Grate in pellet hopper

[Gary]

I have noticed that on occasion my unit will have a tunnel effect and pellets would not feed or fall to the auger. Kinda of a concern on a long cook or if your away from home and the smoker.

 

[SmokinJ]

I have noticed that on occasion my unit will have a tunnel effect and pellets would not feed or fall to the auger. Kinda of a concern on a long cook or if your away from home and the smoker.

I know what you’re talking about. It concerns me too but even on my 15+ hour cooks it’s never been an issue. But for those I fill it all the way up and check it a least every three hours so it guess that’s why I haven’t had an issue.

 

[Gary]

I did have it happen once. I also now check or have someone check if i'm not around, it seems the chute needs to be just a touch steeper

 

[reubanks1]

That grate is from a Darwin candidate and the law firm of Dewey, Scroohim, & Howe.

I took mine out first thing and just put the screws back in, just like my previous 2 other Traegers.

If you need that grate, you should not be driving a Traeger. LOL.

You should go to the law firm Kickham, Harter, and Indegroyn.

 

[REDOC]

Look up REM and you see one of his 3,205 mods to his 850 was a hopper stirrer assembly.

 

[Christraeger]

I took mine out, it's in the way and probably put there to protect the manufacturer and us from ourselves. I made the best brisket of my life this weekend. Followed the guide, actually cooked with the GRILLGUIDE. Couldn't have been easier or better! Of course my secret is the coffee rub I use on all my briskets.
PS - my new probe is as bad as the one they replaced - low by 20 -25 degrees. With such a great BBQ, you'd think they could get the probe right.

Any chance you’d be willing to share info on your coffee rub? Sounds amazing!

 

[Slimpicker]

Any chance you’d be willing to share info on your coffee rub? Sounds amazing!

I doubt he will, he hasn't been here since Jan 2020

 

[MidwestSmoker]

Any chance you’d be willing to share info on your coffee rub? Sounds amazing!

Bearded Butchers probably make the most well known coffee rub:

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Blend-Seasoning-Delicious-Versatile/dp/B08F3LVZLH

 

[RayClem]

I worked in a paper mill and have seen far too many mangled fingers, hands and arms. Thus, I have not removed my pellet safety guard. I use long-handled BBQ fork to move the pellets when needed. Yes, it is an inconvenience, but safety guards are needed because people do need protection from themselves.

If your pellets do not slide down the sides of the hopper, purchase a can of food grade silicone spray such as that sold by CRC. This type of lubricant is used in food processing plants to lubricate machine parts and surfaces to keep things moving smoothly. Clean pellets and dust out of the hopper and apply a thin coating of lubricant. That will help keep the pellets from sticking to the sides of the hopper.

 

[primeone]

Any chance you’d be willing to share info on your coffee rub? Sounds amazing!

I'm a fan of the Traeger Coffee Rub:

https://www.amazon.com/Traeger-Grills-SPC172-Seasoning-Coffee/dp/B071HRP789/

 

[mc1502]

My Traeger is on its way to me, so I have zero experience with it to date. But I am buying this primarily for low and slow cooks, so keeping a consistent supply of pellets in the auger will always be critical to my cooks. With that said, has anyone ever waxed (like car wax) the inside walls of the pellet hopper to help make the pellets slide down to the auger? It seems like that might help.

 

[Timmy]

I haven’t and have never ran out of pellets. I do overnight cooks all the time with no issues.

 

[RayClem]

You can wax the inside of the pellet hopper, but you want to use a food safe wax. Many waxes use petroleum distillates to make application easier. You do not want your pellets smelling like charcoal lighter fluid.
That is why I recommended using food safe silicone spray. It is designed for use in food processing environments, so it will not leave any harmful residues.

 

[GrillMeister]

I haven’t and have never ran out of pellets. I do overnight cooks all the time with no issues.

Me too. I top off before I go to bed around 11 PM and it's still going strong in morning around 8 am. Just don't forget to top off and check in the morning.

 

[midwest]

Ive been using my Traeger for a few years now and never had an issue with the guard. I fill mine to the top before overnight cooks and it's never been a problem. Never had a need to remove it.