Next Step

[Bruce N]

I purchased a smoke tube, and used it, helped a little bit, but no ring, and faint smoke taste. Now please believe me that I do not kill it with smoke to begin with, but I do want to taste it. I have lost two customers because of this. Looking at trying a different brand of pellets. Read a bunch of good things on Bear Mountain pellets, so going with a bag of hickory for my next cook.

 

[Grill Billy]

I have found that the smoke flavour that I get on my Traeger Pro 780 certainly to be less than what I get on my ceramic kamado using lump charcoal and wood chunks. I typically use hickory or apple pellets in the Traeger and if I start my cook a below 200 degrees, I seem to get decent smoke flavour. I did a packer brisket a few weeks back and I cooked it at 190 for about 12 hours and then wrapped it in foil to finish. It had a good smoke ring and smoke flavour. The same goes for back ribs cooked at 180 for the first three hours…good smoke ring and decent smoke flavour.

I've read other posts with people saying the same as you, "little to no smoke flavour", so you're not alone.

 

[RMB]

I have seen those same posts regarding “little to no smoke.” I agree with Grill Billy, using the same method he described. I also pre-mix my pellets. I will mix Mesquite, Apple and Hickory (also Pecan) in equal amounts. I have found that the hard woods such Mesquite and Hickory provide more smoke. Which I enjoy when smoking a pork butt or ribs.

 

[Francwa73]

Give the Oak or Texas Blend a try, i alternate using those for my briskets. I use Hickory and or Mesquite on my ribs and pulled pork bbq.

 

[BigOlDOg]

I don’t know what you’re cooking and how but what you’ve done on X isn’t going to be the same on a traeger. Meaning lower and slower you might get more smoke flavor, yup it will increase your cook time. Leaving it unwrapped might get you a better smoke ring but again this wont be the same as what you’re trying to compare it to. Try changing your cooking methods as it may yield a better result vs what you’ve typically done on X.

Different pellet brands IMO won’t produce more smoke flavor or even an increased smoke ring but a better quality brand will change the taste some, key word some.

Seems direct but at the end of the day there’s differences between gas, charcoal, lump, sticks and pellets. If you know you had a good thing with X and have people actually paying then go back to X vs trying to find a solution for something that’s not going to be the same as X. Then work on your solution for yourself or those whom aren’t paying till you have a product that produces something you’re proud to sell while keeping in mind you might not get that from this...

I don’t mean to sound rude but honestly it’s the reality of pellets IMO. I’ve grown to enjoy what I produce off the traeger but I also know the taste difference of my stick burner.