Smokenomics

[BigOlDOg]

Let‘s discuss cooking science, well really what I’ve done in the past on a stick vs traeger.

So you read or from what I’ve gathered with super smoke mode is to lower my cooking temps and increase my cooking times on a traeger. If I want more smoke throughout the cook the lower temp on super smoke mode the more smoke... Let me clarify before I get too much grief as I’m not saying 165 produces more smoke than 225. I’ve been successful in my other cooks at higher temps (250-265) on a traeger but didn’t get the smoke flavor I’m use to. Therefore I was instructed to cook at a lower temp on super smoke mode.. Well I’ve tried this twice now and what‘s normally a successful cook turned out unbelievably tough. Now my logic kicks in and makes me think, if I’m cooking to an internal of 200-205 but I’m only cooking at 200, I’m never gonna get there. Not to mention fat rendering basically doesn’t happen and your cook times go way beyond a respectable expectation. Meaning at 250-265 I’m usually an hour a pound. This last was just under eight pounds and after 11 hours just got into the stall, CRAZY!!!

I’m aware after X hours meat typically doesn’t absorb any more smoke and some like to wrap their meat to get through the stall.. Personally I dont wrap as I like the slightly drier edges you get from not doing so but I have wrapped in the past when cooking multiple pieces of meat. Is that truly the only way I’m going to get through a stall and have fat render at those lower temps on a traeger?

Why can’t they produce a super smoke mode at a higher temp? I can get great smoke taste at higher temps on a stick...

What are yall doing to take advantage of super smoke mode but also have a successful cook thats normally at a higher temp?

Low and slow but is there really a too low and too slow?

Just trying to open a good conversation as pellets are new to me and while I like the simplicity of it I still want my cooks to be equally successful as my stick cooks are, well mainly as tasty!

Lets talk

 

[bfletcher]

I'm not a scientist, so I'm only speaking from my feeble mind. If you haven't already, you might consider experimenting with various brands of pellets, as I occasionally read from folks whom feel they have better experiences among specific brands. I'm fond of Lumber Jack and use their Char-Hickory blend quite often when that blend is appropriate to the meat I'm preparing. I latched-on to that brand early-on after a bag or two from Traeger, so I have limited experience with other brands.

On the limited occasions where I read of folks comparing their offset experience to a pellet smoker I hear them share there's a different smoke experience between the two. When I ponder that, it seems appropriate to me that a burning handful of wood processed into pellets might yield different results than logs. My only experience before using a pellet smoker was charcoal and, initially, I was discouraged. As weeks and months progressed, I found myself growing fond of the pellet smoke experience.

I only tried Super Smoke (and/or very low temps) a few times so other, more experienced folks may have different feedback but for my personal preference I abandoned that method and I smoke at 225 or north thereof. I'm a bark fan and it felt to me that I had better results if I smoked at a minimum temp of 225.

Good luck!

 

[BigOlDOg]

Im no scientist either but thank you for the reply. I have wanted to get different brands of pellets and will do that, it could be something as simple as that in regards to taste!! I enjoy the time of building a fire and cooking that method but also the simplistic way of a pellet is nice so I hope others will provide their input as well. Thank you

 

[jp9724]

Well I've found for a long cook on a bigger cut of meat i'll start at 165f with super smoke but after a couple hours ill turn it back up to 225F and it gives a bit more smoke flavor, did that with my beef ribs this weekend and worked pretty well. Higher than 200f though, I found the super smoke button to be just a button to press in my opinion. But if you're used to a stick burner you'll probably never get the intense smoke flavor you're used to sadly. A smoke tube also helps in the first few hours of the cook!