Smoke Tube!

[midwest]

"So just read where a proud new Traeger smoker owner cannot keep his 'Smoke Tube' lit!"

I poked around on Traeger's website and I didn't see anywhere they call it a pellet smoker. They refer to it as a pellet grill. Some people don't research before buying and their expectations are not where they should be.

 

[RayClem]

"So just read where a proud new Traeger smoker owner cannot keep his 'Smoke Tube' lit!"

I poked around on Traeger's website and I didn't see anywhere they call it a pellet smoker. They refer to it as a pellet grill. Some people don't research before buying and their expectations are not where they should be.

The most accurate description of a Traeger cooking appliance is probably "convection oven".

Because it uses wood pellets dried to 5% moisture, it will never achieve the smoke flavor of properly seasoned wood logs, chunks, or chips that will be somewhere around 20% moisture. Thus, it cannot achieve results comparable to a dedicated smoker.

Likewise, it will barely reach the temperature required to sear steaks. Calling it a grill is a bit of a stretch. Using grill grates or a cast iron or carbon steel pan will help with the searing.

A Traeger it is wonderful for roasting and baking, tasks usually assigned to an oven. Since the Traeger has a circulation fan, it is a convection oven.

The main advantage of a Traeger is that it automated the process. You can start a cook "low and slow" in the evening and leave it unattended overnight. You cannot do that with an offset smoker or charcoal grill.

 

[midwest]

I mostly agree, however I don't think you should not call it a grill just because it can't seer a steak. Other then the handful of of fanatics who are on these forums. I would venture to say a high percentage of the people who own a grill just throw food on it and cook it. The number of us who slow cook, then seer, or just seer a steak is probably very low compared to those who just fire up their grill and throw food on it.

 

[Megasmoke]

So just read where a proud new Traeger smoker owner cannot keep his 'Smoke Tube' lit! Let me understand you pay a $1000 for a smoker, another $30 for smoker pellets, and then have to buy a smoke tube to get it to smoke! Sadly my 34 has never smoked either. Any correspondence with Traeger gets no answers to this design flaw! Had Traeger spent less on marketing and more on quality design and operation this annoying trait would never be out there.

Do folks actually use smoke tubes? My traeger 22 sends smoke signals all over the place. If I needed smoke tubes I would've returned this a long time ago. My only thought is maybe you're using bad pellets?

 

[RayClem]

Do folks actually use smoke tubes? My traeger 22 sends smoke signals all over the place. If I needed smoke tubes I would've returned this a long time ago. My only thought is maybe you're using bad pellets?

A lot of the folks who are now using Traegers have come from backgrounds of using electric smokers or offset smokers in which the smoke comes from wood sticks. Because wood has a higher moisture content than pellets and a different form factor, the smoke flavor is more potent and than from pellets alone. That is why some people use smoke tubes or even wood burning smoke generators attached to their Traeger.

I can from a background of using either a charcoal grill or gas grill. While I did use smoker boxes occasionally with the gas grill, I never became accustomed to the heavy smoke flavor. Thus, the pellets alone normally provide enough smoke flavor for my taste. I do have a couple of smoke tubes. The first time I used them, I filled both tubes with a combination of charcoal pellets and Mesquite pellets. The combination produced a heavy white smoke that made my cook bitter. I will not make that mistake again. If you try the tubes, start out with something less pronounced than Mesquite.

 

[MidwestSmoker]

Do folks actually use smoke tubes? My traeger 22 sends smoke signals all over the place. If I needed smoke tubes I would've returned this a long time ago. My only thought is maybe you're using bad pellets?

The newer Traegers with the D2 controllers have better temperature control (less temp swings). But I think it comes at the expense of smoke produced. My Pro 575 can maintain very even temperatures, but it burns pellets very efficiently and there is almost no visible smoke after the initial ignition period.

I believe the older Traegers produced more temperature swings but also more smoke.

 

[JPSBBQ]

The newer Traegers with the D2 controllers have better temperature control (less temp swings). But I think it comes at the expense of smoke produced. My Pro 575 can maintain very even temperatures, but it burns pellets very efficiently and there is almost no visible smoke after the initial ignition period.

I believe the older Traegers produced more temperature swings but also more smoke.

This is true. Tighter temp control produces a more efficient burn and less smoke. The old models fluctuate in a less efficient manner and produce more smoke intermittently during the low periods of fluctuation.

