Just bought a 575 model.....

[Clint62]

I'm underwhelmed at the SMOKE producing ability of this grill. This model does not have super smoke. Is a smoke tube the answer? I'm currently trying to smoke some salmon and I'm concerned it wont be smoky tasting. Any advice appreciated.

 

[traeger860]

What temp are you cooking at and what type of pellets are you using? A lot of people on here do use a smoke tube. Really depends on how you like your food to taste.

 

[Clint62]

I'm following a traeger internet recipe...185 degrees. traeger maple/cherry artisan blend pellets. The recipe claims 4 hrs cook time, but my meater probe says only an hour left. Confusing. Also ambient temp on meater is 20 deg different than the traeger temp

 

[CMTiger]

Smoke tube this past weekend

 

[CMTiger]

Pellets are great, but you aren't going to get a heavy smoke flavor like you would using an offset.....or the charcoal flavor of using a charcoal, which a lot of people seem to be chasing depending on what they are coming from. I did buy a smoke tube and you can see from the picture above there is serious smoke......it's filled with half wood chips and half pellets. Pellets are mainly for filling in the gaps.

Without that the pellet burns a really clean smoke and it's just going to be faint.

The ambient temp and the meat temp probe are going to be off. They just are. It is what it is. It's not a big deal for me as I scooped up an InkBird 4 probe temp monitor and it's great. The traeger holds temp very well.....it's just a little off. I'll post some pictures of the last cook I did for reference. Mine was only 10 degrees off at a set temp of 290. Not too bad and wouldn’t ruin a cook even if I didn’t have the InkBird. You can see my set up in the turkey picture attached

Most of this info I gathered here on this forum but found it all to be true as I’ve progressed on my pellet journey

 

[traeger860]

You'll get a more intense smoke flavor/smell from something like Mesquite or Hickory. I'm not sure if either of those pair well with seafood though. Cherry & apple are sweeter and less "smoky".

The thermocouple is on the far right side of the grill in between the 2 grates. Most people cook food in the center of the grill. So there is a temp swing from that alone. The bigger your grill is, the bigger the swing is going to be from left to right. I would just adjust the Traeger temp so that the Meater ambient temp is where you want it to be based on where your food is located. I would guess that the Meater and Traeger temps would read a lot closer if you moved the Meater next to the probe and left it there. Still not exact, but much closer than 20 degrees.

The taste may surprise you after you try it. Adding a smoke tube is an option if you need to take it up another notch.

 

[Parrothead1809]

I have the Pro 780 which also lacks "Super Smoke" and feel the same way. Thus far, I have been focused on technique and recipes. But I have gotten better results cooking the first hour (or longer) at a lower temp (200-225°F). Also I've switched to the Hickory pellets. I plan to try Lumber Jack pellets next, since I've heard good things about them.
-PH

 

[Clint62]

Yeah..being new its a learning curve for sure. Meater says salmon will be done in 20m...waiting with baited breath. ETA..I ordered a 6 and 12 inch tube off amazon. I will try the wood chunk/pellet idea when they arrive

 

[CMTiger]

I found a lot of the traeger recipe times to be off......both direction. I guess maybe they are more like guidelines.

 

[Clint62]

It's delicious. Not quite as smoky as I wouldve liked but I think the smoke tube will address that

 

[Tommy]

I'm underwhelmed at the SMOKE producing ability of this grill. This model does not have super smoke. Is a smoke tube the answer? I'm currently trying to smoke some salmon and I'm concerned it wont be smoky tasting. Any advice appreciated.

I too own a 575. I love it. I also own two tubes and a storage chest that hold all my pellets (5 different woods) plus my hopper pellets (pitboss). I love the versatility of using the tubes to flavor my meats. Salmon requires a quick smoke. However, if you lightly brine it and then cold smoke first, then hot smoke, you might find a deeper flavor.

 

[Clint62]

I recently did some salmon at 225 and let the smoke tube rip the entire time...tasted awesome