My pellet grill auger jammed right before a big cook for my brother's birthday.

It happened last Saturday afternoon, just as I was about to put on a 12 pound brisket. The motor was humming but nothing was moving. I had to take the whole hopper apart and found a huge, damp pellet clump blocking everything. I ended having to fire up my old charcoal smoker to save the day. Has anyone else had a major jam like that, and what's your quick fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

clark.iris3mo ago

Oh man, a 12 pound brisket on the line... that's a nightmare right there.

tylerr393mo ago

You ever read that article about how much water weight a brisket loses while cooking? I saw a chef say a 12 pound packer can drop down to like 7 or 8 pounds after trimming and smoking. That's a huge chunk of money just gone if you mess it up. The margin for error feels so small with a piece of meat that big. It's not just the time, it's the cost sitting there in your smoker. Makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it.

richardknight2mo ago

My first pellet grill was a cheap off brand. I used to just dump bags straight from the store into the hopper and never had a problem. Then one humid summer day it jammed solid, just like yours. I lost a whole pork shoulder to it. Now I keep my pellets in sealed buckets with those big silica gel packs. I even feel the pellets with my hand before they go in. It's a pain but way less of a pain than taking the whole thing apart mid cook.