Help! Problems with lil tex

[MidwestSmoker]

@Slimpicker did a mod to his grills air vent inside the grill and that resulted in wild temp swings.
None of this can verify that it is your issue, but it shows that weird things can happen with air.

If I remember correctly it was the chimney mod that caused the temperature swings.

 

[RustyJake]

If I remember correctly it was the chimney mod that caused the temperature swings.

Yes, that was it. I get similar results with over packing my top shelf

 

[RustyJake]

I should stop reading this forum if I plan to be stay financially solvent!

Yes, this forum had helped lighten the load in my wallet as well. Most have been great additions though, so no complaints other than being broke.
Which takes me to waiting before I jump on the Yoder wagon

 

[Slimpicker]

If I remember correctly it was the chimney mod that caused the temperature swings.

YES, I had tried to stifle the easy escape of heat and smoke but my long cooks gave me swings like crazy.
My lower baffle has been in my grill for a long time without any adverse affects at all... I just went a step too far with that chimney mod...

 

[Slimpicker]

Which takes me to waiting before I jump on the Yoder wagon

I have to wait also, just for economical reasons mostly but I promise you this, push me and I'll jump!!!

 

[RustyJake]

I have to wait also, just for economical reasons mostly but I promise you this, push me and I'll jump!!!

maybe a little Christmas present. If there is any bonus at work this year, I can see mine arriving in the new year

 

[AF5CL]

I use heavy duty foil, and one width of it covers from side to side. I just select the length I need and cut it. Iy is only covering the top and the edge to the drip channel and then overlaps the other side. Then I make sure all of the sides are overlapped and tightly formed against the tray. Nothing protrudes outward from the tray. It looks like the foil is actually part of the tray, if that makes sense to you. Sorry if it isn't, it's clear in my head

Awesome, thank you for the description.

OK, so today, I conducted a "Smoke Test", yep I smoked absolutely nothing for 8 hours and 5 minutes. Full cleaned, vacuumed, all parts in place (no aluminum foil on tray) filled with pellets, setup my fireboard ambient probe and let er rip. Normal startup, then set to 225F.

Result: I'd say pretty good, we might have fixed it. I'll attach screenshots of my fireboard below.

I did notice a bit of a spike within the first hour which was a bit concerning, but this is the first time in a very long time that the temperature didn't drop below 155F.

What do you make of the test and results?

See below for 3 views of the same cook.

Thank you! Looking forward to your ideas or thoughts.

 

[RustyJake]

Although it would be better to not have so many swings in temp, Traeger will most likely tell you the deviation is within their tolerance for the grill. You could probably cook with that if it averages out over the overall time of the cook.
Are you able to try the test again with a new fresh bag of pellets (preferably from a store that has a high sales volume so you know they are fresh)? I still think there is something causing your grill to adjust and overshoot continually through the cook.

 

[RustyJake]

Also, I your cap height on the stack adjusted correctly. I believe @Timmy has posted a height that works for his grill.
The swings really seem to look like an airflow issue in my opinion

 

[AF5CL]

So my test used the remaining pellets from a new bag I purchased day before labor day from Costco. As for the cap top, I searched for @Timmy post, is it 3/4 in? As an update, I have now replaced RTD, controller, and fan.
Speaking of airflow, while running the test I noticed smoke coming out of both cap and the grease spout where the bucket hangs. Is that normal?

 

[RustyJake]

3/4" sounds right, about a thumb width opening. You could always try opening it a bit and see if that makes any changes to the fluctuations.
Smoke coming out of the grease spout is normal.
You should try a different brand of pellets and get a new bag, just to test with. Pellets do make a difference in cooks. You have changed out a lot of the hardware that could have been causing the issue. Not saying that the new parts couldn't be faulty, but it is unlikely.

 

[AF5CL]

OK, I'll check the cap opening tomorrow. When you say different brand of pellets, I was using traeger gourmet blend, only available by Costco but from what I can tell still traeger brand. I have also previously purchased traeger brand pellets from home depot. What other brands are you referring to?

As for new hardware, I did notice that the temperature was more accurate after replacing the rtd and the controller (which I upgraded to the pro at the same time) not sure how much difference the fan made. What is the fan for on the auger motor? That fan looks like it has seen better days although I don't see the purpose of it. Support, a few weeks ago wanted me to check the auger bushing. Looked fine to me.

I appreciate all the help you guys have provided, I'll test again once I hear what you say about brands.

Thank you,

Michael

 

[RustyJake]

Try any other brand than something made by Traeger. Bear Mountain is popular amongst many here on the forum.
But realistically for this test, anything other than what you currently have.

 

[Timmy]

I’ve also had good luck with Pit boss pellets and expert griller pellets fro Walmart.