5 Ways to Improve Your Smokers Performance

Over the years I have had many different experiences with my smoker and how it performs. From it shutting down for the temperature getting too low and shutting down from it getting too hot. I’ve seen it jump from 250 to 400 in a matter of seconds. With these different experiences I have learned so much about ways you can keep this issue from ruining your smokes. Let’s get into it!

Clean it!

Okay this seems pretty self-explanatory. But I have definitely heard people say that they have never cleaned their smoker or rarely do to keep “flavor” on the grill. Which is fine if you do not want to clean your grate to keep it seasoned. But that isn’t what is going to give you the most issues.

I have a Traeger pellet smoker and where the most of my mess is is in the burner pot and actual barrel of the smoker. If there are left over pellets in the pot or a lot of ash from the pellets burning it can cause my smoker to over fill the pot and cause a huge temperature drop.

Another spot people forget about is cleaning the temperature probe. This is a small straight metal probe found usually on the inside left or right of the smoker. As it sounds, it measures what the temperature of the inside of the smoker is. Grease can get built up on this probe causing drastic temperature changes. Giving this a quick wipe down with a wet paper towel can make a big difference!

Check out my post about what I do to clean my smoker for more cleaning tips.

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Location

Where you have your smoker position can make a big difference in how it performs. Is it sitting in direct sun? If it is a super windy day is your smoker catching all that wind? What about if it rains or snows? If your smoker is sitting in direct hot sun or in an open area where harsh winds can blow against it can be the cause of temperature changes thus possibly messing up your cook. Or worse shutting down the smoker completely due to a temperature drop! Making sure it is also covered so no snow or rain can get to it will also be a big help. When you don’t notice your smoker turned off because it is too cold you probably won’t be happy with how that meat turns out. I can say that from experience! (Here is an article about Traeger error codes)

I have mine on a covered deck on the back of my houses. Moving it from the left side of my deck where it was catching a ton of wind to closer to the house where the wind doesn’t come in as much made a world of difference on windy days.

Also, getting a blanket for your smoker can help a lot when temperatures drop close to 32 degrees or less or even on a chilly windy day. Traeger makes an awesome blanket but I have also seen people use welding blankets. I prefer a snug fit and less hassle so the Traeger blank was the way to go for me!

Type of pellets/wood

The type of pellets or wood you are using is probably one of the MOST important things to improving your smokers performance. Asking in a smoker Facebook group what type of pellets you should be using will give you so many different opinions your head will spin. So, let me just tell you what works best for my pellet smoker. If you have a Traeger, USE TRAEGER PELLETS. I have used so many different types of pellets. And if you want the best performance use what pellets that manufacturer recommends. At first, I thought that Traeger was just pulling my leg to try to get me to buy more products from them. But I have never experienced more issues with my smoker than when I use non-Traeger pellets. I have used Kingsford and my smoker almost immediately shut down from over feeding the pot to try to keep temperature. I have used Knotty Wood pellets and they are so long, and hard that my smoker was having a hard time breaking them up. Also, with Knotty Wood pellets at the end of smokes we would find a lot of plastic built up in the pot. So gross!

Take the time to build your own opinion on types of pellets/wood chips. Maybe what works for me doesn’t for you or vice versa. But if you’re wondering why you are having issues with your smoker I would start with changing out the kind of pellets you are using.

What you’re cooking your food on

So, this one isn’t as high on my list as the others but still important to mention. If you are cooking a piece of meat or a side dish in a cast iron pan on the smoker it is going to cook and smoke different than if it was directly on the grill. An example I use is I put bacon wrapped scallops and bacon wrapped shrimp on a baking sheet and put it on the smoker. It took forever to cook, and I noticed a temperature fluctuation from the pan blocking the smoke from getting through out the entire barrel. When a recipe tells you to put something in a disposable pan or wrap in butcher paper you definitely want to listen! Also, getting a grill mat with holes in it to let the smoke actually go through it can make a huge difference.

Check these mats out!

Weather

Okay I know this isn’t something you can actually control. But it is something you can monitor! If you check the weather and it says there is a high chance of 50 mph winds, and you don’t have a blanket or a spot for the smoker that the wind is blocked it may not be the best day for smoking. Sorry the break your heart! Just keep it in mind. Is my smoker covered by an overhang or blanket? Or sitting right where all the elements can hit it? Is it about the snow 6 feet and snow on my smoker? If so, either reschedule or just prepare for the issues that you may run into. Not impossible to deal with but just keep it in mind when deciding what and when you are going to smoke!