Traeger pellet smoker - what's the point of a smoker setting?

[rcmpayne]

So I am still new to this and have a Traeger pellet smoker which has a digital thermometer and a dial. One of the settings on the dial is the smoker setting which from the book States it's 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Everywhere I read for beef and chicken all needs to be 225 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. So I'm not really sure what that specific dial sitting does if you have to have your smoker sent to 220 or higher to cook meats like beef and chicken and pork.

does anybody have any examples of when or why you would want to use the smoker setting dial on a Traeger? I want to make sure that I'm safe here and I'm not going get anyone sick.


From Trager
When operating in “Smoke” mode, the Auger will cycle on for 15 seconds and off for 65 seconds. There is no temperature control with the “Smoke” setting. This timed cyclesetting for “Smoke” is a factory pre-setrecommended by Traeger Pellet Grills to develop a “Smoking” temperature of 150 to 180 degrees F.

 

[rcmpayne]

I found this post and the video even says you can use the smoker setting to cook food but everywhere I read says you should be 220 or higher is that not correct?

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/smoke-setting-traeger.236121/

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

I don't have a pellet grill, but from what I have read some people want a heavier smoke profile on their food. I believe that many use the lower temps at the beginning of a cook because it allows the grill to produce more smoke. Then after an hour or so they increase the temp and the smoke output decreases.

 

[SonnyE]

Well, all I know about a Traeger you could poke in your eye and not know it was there.
The kids have a small Traeger they use at the desert when camping.
When I was looking for a new way to smoke, I was interested in Pellet grills for as long as it took me to ferret out their bottom end temperatures. They aren't low enough for me, so I lost any interest in them.
I do a bit of cold smoking, so I headed a different direction.

 

[Scott Eisenbraun]

Pellet smokers don't give the food an intense smoke flavor. Since more smoke is produced at lower temps, you can set it at the smoke setting for an hour or more, then turn it up to 225 to 250 until food is finished. You should have a smokier flavor than if you hadn't used the smoke setting.

 

[flatbroke]

some treager recipes call for smoke setting first if I recall correct. I used smoke setting on trip tips for an hour or so in mine years ago then kicked up the heat. maybe for jerky too, bacon?

 

[WaterRat]

Does your smoker also gave a "p setting"? If so it works in conjunction with the smoke setting giving you a variable temp. It will vary a bit due to ambient conditions. You'll have to play with it a bit and get a feel for it. Typically you use it for longer low temp smokes, things like fish. I used it on mine ( i have a Pit Boss but very similar function) when I made tasso a couple months back but typically you want to use a normal temp setting 225+ for ribs, chicken, brisket, etc...