Software update fixes

[Zee]

I have a used Timberline 850 being delivered in a couple of days. In my research, I’ve learned of two issues that concern me.
Has Traeger Timberline 850 software updates added (1) The ability to automatically stop the cook when the desired cook temperature is reached? (2) A Warning when the cook temperature drops from its target range? Is latest update 3.14 (IOS) and (3.15) Android?

 

[RayClem]

The Traeger grill is not like a microwave oven that can automatically go from cook temperature to off when a set time or internal temperature is reached. When you are baking a cake or cookies in your kitchen oven, you have to determine when they are properly cooked and immediately remove them from the oven. The same principle applies to the Traeger grill.

Remember also that when you shut down the Traeger, it does not just turn off. It goes through a shutdown sequence to burn up any pellets remaining in the burn pot. That process takes about 20 minutes. Thus, do not expect the Traeger device to turn itself off for you. The pellet smoker requires less personal intervention than an offset smoker or charcoal grill, but do not expect it to do everything for you. Judging when a cook is done is not just a matter of temperature, but also of appearance and feel.

 

[Slimpicker]

The Traeger grill is not like a microwave oven that can automatically go from cook temperature to off when a set time or internal temperature is reached. When you are baking a cake or cookies in your kitchen oven, you have to determine when they are properly cooked and immediately remove them from the oven. The same principle applies to the Traeger grill.

Remember also that when you shut down the Traeger, it does not just turn off. It goes through a shutdown sequence to burn up any pellets remaining in the burn pot. That process takes about 20 minutes. Thus, do not expect the Traeger device to turn itself off for you. The pellet smoker requires less personal intervention than an offset smoker or charcoal grill, but do not expect it to do everything for you. Judging when a cook is done is not just a matter of temperature, but also of appearance and feel.

^^^^ WORD^^^^

Also, you shouldn't be using the built in "meat" therm anyway, Traeger has not put out an expensive reliable meat probe which would be needed to "auto" shutdown anyway... You are gonna want to BUY a good probe SYSTEM, pit and several meat probes, as one of your first accessories!!!

 

[BobbyQ]

Welcome to the forum.
Traeger books hundreds of millions annually thanks in part to their “set it and forget it“ marketing strategy. Sooner or later, (hopefully sooner) new owners learn the realities of pellet cooking. The two posts above are spot on.
Stick around. There's a lot of good information to be had here.

 

[RustyJake]

Even when Traeger allowed you to add your own cook programs within the app, you could never set 'warnings' for temperature. You could set a temperature or time frame to trigger the next event, which basically was a change in temperature. No option was ever available to choose to shut down the grill when a specific temperature was reached. What you could do, is set a specific temperature for the probe in the meat, and when reached, have the grill go to 165 for a 'hold' option.
Traeger opted to remove the custom cook feature from the app a few years back. It would be nice if they brought it back, even if it was basic functionality through a premapped cook where you could just enter the temperature or time you wanted in a set form.

I don't think any grill that has the option to program cooks has the option to shutdown the grill at the end. Fireboard and Yoder don't have that option. They just the ability to set a hold temperature. But they do allow you to set warnings for high or low temperature values.

 

[John S.]

I use a Fireboard and set a tempature Alarm ( 5 -10 degrees lower than the final temp that I want) then when it gos off, I switch to the Treager App and push "Keep Warm"