I've owned my Traeger for nearly 20 years. I don't clean it often enough. But thanks to your video, I'll clean it today. This Traeger is responsible for me getting fat.
Thanks for the awesome video and advice. Just one thing everyone is aware do not use the wire brush on the grates. The grates have a porcelain coat on it. The wire brush will ruin it and you will have to buy new grates in the future. I called Traeger and they said not to use a wire brush. They recommend a wood type brush or a heavy duty nylon brush like the blue one he uses.
Hi Willy, the grill brush im using is a nylon brush with a bit of abrasive in it. works great on the grates and I have been using this plus wire brushes for years without any issues. Good call playing it safe, but those grates are tough!! Chef Jason
Great instructions. I was well over due cleaning my grill because every spare moment I had was working on my outside kitchen/hangout. But now that’s done as well as cleaning up the grill. Never will I let it go like that again. Love the Traeger and love using it. Thanks for the advice and happy grilling Chef J.
A 99c addition to your cleaning kit that I find extremely useful. One of Ace’s 1 1/2 inch toss out paint brushes. Cheap hair on almost a paint stir stick handle. I use it to brush all that clingy ash off the sides and down into the bottom of the grill before using the vacuum. Also great in getting ash away from that crevice along the auger cover and bottom of the grill. Unless you brush some really greasy stuff, the 99c brush will last the season. Or longer. Thanks for a great video covering the necessary basics.
Hello from Southern Alberta. We use a really older model by Traeger that we souped up by replacing the temperature control panel with a dial control with about eight or ten settings. It transformed our whole attitude about smokers. W3 are finding we can cook almost anything we want. With increased use comes increased cleaning which I do probably monthly or more if we use it more. I watched the video and am happy to say I have been doing pretty well everything covered and must agree it is prolonging the life of this old Traeger. Thanks for confirming what we are doing.
Greetings from Nova Scotia, Canada. From everything I've learned from food safety training if you are not cleaning your bbq grill/smoker on a very regular basis you are dancing with death! Great video!
Great video and I’ve found a great way to clean the grill grates is to soak them in the bath tub with hot water, laundry and dishwashing liquid for a few hours and all the left over material just falls off. 👍
I don’t recommend soaking them in water and detergent, it will cause them to rust out faster and also cause you to get yelled at by whoever enjoys taking baths in the house. I like to give them a good scrub and then use my QSwiper for the final surface clean
@@aussieblokeskitchen1536 and you're not married correct :) ( but yea, I agree on the soaking things in dish washer detergent, esp. cascade. it will take anything off.)
Nice Video! I started using a pickle jar in the bucket instead of the drip tray liner. That way I can cap the jar and it doesn't spill or has bugs all in it. Works so much better!
This was very helpful. I was doing way more than I needed to keep our Timberline clean. Very helpful. NOW- need to have Ace Hardware (where I bought our grills) do more of the Traeger master cook classes. Last time before I could sign up locally all sold out. More please.
Giuliana Nakashima thanks for the comments. What Ace store is close to you, maybe our tour will bring us to your area. The Traeger Shop classes are very popular and fill fast, but now we have our own Ace Hardware Skills class rolling around the nation. :-)
The Ace hardware is in Mount Vernon/Burlington, Wa Kaptein Ace Hardware on Riverside drive. Would love to know about the Ace Hardware Traeger skills class.
Hey guys, new pellet grilling so these videos are very helpful. Just purchased a pro 780 and am figuring it out as I go. Keep up with the videos I’ll be a barbecue chef in no time thanks.
Helpful!!! Thank you. Also...I did not know there was a place to store the temp probe. I also did not know what the tab was for on the liner. I thought it was to cover the slope to the bucket. Lol. It’s the little details that really help. Something the manual does not cover
Tip: buy (or use) a vacuum that you're going to dedicate to grill cleaning. You can never get the smokey/ashy smell out of the hose etc. I tried to use one vac for the grill as well as car care but didn't like that smokey smell. I didn't want to impart any of that smell into the car mats (or garage).. I retired my older car care vacuum and now use it only for the grill and bought a new one for car care. I keep the old one out in my grilling area in a large plastic storage bin (where I keep all my pellets, wood chips, fire starters etc).
