You can make your Traeger grill smoke more by lowering the temperature, using a smoke tube, replacing the wood pellets, cleaning the firepot, activating the super-smoke setting, and sealing any leaks.
Generally, Traeger grills don’t emit the kind of thick smoke that you may associate with traditional charcoal grills. Instead of white smoke, you will notice a thin, blue smoke when smoking food. This means the absence of heavy smoke doesn’t always mean anything is wrong with the grill.
However, there might be an issue if your pellet grill produces very little to no smoke at all. I’ve experienced this problem quite a few times. Fortunately, I picked up a few hacks from my repairman over the years and I can now fix this problem when it arises. So, without further ado, let’s discuss six tricks I learned to make your grill smoke more.
Let’s look at six ways to get your grill to generate more smoke flavor.
A common way to get more smoke out of a pellet grill is to lower the temperature. The time it takes for the cooker to produce smoke will increase as the temperature drops. This isn’t a simple solution, and it can take you a few tries, but the smokiness you get in the end will make it worthwhile.
Start by drastically reducing the cooking temperature by about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the visible smoke builds up as much as you want, you can increase the temperature and start cooking on your smoky grill.
Consider purchasing a smoke tube for your pellets if you don’t want to replace them. Smoker tubes are a durable tool that won’t cost you much money. The tube helps produce a smoky flavor thanks to how tightly it packs the wood pellets. The closer the pellets are, the better they burn and the more smoke they produce.
Smoker tubes are an affordable solution, too. However, note that the cost varies depending on the size of the smoker tube. If you want a recommendation, buy LIZZQ’s smoker tube. It costs just $12 and does the job perfectly.
The wood pellets you use in your grill affect the amount of smoke and smoky flavor. So, if there is a problem with the pellets, the pellet smoker won’t produce as much smoke as you want. First, check if the pellets are damp. Damp wood pellets don’t burn long and consistently. So, you’ll need to store your pellets properly to prevent them getting moist and unusable.
Additionally, you should be aware that wood pellets do have a shelf life. Therefore, if you keep them too long, they won’t burn well anymore. Using cheap and substandard pellets could also be a problem.
For this reason, it’s important to buy top-quality pellets. You can test out various brands of wood pellets to start; you don’t have to go with the priciest option, but you should try pellets from a good brand. I’d advise starting with Traeger pellets and checking the results.
If you own the Traeger Silverton 810, Ironwood, or Timberline models, then you’ve probably noticed the super-smoke feature. To be clear, super smoke doesn’t actually create any more white smoke.
Rather, Traeger’s super smoke mode produces more pure “blue” smoke thanks to its precise fan control. It’s vital to keep in mind that this mode only works for lower temperatures, between 165-225°F, and you may experience temperature fluctuations when using this mode.
Some cheap Traeger pellet grill models have significant smoke leaks, which results in a lot of smokey flavor but also a lot of pellet waste. Try sealing the leak if you notice your pellet grill is leaking. Use a heat resistance material like high-temperature gasket kits or high-temperature silicone. This way, the smoke will stay inside your grill, where it belongs. Another excellent technique to make sure you’re getting more smokey flavor is to install a gasket on your pellet grill.
Your firepot won’t smoke properly if it is covered in ash and soot. Luckily, this problem is easily fixable. Just shut down and unplug the power to your grill, and make sure it is absolutely cool.
Next, take out the heat shield, drip tray, and cooking grates. You should now have gotten to the firepot after doing this. Look for any accumulated debris and use a vacuum (built for ash collection) to completely clean it out. Avoid using regular household vacuums that are not certified for ash collection. Next, use a brush to remove any buildup if you see it on the sides. Put the removed parts back into the grill and see if there’s a difference.
A Traeger grill works by moving wood pellets from the hopper—where the pellets are stored—to the firepot via an auger. The wood pellets are then ignited once they reach the firepot, producing heat and smoke. Afterward, a precision fan control system is used to circulate this smoke into the smoker chamber.
The heating device, known as a hot rod, immediately starts heating up when the grill is set to the smoke setting. As the hot rod gets activated, the pellets get transported to the firepot.
When the smoke is activated, the auger feeds the firepot with pellets for about 15 seconds before turning it off for 60 seconds. The pellets are ignited during this period, causing smoke to fill the pellet smoker grill. As long as the smoke setting is activated, this smoking cycle will keep going.
You don’t need to soak your wood to create constant smoke from your Traeger grill. On the contrary soaked wood chips take longer to combust and burn. So, they don’t make much of a difference in the smoke output. They just burn for longer because they need to get rid of the moisture first.
It may take between two and five hours to smoke smaller foods like pieces of chicken or pork chops. However, larger cuts of meat, like pork roast or brisket, can take up to nine hours to cook completely. Remember to have extra on hand to refill the hopper when necessary. You don’t want the Traeger’s hopper to run out of fuel before you finish smoking.
Now you know how I produce more smoke from my Traeger pellet grill. Bear in mind that just because your Traeger isn’t producing as much smoke as you’d like doesn’t mean something is wrong. Simply go through the solutions I discussed if you have any worries. Remember to contact Traeger customer service for assistance if you’re not sure of the problem or if the fixes listed don’t make a difference. Don’t perform any major repairs if you’re not experienced.
Keep in mind that anything you do to the grill could void the warranty. Therefore, if something goes wrong while repairing the grill, you may be responsible for all subsequent expenses. Finally, make sure you’re very specific about the grill’s issues when speaking with customer service. You can also add images for more clarity.
