How to light wood pellets right for a great grilled feast

Wood pellets and pellet grills are all the rage for BBQ gatherings now. This is no wonder since they’re a great choice for novice grilling enthusiasts and veteran pitmasters alike, offering a ton of versatility and convenience for BBQ sessions. But do you know how to light wood pellets right?

Wood pellets are a great choice to infuse that signature smoky taste that everyone loves into BBQ dishes quickly and efficiently so that you can get feasting quickly! These little BBQ wonders are made with wood shavings and sawdust, held together by natural binding agents and compressed to create pencil-like rods. They are then broken down into smaller pieces so that they can burn efficiently on grills.

These pellets also come from a variety of wood types, imparting different properties to your grilled dishes. The common wood types used for BBQ wood pellets are hickory, apple, mesquite, cherry, and maple. Each of these woods offers different flavours to the meats or veggies you’re grilling.

Now to the matter at hand, “How to light wood pellets right?”. Well, here’s the answer. This blog post will teach you everything you need to know about lighting smoking wood pellets to put together a great grilled feast for your friends and family.

Why are wood pellets so popular?

So why are these smoking wood products so popular right now?

One of the biggest reasons for their surge in popularity is the ease of use. All you need to do is load them up on the grill, light the fire, and set the right temperature.

Wood pellets also shine when it comes to smoke production, providing even smoke intensity throughout the cook so that you can consistently get the desired flavours.

The range of flavours that you can infuse into grilled meats and veggies with the different types of wood available is another reason for their popularity.

The ease and versatility of pellet grills are also major reasons for the prevalence of wood pellets. For one, they are relatively easy to clean up as wood pellets produce a significantly less amount of ash compared to traditional wood chips. You can also easily adjust the smoke intensity in pellet grills to get the exact level of smokiness you need.

How can you light wood pellets in a pellet grill?

A pellet grill is the easiest way to use wood pellets. All you really need to do is simply pour the pellets into the grill hopper. The most important thing you have to keep in mind is to follow the pellet grill manufacturer’s instructions.

Some pellet grills have enhanced functionalities where they can produce more smoke at higher temperatures as the amount of smoke produced by wood pellets tends to lower as the temperature reaches the 121°C mark.

Remember to clean out the burn pot after every cook and the ashes in the hopper every few cooks to make sure you avoid fire hazards and other issues.

How can you light wood pellets in a charcoal grill?

While it is ideal to use wood pellets in a pellet grill, you can use them in your charcoal or gas grills too. To use wood pellets in your charcoal/gas grill, simply use a pellet tube or a foil pouch.

With a pellet tube, all you need to do is fill it up and set it alight with a fire source, preferably a propane torch, so that the burning wood pellets start producing smoke. For foil pouches, fill them up and make some holes so that the smoke can escape into the food you want to smoke.

What should you know before using wood pellets?

Here are some quick tips to get you going on the wood pellet hype train!

• Choose the right wood
  Some wood pellets are made for stoves. Make sure you buy wood pellets meant for BBQ and pellet grills.
  

• Check the quality
  Not all wood pellets are made equal. Lower-quality pellets may contain chemical additives. Buy high-quality pellets to avoid additives and fillers.
  

• Soak for more smoke
  Soaking your pellets for around 30 minutes before throwing them in the grill will help them last longer and produce more smoke.

Now that you know how to light wood pellets, set up an amazing grilled feast!

Hope you learned how to light wood pellets right regardless of the type of grill or wood pellets you have. Now that you know, it’s time to fire up that grill of yours and get to cooking the perfect grilled feast. Bon appétit!