How many pellets does a pellet grill use per hour?

About 1 lb per hour smoking at 225°F, 1.5 lb around 275–300°F, 2 lb at 350°F and up to 3 lb per hour at 450°F and above. Traeger puts the range at one to three pounds per hour depending on temperature, so a 20-lb bag lasts roughly 10–20 hours of smoking or 6–8 hours of high-heat grilling. Cold and wind add 25–50%.

How much charcoal do I need for a 12 hour smoke?

In a bullet smoker or a kettle with a snake, roughly 0.75–1 lb of briquettes per hour at 225–250°F, so 9–12 lb, which is most of a 16-lb bag. A full ring in an 18-inch Weber Smokey Mountain runs 12 hours or more on one load. A kamado burns about half that (a full load of lump lasts 12–18 hours). An offset burning charcoal and chunks uses about 2 lb per hour, so 24 lb.

How many briquettes are in a pound?

About 18 Kingsford Original briquettes weigh a pound (0.89 oz each), so a 16-lb bag holds roughly 290. A Weber chimney holds about 5–6 lb, around 100 briquettes. USDA suggests adding about 15 briquettes per hour to a smoker to hold temperature.

How long does a snake last in a Weber kettle?

A two-by-two snake of briquettes around the edge of a 22-inch kettle burns 6–8 hours at 225–275°F in mild weather, using roughly 6–8 lb. For a longer cook, add briquettes to the unlit end before the snake burns out.

Charcoal and Pellet Calculator — How Much Fuel a Smoke Takes by Cooker, Temperature and Hours

Fuel use by cooker at 225–250°F

Planning figures. Insulation, gasket condition, vent settings, how often the lid opens and the weather all move these; the calculator's weather multiplier covers the common case.

Pellets

Pellet grills meter fuel with an auger, so consumption tracks temperature closely: about a pound an hour holding 225°F, a pound and a half around 275–300°F, two pounds at 350°F and three at searing heat. Traeger's official range is one to three pounds per hour. A 20-lb bag is therefore 10–20 hours of smoking or an evening of burgers. Hoppers hold 18–24 lb on most full-size grills, which is enough for an overnight brisket in mild weather but not in January; a hopper extension or a 4 a.m. top-off is the usual answer. Don't leave pellets in the hopper for weeks in humid weather; they swell and jam the auger.

Charcoal

Kingsford Original briquettes run about 18 to the pound, so a 16-lb bag is roughly 290 briquettes and a full Weber chimney is about 5–6 lb. USDA's rule of thumb for a smoker is 15 briquettes an hour to hold temperature. In practice a kettle with a two-by-two snake burns 6–8 hours on 6–8 lb; a Weber Smokey Mountain with a full ring and the Minion method goes 12 hours or more on about 8 lb; a drum smoker's basket holds roughly 8 lb for 8–10 hours. Kamados are the outliers: thick ceramic and tight vents mean a full load of lump (5–7 lb in a Classic-size cooker) runs 12–18 hours. Offsets are the opposite: a charcoal-and-chunks offset eats about 2 lb an hour, and a true stick burner goes through a medium split every 45–60 minutes.

Cold, wind and lid-opening

Every cooker burns more fuel when it's cold or windy, and thin-walled cookers (kettles, offsets, cheap pellet grills) suffer most: budget 25% more below 45°F and 50% in a winter wind, or more if the cooker isn't sheltered. A welding blanket or insulated jacket on a bullet or pellet grill cuts that dramatically. Every lid-open costs 10–15 minutes of recovery and the fuel that goes with it.

Lump vs briquettes

Lump burns hotter and cleaner with less ash but less consistently; briquettes are uniform and predictable, which is why snakes and Minion rings are built with them. Lump is the default in kamados because ash space is limited. Both work in everything else. Whatever you use, light it fully before food goes on, and never add lighter-fluid-soaked coals to a running cook.

Not sure how many hours? Get the cook time first →

Frequently asked questions

Pellets per hour?

~1 lb at 225°F, 1.5 at 275–300°F, 2 at 350°F, 3 at 450°F+.

Charcoal for 12 hours?

Kettle or bullet: 9–12 lb. Kamado: ~6 lb. Offset: ~24 lb.

Briquettes per pound?

About 18 Kingsford Original; ~290 per 16-lb bag; ~100 per chimney.

How long does a snake last?

6–8 hours at 225–275°F in a 22-inch kettle.

Will one hopper last a brisket?

18–24 lb hoppers cover 12–18 hours at 225°F in mild weather. Overnight in winter, top it off before bed.

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