Noob needs help

[Rickg3669]

So I’m a complete noob . I seasoned my grill now I want to cook. I turned on to smoke and no smoke was coming out . I saw flames so I removed the trays and it was all flames and once I turned off I noticed flames coming out the auger . Is that normal or did I skip a test my grill is a TFS81PZD

 

[Timmy]

Is it this one?

https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/traeger-web-public-prod/manuals/grills/select-pro/en/DOC102_BBQ400.03_Select_Pro_Blue.pdf

 

[Rickg3669]

Yes. What happens is each time I turn dial to smoke it gets too hot and flames up in the fire pot with no smoke .

 

[Timmy]

You won’t see heavy thick smoke, it will be a thin smoke. Here is a good read.
Post in thread 'READ FIRST ►TRAEGER FAQs & TECH INFO'
https://www.traegerforum.com/threads/read-first-►traeger-faqs-tech-info.2145/post-17088

 

[JamesB]

Yes. What happens is each time I turn dial to smoke it gets too hot and flames up in the fire pot with no smoke .

From the time you ignite your grill, how long are you waiting for it to stabilize?

 

[John S.]

My T1300 stabilizes in about 20 -30 min, see FB output. , this was a Rib eye…
https://share.fireboard.io/D03A46

 

[Daba's BBQ]

So I’m a complete noob . I seasoned my grill now I want to cook. I turned on to smoke and no smoke was coming out . I saw flames so I removed the trays and it was all flames and once I turned off I noticed flames coming out the auger . Is that normal or did I skip a test my grill is a TFS81PZD

How did you make out?

I bought my rig in March 2021 and went through the seasoning process step-by-step. I was also a noob to Traeger and was clueless as to what to expect. I turned it on and nothing happened. I mean nothing. But, I kept waiting and after about 20 minutes or so, I saw a very thin trail of smoke pop out. After another 10 minutes, more smoke. I let it cycle through for about 45 minutes and it has been spot on ever since.

With regards to the fire you see, are you seeing pellets in the firebox or are you just seeing flames? If after 20-25 minutes all you have is a flame, that means your auger isn't pushing the pellets through to the firebox. Dumb question - did you fill-up the pellet box? The second time I used my rig, it stopped working after 45 minutes. I had no idea why. I saw some strange letters on the panel and didn't know what they meant. Then I opened the pellet box and it was empty! So as ridiculous as it may sound, check that box and make sure it is full.

Hope this helps.