Hi Chris, totally a great point. This little guy is my grill vacuum. That BBQ smell sticks around forever. Hope you are enjoying your traeger. Chef jason
My first Traeger and ACE was by far the best place to purchase it! Now to find these helpful videos by ACE as well you will keep my business Great video for the beginners 🙂
New Traeger owner. Love the videoS. Just one small thought on the video production though. When you do the pop up tips, leave them on the screen for longer so we have time to read them and maybe make the contrast letters to background easier to see. Other than that great stuff. Thanks 👍
Hi Trenton, great points, we have adjusted all of that in our videos since around Feb 2020. Thanks for watching, were always ready to do better for sure. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
I recommend using a "Grill Daddy" grill brush for cleaning. Using it on a hot grill immediately after removing the food results in a steam cleaned grill grate.
Awesome tips! I never realized that slot was where you keep the temperature probe! Is that how the drip sheets go in though? I thought the lip on the end was to carry grease out.
Hi will, the drip tray liners go in with the lip to hold the liner in place on the logo orientation will always be facing up when properly installed. Happy Grilling, Chef Jason
Very well done instructional video by Jason-sure beats the Traeger instruction manual! While I was able to check off most of the "basics" he advised, I appreciated when he removed the grease drip pan & heat shield to do the ash cleaning. Same with the hopper and inspecting the auger. Lastly, I plan to buy the large nylon "V" brush (have the Traeger square one which isn't as good), the 6-in-1 scraper and the vacuum. Great stuff!
Love the video but one step you forgot was to blow out all of the dust under the bottom liner and barrel inside the grill from the pellets that you cannot suck out from the vacuum. You’ll be surprised how much pellet dust gets blown out. I do that once a year. It’s like a dust cloud. LOL
Dude check your audio levels...went from quiet to explosive loud several times.... use the editing software bro, it does everything for you. Good Vid !
Thanks Erok, we now use Mics and full editing software. this video was shot in 2019 when our approach to videos was very organic. We've improved everything in our videos since Feb of 2020. Thanks, Chef Jason
I use a towel and a long pair of tongs to get into the chimney for cleaning and the grease trap opening I use a towel to push thru their as well. sorry I forgot to mention both of those. Chef Jason
Cause you vacuumed the auger, do you have to reprime it for next cook? Great video btw. I'm a bit of a weirdo when it comes to my grills and clean every time I use it. Uncontrolled fires are a bit scary.
Entity 1 usually when I pour the pellets back in the hopper it will fill in the area I cleaned out so I haven’t had to re Prime the auger. If you clean out the whole auger tube, then yes. Thanks for watching and for the nice comment. Happy Cooking
Hi Michael, I clean mine with a damp towel when I see there is buildup on it, be careful on the new grills not to get the probe soaking wet. Chef Jason
Couple of questions: Once we got the message to clean our grill, which we do regularly, we've never been able to get the "clean your grill" message off. Today it told me the firepot won't clean itself (literally), yet my husband always vacuums the firepot. Where is the sensor? How do we get the Ironwood to acknowledge that it's been cleaned? As you said, it's like a vehicle. I feel there must be a switch we're supposed to reset when it's cleaned, like my Road Glide tells me how many miles it's gone between oil changes. 2nd question: What's the honeycomb in the hopper for? It's a pain and makes it hard to empty pellets. Will it hurt anything to take it out? I notice there isn't one in your pellet hopper.
Hi Abby, those warnings are setup in the software. As annoying as they are, its that subtle reminder. :-). The honeycomb in the pellet hopper is to prevent you from accidentally putting your fingers into the auger, its an auger guard. Chef Jason
Hi Andre, you should not need to prime the auger, once you pour in the new pellets they will fill in the gap and you're on your way. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
Hi Scott, yes, I will spray a rag with some traeger cleaner and carefully wipe off the probe, then wipe it with a damp towel to get off any of the cleaner residue. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
We have owned our Treager for years and have kept up on cleaning. It won't hold the temperature even though we have replaced the temperature probe, thermostat and the ignition probe. Any ideas? I'm going to go and clean it again just to check all of the areas you mentioned in case we missed one. We keep our pellets in the house when not in use. You say that they have about a 6 month shelf life. Are you starting that when the bag is opened? Who knows how long they have been in a warehouse or sales floor?
