Q:Can I ask a question regarding the pellet cages. I’m assuming the “standard” cage that came with my Hori 5 was the softwood version? The only issue I am having is that the cage will get blocked with burnt ash pellets from time to time, significantly reducing output (I usually have to clear the blockage with a thin poker through the ignition slit). With the hard wood and soft wood cage you are selling will the larger gaps rectify this?

A:

Yes – the standard cage that came with your Hori 5 is the softwood version. If you are using good‑quality softwood pellets with normal ash content, blockage should be rare. Frequent clogging usually points to pellet quality or ash content, or to pellets that are not pure softwood. We always recommend doing a small burn test with any new batch of pellets before relying on it.

The new hard/softwood universal cage has larger gaps and is designed specifically to reduce ash clogging when using hardwood or mixed pellets. It will help a lot with the issue you describe, but regular cleaning is still important.