Need advice on a Traeger with an Ortech digital contoller

[motsyball]

I inherited my Traeger from my Dad last summer. It did well until it got cold outside. Then it struggled to get close to 200 degrees on the low (smoke) setting when the temperature outside was below 40. If I moved it to medium then the temperature would go over 300 degrees, which is just too high to smoke meat at for many hours. Heeding the advice of many on this forum I bought the Ortech digital controller to solve my problem, and I wish I could say it did.

Unfortunately the Ortech is not very accurate. If I set it at 225 it usually maintains a temperature between 240 & 260. Sometimes it even gets up to 275 and occasionally it might drop down to 225, but its maintaining a temperature that is just too high for slow smoking and its burning my meat. It would be nice if the Ortech has a setting for 200 degrees. I could just bump it down but unfortunately the next setting below 225 is 180 which is too low and that setting keeps it between 190 and 210, which I have read is too low for things like ribs, pork butt & brisket.

I looked up other digital controls for the Traeger (even the Traeger digital controller) and none of them have a temperature setting between 180 and 225. Now yes there is the smoke control switch I can adjust to try to lower the temperature but I have had no luck lowering the temperature when adjusting it either up to P3 or P4 or down to P1 or P0 so I have just been keeping it set at P2 and every 30 minutes changing the temperature setting back and forth from 180 & 225.

Anyone else have this issue with the Ortech controller? Anyone have any suggestions on how I can get my Trager to maintain a temperature close to 225?

 

[Smoking Audi]

Would you benefit by getting a blanket to help hold the heat? My Pro 34 has a controller that looks similar to the Ortech and I have a blanket for cold weather. Not really sure who makes my controller but it looks similar to what I googled for Ortech.

 

[motsyball]

Would you benefit by getting a blanket to help hold the heat? My Pro 34 has a controller that looks similar to the Ortech and I have a blanket for cold weather. Not really sure who makes my controller but it looks similar to what I googled for Ortech.

I dont think a blanket would help because there is an internal probe that measures the temperature inside the grill/smoker. The problem is its not calibrated and thus the internal temp is running 20 to 40 degrees too hot. On a side note, I also have a smoking Audi. Its an A6 TDI diesel. LOL!

 

[DougE]

Unfortunately the Ortech is not very accurate. If I set it at 225 it usually maintains a temperature between 240 & 260. Sometimes it even gets up to 275 and occasionally it might drop down to 225, but its maintaining a temperature that is just too high for slow smoking and its burning my meat.

Nothing at all wrong with smoking at those temps, if they are accurate. I do most of my smoking in the 275° range, with the exception of fish, sausage, and bacon. 275° is actually a really good place to run for butts and brisket.

 

[motsyball]

Nothing at all wrong with smoking at those temps, if they are accurate. I do most of my smoking in the 275° range, with the exception of fish, sausage, and bacon. 275° is actually a really good place to run for butts and brisket.

The problem is its burning my meat at those higher temps. Ribs are getting burnt and done in 3 hours instead of 5. Pork butt is getting hard and burnt on the bottom before it gets done in the middle. Thats why I need to figure out how to calibrate the Ortech to accurately hold the temp at 225 degrees. Any ideas?

 

[Smoking Audi]

You might consider upgrading to a digital controller. Very happy with the digital controller in my 34. I believe this is my controller on Amazon. My readout is usually spot on for what its set with maybe an occasional 10* swing.

 

[BigW.]

Does your rub contain a lot of sugar? That could explain some of the burning you are experiencing. Another idea is not cooking directly over fire pot and put fat side down on fatty cuts like butt & brisket. As mentioned it is not a problem cooking at higher temps. May just need to modify the technique that works for your grill.

 

[motsyball]

You might consider upgrading to a digital controller. Very happy with the digital controller in my 34. I believe this is my controller on Amazon. My readout is usually spot on for what its set with maybe an occasional 10* swing.

I have already upgraded to a digital congtroller. Should I take the chance and hope a different one will more accurelately hold the temperature where I set it? Don't mind dropping another $50 in it but wonder since its 10 years old that I should just go ahead and buy a new one.

 

[motsyball]

Does your rub contain a lot of sugar? That could explain some of the burning you are experiencing. Another idea is not cooking directly over fire pot and put fat side down on fatty cuts like butt & brisket. As mentioned it is not a problem cooking at higher temps. May just need to modify the technique that works for your grill.

Well a majority of my rub contains brown sugar but could that explain my smoker temp getting 40 to 50 degrees higher then the controller is set at? Also, I had heard you should keep the fat side up so as it cooks the fat runs down the meat thus basting it and keeping it moist. I had been told putting the fat side down can cause the top to dry out. Am I wrong?

