Pay Attention To Fat Content
A mistake that a lot of BBQ newcomers make is with the meat itself. Meat that is too lean can dry out quickly, whereas meat with too much fat content can get in the way of the smoke working its way into the flesh of the meat.
If you choose to smoke a cut like brisket, then be sure that you trim the layer of fat on it to about ½ inch thick before putting it on the smoker.
Pit Boss Vs Traeger Grill Wood Pellets
Pit Boss and Traeger make their wood pellets differently from one another, despite the fact that it may seem unlikely that two almost identical products could differ when they are made by competing brands.
While talking about the Pit Boss Pellets In A Traeger Grill, There is no specific reason any of the grills will be ruined by using pellets from the opposite companys range, but knowledge is power and with this knowledge, you can choose the brand that is most suitable for you and for the grill or smoker.
Preparing To Start The Grill
- Clean out your fire pot from any leftover ashes from the previous cook.; Make sure there are no obstructions in it.
- Leave the lid of the grill open.
- Add pellets to the hopper.
Note: It is alway best to empty the hopper and the auger each time you use your Traeger grill rather than leaving the pellets to sit in there.
Unless you live in a VERY dry climate, Traeger pellets will not last very long if left in the hopper where, even when covered, will be exposed to humidity and temperature fluctuations.
Keep your pellets in an airtight sealable container like a 5 gallon bucket indoors where they will remain dry and fresh.
You will get better quality smoke out of them and they will last a lot longer.
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How Do You Stop Wood Pellets From Going Bad
Like we have already mentioned, reducing the moisture that comes into contact with the pellets is the best way to do this. If you do not have a bucket with a sealable lid or a bag of pellets with a resealable tab, you may wish to use cable ties to secure the bag closed.
If you notice any holes in the material of the bag, you should cover these up with duct or electrical tape.
Wood pellets are deceptively delicate and can be easily damaged through rough handling. You should take care to move your pellets around delicately and without excess force. This will prevent the pellets from crashing into one another and disintegrating due to the impact. This also reduces the chances of tears or splits appearing in the bag.
What Is A Traeger Grill
Lets start with the introductions. The Traeger is a wood pellet grill.;
To use it, pellets are drawn from a side-mounted hopper to a central burn chamber using an auger, then lit by a hot metal rod. This mechanism runs on electricity, so you need to plug it in before use.
The use of wood pellets to produce heat/smoke has the added benefit of infusing your meat or veggies with an exquisite smokey flavor. This flavor can be altered depending on the kind of pellets you use .
It also provides precise, digital temperature control as the regulator is integrated with meat thermometers. This means that you can set the desired temperature easily by choosing a setting on the dial. At the same time, Traeger grill assembly instructions are easy to follow.
In short, Traeger grills are much simpler to use when compared to old-fashioned charcoal grills. They also give you the benefits of unique smoke-infused meat, combined with easy temperature control. This makes it a great choice for grill novices!
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Do You Have To Season A Pellet Smoker
Yes.
According to the Traegers Owners Manual, the smoker must be seasoned before you place any food on the grill.
The grill will need to run on high for 45 minutes with the door closed to be seasoned properly.
Grills need to be seasoned for two reasons.
- The first is to burn off any oils and coatings that were introduced during the manufacturing process. You certainly dont want to eat any of that nasty stuff.
- The second is to cure the paint. Many paints used in grills generally require high heat to burn off volatiles and form an impermeable barrier.
Seasoning also makes food taste better and will extend the life of your grill. Seasoning isnt just for pellet smokers. Any grill should be seasoned before use.
How A Pellet Grill Works
In order to cook ANY kind of food well on a pellet grill, you need to first have a basic understanding of how it works.
***Completely New to Using a Pellet Grill?; No Worries!****
Hop over and check out this Complete Guide to How a Pellet Grills Work;first if you are interested in learning more.; Well be here when you get back!***
First, you add hardwood pellets into a side hopper. The pellet grill automatically feeds these small wood pellets via an auger mechanism to a fire pot where they are burned up, providing both heat and smokey flavor.
The pellet grill automatically controls the flow of pellets depending on your temperature setting so that you maintain an even temperature throughout the entire cook.
A MUST for making great BBQ, no matter the temperature.
We are big fans of Bear Mountain Hardwood Pellets because they are compatible with most pellet grills and provide a nice clean, even burn and smoke flavor.
Instead of being in and out of the house constantly trying to figure out when or whether to add more wood or to adjust the air flow, you just program the unit and give it time to do its thing.
Its really just a matter of choosing and preparing the right ingredients, picking the right temperature, and smoking your hot and fast brisket for the right amount of time!