Hi Lorna, for the temp issues you mention, I would call Traeger customer service and have them help getting you back up and running properly. Pellet life is once the bag leaves the store. Chef Jason
on the ironwood line I noticed from the inside the backdraft smoke chamber looks dusty from ash. How do you clean this? can you take the outside panel off? also how often should you change the Hot rod?
Hi David, I will vacuum out into the chambers on the ironwood, but don't take off the outside or inside covers. I have also used a leaf blower to get in there and blow things out, but honestly didn't have much in there. As far as the hot rod, I have yet to ever replace one in ANY of my grills. my guess is wait for it to fail and then chat with customer support at Traeger. Chef Jason
Question - after cleaning out the hopper, do I need to use the initiation feature on the grill to get the hopper and pellets started again before cooking?
Hi Gary, once you refill the hopper, the pellets should fall into the area you vacuumed out. I don’t think you will need to prime the auger, you should be good to go. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
Hi Frank, I would call Traeger support and have them help you with this issue, sounds like something is up and I know they will do a good job getting it figured out for you. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
Maybe I’m weird, but I clean my Traeger after every use. I use a nylon pad and citrus spray for the grate, a vacuum cleaner, and last, citrus spray and paper towels for the entire inside. Every two weeks, during the summer, I will add a step and spray everything with a foam spray to have the grill look relatively new. Am I overdoing it?
Hi John, I love your cleaning regimen for sure. I don’t clean my inside with anything, I will scrape it down from time to time (if the seasoning builds up) but I like to leave it well seasoned inside. That’s for the upper area. For the lower area I will vacuum it out and clean the firepot, as well clean out any build up of grease if there is any. That’s it. The outside I keep shiny new, the inside lives a well seasoned life Chef Jason
I just bought a iron wood 885 and I’m getting a clean grease trap message. But I don’t see you talk about it in this video. Some help would be greatly appreciated
Hi Cat, it’s a nuisance reminder and it’s for the grease bucket liner. One will also pop up to clean the fire pot, we have a video for that. Chef Jason
Thought you weren’t supposed to use those brushes to scrape off the grill on a Traeger, something about the bristles sticking and then getting into the food.. Or was it just wire brushes that you aren’t supposed to use?
Nate, I inspect all my grill brushes with bristle and discard them if anything is shedding. store them inside the grill when not in use and keep it out of the direct sun, they should be fine. Like I said, I always inspect them before use. Hope that helps, Chef Jason
Hi Jeremiah, I don't use soap on mine, I just give them a nice brushing on each side and am back in business. you could wash them with soap, just make sure to rinse them real well before cooking. Chef Jason
Why do the inside walls of the grill turn that brownish color.. After my first season, It turned brown just like that..but ive seen other peoples grills still look nice and clean just like new after many cooks.
Hi Paul, they always tend to start off brownish as the first few cooks build some of the seasoning or BBQ patina. The more you cook on it and at some higher temps (above 350˚) that brown will go away and be replaced with darker seasoning. The level of seasoning and cleanliness will depend on how much you cook on it too. Hope that helped. Happy cooking and thanks for watching. Chef Jason
You mentioned to check the chimney but didn't tell how to clean it. I've had two significant fires, each warping components and blistering paint. I have buildup in the chimney but Traeger's cleaner doesn't touch it.
Hi Roger, good point about the chimney, I should have covered that. I will use this dryer vent brush to help get the chimney cleaned if needed. www.acehardware.com/departments/home-and-decor/cleaning-and-disinfectants/cleaning-brushes/1365881 I start inside the grill and brush up into the chimney first, then remove the top chimney cap and brush down into the chimney after. Then make sure to clean out the debris into the grill and vacuum that out when I vacuum the belly of the grill. If that doesn't work to get rid of the buildup, stop into your local Ace and see what they have for brushes that can help. Hope this helps, please let us know if you need anything else. Happy Cooking, Chef J
@@ChefJasonMorse I had the same question. I'm glad I read the comments. Thanks for responding! My husband and I have really upped our grilling game after attending a few of your classes in Loveland, CO.
