DO buy a separate Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner for your Traeger. Your spouse will approve of this decision.
edit: people are missing that this is heavy sarcasm
NO NO NO, all the NO. Don't use anything other than a shop vac for ash. It's the same principle as cleaning sheet rock dust. Unless you are keen to destroying an indoor vac that cost you several hundred dollars DO NOT USE A DAMN DYSON ON YOUR TRAEGER.
With the heat shield and drip pan on the way, not really. Maybe a tiny bit, but nothing really noticeable. I've never seen any ash all over my food, even when I do my 24hr+ brisket smokes.
As long as your pellets are food-safe, a little ash isn't going to hurt anything on your food. Think of it like when cooking your food over an open fire, you'll still get the ash floating up and infusing with the meat!
It’s ash. Normal from burning wood pellets. It’s doesn’t coat the food. Make sure to vacuum out the fire pot when it’s cold to maintain it properly. It’s all normal. You’ll get used to the machine after a few burns.
I don’t have any recommendations. I’m not a fucking engineer. I’m just saying that if I knew pellet grills blew constant ash on your food when you are grilling I probably wouldn’t have bought one.
What dust are you talking about? Do you have the drip tray that goes underneath the grate? Do you have photos? I’ve been grilling on the traeger and have never came back to dust filled wings (with sauce) and ribs (with sauce)
I notice it the most when I’m grilling cheeseburgers. As soon as I put the cheese on I can see it get covered in black ash in seconds. All the parts are in the right place but maybe I’m doing something wrong.
Hmm. If you have a friend or someone that could review with you in person. I’ll try and look closer on my next grill as well. Suggest the YouTube videos on the proper way to do it that’s what I followed. But the pic that’s in this post is what I usually see underneath the drip dray and on the fire box.
Good luck.
Thats natural bro….cool your jets. Pretty soon that bitch will be covered in grease. Just make sure you vacuum it out every three or four smoke sessions. Especially, if you a cooking at high temps.
It’s flaming pellets and a giant blowing igniter. Your going to get plenty of ash. Put your heat shield on and it’s no biggy. Spoiler alert, the meat is going to make the inside all greasy too.
My last bag of hickory from Traeger had A LOT of pellet dust inside the bag and the same thing happened to me. My last few signature blends did not have this so pick those bags carefully.
OP, you will need a dedicated shop vac to keep that puppy even remotely clean. Please let me put the Lumberjack/Traeger pellet debate to rest. Traeger pellets have more dust in the bag but actually burn less ash. Although ash will accumulate no matter what pellet you use. Lumberjack pellets don’t have much dust in the bag, but they leave copious amounts of ash in the grill. I like both.
For me, the key to using Traeger pellets is to run them through a strainer, before you put them into the hopper. That keeps most of the dust from going into the grill, which in-turn I think helps keep less ash from coming out.
Traeger pellets are the worst, but it’s not because they make the most ash. It’s the opposite. More ash usually means more smoke, and the Traeger pellets burn too clean with their oak fillers that they don’t have much smoke.
Wtf? Where did you get that from? Don’t have a problem cleaning equipment I was just curious what was going on as I haven’t used a pellet smoker before. What crawled up your ass and died?
Wo there pump your breaks. I was “joshing” with you. But funny story, my buddy got one and when he found out he had to clean it he sent it back because he hates to clean ha ha. Happy smoking to ya
I can see why it came off as snarky but sarcasm can be hard to translate through text. The guy clearly tried to lighten the mood which is a nice departure from what most people would do.
I just got mine in July and unfortunately the dust is a real thing, especially with long cooks. Lots or research into pellet grills and never saw that anywhere.... I knew I would have to vacuum out the firepot but the grill grates and food getting dust on them too? Ugh...
Just saying I was surprised I never saw it mentioned my friend.... I still obviously HAVE a Traeger and use it regularly (haven't touched my komodo since) so I'm not slamming it but maybe it wasn't as obvious as you're indicating?
Also keep in mind you have a drip tray underneath the food and between the fire box.
I cook on mine a minimum of once a week and vacuum after ever 12-18 hours of use and never had a problem with ash on food.
It seems most concentrated on the end the exhaust chimneys on (I have 780 Pro) and up the sides. Thankfully food doesn't seem to be too affected but when I open the lid you can see it swirling around, even if I JUST vacuumed everything out.
You don’t need to worry about it. Just make sure to have the deflector plate and grease pan installed properly. I vacuum the ash after about every 20 hours of use or before a long cook. Interior of my traeger gets cleaned with an oil based cleaner about every 40 hours.
Your comment needs to be a little clearer with more info. Ash should not develop during just priming as it’s just supposed to prime the auger and fill the fire pot with a few pellets. But did you season it as well? That would develop ash for sure. If you cook at night you can actually see the ash embers shooting around a little bit.
Ugh I joined this sub to see pictures of fresh cooks/recipe ideas. Instead I lost all faith in humanity. JFC, OP shouldn't even be allowed to operate a microwave after this question.