 

[BigW.]

Well a majority of my rub contains brown sugar but could that explain my smoker temp getting 40 to 50 degrees higher then the controller is set at? Also, I had heard you should keep the fat side up so as it cooks the fat runs down the meat thus basting it and keeping it moist. I had been told putting the fat side down can cause the top to dry out. Am I wrong?

Rub has nothing to do with temps, I was just trying to help with burnt meat comment you made. Does the meat taste burnt or is it just black/dark in color? Often a tasty bark is very dark in color, but tastes wonderful. Sugar adds to the color. My GMG temp is prob 25-40 degrees off set temp. I just use an separate therm and adjust as needed.

Fat up or down is personal preference. When cooking over hot flame (pellet box) I think fat insulates the meat some by being on the bottom.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Nothing at all wrong with smoking at those temps, if they are accurate. I do most of my smoking in the 275° range, with the exception of fish, sausage, and bacon. 275° is actually a really good place to run for butts and brisket.

Could not agree more with this! My apologies if I missed it, are you checking with a therm that has been verified to be accurate?

 

[motsyball]

Rub has nothing to do with temps, I was just trying to help with burnt meat comment you made. Does the meat taste burnt or is it just black/dark in color? Often a tasty bark is very dark in color, but tastes wonderful. Sugar adds to the color. My GMG temp is prob 25-40 degrees off set temp. I just use an separate therm and adjust as needed.

Yeah the meat tastes burnt and is dried out. Even though I set my Ortech digital controller at 225 degrees its usually stays between 240 & 250 but occassionally its getting up to 270 and burning/drying out the meat. Problem is my Ortech digital controllers next lower setting is 180 so it typically ranges from 190 to 210. If it had a setting for 200 it would probably be fine, but it doesnt. It goes from 225 down to 180. There is no setting between those two. I wish there was a way to calibrate the Ortech. I keep the smoke setting set on P2. What number would you move the P setting to get the temp to go down?

 

[BigW.]

Yeah the meat tastes burnt and is dried out. Even though I set my Ortech digital controller at 225 degrees its usually stays between 240 & 250 but occassionally its getting up to 270 and burning/drying out the meat. Problem is my Ortech digital controllers next lower setting is 180 so it typically ranges from 190 to 210. If it had a setting for 200 it would probably be fine, but it doesnt. It goes from 225 down to 180. There is no setting between those two. I wish there was a way to calibrate the Ortech. I keep the smoke setting set on P2. What number would you move the P setting to get the temp to go down?

Nothing wrong with smoking a pork butt or brisket in the 240 or 250 range. Some go higher including me. I would move the butt to the right of fire pot so it is not directly over it. Putting it in an alum pan may also help the drying out issue. Trying a different rub with less sugar may help also.

 

[DougE]

I keep the smoke setting set on P2. What number would you move the P setting to get the temp to go down?

If it's like my Camp Chef, the higher the smoke setting, the larger the temp swing.

Yeah the meat tastes burnt and is dried out. Even though I set my Ortech digital controller at 225 degrees its usually stays between 240 & 250 but occassionally its getting up to 270 and burning/drying out the meat.

I still say something else is going on here. A lot of us normally smoke at the temps you say your grill is burning food at. Have you verified the temps with an accurate thermometer?

 

[motsyball]

Nothing wrong with smoking a pork butt or brisket in the 240 or 250 range. Some go higher including me. I would move the butt to the right of fire pot so it is not directly over it. Putting it in an alum pan may also help the drying out issue. Trying a different rub with less sugar may help also.

Well since its burning the meat at those higher temps then is smoking pork butt or ribs at a range from 180 to 210 degrees considered unsafe? I've heard you have to worry about foodborne illnesses like botulism when smoking below 220.

 

[BigW.]

Well since its burning the meat at those higher temps then is smoking pork butt or ribs at a range from 180 to 210 degrees considered unsafe? I've heard you have to worry about foodborne illnesses like botulism when smoking below 220.

Some folks will smoke that low for an hour for extra smoke then kick up the temp. I've given several ideas to remedy the burnt meat problem. Give them a shot.

 

[motsyball]

I still say something else is going on here. A lot of us normally smoke at the temps you say your grill is burning food at. Have you verified the temps with an accurate thermometer?

Yes i have internal oven thermometers on each side

 

[mrq]

I had wild temperature swings and added kiln bricks to increase the thermal mass, per another user's suggestion. This was sufficient for me, but I wouldn't write off the blanket suggestion. Anything that can smooth out temperature should help.