Recently I was given two small 1lb. bags of Jack Daniels grilling charcoal as a gift.  Using the Kuma Hopper Stopper, I quickly emptied out my pellets and threw these precious gems in to see how they cooked.  The burgers tasted great but when I found out that 1lb. is about $10 on amazon, those burgers became a once in a lifetime experience. I highly recommend my second attempt which also tasted great and was a much more economical way to use a special bag of pellets.

Pour about 15 lbs. of Alder pellets into a bucket and add 1 lb. of the Jack Daniel’s grilling charcoal.  Mix it thoroughly by hand and you have a special mix that will give you a sweet tangy smoke that is great for red meats.  I recommend using this mix when you are smoking at 300° or below. At higher temperatures you might as well just use regular pellets.

Another great idea is to mix two flavors of cooking pellets such as apple and mesquite at a 50/50 ratio.  This mix is great for pork and gives a balanced smoke flavor between mild and tangy.  Don’t be afraid to try new things because, although the differences are subtle, mixing pellet flavors can add a touch of variety to your smoked foods.

As always this technique works best when used in the premium Pellet Grill, Kuma's Platinum SE.