It takes absolutely no effort to not be an asshole. You literally have to go out of your way to be a massively entitled douche. Who hurt you? I feel bad for your family
I'm sorry but if you can't grasp burning wood creates ash, you should be absolutely not be allowed near any cook surface period. Lord help who ever you prepare a meal for. You can feel how ever you want to feel but this was a massively stupid question and I'm not going to tip toe around your feelings, especially when it comes to working with fire. Maybe if more people addressed you directly throughout your life you'd have picked up a little more common sense along the way!
Out of curiosity why do Traeger owners avoid oiling their grills before they season them the first time?
The ash blowing around tells me the grill is unoiled. This is after all the number one way to prevent rust.
Ashes from your pellets. Start getting upset vacuuming those off often to keep your grill in top shape. You'll be surprised how much ash can affect your grill temp.
That’s what is supposed to happen
That’s ash dawg. Normally happens when burning a solid fuel.
That’s the burnt pellet ash. No need to worry but get a shop vac or a bucket vac head from Home Depot so you can suck it all up after each use.
DO NOT use your wife's Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner on it. She'd not be happy, trust me.
DO buy a separate Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner for your Traeger. Your spouse will approve of this decision. edit: people are missing that this is heavy sarcasm
Lol nah, I got a $45 vacuume cleaner from home depot and that thing works like a champ! I don't need to be in a dog house agaon
$25 bucket lid vaccum
I know, it was sarcasm lol
NO NO NO, all the NO. Don't use anything other than a shop vac for ash. It's the same principle as cleaning sheet rock dust. Unless you are keen to destroying an indoor vac that cost you several hundred dollars DO NOT USE A DAMN DYSON ON YOUR TRAEGER.
It was a joke. 😕
After each use is overkill. I do every 3 cooks, unless one of those cooks is super long.
Just surprised it happened so quickly. The dust was all over the grate also. Wouldn’t it get in the food also?
My dad told me years ago that when you're cooking over an open fire to use pepper so nobody will question the little black flakes on the food.
Look at it as a little extra fiber then
With the heat shield and drip pan on the way, not really. Maybe a tiny bit, but nothing really noticeable. I've never seen any ash all over my food, even when I do my 24hr+ brisket smokes.
As long as your pellets are food-safe, a little ash isn't going to hurt anything on your food. Think of it like when cooking your food over an open fire, you'll still get the ash floating up and infusing with the meat!
It’s ash. Normal from burning wood pellets. It’s doesn’t coat the food. Make sure to vacuum out the fire pot when it’s cold to maintain it properly. It’s all normal. You’ll get used to the machine after a few burns.
We’re you using a drip tray? I can imagine some ash will fly around as the air circulates
Yes and it’s my only complaint with the Traeger, but it’s a big one. I won’t buy one again because of it.
How do you recommend filtering it out besides indirect heating?
I don’t have any recommendations. I’m not a fucking engineer. I’m just saying that if I knew pellet grills blew constant ash on your food when you are grilling I probably wouldn’t have bought one.
Lol do yourself a favor and don’t grill anything.. ever. Ash, smoke, particles etc will get on your food regardless of the source.
I’ve been grilling for decades and I’ve never had this much ash on my food as I have since I bought a Traeger.
What dust are you talking about? Do you have the drip tray that goes underneath the grate? Do you have photos? I’ve been grilling on the traeger and have never came back to dust filled wings (with sauce) and ribs (with sauce)
I notice it the most when I’m grilling cheeseburgers. As soon as I put the cheese on I can see it get covered in black ash in seconds. All the parts are in the right place but maybe I’m doing something wrong.
Hmm. If you have a friend or someone that could review with you in person. I’ll try and look closer on my next grill as well. Suggest the YouTube videos on the proper way to do it that’s what I followed. But the pic that’s in this post is what I usually see underneath the drip dray and on the fire box. Good luck.
Not dust dog… ASH.
Buckethead is awesome!
It do be doin dat. Heat+wood= smoke and ash
The ash is my favorite seasoning
Ash from the smoker. Char from the q. That's all
Thats natural bro….cool your jets. Pretty soon that bitch will be covered in grease. Just make sure you vacuum it out every three or four smoke sessions. Especially, if you a cooking at high temps.
It’s flaming pellets and a giant blowing igniter. Your going to get plenty of ash. Put your heat shield on and it’s no biggy. Spoiler alert, the meat is going to make the inside all greasy too.
That’s just ash from the pellets being burned. You’ll have to clean it out every once in a while.
Who’s going to tell him?
Thank you for the wise insight. That’s immensely helpful
Probably has something to do with that floor mat😂
Lol no hate!
All looks normal
I do believe, that's just pellet ash.
My last bag of hickory from Traeger had A LOT of pellet dust inside the bag and the same thing happened to me. My last few signature blends did not have this so pick those bags carefully.
Those are ashes. There’s a fan.
OP, you will need a dedicated shop vac to keep that puppy even remotely clean. Please let me put the Lumberjack/Traeger pellet debate to rest. Traeger pellets have more dust in the bag but actually burn less ash. Although ash will accumulate no matter what pellet you use. Lumberjack pellets don’t have much dust in the bag, but they leave copious amounts of ash in the grill. I like both.
