Traeger pro 780 disappointment

[SmokingUPnorth]

I upgraded I thought to a Traeger pro 780 from my MES 30. And so far I’ve done a few ribs, pork butts, and now a brisket. And so far I’m pretty Disappointed. I’ve heard With pellet smokers, the smoke flavor isn’t there as much as other smokers. But I’ve hardly tasted any smoke flavor at all. Almost tastes like the food was done in an oven. I’ve used Apple, oak and hickory and even used a AMNPS tray on the last 3 cooks and hardly get smoke taste. All Traeger pellets and I know I’ve read about lumberjack giving the most flavor but I’m starting to think I should sell it and look into a new smoker. Has anyone else been in the same boat?

 

[Bud J]

Hi, yesterday I just googled the same, no smoke flavor, problem with my electric and read a LOT of posts from over the years.
In fact, many were about the Traegers. Seems a lot of people were concerned also.
The one tip I picked up was to smoke ONLY for an hour, no heat at all. Not sure if that’s viable for your unit as I am not familiar with it.
One thing many said was that pellets will not give the same smoke flavor as sticks and charcoal.
Tonight I used my Amazen loaded with hickory and pecan pellets on chicken thighs. I did SMOKE ONLY for 45’ and then blasted the food for three hour. The smoke flavor was better.
Last week, I used my friends MES for whole chickens and used chips only and the smoke flavor was amazing. Her MES burns chips really nice.

But just google it and you will see lots of posts.

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

That’s the thing. The new pro 780 as far as I’m aware doesn’t have a smoke only setting. It’s just set the temp to whatever. Like I said my last smoker was just a little $140 MES 30 and I got way better smoke and bark from that little guy with just a little chip trey. I got a pretty good deal on the Traeger I’m thinking about trying to sell it and break even and try the new masterbuilt gravity smoker

 

[mstrmike]

I upgraded I thought to a Traeger pro 780 from my MES 30. And so far I’ve done a few ribs, pork butts, and now a brisket. And so far I’m pretty Disappointed. I’ve heard With pellet smokers, the smoke flavor isn’t there as much as other smokers. But I’ve hardly tasted any smoke flavor at all. Almost tastes like the food was done in an oven. I’ve used Apple, oak and hickory and even used a AMNPS tray on the last 3 cooks and hardly get smoke taste. All Traeger pellets and I know I’ve read about lumberjack giving the most flavor but I’m starting to think I should sell it and look into a new smoker. Has anyone else been in the same boat?

I bought a pellet smoker after using a uds for years thought it would make long smokes easy hands off. Disappointed with flavor and bark, now I use it for Bar b Que hamburgers etc. switched to a Weber smoky mountain. Easy to control, great flavor. Still have my if’s for big loads.

 

[mstrmike]

I bought a pellet smoker after using a uds for years thought it would make long smokes easy hands off. Disappointed with flavor and bark, now I use it for Bar b Que hamburgers etc. switched to a Weber smoky mountain. Easy to control, great flavor. Still have my uds for big loads.

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Might look into a WSM also as I’ve heard all good things. Don’t need too much room most I’ve done was a couple racks of ribs at a time or a couple pork butts.

 

[Motorboat40]

Get you a kettle or a webber smokey mountain for flavor. Or a what I started out with a propane vertical box smoker is use wood chips or chunks in it and it gives great smoke flover also super easy to control the temperature

 

[Fueling Around]

I use a copy of a AMNPS (tube) that I fill with pellets of my choice. Much better thin blue smoke.
I have a low end Masterbuilt pellet grill (pooper). Outstanding until tonight when it pooped (yeah pun intended) in the middle of a brisket . Finished brisket in the oven

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

Get you a kettle or a webber smokey mountain for flavor. Or a what I started out with a propane vertical box smoker is use wood chips or chunks in it and it gives great smoke flover also super easy to control the temperature

I have a kettle I’ll probably use that the rest of the year. It’s about winter here in upper Michigan then grab a wsm next spring. Thanks for th I put guys

 

[sandyut]

My Rec Teq put on nice smoke flavors. no complaints on the RT700 on that issue in this house.

 

[Inscrutable]

That’s the thing. The new pro 780 as far as I’m aware doesn’t have a smoke only setting. It’s just set the temp to whatever.

Did you start it out for a while on very low temp, or go straight to your cook set point? If it doesn’t say “smoke” just use a very low temp set, say 150-180 for an hour. Smoke production declines (substantially) inversely with temperature.

 

[bill1]

...The new pro 780 as far as I’m aware doesn’t have a smoke only setting...

But you can set the setpoint temp as low as 165F, which you couldn't with the early Traegers. I'd devote at least an hour at this low temperature initially and see if you don't get more smoke flavor. (I think you'll see more smoke too.)

Pellet grills have powerful fans that move a lot of air (and smoke). So added smoke from pellet tubes like an AMPS is greatly dilluted. That's probably why it didn't give you the effect you wanted.

 

[Fueling Around]

...
Pellet grills have powerful fans that move a lot of air (and smoke). So added smoke from pellet tubes like an AMPS is greatly dilluted. That's probably why it didn't give you the effect you wanted.

I hear the newer poopers have variable speed rates on the fan and auger.
Is this why the new Traeger has a 165° temp setting?

My Masterbuilt pooper can hit 180° by fine tuning the feed versus pause "P" setting.

Winter soon approaching. I'll be wrapping the pooper in a blanket and nursing the kettle