I have read a lot about the temp issues on this forum

[lavaman40]

I have read a lot about the temp issues on this forum since I purchased my Traeger (Pro series 34) for fathers day last week. I am coming from a stick smoker so this is new territory for me. Having read every single post on temp problems it just seems like its a Traeger issue. I have done 3 cooks since purchased, I did ribs yesterday which turned out not so great, couldn't get the temp accurate enough, it fluctuated too much. I am using multiple ambient probes inside the barrel to some how make sense of what to set it the controller too since my controller is displaying 50-70 Degrees higher than the ambient temp in the barrel. It is proving to be more challenging than a stick offset. At least with a stick offset I can open the fire door and lower the temps rather easily and get them within 5-10 degrees where I want it to be around the protein.

I did purchase the laval lock gasket which I installed today, letting that cure on the lid and I will give it another go tomorrow. I am hoping the gasket helps at least a little. I was hoping using the pellet smoker would be less work, less hassle, less babysitting but I find myself babysitting this thing more than my stick offset.

Is there anything I should be checking to make sure I am doing this right? 50-70 degrees difference from my 3rd party ambient probes just seems outrageous. Using the traeger pellets fresh bag.

Thanks yall.

 

[Slimpicker]

Rely on your 3rd party probes exclusively.
One unfortunate thing is you bought a non-D2 Controller. That upgrade controls the temp much better than the pro 22 and pro 34... I know, I had a pro 22 and took it back within the first couple smokes.
If you look at any fireboard cooks from me or RustyJake or Timmy, you can see how flat line the temps are once set. Tweaking the one you got will help, but a D2 controller is the big difference.

I too was a multiple side box smoker for many years, I use my 575 as one of the most reliable smoke ovens I have ever had. I very rarely use my indoor oven anymore. "set and forget"

I would NEVER do an overnight smoke on a stick burner, nor would I trust the pro 22 for the same reason... I do overnight now and don't even lose 1 wink of sleep, when I check my phone, it's right there and roll over and zzzzzzz

If you can take it back, and afford the upgrade to at least the 575, I would do it. Bought my pro22 at HomeDepot and had 30 days or more, walked it right back there.
My setup is "babysit" free for the most part.

 

[Jayhawkwx]

I've had my Pro 34 for a year and a half. Same thing but I ignore it. All that matters is the temperature of the protein. I follow Meat Church and other BBQ gurus for my recipes. All of my cooks turn out perfectly within the same time frame as what the recipe calls for.

I smoked a chuck roast yesterday for pulled beef. Recipe called for smoking a 3-4 lb. roast for 7-9 hours. Spot on at 8.25 hours. I paid zero attention to the ambient temperature in the barrel because the RTD temperature is on the far left and my chuck roast with 3rd party probes was on the right side of the Pro 34 near the exhaust stack.

 

[lavaman40]

Rely on your 3rd party probes exclusively.
One unfortunate thing is you bought a non-D2 Controller. That upgrade controls the temp much better than the pro 22 and pro 34... I know, I had a pro 22 and took it back within the first couple smokes.
If you look at any fireboard cooks from me or RustyJake or Timmy, you can see how flat line the temps are once set. Tweaking the one you got will help, but a D2 controller is the big difference.

I too was a multiple side box smoker for many years, I use my 575 as one of the most reliable smoke ovens I have ever had. I very rarely use my indoor oven anymore. "set and forget"

I would NEVER do an overnight smoke on a stick burner, nor would I trust the pro 22 for the same reason... I do overnight now and don't even lose 1 wink of sleep, when I check my phone, it's right there and roll over and zzzzzzz

If you can take it back, and afford the upgrade to at least the 575, I would do it. Bought my pro22 at HomeDepot and had 30 days or more, walked it right back there.
My setup is "babysit" free for the most part.

Thanks for the input much appreciated.

 

[lavaman40]

I've had my Pro 34 for a year and a half. Same thing but I ignore it. All that matters is the temperature of the protein. I follow Meat Church and other BBQ gurus for my recipes. All of my cooks turn out perfectly within the same time frame as what the recipe calls for.

I smoked a chuck roast yesterday for pulled beef. Recipe called for smoking a 3-4 lb. roast for 7-9 hours. Spot on at 8.25 hours. I paid zero attention to the ambient temperature in the barrel because the RTD temperature is on the far left and my chuck roast with 3rd party probes was on the right side of the Pro 34 near the exhaust stack.

Thanks for the input. So you just worry about the internal meat temp and call it a day? I mean I guess thats doable, it will be a hard habbit to break for me coming from and offset.

 

[Jayhawkwx]

Thanks for the input. So you just worry about the internal meat temp and call it a day? I mean I guess thats doable, it will be a hard habbit to break for me coming from and offset.

Yes, I just look at the IT temp of the meat. The pit is greatly affected by outside ambient temperature, wind, and humidity.

The Pro 34's have no insulation in the pit barrel or the lid. As mentioned above, the RTD is on the left side of the grill running vertically. My 3rd party probes are usually place horizontally into the protein closer to the grill dates. There is going to be a big difference in temperatures because of the location of the probes and RTD. Your oven has the same issues only ovens are better insulated. There will be big differences between the display temperature setting, a probe in the protein and an oven thermometer.

