Maiden voyage of a Champion

[pellet user]

After 7 years with a Traeger Lil' Texas my wife decided that I needed a birthday present.  Love my wife!!  I finished most of the honey do list and Costco was closing them out.  Drove to Sun Prairie to get the last one in WI.  A few adjustments to the floor model and I was ready to season the grill.  Opened up the hot smoke and cold smoke vents.  Turn the grill on high and let it run for over an hour.

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• pellet user
• Aug 22, 2017

After seasoning the everyone was asking what I was going to cook, so I went into the freezer to see what I had.  Some pork ribs got the call.  Seasoned 1 with my usual and the 2nd with a different spice rub that a friend got for me.

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• pellet user
• Aug 22, 2017

Set the Champion @ 235 and waited for grill to get up to temp.  Put the meat on and had to snap a photo or 2

After 3 hours the ribs had enough color on them so I wrapped them in foil and put them back on.  I continued to read the manual and figured that I should use the probe to make sure that works.  The probe on this grill works a little different.  You set the temperature and when it hits that temp the grill turns down to 180 deg to keep the food warm.  Grilling for dummys if you will!  So at about 5 hours I put the probe in the thick part of the ribs after I set the temperature.  The ribs were at 195 already

.  So tell the wife dinner will early.  Put some sauce on them...

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• pellet user
• Aug 22, 2017

After letting the sauce set I pulled the ribs off and let them rest.  I cut into them  and boy did they  look and taste delicious!

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• pellet user
• Aug 22, 2017

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• pellet user
• Aug 22, 2017

 

[racin33]

My I ask why you didn't go with another Treager?

 

[Rings Я Us]

My I ask why you didn't go with another Treager?

Features:
3432 sq. in. Total Cooking Area
Multi-Chamber Smoking Cabinets
Temperature Range of 60°F-600°F for Grilling and Smoking

 

[pellet user]

The biggest reason was the temperature swings.  I was getting a 25 deg swing.  I wanted something better.  I also wanted a bigger chamber for cooking.  I thought about an upgraded controller which would have been fine but my wife said why don't you just get a new grill!  This one was on closeout and had a pid control.  I looked at Pellet Pro and Rec-tec and Traeger.  None really spoke to me.  This one did.  So far I like just getting used to the differences.  It takes longer to heat up is the biggest one.  On the rib cook it held them at 235 for the entire cook.  I didn't see more than +- 2 degs. The cold smoking cabinet is something that my kids wanted.  The like smoke cheese.  The hot smoking chamber should help on jerky too.

 

[racin33]

Thanks, I was just wondering, Just bought the pro 22 Treager. I like it alot but I'm a rookie to this smoking thing.