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Obtaining The Most Out Of Your Pellet Grill
Taking into consideration that Traeger has actually been in presence for so long, you can have satisfaction understanding that you will certainly have the ability to get substitute components in the close to future.
The Traeger grills generally last for several years as long as they are kept per the manufacturers instructions.
Should You Replace Your Gas Grill For A Traeger Wood Pellet Grill
Traeger Wood Pellet Grill;
Maybe.
Pellet grills are best suited for smoking and “low and slow” cooking.
You have better temperature control on a Traeger, and you won’t have to flip a burger every five minutes.
You can also smoke a roast for eight hours and have it ready after work with countless flavor combinations.
If you are the type of person who can wait or plan, you will love a pellet grill.
However, if you love to sear and char your food, a pellet stove cannot. Its 500-degree max temperature cannot sear or cook quickly.
So that BBQ you are planning with eight burgers, ten hot dogs, and five pieces of chicken will probably not go well with a pellet grill – unless you start it hours ahead.
If you are that type of griller, then you will despise a pellet grill.
That said, how will you use your grill?
Additional Resources
Get the Yale BBQ Grill Buying Guide with features, specs, and tips to all the brands. Over 820,000 people have already found answers in a Yale Guide.
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Traeger Timberline 1300 Analysis Wood Fired Pizza On Pellet Grill
Traeger was a real innovator in bringing wood pellet grills to the masses. They have a considerable catalog to fit the grilling and smoking needs of almost any dimension group. Providing to a family members that needs to feed a large team of people or a person who merely loves to host large cookouts is the Traeger Timberline 1300.
As the name indicates the primary cooking chamber provides an incredible 1,300 square inches of food preparation room split over three tiers. This is sufficient to accommodate the starving mouths of a neighborhood block celebration or to make your home the location to be for the following large family get-together.
Yet its not too large for a family of 4 to enjoy a great dinner of great smoky grilled steaks or the periodic bbq chicken.
The hopper is additionally remarkably big to match the primary grilling chamber. When packed to maximum ability it can hold up to 24-pounds of wood pellets at once. This is more than enough to sustain an all-day smoking session.
Should You Invest In The Traeger Timberline 1300
Whether youre into sluggish as well as low smoking or rapid and also hot scorching, the Traeger Timberline 1300 will certainly deliver perfectly prepared food while you invest your time with pals and also family, or just sitting back watching the video game.
Wi-Fi connectivity not just allows you to set the grill to prepare at specific temperature levels using your smart device, yet it also offers you accessibility to greater than a thousand recipes you can program into the grill with the tap of a button.
Its very simple to use and constructed to last, as well as the mobile app is intuitive and also easy on the eyes. The Timberline 1300 will certainly not disappoint if you take your grilling seriously and do not mind shelling out for a premium wood-fired pellet grill that can do it all.
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How To Turn Off A Traeger Pellet Grill
After you have finished cooking your food, dont just turn off and unplug the Traeger pellet grill .
Turn the dial on your Traeger pellet grills to the Shut Down Cycle setting.
This setting will stop the auger from turning, and quickly turn up the temperature of your fire rod and the speed of your fan.
The reason for this is to rapidly burn off any pellets remaining in the firepot so that they dont just sit and smolder for hours like hot coals.
You cant smother and re-light pellets that have already ignited once like you can with charcoal.
So any pellets that have already made it into the fire pot need to be burned up.
The Shut Down Cycle feature makes quick work of this and leaves you with a nice clean firepot for your next cook.
Do not power down or unplug the pellet grill or this process cannot happen. The fan will turn off automatically after about 5-10 minutes when it is done, and then you can turn off and unplug the grill.
Once the remaining pellets have burned off, the fan has stopped, and the grill is cool again, empty the remaining pellets left in the auger and the hopper and put them in a nice dry resealable 5 gallon bucket you keep inside.
- Heavy-duty bucket and lid offer a variety of uses, both aquatic & non-aquatic
- 5 gallon capacity
Yes, we know how tempting it is to just throw the cover back on and leave the unused pellets in the Traeger grill.
Is The Magic Number
Different meats have different safe temperatures for when they are done, however smoking temperatures stay pretty consistent. While some go closer to 250°F or 275°F, the general rule is to go for 225°F. This allows for enough low and slow content to allow the fat in any cut of meat to render while not being high enough to dry it out.
If in doubt, go for 225°F.
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Searing Food On A Pellet Grill
Searing on a pellet grill is possible as long as the temperature is set to high or 450°F and given about 10 minutes to warm up. See this searing guide for pellet grills to see how to properly sear your meat.
First, make sure to smoke your meat or food so that the internal temperature has reached the desired temp. Searing should be the final step in a Traeger since it takes some time to heat up and cool down a pellet grill.
