newbie question?/concern

[dan m]

Hi, just got my Ironwood yesterday and after the initial setup and seasoning(which seemed to end fairly abruptly), made some chicken thighs at 300 with the Traeger pellets I ordered. after about 35 minutes the grill never made it to 300. it kept making it to 297ish and then fall back down to about 250ish and kept cycling up and down. Turned the heat up to 320 and the grill seemed to act normal going well above 320 and (cant remember exact temps now) and about an equal temp below 320. even 305 seems to act normal, but 300 was buggy? It seems to have the latest firmware, so I am not sure what was happening. Maybe the next time I turn it on it will be better? umm?

 

[ishron]

This is a me, too. New 650 and first cook after seasoning the grill. Grill is set for 185 and it is fluctuating between 175 and 195. About 6 hours into my first 12 hour brisket. Expectation was that it should be able to maintain temp between about a 5 degree window.

 

[Like Smoke]

Think about the basics, we have a tin can with a fire in it. Pellets vary in BTU output due to humidity and whether they are a soft wood or hard wood (softwood slightly higher BTU), Traeger probes are proven to be inaccurate, outside temp at time of smoking, Traeger P setting that controls the time and frequency the auger runs to add pellets to the firebox.
My first suggestion would be to buy an aftermarket set of probes. Use one for your protein and on mounted alongside your protein (not touching the cooking rack or drip pan), and rely on their readout. I use a Thermpro dual probe, but any of the ones available are probably better than the Traeger, as you will see our members all have their favorites. In my experience large types of protein, pork butts, brisket, whole turkey have not been effected by small temperature swings that are to be expected with this type of smoking. I hope this has been some help and am sure you will hear from other folks, thanks for visiting the site.

 

[RayClem]

A few of things you will learn:

1. The actual cook temp of your grill might not be the same as shown on the controller. Some grills read high, some read low. My Ironwood 885 is about 30 F low when set to 230F and is 50-60F low when set to 450F. Yours is likely to be different. Learn how your grill functions and adjust the controller setpoint accordingly.

2. The Traeger is designed to simulate the fluctuations in temperature that might occur with an offset smoker. An expectation of no more than +/- 5F is unrealistic. It should hold +/-10F as long as you keep the top closed.

3. The Traeger should work with any brand of pellets. My favorites are LumberJack and Bear Mountain, but try several brands and see which you like best.