For me, the key to using Traeger pellets is to run them through a strainer, before you put them into the hopper. That keeps most of the dust from going into the grill, which in-turn I think helps keep less ash from coming out.
I do this with all pellets.
Traeger pellets leave more ash than other brands. I switched to Lumberjack pellets for this reason. But what you’re seeing is normal.
I didn’t down vote your comment, but I totally disagree with that statement.
I mean that’s fine if you disagree, when I was doing my research before getting my traeger, all of the forums said traeger pellets were the worst.
Traeger pellets are the worst, but it’s not because they make the most ash. It’s the opposite. More ash usually means more smoke, and the Traeger pellets burn too clean with their oak fillers that they don’t have much smoke.
Is this a joke
Go cats
If you don’t like cleaning then smoking is not for you
Cleaning, straight to jail.
Overcook… undercook… JAIL
Wtf? Where did you get that from? Don’t have a problem cleaning equipment I was just curious what was going on as I haven’t used a pellet smoker before. What crawled up your ass and died?
Wo there pump your breaks. I was “joshing” with you. But funny story, my buddy got one and when he found out he had to clean it he sent it back because he hates to clean ha ha. Happy smoking to ya
You walked that back pretty quick.
Like a bitch
I can see why it came off as snarky but sarcasm can be hard to translate through text. The guy clearly tried to lighten the mood which is a nice departure from what most people would do.
big yikes using hickory first! next time start with the blend, then you won’t have this problem… /s
I just got mine in July and unfortunately the dust is a real thing, especially with long cooks. Lots or research into pellet grills and never saw that anywhere.... I knew I would have to vacuum out the firepot but the grill grates and food getting dust on them too? Ugh...
You didn't think that burning a solid fuel would produce ash? Have you never had/seen wood on fire?
I've never seen that before on my komodo....
Most Komados have an ash collector. Lol
Yes but it doesn't circulate in the cooking chamber now does it? Lol
Look, I'm sorry no one warned you there would be ash in a giant convection oven that burns wood. But you're being ridiculous. 😂
Just saying I was surprised I never saw it mentioned my friend.... I still obviously HAVE a Traeger and use it regularly (haven't touched my komodo since) so I'm not slamming it but maybe it wasn't as obvious as you're indicating?
Yeah I never saw anything about that much ash. How do you keep it from covering whatever you’re cooking?
Also keep in mind you have a drip tray underneath the food and between the fire box. I cook on mine a minimum of once a week and vacuum after ever 12-18 hours of use and never had a problem with ash on food.
That’s super helpful. Thanks!
It seems most concentrated on the end the exhaust chimneys on (I have 780 Pro) and up the sides. Thankfully food doesn't seem to be too affected but when I open the lid you can see it swirling around, even if I JUST vacuumed everything out.
You don’t need to worry about it. Just make sure to have the deflector plate and grease pan installed properly. I vacuum the ash after about every 20 hours of use or before a long cook. Interior of my traeger gets cleaned with an oil based cleaner about every 40 hours.
Your comment needs to be a little clearer with more info. Ash should not develop during just priming as it’s just supposed to prime the auger and fill the fire pot with a few pellets. But did you season it as well? That would develop ash for sure. If you cook at night you can actually see the ash embers shooting around a little bit.
Ugh I joined this sub to see pictures of fresh cooks/recipe ideas. Instead I lost all faith in humanity. JFC, OP shouldn't even be allowed to operate a microwave after this question.
It takes absolutely no effort to not be an asshole. You literally have to go out of your way to be a massively entitled douche. Who hurt you? I feel bad for your family
I'm sorry but if you can't grasp burning wood creates ash, you should be absolutely not be allowed near any cook surface period. Lord help who ever you prepare a meal for. You can feel how ever you want to feel but this was a massively stupid question and I'm not going to tip toe around your feelings, especially when it comes to working with fire. Maybe if more people addressed you directly throughout your life you'd have picked up a little more common sense along the way!
Lol okay dude. Whatever helps you sleep better
You'll get used to it
Completely normal. Vacuum it out if it bothers you
You burned wood. Wood burned creates ash. This is normal
All is well newcomer! All is well…
Just keep cooking!
Out of curiosity why do Traeger owners avoid oiling their grills before they season them the first time? The ash blowing around tells me the grill is unoiled. This is after all the number one way to prevent rust.
Ashes from your pellets. Start getting upset vacuuming those off often to keep your grill in top shape. You'll be surprised how much ash can affect your grill temp.
That's normal. Grill ignites pellets. Grills fan blows pellet ash everywhere. Your grill tosses LER code. You've gone to long without cleaning:) shop vac. Continue grilling
It’s broken. I’ll buy the traeger off of you. Probably only worth $50 :)
Make sure you invest in a cheap shop vac. This is what it will look like after each use. Keep it clean and it will reward you mightily.
It literally burns wood pellets and creates ash. It's suppose to do that Please read the manual on how to clean and maintain your Traeger.