Do Wood Pellets Smoke More or Burn Hotter than Others?

Pellet grills and smokers are great for adding that additional smoky flavor to any food you decide to smoke or cook on them.

With the added benefit of creating a smoky flavor, I frequently hear debate over which wood type to use when trying to create more smoke.

I even hear some debate over whether or not some wood pellets will burn hotter than other types of wood pellets.

So do some wood pellets smoke more or burn hotter than others?

Generally, hardwoods such as mesquite, hickory, and oak will create more smoke than fruitwoods. Hardwood and fruitwood pellets produce a similar amount of heat. Whereas softwoods, such as pine, will burn hotter than hardwoods, but softwoods are not used for smoking food.

So overall, hardwoods will produce the most amount of smoke while any wood pellet you decide to use in a smoker will produce around the same amount of heat.

Usually, the amount of wood pellets will determine how hot the fire gets as opposed to the type of wood pellet you use.

Now let’s dive into what causes some wood pellets to smoke or burn hotter than others.

Hardwood Pellets Produce More Smoke

When trying to get the most amount of smoke on your pellet grill or smoker, you may wonder which wood type to use.

Generally, you’ll want to use any hardwood since these woods produce the most amount of smoke.

Although visually, the amount of smoke from the hardwood may look similar to the amount of smoke from a fruitwood, hardwoods leave the strongest smoke flavor on food.

For example, mesquite hardwood pellets are commonly used when smoking brisket or ribs. Mesquite will produce a strong and heavy smoke flavor on the food which is great for brisket or ribs.

However, mesquite may produce too strong of a smoke flavor when you want to smoke fish or smoke vegetables. So there are some cases where you may want to use a fruitwood, such as apple or cherry, to create a lighter smoke flavor.

See this guide for the best wood type to use when smoking food.

Do Wood Pellets Burn Hotter Than Others?

Generally, when you smoke food, you will only use hardwoods or fruitwoods since those create the best smoke flavors.

Hardwoods and fruitwoods burn around the same rate and intensity so there isn’t a specific wood pellet that will burn hotter than others when smoking food.

However, softwoods do burn hotter than fruitwoods and hardwoods. Although softwoods, such as pine, are not used to smoke food since the excess lignins create an off-putting smell and flavor on the food.

Softwoods do burn hotter than fruitwoods and hardwoods because of these excess lignins. The natural lignins in wood are what allow the wood to be compressed into wood pellets and hold their shape.

Essentially, lignins are the natural glue that exists within the wood. Although a moderate amount of lignin is needed to turn wood into wood pellets, too much lignin will create a dirty smoke that creates an unpleasant smoke flavor on food.

So softwood pellets do burn hotter than other wood pellets but softwood pellets are not used when smoking food. Hardwoods and fruitwood pellets that are used to smoke food burn at a similar intensity.

Is There A Difference In Wood Pellets?

So if wood pellets used for smoking food burn at a similar intensity, then is there even a difference in wood pellets?

Keep in mind, although hardwood and fruitwood pellets burn at a similar intensity, the smoke flavor they create on the food is very different.

So the type of wood you use when smoking food can create a very different smoke flavor.

For example, fruitwoods such as apple or cherry will create a lighter and sweeter smoke flavor on food whereas hardwoods such as oak or hickory will create a strong smoke flavor.

The amount of heat created by wood pellets can be increased by simply throwing more wood pellets into the fire, or if you’re using a pellet grill, turning the temperature dial-up.

Does The Wood Pellet Brand Matter?

Overall, I haven’t noticed a significant difference in the different wood pellet brands when smoking food on my pellet grills.

The only major difference I have noticed is that some brands or bags of pellets have less wood dust at the bottom versus others. However, a bag of cherry wood pellets from Traeger tastes similar to a bag of cherry wood pellets from Pit Boss.

So I would be less concerned with the specific brand of wood pellets and more concerned with the wood type or flavor of the bag.

Just make sure to use wood pellets that are intended for cooking food. Avoid using heating pellets as these can contain softwoods and lower quality wood types that can create an unpleasant smoke flavor on your food.

Final Thoughts

When looking for wood pellets, you might wonder which wood pellets burn hotter or create more smoke than others.

Generally, hardwoods, such as mesquite or oak, will create the most intense smoke flavor on food. Wood pellets used for smoking food will create a similar amount of heat. However, throwing more wood pellets into the fire will create more heat.

So grab a bag of wood pellets that has the best flavor for the food you are smoking.

Remember, the amount of smoke coming out of the pellet grill or smoker doesn’t matter as much as the smoke flavor being produced by the wood type.

So the amount of smoke produced by hickory or cherry wood pellets might appear similar but the hickory smoke flavor will be more intense on the food than cherry smoke flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make my Traeger burn hotter?

To increase the cooking temperature in a Traeger, simply increase the cooking temperature dial to a higher setting. If you are using the Traeger on “Smoke” mode and it is not burning hot enough then adjust the P setting to 0 so that the Traeger will feed in pellets more frequently.

Keep in mind that Traeger pellet grills are intended for smoking food so most Traeger pellet grills have a temperature limit of around 450°F.

Do wood pellets burn as hot as wood?

Wood pellets will burn as hot as wood. The amount of wood pellets or wood is what will increase or decrease the intensity of the fire. So if the fire is not burning as hot as you would like then throw in more wood pellets or wood into the fire.

How long will a 40 lb bag of wood pellets burn?

A 40 lb bag of wood pellets will last around 40 hours of smoking at 225°F. Most pellet grills will burn wood pellets at a rate of 1 lb per hour at 225°F.

However, the exact rate at which the pellet grill burns wood pellets will vary based on the cooking temperature and the ambient air temperature. If the pellet grill is being used in winter when it’s 20°F out then the pellet grill will need to burn more wood pellets in order to maintain any cooking temperature.