Traeger BBQ 155.02 Heat and smoke issues!

[Dodi911]

So I acquired this smoker but seem to be having problems. The minute I turn the grill to smoke it starts smoking good then seems to stop smoking and the heat and fan kick in. I thought maybe the temp would maybe stop around 200 degrees but keeps going up with time and when I set the grill for say, 275 it gets hotter regardless. the smoke it starts up with seems really good but idk. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I want to love this smoker but idk. Traegers seem to have a lot of issues. Hence the reason I never bought one. Just acquired one. Thanks for your time!

 

[Like Smoke]

Since you acquired the unit, You might not have been given the manual for it so if not I pasted it for you. In my experience when I start up mine I use the smoke setting (with lid open) for a few minutes until I see good smoke coming from the unit. I close the lid and set the controller to the temp setting I am trying to achieve. Traeger states 10 minutes but that will vary depending on outside temps. As the temp rises the smoke coming out will reduce. I track my inside temp with an aftermarket thermometer attacked to the grill beside the protien (not touching the metal parts of the grill). The inside temp may not be what the controller readout is showing. If it is to hot turn it down a notch and vise versa. Cook by your aftermarket readings and do not rely on the controller to be accurate due to its thermocouple location is not positioned beside your protien. A number of our members including myself use smoke tubes to enhance the flavor along with your pellet preference. I have an old timer and can still replace all the components for a reasonable price if they fail.
Enjoy your smoker and check out the great recipes on this site. Good folks, good food.

https://www.traeger.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-TraegerSharedLibrary/default/dwfb1b6b5d/manuals/DOC088_BBQ155.02_Tailgater_Blue.pdf

 

[RayClem]

When the pellet grill starts up, the smoke is thick and white. That smoke has an acrid taste and aroma. Once the grill gets up to termpratuire, the smoke is thin and blue. This smoke is ideal for cooking/smoking your meat, The higher the temperature, the more efficient the combustion process is and the less the smoke. Thus, if you want smoke flavor, never set the temperature about 225F. Some run even lower.

Be sure to obtain a decent analog or digital grill thermometer to check the actual cooking temperature of the chamber near the cook. You do not want the thermometer touching metal or the meat. Many of us have found significant discrepancies between the controller setting and the actual temperature of the cook. The hotter the temperature, the larger this discrepancy tends to be. For example, I set MY Traeger to 235F to cook at 225F. I set it at 455F to cook at 400F. YOUR grill is likely to perform differently, so learn how your specific grill operates.