I normally use my craftsman vac for this, however, I just started using the Milwaukee handheld vac and its so awesome. Super portable and great suction. Chef Jason
I have been thinking about getting a Traeger. Some research though on user comments has given me pause. I hear of quite a few stories where the grill auto-temp allows a run-away and shuts off (thankfully). As an adult I know people tend to often write less when they're simply getting what is expected and when not vent. Still, the number of folks with this problem seems to be the Pro Series with the D2 controller/feeder. Also while watching I see what appears to be some rust inside on the left indicating the powder coating may dissolve over time and high temp cooking? Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but I don't like rust outside of my grills and inside more so. I'd like to be assured that under moderate use (cleaning as you kindly demonstrated) and when stored outside under a roof patio with vinyl cover this grill will last between 10 and 20-years. Will it last - and when kept clean is the Pro 750 w/ D2 controller dependable? Finally, since I already have an Egg grill will this add more dimensions to my grilling that I simply either cannot, or with difficulty, can achieve using my Egg? Thanks and I hope you do read and reply. Great cleaning video that makes me think keeping it clean isn't much more work at all than other less elaborate grills.
John Werner Hi John, I can tell you from first hand experience that these grills (D2 Pro Series) are beasts. We have 4 of them and they have performed flawlessly. Make sure to connect the grill to WiFire and get all the updates before your first cook. I have not had mine overfeed pellets or run away on me, they hold temp quite nicely. I dont know the backstory behind some of the comments about run away and auto shut off, so hard to answer that, however, thru proper grill maintenance there should be no issues The grill I used in this video was brand new-ish, only about 5 cooks on it, what you are seeing is the start of the bbq seasoning or patina from the smoke. No rust at all inside here, just starting to I build up our flavors layers. With proper care and storage this grill should last for many flavorful years, a cover is a great investment for sure I added a Traeger to my Big Green Egg in my backyard about 8 years ago and it has been a huge collaboration ever since. I do a lot of reverse searing and the smoke from the Traeger goes so well with the charcoal finish of the egg. The best thing about having a few grills, is being able to cook my entire meal outside Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
I’ve had my Traeger Texas grill for nine years. Replaced the auger motor and the fire pot. Pretty minor for as much as it’s been used. I grill 3-5 times a week, rain or shine, even been known to grill when it’s snowing.
What if the firebox shows rust, I've only had my ironwood 885 for less than a year and out of the elements. Also after I do all this and fire it back up sometimes it shuts off and says to get the shop vac. Any information would be greatly appreciated TIA
its pretty normal for the fire pot to have some discoloration, it takes a beating from the heat and then cooling and then heat the next time. I wouldn't worry unless it starts to rust thru, then if that happens, call Traeger customer support. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
I do this deep clean about every 3-5 cooks. I clean the hopper at this point as well. no need to clean the hopper more frequently unless the pellets get wet. Chef Jason
I've owned my Traeger for nearly 20 years. I don't clean it often enough. But thanks to your video, I'll clean it today. This Traeger is responsible for me getting fat.
Thanks for the awesome video and advice. Just one thing everyone is aware do not use the wire brush on the grates. The grates have a porcelain coat on it. The wire brush will ruin it and you will have to buy new grates in the future. I called Traeger and they said not to use a wire brush. They recommend a wood type brush or a heavy duty nylon brush like the blue one he uses.
Hi Willy, the grill brush im using is a nylon brush with a bit of abrasive in it. works great on the grates and I have been using this plus wire brushes for years without any issues. Good call playing it safe, but those grates are tough!! Chef Jason
If a wire brush ruins your grill grates, you have a cheap grill. This is why uncoated cast iron grates are superior.
