Pellet and cook calculator

Planning numbers for time, pellet weight, and whether the hopper survives the cook. Not a promise. Wind and weather will move this.

Inputs

Change anything. The estimate updates live, and the address bar keeps up. Use Copy link to this estimate on the results panel (or the mobile bar) when you want to paste the exact scenario into a reply.

Protein / cook type

Meat weight (lb)

Target grill temp (F)

Grill model

Traeger Ranger

Listed hopper: 8 lb
Assumed burn: 0.55 lb/hr at 225 F
Full hopper runs: 13 hr 55 min

Hopper hours use the temp and ambient you picked, not the mild 225 F catalog column.

Burn rate is a PelletDeck planning assumption, not a manufacturer lab test. Full specs for this model

Traeger product photo

Ambient condition (you pick it)

PelletDeck does not look up the weather at your address. This is a setting, and it is the one that surprises people: sub-freezing roughly doubles pellet use in this model.

Mild (about 60 to 80 F)Assumes 1x pelletsCool (about 40 to 59 F)Assumes 1.25x pelletsCold (about 25 to 39 F)Assumes 1.55x pelletsWinter / sub-freezingAssumes 2.1x pellets

Hopper size (lb)Listed hopper for this model is 8 lb. Change it if yours is different.

Planning number that tries to leave room for a stall. A 12 lb packer at 225 F is often an overnight job. What the stall does to your fuel math

Estimate

Cook time: 16 hr 30 min; 16.5 hours
Pellets: 9.4 lb; 0.55 lb/hr once running. How burn rate moves

Refill neededThe hopper runs dry before the cook ends

This cook wants about 9.4 lb. A full 8 lb hopper runs about 13 hr 55 min, so you come up roughly 2 hr 35 min short of the 16 hr 30 min estimate.

Plan a refill around hour 13, or pick a grill with a bigger hopper.

Why hoppers run dry overnight

Hopper load: 8 lb
A full hopper runs: 13 hr 55 min
Short by: 1.4 lb

How hopper hours are counted

The link carries these exact inputs, so whoever opens it sees the same numbers.

Assumptions

Cook time starts from 1.5 hr plus 1.25 hr per lb, then scales by (225 / target temp)^0.85.
Pellet burn starts at 0.55 lb/hr at 225 F, then scales by (target temp / 225)^1.2 and an ambient multiplier of 1x (Mild (about 60 to 80 F)).
Ambient is the setting you picked, not a live forecast. PelletDeck never looks up the weather at your address.
Startup waste is a flat 0.35 lb. Real ignition can use more if you leave the lid open.
Wind, wet pellets, a dirty fire pot, and a leaky lid are not in the math. They usually burn more, not less.
This is a planning estimate, not a promise and not food-safety advice.

Full formula writeup · Food-safety disclaimer

You pick the inputs. Every constant behind them is written down. How the formula works · Listed hoppers by model · How much meat to buy per person · What time to start smoking