Insulating Timberline850, a Covid Project.

[RJ101]

Well, I wanted to test the theory that the update was a problem, but can't get my controller to factory reset. While on the about grill screen I hold the ignite button for 10 seconds until the logo appears and the controller then shuts off. I even unplugged the smoker and power cycled it to completely drain the power. No joy. When turn it on, nothing has reset; still the same firmware, wifi and grill name present.

Update: contacted Traeger support. Waste of time. Said I should use a more reliable temp probe - like Traeger! Nevermind that above about 210 the controller stops displaying the temp and says probe hot - fell out of meat. Tried to tell me that cooking in the sun could be the problem - "like leaving the windows up on your car in the summer." Didn't seem to hear me that it had not been a problem until a couple of months ago (like last year well over 100 degree days). Didn't want to mention the insulation even though that should help cut down on any effect of the outside on the smoker chamber. Says there is no way to downgrade the controller firmware or reset to factory. Said the holding the ignite button on the about smoker screen is only to reset the wifi - even though it did not reset the wifi when I did it multiple times. At the end, wound up sending me a replacement thermocouple and said that should fix it - even though we verified that the existing thermocouple was sending the correct temp. So, back to square one.

 

[RemE]

As far as I know, we can't turn back to a previous rev, resetting doesn't revert to a base version.

 

[RemE]

A key point. the set temp "should" be what the grill drives to. After ignition, the grill should settle down to the set temp.

This doesn't mean that this set temp, that the grill is holding, is the same that you measure with a good 3rd party temp unit with its probe located next to the thermocouple.

Currently mine, after the last firmware update, seems to have trouble driving to the set temp, after over a year of good performance.

And last, it's been pretty well documented here, that Traeger's wired meat probes aren't very accurate. The new Timberlines use Meater probes now I believe and are probably better.

 

[RJ101]

Another update. Pulled out the insulation in the sides and the back, leaving only the insulation in the door. Don't know if was the insulation or perhaps messing with the thermocouple while removing the insulation, but the smoker is back to being pretty spot on with the set temperature being within about 5 degrees of the temperature measured right side of the middle grate. Interestingly, the actual temp was about 5 degrees lower than the set temp with Shawn's heavy drip pan in (and as much as 20 degrees difference between right/left); actual temp was about 5+ degrees hotter than set temp with the stock drip pan, but the left/right variation was only between 5 and 10 degrees. So, I guess the insulation stays out and I continue using the stock drip pan. I do think that mine was performing pretty good with the insulation before the last firmware upgrade.

 

[John S.]

I am quite happy with the insulation project on my T1300, insulation in lid, sides and top and bottom of barrel. Standard drip tray. There is still a 20 degree gradient left to right. The set point is right on on the right (which is where the thermocouple is) while the left is + 20, as checked with the FB2. I am currently running lumber jack oak at about 1 lb/hr.