Smoke Tube!

[Smokinjoe]

So just read where a proud new Traeger smoker owner cannot keep his 'Smoke Tube' lit! Let me understand you pay a $1000 for a smoker, another $30 for smoker pellets, and then have to buy a smoke tube to get it to smoke! Sadly my 34 has never smoked either. Any correspondence with Traeger gets no answers to this design flaw! Had Traeger spent less on marketing and more on quality design and operation this annoying trait would never be out there.

 

[Slimpicker]

First of all, you can get 2 smoke tubes and more for only $20

https://amazon.com/Lovefish-Pellet-Stainless-Brushes-Smoking/dp/B08JGKK2C7/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1H6I4N1RVVSAV&keywords=smoke+tube&qid=1651789632&sprefix=smoke+tube%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-3

Secondly, it's not exactly a design flaw when you expect the same smoke and smoke flavor from pellets as you do charcoal/wood. That's never gonna happen.
Traeger admits you won't "SEE" the smoke you usually see, but smoke flavor is not totally gone if you cook something low and slow enough.

READ FIRST ►TRAEGER FAQs & TECH INFO

Traeger Forum is dedicated to the knowledge and total safety of all it's Traeger owning members --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My New Traeger Does Not Put Out The Smoke I Was Expecting!! My Traeger built in RTD probe is off, it is...

www.traegerforum.com

Yoders have better smoke results, but they too are still pellet poopers.

Third, You bought a Century 34... it has the lower line of controllers, and no real "Super-smoke" setting, hence the need for a smoke tube which I TOTALLY enjoy, I add whiskey barrel chips to my smoke tube and almost get high cooking.
The flavor on some of my beef and chicken is unreal.

 

[CMTiger]

I think you overpaid for your 34 at $1000.00

 

[RayClem]

I just got my Traeger and did the first cook just using the smoke from the fire pot at 225 degrees.

I have used a smoker box on my gas grill to impart a smoky flavor. Would a smoker box work on the Traeger using wood chips or wood pellets or does the smoker tube with wood pellets work better?

Has anyone tried using a different type of wood pellets in the smoker tube than in the hopper? Were you pleased with the results?

 

[miguelb]

I just got my Traeger and did the first cook just using the smoke from the fire pot at 225 degrees.

I have used a smoker box on my gas grill to impart a smoky flavor. Would a smoker box work on the Traeger using wood chips or wood pellets or does the smoker tube with wood pellets work better?

Has anyone tried using a different type of wood pellets in the smoker tube than in the hopper? Were you pleased with the results?

You can definitely use the smoker box on the Traeger. I use a combination of both chips and pellets. However, I discovered that using 2 smoke tubes has given me heavier smoke flavor. In my household, everyone is happy with just the flavor we get from the IW885 without the smoke tubes.

 

[mikefinleyco]

So just read where a proud new Traeger smoker owner cannot keep his 'Smoke Tube' lit! Let me understand you pay a $1000 for a smoker, another $30 for smoker pellets, and then have to buy a smoke tube to get it to smoke! Sadly my 34 has never smoked either. Any correspondence with Traeger gets no answers to this design flaw! Had Traeger spent less on marketing and more on quality design and operation this annoying trait would never be out there.

I have had the exact same thoughts. Especially when you combine the disconnect with the wifi controlled Traeger and the Trager app but the useless temperature probe which hamstrings the whole thing.

It's almost comical if it weren't so sad to think have I had the wool pulled over my eyes by Traeger based on the workarounds everyone including myself employs to use Traegers to get the results we want. I now think more of Traegers as slow-cooking wood pellet grills rather than smokers, since I am always using two smoke tubes on anything I cook with it and have to use a therma pen for temperature control.

 

[Smokinjoe]

First of all, you can get 2 smoke tubes and more for only $20

http://[URL][URL]https://amazon.com...=1651789632&sprefix=smoke+tube,aps,107&sr=8-3

[/URL][/URL]

Secondly, it's not exactly a design flaw when you expect the same smoke and smoke flavor from pellets as you do charcoal/wood. That's never gonna happen.
Traeger admits you won't "SEE" the smoke you usually see, but smoke flavor is not totally gone if you cook something low and slow enough.

READ FIRST ►TRAEGER FAQs & TECH INFO

Traeger Forum is dedicated to the knowledge and total safety of all it's Traeger owning members --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My New Traeger Does Not Put Out The Smoke I Was Expecting!! My Traeger built in RTD probe is off, it is...

www.traegerforum.com

Yoders have better smoke results, but they too are still pellet poopers.