Or you can just put the grates in the dishwasher and not worry about any brush 😂😂
Spend years cleaning instead of cooking this is a joke
Great instructions. I was well over due cleaning my grill because every spare moment I had was working on my outside kitchen/hangout. But now that’s done as well as cleaning up the grill. Never will I let it go like that again. Love the Traeger and love using it. Thanks for the advice and happy grilling Chef J.
Thanks Greg for the compliment. Hope your Traeger adventures are going great. Happy cooking, chef jason
A 99c addition to your cleaning kit that I find extremely useful. One of Ace’s 1 1/2 inch toss out paint brushes. Cheap hair on almost a paint stir stick handle.
I use it to brush all that clingy ash off the sides and down into the bottom of the grill before using the vacuum. Also great in getting ash away from that crevice along the auger cover and bottom of the grill.
Unless you brush some really greasy stuff, the 99c brush will last the season. Or longer.
Thanks for a great video covering the necessary basics.
Tom Gates that’s a great idea for sure. Thanks for sharing, I’ll be adding that to the mix. So much easier for sure.
I’m heading to ACE and attempting to clean today. I can’t thank you enough for the clear and precise instructions!
Very welcome, happy cleaning. Chef Jason
Hello from Southern Alberta. We use a really older model by Traeger that we souped up by replacing the temperature control panel with a dial control with about eight or ten settings. It transformed our whole attitude about smokers. W3 are finding we can cook almost anything we want. With increased use comes increased cleaning which I do probably monthly or more if we use it more. I watched the video and am happy to say I have been doing pretty well everything covered and must agree it is prolonging the life of this old Traeger. Thanks for confirming what we are doing.
You are welcome. Thanks for watching. Chef Jason
Greetings from Nova Scotia, Canada. From everything I've learned from food safety training if you are not cleaning your bbq grill/smoker on a very regular basis you are dancing with death! Great video!
We have 50 year old smokers that have never been cleaned.
This is very helpful. We got a Traeger lately but had no clue how to clean it. Thank you for the step-by-step video.
Mia P very welcome. Let us know what else we can help with. Traeger on!!! Chef J
Just bought a Traeger and really appreciate your video!
thanks Rob, happy cooking. let us know what else we can help with. Chef Jason
Great video and I’ve found a great way to clean the grill grates is to soak them in the bath tub with hot water, laundry and dishwashing liquid for a few hours and all the left over material just falls off. 👍
I don’t recommend soaking them in water and detergent, it will cause them to rust out faster and also cause you to get yelled at by whoever enjoys taking baths in the house. I like to give them a good scrub and then use my QSwiper for the final surface clean
5280 Culinary - Chef Jason Morse Hi Jason, sorry mate I forgot to add that I have the Timberline 1300 racks which are stainless.
@@aussieblokeskitchen1536 and you're not married correct :) ( but yea, I agree on the soaking things in dish washer detergent, esp. cascade. it will take anything off.)
Nice Video! I started using a pickle jar in the bucket instead of the drip tray liner. That way I can cap the jar and it doesn't spill or has bugs all in it. Works so much better!
Nice tip BBQ Bubba!
Great idea, thanks for the tip.
BBQ Bubba thats a good idea, I will copy you
This was very helpful. I was doing way more than I needed to keep our Timberline clean. Very helpful. NOW- need to have Ace Hardware (where I bought our grills) do more of the Traeger master cook classes. Last time before I could sign up locally all sold out. More please.
Giuliana Nakashima thanks for the comments. What Ace store is close to you, maybe our tour will bring us to your area. The Traeger Shop classes are very popular and fill fast, but now we have our own Ace Hardware Skills class rolling around the nation. :-)
The Ace hardware is in Mount Vernon/Burlington, Wa Kaptein Ace Hardware on Riverside drive. Would love to know about the Ace Hardware Traeger skills class.
Hey guys, new pellet grilling so these videos are very helpful. Just purchased a pro 780 and am figuring it out as I go. Keep up with the videos I’ll be a barbecue chef in no time thanks.
You are on the way to a culinary adventure! Thanks for tuning in! We're always taking ideas for future videos from comments.
New Traeger owner here. I really appreciate the walk through for my first cleaning.
