not enough smoke flavor from my 850

[Robin R.]

I've had several, they all work the same

 

[Slimpicker]

I have one of these tubes, but also got a 6" one at a local store that works well for the shorter smoke sessions. I find it easier to light from the top than the side of the tube.

I agree, but when I do half full, I break out the bad @$$ burner tip and flame goes all in with no problem.
I might just get a couple 6" ones tho...

 

[Murphy's Law]

Just found this one for $12. And you save $0.60 with the coupon!

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08FQPZXPL?psc=1&smid=A28J7VIV6RBIEL&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

 

[miguelb]

I also mix both chip and pellets in a smoke tube. Usually I end up getting a lot of smoke on my clothes.

 

[Bluto86]

I have been smoking food for about 30 yrs now and recently purchased a Timberline 850.
I've smoked chicken and pork butt and various other things on it (on the "super smoke" setting) and I'm just not thrilled with the amount of smoke flavor I'm getting.
I get a smoke ring, but just not tasting it. i read somewhere that the traegers with the smokestack give better smoke flavor. Any one else have this experience? I'm thinking about dumping it and going back to a new version of the previous smoker that I've use for 15 yrs.
Anyone else have the same/similar issue?

Use a smoke tube with pellets works great for a little more smoke. I also smoke cheese in the Traeger with just the smoke tube on cold days around 60degrees works great for that too

 

[finewoodstudio]

I have been smoking food for about 30 yrs now and recently purchased a Timberline 850.
I've smoked chicken and pork butt and various other things on it (on the "super smoke" setting) and I'm just not thrilled with the amount of smoke flavor I'm getting.
I get a smoke ring, but just not tasting it. i read somewhere that the traegers with the smokestack give better smoke flavor. Any one else have this experience? I'm thinking about dumping it and going back to a new version of the previous smoker that I've use for 15 yrs.
Anyone else have the same/similar issue?

I solved the problem by getting a large can of some food item. Drill holes on the bottom and sides. Start 4 Charcoal briquettes, put them in the can, fill with water soaked chunks of your desires. Burns about 1 hour, and repeat the process. Keep as far away from food and built-in temp probe. In hot weather I will spray the built-in probe to reduce its temp some the burner will kick in. This method will give you false readings on the temp. I always use a separate internal probe for the meat and another probe to measure the temp in the grill. For get the built in probe.

 

[Atos]

My New Traeger Does Not Put Out The Smoke I Was Expecting!!
Traeger is not a charcoal stick burner, it is a pellet wood oven/smoker

https://www.traegergrills.com/support/not-enough-smoke

A lot of people, when they think of a smoker, think of a grill billowing thick white smoke. This is not the type of smoke we want to produce.

Traeger Wood Pellet Grills produce a superior thin blue smoke that provides a cleaner, smoker flavor. Often, the smoke is so thin it only appears as heat waves coming off the grill. However, it is there. You will be able to see the smoke rings on your meat and taste the difference.

• One suggestion is to start your cooks with low smoking temps (180°-200°) for the first hour or so then cook your meat at regular temp. Traegers put out more visible smoke at lower temps.
• You can always buy a $20 smoking tube and add more smoke to your cooks that way... THEY WORK!!! ► Search Amazon
• Some have added a Smoke Generator like Smokin-it Bella
• PLEASE NOTE: In OLD smokers, (stick and charcoal) more charcoal than wood is used, most of us that smoked before Traegers used charcoal instead of 'all wood'... the SMOKE FLAVOR most guys talk about "missing" in a Traeger is the CHARCOAL smoke, not WOOD smoke. The charcoal smell and smoke will NEVER be there on a Traeger, I suggest this is what MOST new Traeger users are missing when they talk about "NOT AS MUCH SMOKE."

Then there is also just a matter of taste and what you like your meat to taste like:

I am one of the many who have also noticed not a lot of smoke coming out of my Traeger. I’ve said this for the past couple years (about the time I found my Traeger) and getting this thing to give her some smoke can be tricky. Now I’ve heard mention of this thin blue smoke thing, I’ve been around a while but I am by any means no expert on smoking but I’ve done my share in my 67 years of life. I’ve just never heard of thin blue smoke. I’ve always expected to see a bill of smoke coming out of any grill I’ve owned, even with this Traeger. So I will say, unless I see some definite white smoke coming out, I don’t actually notice much smoky flavor. I’ve tried several hours of grilling at the most which is like maybe three hours and unless I get some visible smoke, I’m sorry but I don’t taste it much. Just some thoughts I’ve been chewing on.

 

[laverns]

I bought the Timberline 1300 last fall, and, like everyone else, observed much less smoke flavor on my food, than what I was getting when smoking low and slow on my Green Egg or Weber kettle with the Slow-n-Sear.

Based on the science that says cold meat absorbs smoke and hot meat doesn't, and that after meat reaches 140 degrees very little smoke is absorbed, I've been experimenting cooking at lower temperatures for longer periods of time.

The weekend before last, I smoked 3 pork butts at 180 on Super Smoke mode to 140 internal probe temp, then 200 on Super Smoke until it hit the stall. I did get a little more smoke and got rave reviews on the pulled pork. I thought it had a reasonable smoke profile, although I still would've like a bit more. I used Traeger's Hickory pellets.

