Winterizing - emptying the hopper

[jrich523]

From what I've read everything just says empty the hopper but there is still a good handful of pellets I cant get out as well as what's in the auger. Living in Seattle where the winters are very wet, should I worry about those extra pellets? If I need to remove them what is the best way?

Ironwood 650

 

[CMTiger]

If you’re going to need winterize it I’d say just prime the auger and empty them out too. I never do, but I’m in Alabama.

 

[traeger860]

You can use a shop vac to empty the bottom of the hopper and the fire pot. Then “prime auger” will send the remaining pellets into the fire pot and then you can vacuum those out too. How long will it be stored for?

 

[jrich523]

I'm not sure, I'm torn on it I should do it. I use it at least once a month to do steaks, but this will be my first winter with it so I'm not sure how bad the pellets are at sucking up moisture. Here in this area we're basically wet (light rain|mist) non-stop until april\may

 

[traeger860]

If you used it maybe once a week, I wouldn’t worry so much about it. But would probably recommend to keep the hopper low. But if only once a month and it’s exposed to the elements, you might be better off winterizing it. I’m in a humid environment (FL) but my grill is in a covered patio. It still gets wets when it’s windy and rainy, but I stopped covering it so that it dries quicker. During the really humid/rainy season I just try to keep the hopper low and add during cooks as needed. As long as I run it at least once a week, I think the pellets in the auger and fire pot get used up quick enough to not go bad.

 

[jrich523]

I'll keep it low and just try to keep an eye on it, I think with the cover and the area it's in it hopefully won't be too horrible. Those reverse seared steaks are amazing. Having some for dinner tonight!

 

[RayClem]

There are so many different climates across North America that it is difficult to compare one to the other. I live in Northern Illinois where it can get pretty hot in the summer and pretty cold in winter. I kept pellets in my Traeger the entire time over the past year with no known issues. I do have a canvas cover over the grill. The cover as well as the body of the grill itself minimize air movement. Thus, it is not like you are blowing moist air through the pellets in the auger and hopper. If you plan to do a cook once a month, that should be sufficient to keep the pellets from deteriorating badly.

Emptying the hopper would be good insurance if you are concerned. If you run the auger on prime to push pellets into the burn pot, you can remove nearly all pellets in the grill. If you are expecting monsoon season, that might be warranted.

 

[jrich523]

What happens if they get a problematic amount of moisture and what do you have to do to fix it?

 

[BobbyQ]

I've had my IW for over three years. I cover it with a Trager cover. Otherwise it's out in the open. Never a problem with pellets left in the hopper and I cook less often than once a month. The only way problematic moisture could affect pellets in the hopper is if I left the grill uncovered and left the hopper lid open and water were to directly soak the pellets.
If you open the hopper lid the label shows an IP rating of 23. IP is an international standard for ingress protection. The number 2 is for protection from solid objects 12.5 mm (1/2") in diameter (your fingers entering the auger; that's why they have the dumb cage over the hopper). The 3 stands for protection against water spray up to angle of 60 degrees from vertical.
But if you're not going to sleep well at night vacuum it out.

 

[traeger860]

What happens if they get a problematic amount of moisture and what do you have to do to fix it?

The pellets would get caked up and you have to scrape them out or vacuum them out. Problematic amount of moisture might cause electrical issues too? Depends how problematic I guess.

I had the Traeger cover for mine and it worked great when I lived in the Northeast. But not so much in Florida. The material gets soaked and takes forever to dry. The whole inside of my cover started to get mold/mildew at the bottom. I bought a cheap vinyl cover from Amazon that I can use if we're getting a very sever rain storm. But other than that, it sits uncovered under a covered patio. Still gets a little wet from time to time, but it dries quickly.

 

[jrich523]

hmm interesting, i think for now i'll leave them in there.. im pretty good at keeping it covered and i have yet to see any signs of moisture with the pellets and its been pretty wet for a while now.

speaking of that stupid protector, do people remove that thing? i considered doing it since changing/emptying pellets is such a pain with it. im fairly confident im not stupid enough to stick my hand in there while its powered let alone cooking

 

[BobbyQ]

Two screws on the left side hold it in place. The screen itself has slots for the screws so you just loosen the screws and it should pull right out as I recall. Most members have removed it. Several threads on it.

 

[JPSBBQ]

Winterize???

 

[jrich523]

Winterize???

The directions actually say to empty it if you aren't using it for more than a week, which seems crazy

 

[JPSBBQ]

The directions actually say to empty it if you aren't using it for more than a week, which seems crazy

I was being a smarty. Why not cook year around?