Helpful Hints

Traeger Helpful Hints

Traeger grill are very easy to operate and maintain, but it will take some time before you are a grill master.

Below are a few helpful hints that might allow you to enjoy your grill a little bit more! We are always looking for input from our customers, if you would like to pass on some of your experiences to fellow Alaskan Traeger owners please do so by sending me an email. Also let me know if it is ok to publish your name next to it.

Get a thermometer

This is a must! To insure you don't over cook your food us a thermometer. It doesn't matter if you use the kind you keep in the food or one of those instant types, just use one.

Keep a Cooking Log

You should start keep a log on everything you cook. Make sure you record the outside temperature when using the P-settings.


P - Settings. (Only on the Digital Thermostat Control)

So what am I talking about! This P-setting is only used on the SMOKE setting. Look at your control and do you see a small hole in the upper right corner? This is where you would make the P-Setting adjustments.

You have 9 different setting under this P0 thru P9. Here is how it works.

P0 = Auger on for 15 sec, and then off for 55.
P1 = Auger on for 15 sec, and then off for 65.
etc..
P9 = Auger on for 15 sec, and then off for 145.

So what does this mean! It means that the P0 setting will have a higher smoking temperature then the P9 setting.

Temperature Variations.

I think it's pretty normal for the digital temp reading to go thru some temperature swings as the effects of the pellets being added so don't worry if you have your grill set at 300 and you see it at 340, this means it just added some pellets to the fire.

I have notice a temperature difference between the Digital control and the dome thermometer. I have notice that this temperature difference is increased when you add foil (shinny-side down) and increased even more if you add the foil (shinny-side up) to your drip pan. If you don't use foil then you will see the two temperature display reporting close to the same temperature

SMOKE setting is influenced by the outside temperature. What I mean is if you smoke on a sunny 70 degree day your P3 setting might produce a temperature of 190 and on a cooler 55 degree day with the same p3 setting you might only get it up to 160. So only on the smoke setting you might need to check the temperature and play with the P-setting to get the right temperature.

Going from a High Temperature to Smoke Setting.

If you wish to go from a 450 degree grill to the smoke setting consider turning your grill off for 5 t 10 minutes, then turn it back on to the smoke setting. It will take the grill some time to cool off. It is about 4 degrees per minute. You can do what I do and that is to open the door and let the hot air out.

Cleaning the Cover.

Just wash with soap and water.

Traeger Cookbook

I have found that a lot of the cooking times within the Traeger Cookbook are wrong. For example I cooked some baby back ribs and it called for 6 to 7 hours. I used the "smoke" with a P-4 setting. Put them in and came back at 6hrs and the ribs were over cooked. Tried it again a week later, this time I used an instant read thermometer and they where done in 4rs. Had the same problem with smoking a turkey.