Just realized hardwood chunks beat pellets for my stick burner

I've been a pellet guy since I got my offset last March, mostly because my buddy swore by them for convenience. But last weekend I watched a pitmaster named Dale at a comp in Lockhart toss in post oak chunks and let the fire breathe, no hopper feeding. He told me pellets give you steady heat but chunks give you character, and the smoke taste was night and day different. I tried it at home the next day with a $12 bag of chunks and a brisket, and the bark came out way deeper, like a real crust instead of a light film. It costs me an extra hour of tending the fire, but the flavor payoff is real for anyone who owns an offset. Has anyone else switched back from pellets and felt the same, or am I just chasing nostalgia?

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wesleyflores11d ago

Lockhart is about 80 miles from Houston, not the comp scene you think.