Have you been asking yourself if you can store your wood pellets in the bags they come in, or is there a better option? You don’t need to worry anymore. I’ll cover the best practices for storing your wood pellets for smoking, so you have fresh wood every time you cook.
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Store in Retail Bags or Containers?
You know I’m an organized guy if you knew anything about me. I love it when there’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place. This is why I love my wood pellet storage buckets.
My latest obsession is finding a way to organize the many bags of wood pellets I purchase for smoking in my pellet grill. This made me wonder, is there a better way to store and organize my wood pellets than leaving them in the bags I bought them? Which is a big no-no, by the way.
Yes, there’s a better way to store your wood pellets than leaving them in the bags. You don’t want to leave them in the bags. As soon as you bring the pellets home, transfer them into a multi-gallon bucket with an airtight lid. You want to keep them in a dry environment away from moisture, humidity, mold, and the floor. Ensure the buckets or containers are listed as airtight, and FDA approved for the best results.
This works for any brand of pellets you prefer to buy. I typically purchase Camp Chef because they are quality pellets, they have a Charwood option that burns exceptionally well, and you can get them on sale at a great price. I find the best sale price comes from Sportsman’s Warehouse. However, you can do this with any wood pellets you use.
If you don’t have buckets on hand already, I recommended using the Buddeez Original Kingsford Charcoal Kaddy, 32QT. It was initially designed for storing charcoal, but it’s airtight and the right size to hold a 20 lb bag of wood pellets.
Now that you know there’s a better way let me break down what I did to organize my pellets and answer a few commonly asked questions.
Do Wood Pellets Go Bad?
Wood pellets can quickly go bad since they are made of natural hardwood that absorbs moisture quickly. If you are using wood pellets that have been compromised with water, they’ll lose their flavor and energy efficiency. This will cause you to smoke food with much less flavor while burning more wood to keep the smoker up to temperature.
Most important! Using soft wood pellets due to moisture can lead to clogging your hopper or auger. This can lead to mechanical failures or a broken smoker.
This goes without saying, but I’ll say it. Use your oldest pellets first. If you have two hickory bags and one purchased recently, use the older bag before the newer one.
Can You Store Wood Pellets Outside?
Yes, you can store your wood pellets outside, but the inside is preferred. Outside storage is more problematic with humidity levels, so I suggest keeping your pellets indoors, especially during the winter months.
Stay away from storing your wood pellets in a damp basement, leaky shed, or garage. Cabinets, cupboards, or other dry places are your best options. Try using a cabinet in a dry garage or basement to store your pellet containers.
Don’t Store Wood Pellets on the Floor
By storing your pellets on the floor, you leave them vulnerable to getting wet, even without water spilling or rain. Make sure you keep your pellets off the ground. The best option is on a shelf or in a cabinet.
If you don’t have those options, get some 2×4 wood boards and place the pellets on those. As long as they aren’t coming in contact with the floor, you’re doing well.
Can You Leave Wood Pellets in the Hopper?
No, don’t leave your unused pellets in your pellet grills hopper. This can expose them to moisture, humidity, and even rain. These and other factors can cause the pellets to absorb water and rot.
Most pellet grills have a trap door for easy emptying out of the pellets. Use this to empty the hopper after each use. Then transfer them into an airtight container for later use.
What is the Shelf Life of Wood Pellets?
If your pellets are stored property, meaning they are kept in an airtight container away from moisture, the wood pellets can last about six months before they begin to wane. However, if they are stored in a way they are exposed to humidity and moisture, they may only last 1-3 months.
How Do You Test Your Wood Pellets?
Check your pellets before smoking. Please do this by selecting a couple of them before filling the hopper. Try to snap them. If they don’t snap, there might be too much moisture in the wood. If they took on too much water, they would not be usable. A second sign to check for when examining your pellets is their look. They should have a good shine.
If they snap, shine, and you don’t see any sign of crumbling, your pellets are good to go into the hopper.
Buy Some Buckets
Any buckets will do as long as they have an air-tight lid. A handle doesn’t hurt either so that you can carry it more easily. You can easily find a round 5-gallon bucket in any hardware store.
The buckets I use are 16 liters or 4.22-gallon size. They have a sealable lid that isn’t too difficult to open. However, these specific buckets are hard to find on Amazon but easily found at a hardware store. I used them because they were a gift. If I started over today without already owning those particular buckets, I’d go with the traditional 5 gallon round bucket or the previously mentioned Buddeez 08301B-KPLT-DS Kingsford Wood Pellet Dispenser.
These round buckets are easy to find locally or online. Click on the image to find them on Amazon.
Lids for Your buckets
The traditional 5 gallon round buckets will come with a lid that seals well but isn’t easy to remove. To remove the lid, you should use a Gamma Lid for your bucket. After you put it on a 5-gallon bucket, the lid can twist on and off with little effort. I use this lid on several buckets in my pantry, where flour, sugar, and rice are stored. It works exceptionally well. Like using pellets for your smoking and grilling, you’ll want a method that’s easy to access your pellets.
Label Your Buckets
You want to label the outside of the bucket in some fashion so you can keep track of which wood is in which bucket.
You could use a permanent marker to write this on the side or lid of the bucket. I cut the name of the wood right off the bag it came in. I then used packing tape to secure the piece of plastic to the bucket’s lid.
Conclusion
You should follow specific guidelines when storing your pellets, which will lengthen their life. This includes storing them in a dry place away from moisture and humidity. Please don’t keep them in the bags they came in; instead, pour the pellets into buckets or containers with a sealable lid. Empty your hopper after each use so you don’t damage your grill. If you use your pellet grill as much as I do and you love being organized, you’ll love to do something similar to what I do with my pellets.
If you like to use your pellet grill to make delicious food, check out our Bacon-Wrapped Balsamic Pork Sirloin Roast.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Smoking Food Board!!
