First cook on the new Traeger

[realist]

I introduced myself a few days ago as a returning BBQ enthusiast. I purchased a new Traeger Texas Q this morning. I had previously been using an offset and to be honest my wood tending skills were far from perfect not to mention I work 40 plus hours and have three teenagers gahhhhh.

I brought it home assembled it and seasoned it. So far so good. For my first cook I probably picked the worst combo for this type of cooker but oh well it was all in the fridge and had been planned for. I made burgers and grilled vegetables.

The eggplant zuchs onions and mushrooms were marinated in Chakas MMM sauce ( if I could get a similar recipe for this I would be in heaven) the red potato's were par boiled, coated in EVOO and seasoned with the vegetable shake sample that came from Traeger. All cooking was done on high. The following are my results.

The burgers although a bit rare for some (my fault totally) were the best I think I have ever made. They weren't charry like those from my Weber but were almost grilled or steamed like with light grill marks. Extremely juicy and flavorful. The vegetables were hit and miss. The potato's were the easy winner. The rest were good just not great. I think its because I really like my grilled vegetable caramelized and dark like a grill does. Don't get me wrong we ate em up, I have just made better.

The grill definitely has hot spots. Basically all the way around the edges and away from the middle. Looking at the construction this seems reasonable. The heat diffuser over the pellet burner is right in the middle and the drip plate takes up almost all the area except the very edges. Went through more pellets than I would have expected but again it was on high and I doubt I will do much cooking on high in the future.

I would appreciate any comments or questions if you don't mind. Also any suggestions for a good second cook to try. I was thinking a boat load of chicken thighs might be nice or maybe a tri tip or pork loin. Peace
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Balance and moderation are the key to life.

[dabaslab]

We have 3 of the Treager 075's that we use in competitions. Some mighty fine food can be cooked on your new pellet muncher it just takes a little practice.

Keep on smoking and don't forget to post pictures. They are worth a billion words

Dab
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Son Seekers BBQ Team

[Marky C]

The edges are hotter where there is space between the drip pan. You can try leaving the foil hang over a bit to difuse it a little. On high temps they do munch a lot of pellets. But as you said it probably won't see that setting very often or for very long. I like to start things on "Smoke or 180" for first hour or so to get more smoke flavor. Good luck with your new smoker.
_________________
Kill a cow, Start a fire ...
The magic begins.

2 Drum Smokers
Traeger Texas
CharGriller
22" Weber Kettle
Portable Sportsman Gasser
Sizzle Q Griddle
1 Hot Rock

[winemaker]

I'm still pretty new with my Traeger 075 but for high temp work, I think using oak pellets will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of heat. I can get right up to around 450* with the oak, give or take a few.

I haven't done burgers or veggies yet but I have tried a couple ribeyes on there at the highest setting my digital thermostat will allow and they came out very tasty and very juicy. Not as much carbon on the outside as with a regular grill but still had marks and terrific flavor.

As for a second cook, I would try some traditional smoke meats like pork butt or ribs. I have done those with very good results on my Traeger. I think you will not be disappointed. It is a learning process, but the nice part is, you can still eat your mistakes (usually).

[synergicity]

I've had a Traeger BBQ124 for about a month now and have been having a ball. So far I've done 3 pork butts (8 lbs each), 2 briskets (17 lbs), burgers, chicken halves, spareribs, ABT's, fatties, and some other stuff I can't remember due to meat overload.

My initial findings are that it is a pretty easy way to get some real nice smoked meat. I have also noticed the hot spots on the front and rear and also that the left side (i.e., the "uphill" end of the drip pan) is hotter than the right side. Also, it is possible for the pellets to "bridge" in the hopper and cause the fire to go out. This happened on my first overnight cook. Luckily, I use a Maverick to monitor the grill temp and meat temp and the low grill temp alarm woke me up.

So far I have used oak, cherry, pecan, hickory, apple, and mesquite. I think it is possible to get "stale" pellets because the cherry and pecan gave me temperature troubles and didn't have that shiny look that other pellets had. They smelled not so fresh also, right out of the bag. I got them from a hardware store that didn't move a lot of product. I really like the oak, hickory, and mesquite, although I mixed the oak with the mesquite, which came out really nice for the second brisket.

The favorites, based on crowd appeal have been the briskets and the ABTs. I need to work on my ribs, but the pork butts came out great. I love pulled pork sandwiches and with Roxie's mustard sauce, they were awesome.

All in all, I think I have already sold 2 Traegers. Maybe I should ask for a commission?

P.S. Thanks to all on the board. I have learned so much from you all and have enjoyed every bit of it.

P.P.S. Feel free to PM me if you have more Traeger questions.

[Roy]

I'm glad your having fun with the new unit. Each one is a little different for example my hot spot is right rear. I've been cooking on it for 2 years now and I'm still tuning in the temps. I like to do chicken peices around 300. Pork chops and steaks a little higher and burgers. Long smokes like butts and briskets at 225. By the way does your controller have a 225 setting?

[realist]

It only has the smoke medium and high setting. It is a new unit recently manufactured. But no 225 setting.

I appreciate all the replies. The Mrs. wants pulled pork next so I guess ill cook some pork. Let you know how it turns out. probably this weekend or maybe tomorrow who knows...........
_________________
Balance and moderation are the key to life.

[Marky C]

If it only has the Smoke, Medium and High settings, you have the standard controller. If you want to do alot of low and slow, you should upgrade to the digital controller. Good luck with your new smoker.
_________________
Kill a cow, Start a fire ...
The magic begins.

2 Drum Smokers
Traeger Texas
CharGriller
22" Weber Kettle
Portable Sportsman Gasser
Sizzle Q Griddle
1 Hot Rock

[Roy]

AND if you upgrade make sure you get the one that has a 225 setting on the dial. That's the new generation and the one you want.

[realist]

Interesting! I was considering the digital controller. I thought it was infinitely controllable. Are you saying that the digital controller only has a few settings on it even though it has a digital readout?
_________________
Balance and moderation are the key to life.

[Roy]

That's correct the digital controller is a step control. I upgraded as soon as I got mine but as many here know, cause I'm not shy , I was not too happy. I could not get 225 which for me on my Traeger was absolutely critical. Quick smokes were no problem. I was turning out chicken, chops, steaks and everyone loved the effect with that nice smokey flavour. But the real deal butts, shoulders and briskets were a problem. That's why I gave you some real important info. If you decide to upgrade get the new controller and don't go through the baloney I did. They seem to have solved the problem and I just can't wait to do some nice long smokes now at a nice solid 225!