error, error,

[bbqLuv]

The wife assembled a ground turkey meatloaf for me to cook in my Traeger. So far so good.
I suggested covering a cooling rack with foil to help with clean-up. Sounds good.
With the Trager up to 350°F, the cook was taking over twice as long. What is up with that?
A temperature reading on the foil-wrapped cooling rack read about 100°F lower, about 250°F.
After verifying the grill was calibrated to within 2 or 3 degrees, it turns out the foil-wrapped cooling rack was acting as a heat shield, and there was dead air space around the meatloaf.

Of course, after the fact, I remember reading on the free side something about the temperature near the meat and dead air space with lower temperatures.

[jfmorris]

So you think it was blocking the convection air currents from reaching the meat? I guess this is an example of one of those times its best to just put the food right on the grill grate?

[bbqLuv]

That is the norm, on the grill grate.

[Texas Larry]

You might try Frog Mats or Phat Mats. Would allow heat & smoke, but keep the loaf intact. Has worked for me.

[bbqLuv]

Thanks, good idea

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I have found that foil in my pellet grill drastically increases cooking times... why? Because foil is a radiant barrier (I assume). I tried using foil to reduce cleanup during a jerky cook and it took 3x longer than usual! Never again, I'll just spend a bit more elbow grease.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

I have only done a few cooks with my NexGrill, Oakford; but, I have learned that foil/foil pans really interfere with the temps.
The 1st cook I used a full Alluminum Pan as water pan, (bad idea). Foil on the racks on my 2nd cook....now I only have foil on the very bottom of the cabinet and that seems to be working better.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I'm pretty sure it's only foil with an air gap that affects things, wrapping the base is usually fine as long as you don't block airflow AND you change it regularly especially with the non-stainless internal cookers.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Yep