Hello!

[yaerger]

Just saying hello! My name's Melissa from OK. I've had a Traeger for a little over 4 years. I am always kicking myself in the butt for not doing more research on brands but here I am!

 

[noboundaries]

Melissa, welcome to SMF!  Glad you're here and making that Traeger earn a living at your place.  Lots of Traeger owners, so if you're having issues, they can probably help.

Enjoy the forum!

Ray

 

[gary s]

  Good morning and welcome to the forum from a nice warm day here in East Texas, and the best site on the web.   Lots of               great people with tons of information on just about everything.

        Gary

 

[okiefisher]

Good morning Melissa! I too, am from OK. Sounds like you're a little disappointed in the Traeger. I had one for a while then run onto an Englander PG100, same as a Cookshack PG500 minus the stainless for a good price and bought it. Glad I did! The Traeger is now gone and I enjoy wonderful smoked food two or three times a week. If you ever have any questions just ask and normally someone will sound off pretty fast.

 

[roger47]

Are you not happy with the Traeger?

roger

 

[okiefisher]

The main reason I didn't like it is because I didn't get as much smoke flavor from the food and my wife and I do a lot of grilling so with the direct on the PG100 I can sear or grill and also smoke on the indirect. It's the best of both worlds!

 

[roger47]

I'm working on a method to reduce the air flow through the Traeger.  The holes in the fire pit where the air comes out and is distributed appear that they can be sealed with screws.  If I seal half of them, I figure I might get more smoke sticking around.  I'm going to try this today as an experiment and will keep it posted.  I feel that the air flow in the Traeger pushes out the smoke too fast.

roger  

 

[okiefisher]

You may have a point there but you must also have plenty of air for proper combustion to alleviate the production of creosote. From what I understand they have a new mod that goes inside the grill over the exhaust and lowers the point at which the smoke exits thus keeping more smoke in the grill before it exhausts.

 

[roger47]

I agree.  I just finished the experiment and it went horribly wrong.  I cut off half the air holes and the holes that remained allowed an even more forceful air flow. The air had to go some place and it ignited the pellets into a flame that would not go out. At least I tried.

roger 

 

[okiefisher]

I was afraid of that! For no more smoke than the Traeger produces the best way to get more smoke flavor is to keep the smoke inside the unit longer or add another smoke producing device, possibly a smoke daddy.

 

[roger47]

I appreciate your advice.  I lowered the cone on top of the chimney on the Traeger and it seemed to help a bit.  I tried the other methods of getting more smoke into it but the fan kept blowing the extra smoke out through the chimney directly.  I'll work on it.  Thanks again. 

roger