Traeger Grill!

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skyhawk1

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Ok wife and I broke down and bought one last week at Costco(that is another story in itself) so I know there has been a lot of talk on here about how great they are. I have used it a couple times so far with mixed results mostly "timing" issues (operator error). Any advice besides what I read in the manual?

Treager grill.jpg
 

tRidiot

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www.amazingribs.com

Join their forum. Money WELL spent, you will save WAY more in meat costs (aka not ruining meals) than you will spend. I've got 2 pellet grills, one a Traeger. Which model is that you have, and research whether the controller is a PID controller or not - I'm guessing not from what I can see - it looks like just the base controller. A PID will set you back a couple hundred, but also will improve your cooking quite a bit.
 

skyhawk1

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www.amazingribs.com

Join their forum. Money WELL spent, you will save WAY more in meat costs (aka not ruining meals) than you will spend. I've got 2 pellet grills, one a Traeger. Which model is that you have, and research whether the controller is a PID controller or not - I'm guessing not from what I can see - it looks like just the base controller. A PID will set you back a couple hundred, but also will improve your cooking quite a bit.
Just joined! Thanks
The grill I got has an electronic temp controller that so far seems pretty accurate. No wifi tho
 

magna19

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Ok wife and I broke down and bought one last week at Costco(that is another story in itself) so I know there has been a lot of talk on here about how great they are. I have used it a couple times so far with mixed results mostly "timing" issues (operator error). Any advice besides what I read in the manual?
Clean the fire pot/ashes every 2-3 times use, If cooking for 3-4 hours and longer clean every 2 times. If doing long cooks clean every time. When turning to huge temps changes (like smoke to high and back and forth) try to let run several minutes before turning back to another. Get a smoke tube at ACE Hardware or somewhere. Short one does 2 hrs and the long one does 4 hrs smoke. You fill it with pellets, light it and let burn for 10 min. and lay it over in the grill to add additional smoke. Lets you also smoke while cooking at higher temps.
 

dennishoddy

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Ok wife and I broke down and bought one last week at Costco(that is another story in itself) so I know there has been a lot of talk on here about how great they are. I have used it a couple times so far with mixed results mostly "timing" issues (operator error). Any advice besides what I read in the manual?

View attachment 137373

I have exactly the same model bought at Costco. When first using it for a low and slow on some ribs set at 225 degrees, it started cooling down for some reason after an hour into cooking. Then it warmed back up, ran for awhile and cooled way down to almost ambient temp the next time I checked on it.
Opened the lid to check on the pellets, and saw the pellets collapse in the center.
What happened to me, that time and several other times is that the pellets bridge and form a pocket of air underneath them. There is nothing to feed to the auger. The answer is that everytime I go by the cooker, I have a long flat spatula that I just stick into the pellet hopper to break down any bridging by the pellets. It's a common enough issue that I've seen lots of internet comments about it.
Maga19's comments are spot on about cleaning. I have one of the 12” smoke tubes as well although we don't detect a lot of smoke flavor when using it but it makes the back yard smell good.
 
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crrcboatz

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I have exactly the same model bought at Costco. When first using it for a low and slow on some ribs set at 225 degrees, it started cooling down for some reason after an hour into cooking. Then it warmed back up, ran for awhile and cooled way down to almost ambient temp the next time I checked on it.
Opened the lid to check on the pellets, and saw the pellets collapse in the center.
What happened to me, that time and several other times is that the pellets bridge and form a pocket of air underneath them. There is nothing to feed to the auger. The answer is that everytime I go by the cooker, I have a long flat spatula that I just stick into the pellet hopper to break down any bridging by the pellets. It's a common enough issue that I've seen lots of internet comments about it.
Maga19's comments are spot on about cleaning. I have one of the 12' smoke tubes as well although we don't detect a lot of smoke flavor when using it but it makes the back yard smell good.


Had all the above problems plus the cleaning requirements! Packed it up and sent it back swallowing the shipping costs! Never looked back!! The thing was a joke. Now own a Bradley smoker that is set it and forget it! No temp variations to ruin my smoking. Set the temp,load some brickets in the feeder tube and walk away!! For grilling went back to trusty Weber grill with propane lighting feature . Makes starting fire a breeze and OH THAT unique flavor of charcoal returns with NO lighting fluid flavor! I'm in cooking heaven again!!!!!
 

skyhawk1

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I have exactly the same model bought at Costco. When first using it for a low and slow on some ribs set at 225 degrees, it started cooling down for some reason after an hour into cooking. Then it warmed back up, ran for awhile and cooled way down to almost ambient temp the next time I checked on it.
Opened the lid to check on the pellets, and saw the pellets collapse in the center.
What happened to me, that time and several other times is that the pellets bridge and form a pocket of air underneath them. There is nothing to feed to the auger. The answer is that everytime I go by the cooker, I have a long flat spatula that I just stick into the pellet hopper to break down any bridging by the pellets. It's a common enough issue that I've seen lots of internet comments about it.
Maga19's comments are spot on about cleaning. I have one of the 12' smoke tubes as well although we don't detect a lot of smoke flavor when using it but it makes the back yard smell good.

Ok I will watch for that. What I need to know is how you got a 12 foot tube in that grill ???? Ha
 

bigred1

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My son got one of those fancy smancy machines over the weekend. Seasoned it up one evening all the while heckling me and telling me I needed to get rid of my stick burner and get me one. The next evening invited us over for a cookout so we walked around the corner to his house for an evening of food and friendship. He fired it up and it kept tripping the breaker. Got tired of listening to him griping about it so I took the meat back to my house and fired up the Webber kettle with charcoal and picked me some small limbs from under the pecan trees and by the time he figured out he had to clean out the ash pot we were eating cornish hens, steaks and pork chops. Probably smoke some ribs on my stick burner Friday while he's at work and have them over that evening so I can rub it in a little more. :tounge2: I'm pretty good at knowing when to "put another log on the fire"
 

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