After the food reaches your desired internal temp, remove the food from the grill and place it in a warming drawer.
Set the Traegers temperature to high and wait 10 minutes for the grill to heat up.
Next, place the meat or food back onto the grill and sear both sides. The grills lid can be open while you sear the food since the grill grate will be hot.
Remove the seared food from the Traeger and place the grill on the Shut Down Cycle so that it can properly cool down.
Recommended Brands Of Pellet Grills
** Memphis Wood Fire Grills: Stylish design, sophisticated electronics, and great thermodynamics. This is one of the few pellet grills that lets you remove the top of the burn chamber so you can direct grill over a wood pellet fire.
Yoder Smokers: Well-known in competition barbecue circles, Yoder sells three models of pellet smokers, ranging from $1100 for the YS480 to $3600 for the trailer-mounted YS1500.
Rec Tec: In business for about 5 years, Rec Tec manufactures a pellet grill with 680 square inches of cooking space. Temperatures can be calibrated in 5-degree increments, and the pellet hopper holds up to 40 pounds of pellets. Current price of the smoker is $1000.
FireCraft: Made in the USA, the awesome FireCraft Pellet-Q450 Pellet Grill sells for about $900 and allows for both direct and indirect grilling. It also includes a trademarked Pellet Exchange feature, giving you the ability to quickly switch out pellet flavors.
MAK Grills: Sells four American-made pellet grill models, from the 1-Star General to the 4-Star General . The trademarked FlameZone attains temperatures of 500 degrees and can be used for direct grilling.
Traeger Pellet Grills: Traeger launched the pellet grill revolution and has a large following for its affordably priced grills .
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Automated Grilling And Cooking
However one of the various other huge benefits of being attached to Wi-Fi is that you can use the app to pick from greater than 1,000 dishes based on what you wish to prepare. You can filter dishes according to the primary active ingredient, the prepping approach, the variety of servings youre preparing, the cooking time, consisting of prep time; and also also by the pellet fuel you carry hand or the wood taste youre wanting to give to the food.
The dishs level of difficulty, separate times for preparation and also chef time, and also the recommended raw wood types are all noted on top of the app. It would certainly be fantastic if the app recalculated the components and also cook as well as prep times based upon the number of portions you desire to prepare.
Once you have actually picked a dish, you merely touch the Chef Currently switch. You still need to push a switch on the grill itself to fire up the fire. There are a number of items that just wouldnt be secure to do using remote yet the app will send the target making and also probe temperature levels to the grill. If the recipe requires smoking the food, the application will certainly send out that information to the grill too.
Green Mountain Pellet Grills: A Closer Look
However, when Traegers patent expired in 2006, many companies rushed to cut out their own corner of the market. Chief among them was Green Mountain, founded by David Baker, a former Traeger enthusiast.;
Baker implemented many improvements into his grills. These included a fan to cool down the grill and a higher lid to create more space within the grill. With time, these features would become industry-standard.
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What Pellets Should You Use In Your Traeger Grill
One of the first questions youre likely to have is what type of pellets to use in your Traeger.
The obvious place to start is with Traeger branded pellets which come in a range of wood types from their Signature Blend to Hickory, Apple, Cherry or Pecan, all in 20lb bags.
From their you will want to branch out and try different brands to either save money or just experiment with different flavor combinations.
We have a guide to the best wood pellets for smoking you can checkout for more on that. These 40lb bags from CookinPellets are a popular option if you want to save a bit of cash.
You may have heard that you can only use Traeger brand pellets or you run the run of voiding your Traeger warranty.
The good news is that the FTC has warned companies that it is illegal to condition warranty coverage on the use of specified parts or services.
So you shouldnt let that claim scare you off.
Stepping away from the Traeger brand gives you more freedom to stock up on bulk and try more flavors.
While you are free to try different brands of pellets if you wish, it is vital you only use cooking pellets in your pellets grill. Meathead Goldwyn of AmazingRibs.com warns:
Meathead Goldwyn, Pellet Smokers and Grills: Buying Guide
Pellets are made from different woods, each of which imparts a distinctive flavor to the meat. Hickory, oak, maple, alder, apple, cherry, hazelnut, peach, and mesquite are among the flavors available.
How To Operate A Traeger Grill
Knowing how to operate a Traeger grill is important as some of its design characteristics mean that its operation varies somewhat from a conventional BBQ grill or smoker.
To start with you should always start your Traeger grill in a high setting, to feed enough pellets into the firepot and ensure that the fire starts properly.
You may now lower the heat as necessary and start cooking on your Traeger grill. Here are further Traeger operation tips.
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