So this last weekend, I smoked a Beef Chuck Roast, and started at the lowest possible temperature of 165 on Super Smoke mode, again using the hickory pellets, plus I added a 12" pellet smoker tube filled with a 50/50 mixture of hickory pellets and hickory smoking chips. At 165, it took 13-½ hours to get to 145 probe temperature. Then I raised the temperature to 185 until the probe temp hit 160, then finished in a foil wrap covered foil pan to 210, for tender, smoky, fall apart beef.

For the first time, I achieved the smoke flavor profile I was looking for. I'm guessing both smoking at 165 and the added smoke chips were the big difference. Previous attempts of adding pellets in the smoker tube gave minimal increase in smoke flavor, so the chips may have been a factor.

My next test will be smoking at 165 to a probe temp of 140, and NOT using the smoker tube at all. I'm hoping subjecting colder meat for a longer time will get the smoke profile I'm after without adding additional smoke.

By the way, my meat always goes directly from fridge to smoker at 40 degrees, always has.

On another note, the science also says wet meat absorbs the most smoke, but here's where I draw the line. If I have to spritz the meat regularly, it destroys my whole reason for smoking on a Traeger, the convenience of unattended cooking. If I have to tend the smoker regularly anyway, I won't be cooking on a Traeger, I'll be playing with fire on a charcoal/wood smoker, and enjoying the opposite challenge of, not getting any of the dirty smoke, and only the clean blue smoke, on the meat.

 

[Randy]

I have been smoking food for about 30 yrs now and recently purchased a Timberline 850.
I've smoked chicken and pork butt and various other things on it (on the "super smoke" setting) and I'm just not thrilled with the amount of smoke flavor I'm getting.
I get a smoke ring, but just not tasting it. i read somewhere that the traegers with the smokestack give better smoke flavor. Any one else have this experience? I'm thinking about dumping it and going back to a new version of the previous smoker that I've use for 15 yrs.
Anyone else have the same/similar issue?

I had the same problem but don’t give up. I have cooked 3 briskets now and countless other meats. After about 8 months I am finally getting the smoke flavor I like. It was to long coming in my opinion but finally got there. I will say my RecTec did better but now I am happy with my 850.

 

[BEJ]

I have been smoking food for about 30 yrs now and recently purchased a Timberline 850.
I've smoked chicken and pork butt and various other things on it (on the "super smoke" setting) and I'm just not thrilled with the amount of smoke flavor I'm getting.
I get a smoke ring, but just not tasting it. i read somewhere that the traegers with the smokestack give better smoke flavor. Any one else have this experience? I'm thinking about dumping it and going back to a new version of the previous smoker that I've use for 15 yrs.
Anyone else have the same/similar issue?

I bought the Ironwood 650….there is very little smoke flavor. I’ve tried All the pellets all the same.

Good news is-this is an appliance for convenience. It works. It’s easy. It just doesn’t compete with traditional smokers - I’m going back to a real smoker

 

[Slimpicker]

I’m going back to a real smoker

Instead of reading this whole thread and several others like it to learn how to get very close to "real smoke flavor"???

 

[JayHog]

I have been smoking food for about 30 yrs now and recently purchased a Timberline 850.
I've smoked chicken and pork butt and various other things on it (on the "super smoke" setting) and I'm just not thrilled with the amount of smoke flavor I'm getting.
I get a smoke ring, but just not tasting it. i read somewhere that the traegers with the smokestack give better smoke flavor. Any one else have this experience? I'm thinking about dumping it and going back to a new version of the previous smoker that I've use for 15 yrs.
Anyone else have the same/similar issue?

Try using 2 smoke tubes filled with wood chips. Pack them down tight and let it smolder. It will smoke for about 3 to 4 hours. You are right, pellets do not produce a smokey flavor at all. You've got to use actual wood, not sawdust. I use pellets for the heat source, not the smoke. And SuperSmoke is a joke. : )

 

[FieldMedic]

Those using the super smoke feature.... are you getting a noticeable white smoke coming out of the smoke stack? Any pics per chance of your T on super smoke?

 

[HotSpringsBBQ]

Those using the super smoke feature.... are you getting a noticeable white smoke coming out of the smoke stack? Any pics per chance of your T on super smoke?

No, I see no difference between the super smoke and regular setting, both have very little smoke. Im going to try the smoke tubes. But for the price we pay its a little irritating to have to be rigging your $1200 + smoker just to get it to smoke for you. Defies logic really.

 

[Murphy's Law]

No, I see no difference between the super smoke and regular setting, both have very little smoke. Im going to try the smoke tubes. But for the price we pay its a little irritating to have to be rigging your $1200 + smoker just to get it to smoke for you. Defies logic really.

It’s the pellets and not the grill. Pellets will never give you the smoke output (flavor) of say a traditional stick burner. Regardless of vendor or price point.

Jeremy Yoder (Mad Scientist BBQ) did an experiment and the quick answer is pellets don’t have the moisture content of a chunk of wood due to processing so they inherently produce less smoke.