Third, You bought a Century 34... it has the lower line of controllers, and no real "Super-smoke" setting, hence the need for a smoke tube which I TOTALLY enjoy, I add whiskey barrel chips to my smoke tube and almost get high cooking.
The flavor on some of my beef and chicken is unreal.

 

[RayClem]

I ordered a couple of smoke tubes. They are supposed to arrive today.

I have both wood pellets and charcoal blend pellets sold by Pit Boss. Has anyone tried charcoal pellets in a smoke tube?

 

[RonParrett]

The beauty of a smoke tube for me is that I can do something with my traeger most of you can't do. I can add Guava, Ohia, or Mango chips to the smoke mix. Benefits of living on the big island.
Yeah you don't the smoke you'd get from a good wood smoker. But you don't have to watch it every 1/2 hour to keep the fire burning. Pork butt, steaks, small roasts, pastrami, and meatloaf, have all been perfect on my Traeger. Some day I will be bold enough to try a full brisket. But for that. The smoke tunes will be loaded with the whiskey barrel chips.

 

[Slimpicker]

And you guys from Texas can get mesquite seeds I hear???
One member in here who hasn't been back for a while said those seeds are unreal in smoke tubes

 

[jimboturkey]

So just read where a proud new Traeger smoker owner cannot keep his 'Smoke Tube' lit! Let me understand you pay a $1000 for a smoker, another $30 for smoker pellets, and then have to buy a smoke tube to get it to smoke! Sadly my 34 has never smoked either. Any correspondence with Traeger gets no answers to this design flaw! Had Traeger spent less on marketing and more on quality design and operation this annoying trait would never be out there.

When I purchased my 780 I called Treager about lack of smoke and was told by them to try a smoke tube and Treager pellets that might produce more smoke and that it is not a smoker and basically works like a convection oven!! A lot of money spent and so disappointed so far!!

 

[RayClem]

I picked up a couple of chuck eye roasts this morning. They have been seasoned and are resting in the fridge. I plan to take the roasts out of the freezer first thing in the morning and fire up the Traeger. I am going to try using a combination of Pit Boss charcoal blend plus mesquite blend pellets in two smoke tubes as well as in the hopper. I plan to smoke the roasts until they reach 155 degrees and then wrap them and continue to cook until they are between 200-205 degrees. One of the roast is slightly larger than the other. Thus, I expect the smaller one to reach a higher temperature and be just right for pulling. I plan to slice the other.

I just got the smoke tubes and the charcoal blend pellets, so we will see how it goes. I feel like I am back in chemistry lab wondering how the reaction will turn out.

 

[RayClem]

Well my Ironwood is fired up this morning to 225 F. I used a 50/50 blend of Pit Boss charcoal blend pellets and mesquite pellets both in the hopper and in two smoke tubes. An hour into the cook, smoke is rolling out of the back of the Ironwood. It is a much thicker smoke than I would have expected from the Traeger using wood pellets alone. However, I do not know how much of the smoke is due to the charcoal blend pellets and how much is due to the smoke tubes. But for those who want much more smoke than you normally get from a Traeger, I propose this as a possible solution. I just hope I do not get too much smoke flavor. I am cooking a couple of chuck roasts, so I hope it works.

 

[RayClem]

Followup- the chuck roasts have been on the smoker for about 4 hours now and are up to 135 F. The thick smoke I was getting has now turned into thin blue smoke typical of what I normally get from the Ironwood. Thus, I conclude that the charcoal blend pellets plus Mesquite pellets in the two smoke tubes were responsible for the heavy smoke.

A couple more hours of smoking at 225 F and they should be ready for wrapping.

 

[RayClem]

Followup- the chuck roasts have been on the smoker for about 4 hours now and are up to 135 F. The thick smoke I was getting has now turned into thin blue smoke typical of what I normally get from the Ironwood. Thus, I conclude that the charcoal blend pellets plus Mesquite pellets in the two smoke tubes were responsible for the heavy smoke.

A couple more hours of smoking at 225 F and they should be ready for wrapping.

Although my method produced a lot of smoke, I was not pleased with the flavor of the smoke when consuming the meat. There was an off-flavor. It was not sufficient to ruin the meat, but I did not enjoy the taste. A little BBQ sauce took care of the problem.

The combination of charcoal blend pellets and Mesquite blend pellets did not produce the results I hoped for. Next time, I will try a milder pellet in the smoke tubes.