Proper wood pellet storage is important. If your pellet grill is fed with moist or degraded pellets, your temperature performance will suffer. This is especially important in hot, humid weather. And pellets that get wet from rain or mist are downright ruined and unusable.
Wood pellet storage can be simple or complicated. So let us share some of the better wood pellet storage ideas, one-by-one.
What is the best way to store wood pellets? Well, it depends on your budget and organization needs, but the bottom line is that you must keep them dry and as humidity-free as possible.
1. The Bare Minimum Method: In the Bag
At the bare minimum, you must keep your pellet bags sealed tight and in a cool, dry place. Roll the bag down, and seal with a decent bag clip. Keep them in your garage or in a closet. This lessens the chance for moisture to get in the bag and makes sealing and pouring easier.
Pros:
Cheap and easy
Cons:
Doesn’t fully protect against humidity, spillage, or accidental punctures of the bag
Depending on size of the bag, doesn’t make pouring very easy
A good tip: don’t open new bags fully. Instead, cut just a corner, enough to pour effectively. Then use a beefy chip bag clip to keep it sealed.
2. A Step Up: 5 Gallon Buckets
A 5-gallon bucket from Home Depot or Lowes has a tight-fitting moisture proof lid and will hold a little over 20 lbs of pellets. You can stack a few for storage of more pellets or for different flavors. At around $5-10 each, these are a great step up from storing your pellets in their original bags. Get a large plastic cup or dedicated scoop if you don’t want to lift and pour.
Pros:
Cheap
Waterproof and airtight
Easy to stack and scoop from
Cons:
Only holds a little over 20 lbs.
Not the most attractive solution (although you can get sports team buckets)
Tip: Use a car wash bucket insert to filter out the crumbled pellet dust that accumulates so that you’re only pouring solid pellets into your grill’s hopper.
3. Wood Pellet Storage Bucket Add-Ons
If you like the idea of a bucket for storage, check out the ways to make the regular bucket better. Traeger makes a lid to put on a 5-gallon bucket, though it doesn’t fit them very well without heating them in warm water first.
Traeger Bucket Lid Kit
Oklahoma Joe’s Pellet Bucket Kit
Oklahoma Joe’s makes a nifty bucket with a built-in basket to sift out dust. It even comes with a scoop.
Pellet Storage Bucket Labels
Finally, you can use these bucket labels to dress up your hardware-store bought buckets a bit more and keep track of wood pellet flavors if you have more than one.
4. A More Flexible Alternative: Dry Storage Bags
For even more convenience, step up from 5-gallon buckets to dry bags. These are waterproof bags used in kayaking, rafting, and camping. They are lightweight, sturdy, and come in various sizes. There are larger ones that can hold an entire 40-pound bag of pellets. We even did a test of one, which you can watch on YouTube.
Pros:
Completely waterproof
Easy to store, transport
Can store more than buckets
Cons:
Not stackable like buckets
Not as easy to pour as buckets
5a. Even More Convenience: Ice Melt Dispenser
While not made for them, these ice melt dispensers are one of the better ideas for wood pellet storage. They come in 4- and 8-gallon sizes. The larger size can hold almost a full 40 pound bag. They’re almost completely waterproof, and have an easy pouring spout and handle.
Pros:
Easy carrying and pouring
Sturdy and waterproof
Easy to store along walls of garage or closet
Cons:
Pricier than plain buckets
5b. The Kingsford Version of the Pellet Dispenser
This is Kingford’s version of the dispenser above. One difference is that it only comes in a 20 pound bag size. It also has a write-on dry-erase label.
6. The Ultimate in Wood Pellet Storage: The Pellet Can
For a higher-priced and highly useful pellet storage solution, check out the PelletCan. It holds 100lbs of pellets in separate compartments. Each compartment has a chute at the bottom for easy dispensing. The entire unit is on wheels and has a stainless top which doubles as a prep surface or side shelf. It even has hooks for utensils and a bottle opener. At $400, it’s definitely the most expensive way to go, but has great utility if you’re serious about your pellet grilling.
