Desserts First cook & ruined dessert

[Id10t_127001]

Purchased a Timberline XL this weekend. For the 1st cook, I figured I would try a dessert. It was a spectacular failure. Hopefully y'all can point out where I went wrong.

I am new to pellet grills but have been cooking on a Big Green Egg for over a decade.
I attempted to cook a pumpkin creme brulee.
Set the grill to 250, gave it an hour to let the temperature stabilize, using Traeger Signature Blend pellets.
Placed pan of ramekins (water bath) on the middle rack and cooked as usual.
The taste was absolutely disgusting. It was the most bitter, pungent smoke flavor I've ever tasted. I would not wish that dish on my mother-in-law.

I've cooked this, and variants in my Big Green Egg many times before. Always came out great. Just a slight hint of smoke.

What did I do wrong?

 

[RayClem]

Sorry for your mishap. It happens often to new users. Using a Traeger is a learning process. You will do better as you learn the idiocyncracies of your specific grill.

When using the Traeger, the lower the temperature, the greater the smoke.

Although you set the controller to 250F, the actual temperature might have been significantly lower than that, especially with the water bath.

Get a 3rd part analog or digital thermometer and check the temperature of your grill at various controller settings. I suspect you will find, like most of us, that there is a difference between the controller setpoint and the actual temperature. Always set the controller as needed to achieve the actual cook temperature you desire.

 

[Id10t_127001]

Sorry for your mishap. It happens often to new users. Using a Traeger is a learning process. You will do better as you learn the idiocyncracies of your specific grill.

When using the Traeger, the lower the temperature, the greater the smoke.

Although you set the controller to 250F, the actual temperature might have been significantly lower than that, especially with the water bath.

Get a 3rd part analog or digital thermometer and check the temperature of your grill at various controller settings. I suspect you will find, like most of us, that there is a difference between the controller setpoint and the actual temperature. Always set the controller as needed to achieve the actual cook temperature you desire.

Thank you. I have a Fireboard and will see what it shows vs the set point. If there is a signifigant diference between the the Traeger controller indivates vs Foreboard, is there a way to adjust or recalibrate the controller?

 

[RayClem]

Unfortunately, there is no way to recalibrate the controller. Many users report that they will get a small difference at low temperatures and a much larger difference at higher temperatures. Thus, there is a slope error in the controller rather than just a zero point. With my grill, I am off about 5F at a setpoint of 200F and about 50F at a setpoint of 400F. You just have to learn how your grill operates. Yours might be different from mine.