not enough smoke flavor from my 850

[KenP]

I have been smoking food for about 30 yrs now and recently purchased a Timberline 850.
I've smoked chicken and pork butt and various other things on it (on the "super smoke" setting) and I'm just not thrilled with the amount of smoke flavor I'm getting.
I get a smoke ring, but just not tasting it. i read somewhere that the traegers with the smokestack give better smoke flavor. Any one else have this experience? I'm thinking about dumping it and going back to a new version of the previous smoker that I've use for 15 yrs.
Anyone else have the same/similar issue?

 

[Slimpicker]

My New Traeger Does Not Put Out The Smoke I Was Expecting!!
Traeger is not a charcoal stick burner, it is a pellet wood oven/smoker

https://www.traegergrills.com/support/not-enough-smoke

A lot of people, when they think of a smoker, think of a grill billowing thick white smoke. This is not the type of smoke we want to produce.

Traeger Wood Pellet Grills produce a superior thin blue smoke that provides a cleaner, smoker flavor. Often, the smoke is so thin it only appears as heat waves coming off the grill. However, it is there. You will be able to see the smoke rings on your meat and taste the difference.

• One suggestion is to start your cooks with low smoking temps (180°-200°) for the first hour or so then cook your meat at regular temp. Traegers put out more visible smoke at lower temps.
• You can always buy a $20 smoking tube and add more smoke to your cooks that way... THEY WORK!!! ► Search Amazon
• Some have added a Smoke Generator like Smokin-it Bella
• PLEASE NOTE: In OLD smokers, (stick and charcoal) more charcoal than wood is used, most of us that smoked before Traegers used charcoal instead of 'all wood'... the SMOKE FLAVOR most guys talk about "missing" in a Traeger is the CHARCOAL smoke, not WOOD smoke. The charcoal smell and smoke will NEVER be there on a Traeger, I suggest this is what MOST new Traeger users are missing when they talk about "NOT AS MUCH SMOKE."

Then there is also just a matter of taste and what you like your meat to taste like:

Certainly regulating temps in the smoker and the meat itself greatly impacts the outcome and perception of it tasting "good."

I wonder if your success, or lack there of, is a matter of taste? Many love the taste of smoke, some do not. There is a restaurant near me that gets rave reviews. They have a huge smoker outside where they smoke EVERYTHING, including sides. For me it all tastes like licking a fire poker and I can't tell any difference in taste from their chicken to their beef to their green beans.

At risk of being banished from the Traeger community, I will tell you I do not like much smoky flavor, and neither does my wife. For this reason I never had any interest in a smoker until we had a brisket made by a friend. It was the best meat I've ever had in my life. I was instantly sold. I'm about a year in and we have really had some great food. We have intentionally used pellet mixes that are mild and avoided swings in temperature that might produce more smoke with the meat. As far as meat, we've enjoyed large briskets, pork butts, and ribs. They are fantastic. We have done potroast, beer can chicken, and spotchuck chicken a few times each and it was ok. Truth be told I'd rather have had the chicken on the grill and the roast in the oven. As far as steak, I'm sure I'll try it eventually, but to date I just haven't been able to bring myself to put one on my smoker.

 

[Slimpicker]

I have been smoking food for about 30 yrs now

I've been for 20+ years, you cannot expect a Traeger to make the same smoke environment as an offset charcoal/wood chunk burner does.
It is impossible to reproduce the smoke 'flavor' you are used to with a Pellet smoker. It burns wood pellets and has no way of giving a charcoal taste or even a real wood taste. I use 2 smoke tubes with wood chip/pellet mix and I'm totally satisfied with the results I get.
In many cases on our old offsets we were getting 'dirty' smoke at times which gave a flavor you probably got used to and which is RARE if ever on a Traeger.

 

[CMTiger]

Long story short.....start your cooks at a lower temperature and purchase a $15 smoke tube (or two). If you still aren’t getting the flavor you want then you’re not going to on a pellet grill. Good luck.

 

[KenP]

I smoked/cooked about a 5lb pork but, boneless. Seasoned night b4 with SPG (simple), added a little more in the morning. on the traeger at 7am, set for 200F with "super smoke" ... spritzed with apple juice and developed good bark. Stalled in the 140's, kicked heat up to 225 and when it passed stall and got in the mid 160's I wrapped in pink paper and put in oven and 225, till it hit 205 and then let it cool slow. I got great bark, smoke ring, but not enough smoke flavor... Question, am I expecting to much??? 1 person in the last 20 yrs has told me my brisket was oversmoked, everyone else loves it... Brisket, Pastrami, Chix, butts, corn.( even with a smoke tube, I didn't like the way corn came out).. I don't do a lot of ribs... Looking for an objective opinion here. I have read that the Traegers with the smoke stacks (not my 850) give more smoke flavor... I'm not slamming Traeger, it's a great way to create convection style heat and does a lot of great things, just looking for a sanity check...