 

[Smokinjoe]

I do appreciate the feedback from all these Traeger aficionado's, although I cannot totally agree with them. I have the Century 34 (from Costco). Yes, Traeger carefully calls them "grills" but also "Bake, Roast, Braise, BBQ, and of course "Smoke" . As a matter of fact my controller has a 'smoke' setting! Visible smoke? Nada. But that does not mean the controller is so efficient at controlling pellet burn / grill temperature. Mine has +/- temperature swings of 10-15 degrees F, at least in the early stages of cooking (summer) and the same throughout in winter! Had to fork out $200 bucks for a winter blanket to reduce these swings. "Set it" and "leave it"? Sorry, in about 3 - 4 hours of slow cooking the pellet hopper bridges and the flame goes out! Yes Traeger has solved this problem with a hopper insert, giving the pellets a steeper slide into the auger, as well as reducing the hopper's capacity.
All I can say is I hope their newer 'grills' have solved these (and other) deficiencies. Got to go now as I have to light my smoke tubes in order to use my Traeger Smoker!

 

[RayClem]

I do appreciate the feedback from all these Traeger aficionado's, although I cannot totally agree with them. I have the Century 34 (from Costco). Yes, Traeger carefully calls them "grills" but also "Bake, Roast, Braise, BBQ, and of course "Smoke" . As a matter of fact my controller has a 'smoke' setting! Visible smoke? Nada. But that does not mean the controller is so efficient at controlling pellet burn / grill temperature. Mine has +/- temperature swings of 10-15 degrees F, at least in the early stages of cooking (summer) and the same throughout in winter! Had to fork out $200 bucks for a winter blanket to reduce these swings. "Set it" and "leave it"? Sorry, in about 3 - 4 hours of slow cooking the pellet hopper bridges and the flame goes out! Yes Traeger has solved this problem with a hopper insert, giving the pellets a steeper slide into the auger, as well as reducing the hopper's capacity.
All I can say is I hope their newer 'grills' have solved these (and other) deficiencies. Got to go now as I have to light my smoke tubes in order to use my Traeger Smoker!

I do not know where you live exactly, but I checked today's weather in Calgary. Today the temperature is supposed to range from a high of 82 F to a low of 56 F. If you are doing a really long cook, that is a difference of 26 degrees ambient that the Traeger controller has to adjust for. If the sun is shining directly on the grill during the day, the difference in effective temperature might be even greater. I have measured temperatures inside my grill as high as 150 F without ever igniting the fire.

In Alberta the temperature in winter can plummet as low as -40 F for short periods of time. That is why we call it an Alberta clipper here in the Midwest USA when frigid winds from Alberta come pouring southward through the Great Plains into the Midwest causing temperatures to plummet below 0 F. Do you really expect any uninsulated grill to be able to hold temperature under those conditions?

I have an Ironwood 885. Since it has exhaust vents in the back rather than smokestacks. Traeger does not even make a fitted cover for the grill. I plan to wrap my grill in a couple of welder's blankets during the winter so I can smoke a turkey at Thanksgiving and a ham at Christmas. It won't be as convenient or as attractive as a fitted cover, but I hope it will get the job done.

With an offset smoker or charcoal grill, it will be very difficult to keep the cooking temperature within +/- 15 degrees F. The variations in the fire that occur due to the temperature swings allow development of the flavor compounds that make BBQ so tasty.

No Traeger grill is going to match the smoke flavor of a wood fired offset smoker. That is why people who want more intense smoke flavor use smoke tubes filled with wood chips or even wood fired smoke generators.

An aficionado is a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime. So yes, there are aficionados on the forum, but because they are "very knowledgeable" they are not blind to the shortcomings of the grills; they have just learned how to overcome most of them. Many of us also have alternative methods of cooking when the Traeger is not ideal for that purpose. While Traeger can do many types of cooking, that does not mean that it does everything well.

 

[Neohio99]

So just read where a proud new Traeger smoker owner cannot keep his 'Smoke Tube' lit! Let me understand you pay a $1000 for a smoker, another $30 for smoker pellets, and then have to buy a smoke tube to get it to smoke! Sadly my 34 has never smoked either. Any correspondence with Traeger gets no answers to this design flaw! Had Traeger spent less on marketing and more on quality design and operation this annoying trait would never be out there.

I agree 100%. I purchased a pro 780 4 weeks ago and am VERY DISAPPOINTED. I had an old weber grill and would smoke with wood, but hated opening up hood and adding more wood. But that was a great grill for tast.

I love the taste of smoked meet, and just purchased 2 smoke tubes to enhance the smoking and taste (shouldn't have had to since I paid almost 1k).
Hope the tubes work. Im pissed off. Should have gotten a smaller one for 1/2 the cost and better performance.

I smoke atleast three days a week. And keep hoping something changes. But I'm screwed.

