10-12 hour smoking issues

R

Retinla53

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2023
Messages
36
Reaction score
16
Points
8
Location
Marepaus La
Grill
Traeger 740
I have a relatively new pro 34 series and have used it only 4 or so times. I use quality pellets, Traeger or Pit Boss. 2 of those times they were supposed to be long smoked, 10-12 hrs. At about 8 or so hrs the flame was smothered out, yet the auger kept pushing the pellets out. Ive had to take everything out, the meat’s, drain plate etc and clean the burn bowl out and start the process again.

After each use, I've cleaned the pit out, vacuum the pellet burn bowl etc.. yeah I still have this problem on long smoking. Any suggestions?
 
I’m sorry but I haven’t had that issue, I just wanted to reply so you wouldn’t think anyone didn’t care. I’m sure someone will chime in with some helpful advice. The first long cook I did on my pro 780 was about 14 hours and it was off and out of pellets when I got up the next morning. I did one other long cook without issues but not the smoke flavor I expected so I do long cooks on my green egg for now on.
 
Shedd said:
I’m sorry but I haven’t had that issue, I just wanted to reply so you wouldn’t think anyone didn’t care. I’m sure someone will chime in with some helpful advice. The first long cook I did on my pro 780 was about 14 hours and it was off and out of pellets when I got up the next morning. I did one other long cook without issues but not the smoke flavor I expected so I do long cooks on my green egg for now on.
Click to expand...
I appreciate it. The first time it happened i figured maybe it was the pellets. I cleaned it. Vacuumed it out. The next i smoked, it was less time and i didn’t have an issue. I used a quality grade pellet and the next long smoke it happens again. The dust builds, and smothers the flame out, and the auger keeps pushing the pellets to overflow. I’m not real happy with my Traeger. At this point the only thing I can see is just do shorter smokes. The amount of dust generated all around the pot and inside the barrel is ridiculous. Had I known it was gonna kick up this much dust, I would’ve never purchased it. Thanks for your reply.
 
Retinla53 said:
I appreciate it. The first time it happened i figured maybe it was the pellets. I cleaned it. Vacuumed it out. The next i smoked, it was less time and i didn’t have an issue. I used a quality grade pellet and the next long smoke it happens again. The dust builds, and smothers the flame out, and the auger keeps pushing the pellets to overflow. I’m not real happy with my Traeger. At this point the only thing I can see is just do shorter smokes. The amount of dust generated all around the pot and inside the barrel is ridiculous. Had I known it was gonna kick up this much dust, I would’ve never purchased it. Thanks for your reply.
Click to expand...
I have read on here that several people sift the pellets to get the pellet dust out of the bag. I haven’t had that issue but I do vacuum out the grill area as well as the fire pot before each use because it does create a lot of ashes.
I did read something about “flame out”, here’s a link on it. Good luck!👍

 
One thing you have to watch on longer cooks is making sure the pellets do not bridge over or hang up against the sides of the hopper. The hopper can be half full of pellets, but the auger opening can be devoid of pellets causing a flameout. One thing you can do is spray the sides of the hopper with food-safe silicone lubricant so the pellets slide down more easily. Sifting out the dust from the pellets might also help. If you are going to leave the fire unattended for a while, make sure the hopper is completely full.

I won't say that Traeger and Pit Boss pellets are poor quality, but if you look at the alternative pellet threads, I think you will find that many people find some other brands to be better than those two. Personally, I do not like Traeger as the pellets are soft and crumble too easily; that makes them dusty. I like Pit Boss OK. I really prefer Lumberjack and Bear Mountain pellets.
 
RayClem said:
One thing you have to watch on longer cooks is making sure the pellets do not bridge over or hang up against the sides of the hopper. The hopper can be half full of pellets, but the auger opening can be devoid of pellets causing a flameout. One thing you can do is spray the sides of the hopper with food-safe silicone lubricant so the pellets slide down more easily. Sifting out the dust from the pellets might also help. If you are going to leave the fire unattended for a while, make sure the hopper is completely full.

I won't say that Traeger and Pit Boss pellets are poor quality, but if you look at the alternative pellet threads, I think you will find that many people find some other brands to be better than those two. Personally, I do not like Traeger as the pellets are soft and crumble too easily; that makes them dusty. I like Pit Boss OK. I really prefer Lumberjack and Bear Mountain pellets.
Click to expand...
 
When I get a new bag of pellets I always sieve them using a 1/4 inch screen to eliminate the dust and small broken pieces. The bag of pellets could have been on the bottom of the shipping pallet or roughly handled before you purchased them. After sieving I store them in a moisture proof container. I have used a number of different brands of pellets and all have dust and small pieces when I sieve them. I also like to vacuum out the bottom of the hopper on occasion to remove the dust and small pieces from the feed point of the auger. I am not sure if you can change the "P" setting on your model, but it might be worth looking into. Hope this has been of help.
 
I have not sifted any pellets since I’ve been smoking. That suggestion was posted on several of my replies. I know thats a lot of trouble, but that my be worth the hassle. Also storing the pellets in a moisture proof container is a great idea. Appreciate that information. I’m not sure what the P setting is? Thanks brother
 
I've never had that issue, but I do sift my pellets and don't use Traeger pellets. I use Furtado pellets mainly.
 
I’d try a different brand of pellets. I use exclusively bearmountainbbq pellets, also lumberjack is a good one, these are made by the same company. It could also be the blower fan fading on longer cooks.
 
Appreciate the information, Timmy I will try some different pellets. Thanks again brother.
 
Retinla53 said:
I have not sifted any pellets since I’ve been smoking. That suggestion was posted on several of my replies. I know thats a lot of trouble, but that my be worth the hassle.
Click to expand...

Here ya go:

www.traegerforum.com

Pellets - Pellet Dust Test ► Results Are In

I'll just get right to it ► Test was for DUST amount in each 20lb bag which in my opinion also means pellet strength against crumble, and also means less worries of DUST clogs in Hopper... probably also means less affected by humidity too. Using my OKJoe sifter bucket and 1/3 of a bag at a time...
www.traegerforum.com www.traegerforum.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Traeger Forum Favs 👍

Pink Butcher Paper Roll w/Dispenser Box - 17.25 Inch by 175 Foot Roll - Grab one through Amazon!

Traeger Photos

Featured image Featured image Featured image Featured image Featured image

Traeger Photos

Featured image Featured image Featured image Featured image Featured image

Latest Discussions

Back
Top