 

[lavaman40]

Yes, I just look at the IT temp of the meat. The pit is greatly affected by outside ambient temperature, wind, and humidity.

The Pro 34's have no insulation in the pit barrel or the lid. As mentioned above, the RTD is on the left side of the grill running vertically. My 3rd party probes are usually place horizontally into the protein closer to the grill dates. There is going to be a big difference in temperatures because of the location of the probes and RTD. Your oven has the same issues only ovens are better insulated. There will be big differences between the display temperature setting, a probe in the protein and an oven thermometer.

I have certainly noticed this. So do you find setting the grill at 225, you generally get a 225 degree experience?

 

[Jayhawkwx]

I have certainly noticed this. So do you find setting the grill at 225, you generally get a 225 degree experience?

Yes, setting the grill at 225* gives a 225* performance (if the outside ambient temperature is >50*). The Pro 34 averages whatever your setting is for the entire cook; it does not maintain a constant temperature setting; the same as your oven, gas or charcoal grill. Thermometers located in the lid of a charcoal or gas grill are notoriously wrong; just like the oven and refrigerator. My refrigerator is set at 37*. Take a bottle of water out at the top of the refrigerator and it reads 47.3*. Items on the lowest shelf are 38.1*.

You will drive yourself crazy looking at the PID temperature and your 3rd party probes. The only thing that matters is getting the internal temperature of your food to the proper cooked temperature. Opening the lid to spritz or sauce will also cause massive amounts of heat loss, especially cooking in cooler temperatures <50*. I never open the lid except to spritz and wait until the PID temperature is high. I hope this helps.

 

[lavaman40]

Yes, setting the grill at 225* gives a 225* performance (if the outside ambient temperature is >50*). The Pro 34 averages whatever your setting is for the entire cook; it does not maintain a constant temperature setting; the same as your oven, gas or charcoal grill. Thermometers located in the lid of a charcoal or gas grill are notoriously wrong; just like the oven and refrigerator. My refrigerator is set at 37*. Take a bottle of water out at the top of the refrigerator and it reads 47.3*. Items on the lowest shelf are 38.1*.

You will drive yourself crazy looking at the PID temperature and your 3rd party probes. The only thing that matters is getting the internal temperature of your food to the proper cooked temperature. Opening the lid to spritz or sauce will also cause massive amounts of heat loss, especially cooking in cooler temperatures <50*. I never open the lid except to spritz and wait until the PID temperature is high. I hope this helps.

Cant tell ya how much i appreciate the guidance.

 

[Keithes1]

I have read a lot about the temp issues on this forum since I purchased my Traeger (Pro series 34) for fathers day last week. I am coming from a stick smoker so this is new territory for me. Having read every single post on temp problems it just seems like its a Traeger issue. I have done 3 cooks since purchased, I did ribs yesterday which turned out not so great, couldn't get the temp accurate enough, it fluctuated too much. I am using multiple ambient probes inside the barrel to some how make sense of what to set it the controller too since my controller is displaying 50-70 Degrees higher than the ambient temp in the barrel. It is proving to be more challenging than a stick offset. At least with a stick offset I can open the fire door and lower the temps rather easily and get them within 5-10 degrees where I want it to be around the protein.

I did purchase the laval lock gasket which I installed today, letting that cure on the lid and I will give it another go tomorrow. I am hoping the gasket helps at least a little. I was hoping using the pellet smoker would be less work, less hassle, less babysitting but I find myself babysitting this thing more than my stick offset.

Is there anything I should be checking to make sure I am doing this right? 50-70 degrees difference from my 3rd party ambient probes just seems outrageous. Using the traeger pellets fresh bag.

Thanks yall.

I also recently purchased a Pro 34, and the internal temp (read from my Thermoworks thermometer) is 50 degrees cooler than the set temp. The temp usually fluctuates 30 degrees, but I’ve seen it fluctuate up to 50 degrees. I too came from a cheap stick smoker and if I had it to do over I would have spent the extra on a decent offset. Certainly more convenient not having to tend to the offset, but I’m thinking the extra work would be worth it. Also, I’ve done a brisket, Canadian bacon and chicken thighs and have used nearly a 30 lb bag of pellets (the c bacon and chicken were only 2 hr cooks).

 

[NoGood Traeger]

Rely on your 3rd party probes exclusively.
One unfortunate thing is you bought a non-D2 Controller. That upgrade controls the temp much better than the pro 22 and pro 34... I know, I had a pro 22 and took it back within the first couple smokes.
If you look at any fireboard cooks from me or RustyJake or Timmy, you can see how flat line the temps are once set. Tweaking the one you got will help, but a D2 controller is the big difference.
.....

Definitely agree with relying on your 3rd party probe.
Unfortunately having a D2 controlled grill is no panacea. None of the Traeger recipes I tried, including the "Make Now' would get done. I had a Century 885 that left them considerably under cooked, requiring a lot of followup baby sitting to get the food done. Used a 3rd party reader thermocouple reader and saw that the D2 controller was reading 24-26% higher across the entire heating range of the grill. For example when the D2 displayed 500' the reader displayed 400'. When the D2 displayed 225, the reader displayed 185.