 

[KenP]

by the way, I have a "smokin-it bella" cold smoker bc my smoker I'm looking to replace is a a smokin-it # 3 analog.... I never fired up the "bella" bc I don't want to drill holes in my $1700 Traeger if I'm going to sell it and go back to an updated smokin-it unit with wifi.

 

[MidwestSmoker]

It is a complex issue. I follow the Mad Scientist BBQ on YouTube and he has shown in the past that pellet grills do not produce as much smoke flavor as wood burning offset smokers. But in a recent video with a competition smoker, it came out that charcoal smokers produce even better smoke flavor and is preferred by competition cooks.

So, if you are used to charcoal smokers then a pellet grill will not work for you. If you have been using wood burning offset smokers then pellet smokers can come close with some tweaks, such as smoke tubes. The basic question is how much smoke flavor are you willing to sacrifice for the convenience of a pellet smoker? You cannot have both: convenience and intense smoke flavor.

 

[KenP]

Thank you for your replies. They confirm a lot of what I've been thinking.
Here's another question... Many have mentioned using smoke tubes- I have them, only used them a couple of time for short sessions to add a little smoke flavor on my Webber.
The question is, If pellet grills don't have a lot of smoke flavor, how are burning more pellets in a tube going to help? In other words is it the pellets themselves, or is it the grill? Second question, has anyone mixed pellets with wood chips?
I have a feeling this is going to require more research on the back patio...
Fyi- I found some short ribs in the freezer and have some plate ribs(aka Dinosaur ribs) I've been looking to try for the first time. I did one of each on the my old electric smoker (left) and Traeger (right). I gave them a 5hrs on smoke (200F) then wrapped with some apple juice and in the oven at 250 until I was ready to each, about 2 hrs. Obviously , they are fall off the bone tender. Electric definitely gave me more smoke flavor.

 

[Dcgunman]

I bought a smoke tube because my Century 885 doesn’t have super smoke. I’ve only used the tube once on some tri tips. Came out great. So I’m thinking if I should use the smoke tube on my next session, brisket? I’m going to let it sit overnight at 200. Is there going to be enough smoke flavor overnight for 8-9 hours at 200?
On another note, your Dino Ribs considered the same as Tomahawk ribs?

 

[KraZ440]

Here's another question... Many have mentioned using smoke tubes- I have them, only used them a couple of time for short sessions to add a little smoke flavor on my Webber.
The question is, If pellet grills don't have a lot of smoke flavor, how are burning more pellets in a tube going to help? In other words is it the pellets themselves, or is it the grill? Second question, has anyone mixed pellets with wood chips?
I have a feeling this is going to require more research on the back patio...

The more efficient the burn, the less smoke you'll get. Pellets are dryer than split wood, so they burn easier, and your typical pellet grill burns them very efficiently. This lead to less smoke being produced when compared to stick burners. The Super Smoke mode on your 850 reduces the efficiency of the burn to increase the amount of smoke produced. A smoke tube doesn't burn the pellets very efficiently (they just kind of smolder in there), so it produces more smoke.

You don't need to use pellets in your smoke tube if you don't want to. Some people here put wood chips in the smoke tube or a mix of pellets and chips. Just do what satisfies you or experiment to find the results you are looking for.

 

[Slimpicker]

The question is, If pellet grills don't have a lot of smoke flavor, how are burning more pellets in a tube going to help? In other words is it the pellets themselves, or is it the grill? Second question, has anyone mixed pellets with wood chips?

YES, I have my posts on this all over the forums...
I mix chips and pellets and I get a smoke so damn sweet I can just stand outside and soak in the smell...

The search window (top right ) will get ya heading in the right direction... "chips"

 

[Robin R.]

+ 1 for the smoke tube with a pellet/ hardwood mix. Works for me

 

[Textriguy]

I've been for 20+ years, you cannot expect a Traeger to make the same smoke environment as an offset charcoal/wood chunk burner does.
It is impossible to reproduce the smoke 'flavor' you are used to with a Pellet smoker. It burns wood pellets and has no way of giving a charcoal taste or even a real wood taste. I use 2 smoke tubes with wood chip/pellet mix and I'm totally satisfied with the results I get.
In many cases on our old offsets we were getting 'dirty' smoke at times which gave a flavor you probably got used to and which is RARE if ever on a Traeger.

Can you provide the tubes you use. Haven't tried one yet and would like to get a little more smoke flavor. Thanks!

 

[Slimpicker]

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JGKK2C7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[YYCRed]

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JGKK2C7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have one of these tubes, but also got a 6" one at a local store that works well for the shorter smoke sessions. I find it easier to light from the top than the side of the tube.