First cool/pellet use

[JS2021]

Hi, so I am doing my first long cook (I have done burgers already) of a pork butt 10lbs so about a 10 hour cook expected. Cooking on a 780 at 275F. wet weather today. Using hickory pellets.

I filled the hopper to the top and I am about 1.5 hours in to the cook and the sensor is showing 60% full seems to be a really high burn rate compared with expected pellet use.

Does this sound normal. Is it the conditions, because it’s my first slow cook?!?

Any guidance appreciated, getting a little concerned I’ll end up using all three bags i have by the end of the cook ha ha. Way too much!!

 

[lz8l4f]

Hi, so I am doing my first long cook (I have done burgers already) of a pork butt 10lbs so about a 10 hour cook expected. Cooking on a 780 at 275F. wet weather today. Using hickory pellets.

I filled the hopper to the top and I am about 1.5 hours in to the cook and the sensor is showing 60% full seems to be a really high burn rate compared with expected pellet use.

Does this sound normal. Is it the conditions, because it’s my first slow cook?!?

Any guidance appreciated, getting a little concerned I’ll end up using all three bags i have by the end of the cook ha ha. Way too much!!

I am new to the Traeger and after reading your post - very interested in the feedback you receive. Thank you for posting.

 

[Slimpicker]

pork butt 10lbs so about a 10 hour cook expected.

My advice would have been to make 2 - 5lber and your cook would have been 10 hours still but a whole 10lb might go as long as 14hr
Depends on that 'stall' but @275° you might be done at 10hr in a Traeger but no way it's done in 10hr in a regular smoker.
Just remember to wrap in foil and towel and in a cooler for 2hrs after it reaches 200°

This is 2 9lb Butts cut in half, more bark, more smoke flavor, done faster.

1.5 hours in to the cook and the sensor is showing 60% full seems to be a really high burn rate

That is not normal no. But I'll bet your sensor is not telling the truth

 

[RustyJake]

I am guessing if you 'leveled' out the pellets in the hopper your reading will be higher. The sensor is reading from a funneling effect as the pellets feed. I get that on mine all the time. If I level the pellets, it will read higher.
If you have actually burned that much, it isn't normal as already mentioned

 

[Slimpicker]

I am guessing if you 'leveled' out the pellets in the hopper your reading will be higher. The sensor is reading from a funneling effect as the pellets feed.

I'll bet you're right Jake

 

[JS2021]

Perfect assessment, thanks all!

The pellets feed down one side faster. I still seemed to be getting through them fairly quickly but I’d say I probably had half a hopper left so 8-9lbs after an 8 hour cook. So meaning I prob used 12lbs worth of pellets after considering I topped up using a whole bag. Seems a little high but perhaps about right.

The butt was cooking quite quickly at 275 so i dropped it lower. After trim etc. it was probably more in the 8-9lbs region but do not know exact final cook weight. Pulled it off at about 205 and rested for 45 mins.

 

[JS2021]

My advice would have been to make 2 - 5lber and your cook would have been 10 hours still but a whole 10lb might go as long as 14hr
Depends on that 'stall' but @275° you might be done at 10hr in a Traeger but no way it's done in 10hr in a regular smoker.
Just remember to wrap in foil and towel and in a cooler for 2hrs after it reaches 200°

This is 2 9lb Butts cut in half, more bark, more smoke flavor, done faster.

View attachment 5465



That is not normal no. But I'll bet your sensor is not telling the truth

Good tips thanks for your help. In future if time is an issue the method suggested seems sensible plus more bark sounds good!

I was pleased with my results in the end. Smaller than originally posted after trim etc. Also wrapped after around 6 hours which helped over the stall.

 

[GrillMeister]

I am guessing if you 'leveled' out the pellets in the hopper your reading will be higher. The sensor is reading from a funneling effect as the pellets feed. I get that on mine all the time. If I level the pellets, it will read higher.
If you have actually burned that much, it isn't normal as already mentioned

Interesting. If you have to level the pellets to get a true reading, then why even have that feature? I'm always checking the hopper and leveling the pellets during a long cook due to the poor design of the hopper. Traeger should fix that problem before selling sensors that give a false reading due to pellet tunneling.

 

[JS2021]

Yeah it’s unfortunate as I thought they got a read from across the hopper based on sensor angle etc. but seems not.

Obviously I’d rather the reading was accurate but I think I am still pleased I had it, it worked as an (albeit very early) early warning to top up the pellets/check everything was in order as I did go out and use the app to monitor things/change temp etc. away from home. So still a safety net, at least it’s not telling me there’s more than there is but agree a fix and accuracy should be achieved!

 

[RustyJake]

Interesting. If you have to level the pellets to get a true reading, then why even have that feature? I'm always checking the hopper and leveling the pellets during a long cook due to the poor design of the hopper. Traeger should fix that problem before selling sensors that give a false reading due to pellet tunneling.

I agree, but until they are able to resolve the funneling effect of the pellets feeding out of the hopper, this will always exist.
The sensor is nothing more than a reference tool. I have had mine say 50% and then I level it and it can read much higher, around 80%.
It's more of a gimmick than a tool. I still look in the hopper for a true reference

 

[JS2021]

I agree, but until they are able to resolve the funneling effect of the pellets feeding out of the hopper, this will always exist.
The sensor is nothing more than a reference tool. I have had mine say 50% and then I level it and it can read much higher, around 80%.
It's more of a gimmick than a tool. I still look in the hopper for a true reference

You are quite right and something I will be very cautious about moving forward! Expensive gimmick/reference tool too!