 

[RayClem]

I agree 100%. I purchased a pro 780 4 weeks ago and am VERY DISAPPOINTED. I had an old weber grill and would smoke with wood, but hated opening up hood and adding more wood. But that was a great grill for tast.

I love the taste of smoked meet, and just purchased 2 smoke tubes to enhance the smoking and taste (shouldn't have had to since I paid almost 1k).
Hope the tubes work. Im pissed off. Should have gotten a smaller one for 1/2 the cost and better performance.

I smoke atleast three days a week. And keep hoping something changes. But I'm screwed.

Sorry, but you will never get the same smoke flavor from processed wood pellets that you will get from burning chunks of wood. The advantage of pellets is that you can fill the hopper, set the controller and come back a few hours later. You do not need to tend the fire constantly to keep the desired temperature. That is going to be simlar with any pellet grill, indipendent of brand. The primary issue is the way pellets burn compared to sticks of wood.

You can get better smoke flavor if you uses a lower temperature, something in the range of 175 - 225 F. Above that range, the fire burns too efficiently to produce much smoke flavor.

 

[Smokinjoe]

I do not know where you live exactly, but I checked today's weather in Calgary. Today the temperature is supposed to range from a high of 82 F to a low of 56 F. If you are doing a really long cook, that is a difference of 26 degrees ambient that the Traeger controller has to adjust for. If the sun is shining directly on the grill during the day, the difference in effective temperature might be even greater. I have measured temperatures inside my grill as high as 150 F without ever igniting the fire.

In Alberta the temperature in winter can plummet as low as -40 F for short periods of time. That is why we call it an Alberta clipper here in the Midwest USA when frigid winds from Alberta come pouring southward through the Great Plains into the Midwest causing temperatures to plummet below 0 F. Do you really expect any uninsulated grill to be able to hold temperature under those conditions?

I have an Ironwood 885. Since it has exhaust vents in the back rather than smokestacks. Traeger does not even make a fitted cover for the grill. I plan to wrap my grill in a couple of welder's blankets during the winter so I can smoke a turkey at Thanksgiving and a ham at Christmas. It won't be as convenient or as attractive as a fitted cover, but I hope it will get the job done.

With an offset smoker or charcoal grill, it will be very difficult to keep the cooking temperature within +/- 15 degrees F. The variations in the fire that occur due to the temperature swings allow development of the flavor compounds that make BBQ so tasty.

No Traeger grill is going to match the smoke flavor of a wood fired offset smoker. That is why people who want more intense smoke flavor use smoke tubes filled with wood chips or even wood fired smoke generators.

An aficionado is a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime. So yes, there are aficionados on the forum, but because they are "very knowledgeable" they are not blind to the shortcomings of the grills; they have just learned how to overcome most of them. Many of us also have alternative methods of cooking when the Traeger is not ideal for that purpose. While Traeger can do many types of cooking, that does not mean that it does everything well.

Thanks "RayClem" for your Calgary weather synopsis! Your analysis has a major flaw! That 26 degree swing (you referenced) does not happen in one-fell-swoop! It happens over a 12-14 hour period! And yes, I would expect the Traeger controller to manage itself, at the set temperature, over this period. And no, I wouldn't be foolish enough to expect my Traeger to function at -40! The Traeger blanket was needed to cook at an ambient temperature of 0 - 10 degrees C! For the record my (uninsulated) Napoleon grill will sear a steak as long as the propane can vaporize, and yes all the way down to -40 degrees.
Happy smoking grilling!

 

[Murphy's Law]

Thanks "RayClem" for your Calgary weather synopsis! Your analysis has a major flaw! That 26 degree swing (you referenced) does not happen in one-fell-swoop! It happens over a 12-14 hour period! And yes, I would expect the Traeger controller to manage itself, at the set temperature, over this period. And no, I wouldn't be foolish enough to expect my Traeger to function at -40! The Traeger blanket was needed to cook at an ambient temperature of 0 - 10 degrees C! For the record my (uninsulated) Napoleon grill will sear a steak as long as the propane can vaporize, and yes all the way down to -40 degrees.
Happy smoking grilling!

I've cooked on my Weber Genesis many times in sub-freezing weather without any real issue (other than me freezing my rear off!). It puts out a lot more BTU's than my Traeger so I would expect this. Heck, I'd be disappointed if it didn't!

 

[patstock11]

I'm glad someone else mentioned it bc i was going to say the exact same thing. I noticed in advertisements i have never actually seen the term smoker, its always "wood fired grill". Certainly, this isn't an accident as im sure they have years and years of complaints to go on.

 

[Slimpicker]