Very welcome. Happy cooking. Chef Jason
I have used this video 3 times so far haha I love it ! Well done !!
Awesome! Thank you for watching John!
Helpful!!! Thank you. Also...I did not know there was a place to store the temp probe. I also did not know what the tab was for on the liner. I thought it was to cover the slope to the bucket. Lol. It’s the little details that really help. Something the manual does not cover
Very welcome Cindy. Hope you are cooking some amazing things on your Traeger. Chef Jason
Tip: buy (or use) a vacuum that you're going to dedicate to grill cleaning. You can never get the smokey/ashy smell out of the hose etc. I tried to use one vac for the grill as well as car care but didn't like that smokey smell. I didn't want to impart any of that smell into the car mats (or garage).. I retired my older car care vacuum and now use it only for the grill and bought a new one for car care. I keep the old one out in my grilling area in a large plastic storage bin (where I keep all my pellets, wood chips, fire starters etc).
Hi Chris, totally a great point. This little guy is my grill vacuum. That BBQ smell sticks around forever. Hope you are enjoying your traeger. Chef jason
My first Traeger and ACE was by far the best place to purchase it! Now to find these helpful videos by ACE as well you will keep my business Great video for the beginners 🙂
Thanks Carlene! We put a new BBQ video out every week, so make sure you subscribe! Have some fun cookie videos coming up. :)
Great info! Thank you New Traeger owner and this helped alot!
Happy to help!
Was happy to find this as we just got our first Traeger delivered by Ace today. Looking forward to testing it out later this week.
Very helpful, got a 780 Pro not too long ago and want to keep it new. Thank you!
Thank you for your video! It was all I needed to know and I loved the presentation. Well done!
Thanks for watching!
This guy is very helpful. Very thorough as well. Thanks ACE
Dexomatic you are very welcome. Thanks for watching
New Traeger owner. Love the videoS. Just one small thought on the video production though. When you do the pop up tips, leave them on the screen for longer so we have time to read them and maybe make the contrast letters to background easier to see. Other than that great stuff. Thanks 👍
Thanks for watching Trenton and thanks for the feedback!
Hi Trenton, great points, we have adjusted all of that in our videos since around Feb 2020. Thanks for watching, were always ready to do better for sure. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
Nice thorough presentation here!
Jason Morse is a national treasure.
Ha Ha, I've been saying that for years. Thanks for watching and happy cooking. Chef Jason
thanks for the info, a new traeger owner so thanks for the tips
Thanks for a video about how to vacuum
I will employ this level of enthusiasm when cleaning my grill :) Great video!
Ha Ha, the happier you are, the cleaner the grill will be. or something like that. lol. Thanks for watching, Happy Grilling
Awesome! I'm headed to ACE to get my supplies and clean my Traeger now!
Happy Cleaning. :-) Chef Jason
Hey, great video! Just what I needed to maintain my Traeger grill!
Very, very helpful! My project for Saturday.
Thanks. Very helpful. “Ace is the place”!!
You’re a well programmed solider.
I recommend using a "Grill Daddy" grill brush for cleaning. Using it on a hot grill immediately after removing the food results in a steam cleaned grill grate.
Great Tutorial. Thanks for the tips.
Great video thanks, I love my Traeger thinking of upgrading to a ironwood or Timberline thanks again
The Ironwood is so amazing. Do it. I approve. :-). ChefJason
Hi my name is sharon thank you so much for showing me how to clean my Traeger Ironwood 885 👍
You are very welcome, happy cooking. Chef Jason
Thanks for the video. I just got my first Traeger for Christmas. And can’t wait to start using it. Now I’ll be able to take care of it properly.
shane s you are welcome. Happy cooking. Please let us know if we can help with anything else. Chef J
Tremendous content and presentation.
Thanks for watching Charles!
Don't have my 575 yet, but now I'm up to speed on the care it it. Cheers.
Does anybody else get a little hint of some Chris Farley love it thanks for the tips guys
BIg Tom Callahan here!
