"Smoke" Setting (Traeger)

[beachbunny]

It is entirely possible that this is a stupid question...

What is the smoke setting for? There is the shut down cycle, there are the obviously often referenced temperature settings... What is smoke for? I googled it and all I got was Traeger telling me that they're famous for it. I'd like a more detailed answer if anyone has one? When is it best to use it? What is its magical power?

 

[old sarge]

Smoke is a lower temperature setting for the smoke flavor, low and slow cooking. When doing ribs, or a butt (pork shoulder) or a brisket you want a temperature of around 225 degrees (low and slow like a crock pot) and smoke production for the flavor. You don't want high heat and flame when you are smoking food.  See if these help:

http://tipsforbbq.com/Definition/Traeger-P-Setting

 (see the 2 minute mark, maybe 2:15 for a quick explanation of smoke setting).

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/newsearch?search=Traeger+Temp+control

Good luck

 

[beachbunny]

Thank you for the links. :) My confusion lays in the temperature settings, I guess. My temperature knob goes all the way down to 180* which is as low as I've ever had recommended. According to that first link, the smoke setting should be selected when turning on the smoker first thing. However, I've skipped that step completely with the same results. 

I was making some pork chops last night and they cooked faster than I had anticipated so I used "smoke" to sort of pause them for a half an hour. 

 

[old sarge]

Just remember the Traeger is a unit that grills and smokes rather than just a dedicated smoker. 

 

[don stevens]

Hey Sarge;

Is there a pellet smoker that is truly a smoker? I to have a Traeger, I'm happy with the results but still think that there is a way to use pellets as a smoker.

Thanks,

Don

 

[old sarge]

Don - I am not aware of one. As you are probably aware, in a stick burner, heat for cooking is derived from the wood, or in the case of a pellet grill, the pellets.  It is kind of hard to choke down a pellet or stick burner to starve the wood of oxygen so that it produces lots of visible smoke and still produce the requisite heat for cooking.  In an electric, like the Smokin-it or the Cookshack,  the relative air tight cabinets starve the wood so that the smoke is very much in evidence with little to no actual fiery combustion.  Heat is from the electrical element.  Each system has it's strengths and it's drawbacks. With your Traeger, you can smoke or grill; cannot do that with an electric which is strictly a single function cooker. You could go electric and use a chip screen in the smokers wood box and place pellets on that. Both Smokin-it and Cookshack sell chip screens as an accessory. See their respective websites.

Years ago in my off-set stick burner days, I got terrific smokey results. The draw back was in having to rotate meat so that no single piece spent the entire cook closest to the fire box. And I did have to replenish the wood until the cook was complete.  But the results and tenderness were fantastic and it was time well spent. Never-the-less, I went to electric as I was into my sixties and lazier.  If I was in my 20's or 30's and just getting started, I would get a  Yoder or a Lang.  Expensive but in the long run a great investment in BBQ. 

I hope this helps. 

Dave