 780. Keep in mind that I got it new about 5 months ago. I definitely wouldn’t have went through the add trouble of cutting out the bottom of that bucket and adding it on top of my pellets in a full hopper on the next all night cook. Even then I had to add pellets when I got up the next morning, it didn’t have many left from the bucket. The pellets was Traeger premium competition blend. Expensive pellets that luckily I didn’t have to buy (I was given several bags with the 780) I also noticed the bags have a lot of dust in them but don’t know if that makes any difference. However I doubt I’ll ever use the 780 to smoke butts or anything else that I desire a “real smoke” flavor. My egg hasn’t let me down in over thirty years, it does require some babysitting but nothing like many people say. Best part is I can fill my kick ash basket (xl egg) with lump and I can get another cook off the leftover lump, uses ver little lump. But I am finding a few things I do like about a pellet grill and I’m very fortunate that I have plenty of covered space for multiple grills.

 

[CMTiger]

Then something is definitely wrong with my 780. Keep in mind that I got it new about 5 months ago. I definitely wouldn’t have went through the add trouble of cutting out the bottom of that bucket and adding it on top of my pellets in a full hopper on the next all night cook. Even then I had to add pellets when I got up the next morning, it didn’t have many left from the bucket. The pellets was Traeger premium competition blend. Expensive pellets that luckily I didn’t have to buy (I was given several bags with the 780) I also noticed the bags have a lot of dust in them but don’t know if that makes any difference. However I doubt I’ll ever use the 780 to smoke butts or anything else that I desire a “real smoke” flavor. My egg hasn’t let me down in over thirty years, it does require some babysitting but nothing like many people say. Best part is I can fill my kick ash basket (xl egg) with lump and I can get another cook off the leftover lump, uses ver little lump. But I am finding a few things I do like about a pellet grill and I’m very fortunate that I have plenty of covered space for multiple grills.

Several of us sift the dust out of the pellets before placing them in the hopper

 

[CMTiger]

I’ve cooked do into the teens before on my 780 with no insulation or cover on the grill with no problem. I’ve also have never ran out of pellets during an overnight. I also use a FireBoard with a low temp alarm on the pit and protein, and a high temp alarm set at about 170 on just the protein.
When it gets down to zero then I get a little nervous and put a welding blanket on it.
As of late I purchased the Traeger insulation.
Last weekends cook got down to 2.3f according to my FireBoard. This is how much it used in about 6 hours.

Thanks. I wouldn't normally worry about it....just never had a cook in these temps before. At least not overnight.

 

[Shedd]

Several of us sift the dust out of the pellets before placing them in the hopper

I didn’t know that until a couple weeks ago after reading it. Probably in the multiple pages of online instructions that came with the grill that I failed to read Lol.

Makes me wonder, will all that dust just sit in the auger? Should I periodically disassemble it to vacuum it out? Thanks

 

[CMTiger]

I didn’t know that until a couple weeks ago after reading it. Probably in the multiple pages of online instructions that came with the grill that I failed to read Lol.

Makes me wonder, will all that dust just sit in the auger? Should I periodically disassemble it to vacuum it out? Thanks

Idk about that. Maybe someone else can chime in. I haven’t cleared my auger since I got it though.

 

[RayClem]

For those planning to cook the Christmas dinner on the Traeger, winds might be a big a problem as cold temperatures. Then if you live in an are likely to get snow, unless your outdoor kitchen area is covered, snow landing on the lid of the cooker will sap a lot of heat from the cook. The phase change needed to melt snow is far greater than just cold air.

Because I live in the Chicago area where the temperatures will range between minus 4 and 8 degrees F and the winds will be 20 mph, I have decided not to try the Traeger this Christmas. My deck and grill will be covered in several inches of snow.