Max Good, here

[Max Good]

Looking good! Please keep your informative posts coming!

[jwkieta]

Max Good Cooked some tri-tip again on the Timberline last night. I like to cook tri-tip to medium or even medium-well as it tastes better and is less tough for some strange reason. Anyway, it was a success. I set up the Timberline at 250 and let it roll until internal temp hit 110, then cranked it up to 425 to finish off at an internal temp of 155. The thermoworks Dot grate-level test I rigged showed the actual temp around 25 degrees cooler than the Traeger display. For the meat, I used the Meater wireless thermometer that came with the Timberline. The unit smoked like a chimney throughout and I got a nice smoke ring and the smoke flavor was much more noticeable than what I get off my Memphis. I used apple pellets that already were in the h

[WillTravelForFood]

This would be a terrific thread to have posted over in the Traeger channel.

[jwkieta]

I've cooked two tri-tips and one rack of baby backs. The tri-tips were noticeably more smoke-forward than what I got off the Memphis and had a deeper smoke ring. I only smoke them to 110 degrees and then crank up heat/sear until IT hits 145 so it's not a long smoke. Ribs were smokier, too. I also made some sausages and got a more pronounced smoke flavor. My son is a tri-tip freak so I'll probably cook another tonight and i'll post photos.

[Max Good]

jwkieta Yes, that's a similar temp discrepancy to what I experienced. Even though Timberline produces a lot of smoke, I did a brisket flat and pork butt and didn't get much of a smoke ring or strong smoke flavor and aroma. How about you?

[jwkieta]

Of course, I'm not sure how reliable my test is given I wasn't using a real ambient temp probe.

I also was able to confirm my previous observation that the Traeger produces a LOT more smoke at all temperatures compared with the Memphis. I was getting smoke even at around 400 degrees on the Dot/450 on the display.

Bottom line: the Traeger routinely is temping way below the display temp.

[jwkieta]

I then decided to check the Memphis to see how it performed. Initially, the Pro ITC3 displayed a lower temp than what the Dot was showing. As the temp rose this flipped; the display showed 225 and the Dot showed about 190. When the display showed 250, the Dot was at about 225/230. I then set the Memphis to 425, and it eventually settled in with largely similar readings between the two.

The Traeger definitely is off, and it seems like the Memphis is working largely as intended.

[jwkieta]

Max, I went down the rabbit hole with this today.

I tested the internal temp by sticking a Thermoworks Dot probe through a potato chunk and put it on the grate.

I tested at 225 degrees, 250 and 450. At first, the XL was right on the money, but as the temp rose the gap between what was reading out on the display and what the Dot probe was showing started to widen. When it was 225, the Dot was showing 190. When Traeger was showing 450, the Dot was showing 380!

[Max Good]

I look forward to your continued reports!

[jwkieta]

Max, my first cook on the Timberline (tri-tip) took significantly longer than a previous similar cook on the Memphis at the same temp. I'm going to check the internal temps to see if the reported temp is inaccurate. I don't have a Fireboard but I'll put a wired probe in there to test. It does seem like the temp is lower than the same temp in the Memphis, but I'm not sure the Memphis is accurate, either.

[Max Good]

Thanks. Your opinion and expertise are also valuable. I'll hold onto your comments and please continue to share your experience. I agree that the temp swings likely increase smoke. The unit I have gave me some connectivity problems. Both my Fireboard PRO and my cooking experiences indicate my unit 's set temp is substantially higher than actual cooking temp. The new Timberlines are loaded with features and technology. They are complex machines.

[Panhead John]

I don’t own a pellet grill and probably never will but…..excellent writeup! Very well done showing the positives and negatives, plus the fact you did several cooks on it before giving your thoughts. 👍

[jwkieta]

Max Good, here's my take on the Timberline XL. I'm now two weeks in with multiple cooks: tri-tip, baby backs, chicken, sausage and peppers, and mac and cheese are a few.

Positives

• It produces more smoke than any pellet grill I've owned before. This is the #1 benefit in my book and makes the very high price tag somewhat justifiable. There's a constant ribbon of thin blue smoke billowing out the back even without "super smoke" and it results in a noticeably more pronounced smoke flavor. Everything I've cooked on it has been delicious. I currently own a Memphis Pro ITC3 and the Timberline kicks its butt in the smoke department. There's visible smoke at 400 degrees and up. The Memphis says sayonara to smoke around 275 degrees, and at lower temps I only see it in cycles. I used to own a Traeger Ironwood and it was difficult to see smoke at around 250 degrees. My hypothesis is that the PID controller is too efficient for its own good and kept such a consistent temp that pellets don't smolder enough. With the Timberline, Traeger fixed that problem.
• The user interface and app are intuitive and beautifully designed. My grill connected to wifi and immediately downloaded firmware updates that allowed me to avoid some of the giltches early adopters experienced.
• The Meater integration is awesome. I'd never used Meater thermometers before but the wireless connectivity is nice. I thought one was running a little off so I'll calibrate soon.
• The ash/grease keg is not a gimmick. Not all of the ash finds its way into the keg, but every time I've taken out the grates, baffles, etc., I've noticed the burn pot had no ash in it. I suspect this constant expulsion of the ash from the burn pot is part of the reason why the Timberline creates so much wonderful smoke. I think you can safely go multiple cooks just unloading the ash from the keg and not having to take the whole thing apart and vacuum it out. I don't get much grease in the keg because I cook on the upper grates and catch most of the grease with foil pans.
• The new pellet drop configuration should eliminate auger burnback potential.
• I was able to get a cast iron pan screaming hot on the induction side burner. I've also used it to boil pasta for the mac and cheese. One potential use would be deep frying ... keep the smell out of the house. The burner iself is very high quality.
• The XL is HUGE, but the temperatures appear pretty even across the chamber. I still need to do a biscuit or bread test. The design has no gap between the drip tray and the sides of the cooker, eliminating that common hot spot.
• The unit is solidly built. It's powder-coated steel on the outside but I see it holding up well to the elements and the inside of the cook chamber is lined in 304 stainless.
• It should give the MAK, Lone Star Grillz and Weber SmokeFire a serious battle for most smoke off a pellet cooker.

Negatives

• Temps can swing wildly, as much as 50 degrees plus or minus. Maybe this is another reason why there's so much smoke? I understand some swings are beneficial but I've experienced such wild shifts I was thinking about alerting customer service.
• It's lousy at grilling; like all Traegers the temp tops off at 500. My Memphis gets much hotter and blows it out of the water in this category. There's also no direct flame access. I don't think the induction side burner is a replacement for on-grill searing.
• It's slow to increase temperature. Traeger says it has "turbo temp" but it's more like turtle temp. Memphis and my previous Ironwood heat up much faster.
• It's expensive. There are full stainless pellet smokers at this price point.
• I've had a relatively glitch-free experience, but online reviews reflect some serious issues with the technology. Many grills have been returned and/or replaced. Some feel like they are beta testers for a unit that wasn't ready for prime time.
• My girlfriend doesn't like the aesthetics; she thinks the cook chamber looks like a coffin.

The jury's still out for me, but I'm leaning toward keeping the Timberline and selling the Memphis. I've had a few issues with the ITC3 and that's coloring my thinking, but I'm going to take some time to more fully report this story. That's the journalist in me.

Let me know if you need anything else ... your opinion and expertise is much more valuable!

[Max Good]

I am working on the new Timberline now. I'd value your opinions!

[jwkieta]

Max, are you reviewing the new Traeger Timberline? I just bought one but can't wait to read your take.