Using Traeger In Hot Weather | BBQ DROPOUT EXPLAINS

Traeger is a wood pellet grill. It is mostly used for grilling, smoking, and barbecue. One reason why Traeger is the best appliance for smoking is that it eliminates the likelihood of going beyond the target or set temperature.

However, it can be stressful to use if you are new to grilling. Besides, switching to Traeger grilling can be nerve-wracking if you are used to electric or gas grills.

Traegers are designed to be able to work in different weather conditions. However, you might experience some abnormalities while grilling in different weather conditions. Although, these abnormalities have no negative effect on your grilling experience.

For instance, if you grill in hot weather, you may discover that your Traeger grill is running hotter. This means that higher temperatures might cause the Traiger to run hotter than normal.

In this article, I will provide valuable information for some of the most asked questions about using the Traeger grill in hot weather.

Sounds good? Keep reading to discover more.

Using Traeger in Hot Weather

Grilling or smoking meat in hot weather can be challenging. For instance, hot weather such as during summer may cause higher temperatures to build in the pellet grill.

Therefore, if you wish to have the best grilling experience in hot weather, there are some precautions that you need to take;

• Set your Traeger grill away from direct sunlight.
• Re-evaluate or adjust the P-setting to combat some hot weather conditions. However, this option is only available for Traeger models that have P-setting options.

Using Traeger In Hot Weather Effects

Traegers are designed to operate in different weather conditions. However, using it in hot weather may result in it functioning at a much hotter temperature than the set temperature.

This may in turn affect your overall grilling experience.

Can My Traeger Overheat?

Traeger just like an electric oven can overheat whenever you are using it and it might cause some problems to your grilling experience. Therefore it is important to fix these heating problems as soon as possible.

Normally, Traegers holds the temperature inside a specific range. For instance, -/+15 degrees celsius. However, in some cases, the temperature may exceed these temperatures causing it to overheat.

Some common factors that may cause your Traeger to overheat include; hot weather, frequently changing the set Traeger temperature, poor airflow or circulation in the Traeger, Opening the Traeger lid frequently, and loading heavy food in the Traeger.

Why Is My Traeger Temperature So High

One reason why your Traeger temperature can go higher is having the fire open filled with wood dust and ash. If you start your Traeger with too much ash in the pellet grill, it may cause a temperature outburst.

Wrongly placed or damaged grease trays can cause leakages to the base of the Traeger. This may produce excess smoke or steam which may result in the temperature rise.

Another possible reason why your Traeger temperature is so high is probably uncontrollable fire built in the firepot as a result of using low-quality wood pellets.

Besides, hot weather may cause higher temperatures to build up in the pellet grill.

How Much Should Traeger Temperature Vary?

There are many techniques that you can employ to keep the grilling temperature predictable. Since you are using a flame to grill, there are high chances that you may experience temperature variations. Besides, if you open the grill, you will get varying temperatures.

In most cases, the reason for temperature variation is the wood pellets. To counter this problem, always keep the pellets in the best condition.

Traeger grills, just like electric ovens, smoke, grill, or cook at an average temperature. Normally, Traegers will indicate or show you real-time and set temperature readings.

Under ideal conditions, a Traeger that is functioning normally should have a smoke setting kept at a temperature range of between 160 degrees Fahrenheit and 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

Traeger should have a temperature variation of around 15 degrees celsius of the set temperature. A variation more than may signal some abnormalities

Why Is My Traeger Too Hot?

There are many reasons as to why your Traeger is too hot. Some of the reasons include;

• Hot weather.
• Frequently opening the grill lid. This increases the Traeger temperature because the Traeger attempts to counterbalance the frequent opening of the lid.
• An excess number of pellets in the Traeger firepot. Many pellets in the firepot while starting to grill or smoke greatly increases the temperature above the set temperature.
• Damaged, incorrectly placed, or absence of a firepot, drip tray, thermocouple, or heat baffle.
• Poor air circulation in the Traeger.
• Fanned out or heavy-duty foils. They may disrupt air flow thus increasing the temperature.
• Loading heavy food in the Traeger.
• Changing the set temperature often.

How Do I Cool Down My Traeger?

One very important thing you must know is how to cool down your Traeger whenever it gets hot or after using it.

Here is a step to step guide on how you can cool down your Traeger;

Step 1: Turn off the grill after finishing smoking, grilling, or cooking your delicious meal.

Step 2: Take your smoked or grilled food off the Traeger grill.

Step 3: Rotate the temperature gauge to the shutdown cycle position.

Step 4: Close or shut down the Traeger grill lid.

Step 5: Allow the internal fan to spin for around 15 minutes. This will enable the Traeger grill to cool down.

Step 6: Once the fan shuts off itself, turn the power switch button to Off position.

Step 7: Unplug the Traeger grill.

Step 8: Close all power outlets and store the extension cables.

Traeger Overshooting Temperature

Whenever you are grilling, the temperature will be kept in the region of 225 degrees Fahrenheit and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. It ought not to overshoot past 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

On some grilling occasions, you will discover that the grilling temperature fluctuates. A temperature fluctuation of -/+15 degrees Fahrenheit of the set temperature is okay. But if the temperature overshoots past this variation, your Traeger will run hotter and as such you will need to fix the possible cause as soon as possible.

Final Thought

If you have experienced similar issues while using Traeger in hot weather or have an easy fix to high Traeger temperatures- let us know!