Matt Foley as a pit master instead of a motivational speaker! I love it
Thanks for the great tips
What a great video. Traeger should hire you to do their videos... as good a company as they are, their resources for maintenance are terrible.
What a wonderful comment! Thanks for watching!
if you clean out the fuel part where the pellets sit, wont you have to go through the initial startup process again ?
The pellets will fill in that void when I refill the hopper. All good as long as you don’t suck out the entire contents of the auger. Chef Jason
Great video.
Really great video, super performance and such a font of knowledge. I'll keep that in mind when it comes to cleaning.
Thank you for the nice compliment. Have a great time and happy cooking. Chef Jason
Awesome tips! I never realized that slot was where you keep the temperature probe! Is that how the drip sheets go in though? I thought the lip on the end was to carry grease out.
I admit I went and bought half this stuff over the weekend. Correction, my wife bought it for me for Christmas.
Hi will, the drip tray liners go in with the lip to hold the liner in place on the logo orientation will always be facing up when properly installed. Happy Grilling, Chef Jason
Very well done instructional video by Jason-sure beats the Traeger instruction manual!
While I was able to check off most of the "basics" he advised, I appreciated when he removed the grease drip pan & heat shield to do the ash cleaning. Same with the hopper and inspecting the auger.
Lastly, I plan to buy the large nylon "V" brush (have the Traeger square one which isn't as good), the 6-in-1 scraper and the vacuum. Great stuff!
Thanks CG, appreciate the nice comments. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
Excellent video! Thank you so much!
Great video Jeff! Thank you!
I found that an easy way to remind how long I’m cooking is to use an app. A new one came out that works well for me called pellet grill minder.
Great tip!
Love the paint tool tip!✅✅
I cleaned my friends today. I vacuum, also blew thru auger area. I wipe it down with water. She is very happy.
Way to be helpful Titan!
The traeger cleaner is actually really good
Love the video but one step you forgot was to blow out all of the dust under the bottom liner and barrel inside the grill from the pellets that you cannot suck out from the vacuum. You’ll be surprised how much pellet dust gets blown out. I do that once a year. It’s like a dust cloud. LOL
Dude check your audio levels...went from quiet to explosive loud several times.... use the editing software bro, it does everything for you. Good Vid !
Thanks Erok, we now use Mics and full editing software. this video was shot in 2019 when our approach to videos was very organic. We've improved everything in our videos since Feb of 2020. Thanks, Chef Jason
Love your videos. Always super helpful, educational and interesting.
psych101436 thank you for watching and for the nice compliment. Happy Cooking
You mention the grease trap and the smoke stack but don’t mention how to clean them. What do you suggest as the best way to clean both?
I use a towel and a long pair of tongs to get into the chimney for cleaning and the grease trap opening I use a towel to push thru their as well. sorry I forgot to mention both of those. Chef Jason
Can you show us how to clean the inside of the smokestack of a traeger, and what tool to use for this?
finally got mine coming. thank for the info
What kind of grill cleaner was used?
Hi John,
We used this one, the Traeger All Natural No Scent Oven And Grill Cleaner. You can view and/or order it here: bit.ly/3nWoImE
Appreciated the video Jason, thanks for the cleaning tips.
Cause you vacuumed the auger, do you have to reprime it for next cook? Great video btw. I'm a bit of a weirdo when it comes to my grills and clean every time I use it. Uncontrolled fires are a bit scary.
Entity 1 usually when I pour the pellets back in the hopper it will fill in the area I cleaned out so I haven’t had to re Prime the auger. If you clean out the whole auger tube, then yes. Thanks for watching and for the nice comment. Happy Cooking
@@ChefJasonMorse thanks man for getting back! Bison steaks tonight! Have a wonderful New Year!!
Do we need to clean the probe inside the grill?? Thanks Mike
Hi Michael, I clean mine with a damp towel when I see there is buildup on it, be careful on the new grills not to get the probe soaking wet. Chef Jason
Thank you great video
Very welcome Richard. Happy cooking. Chef Jason
Couple of questions: Once we got the message to clean our grill, which we do regularly, we've never been able to get the "clean your grill" message off. Today it told me the firepot won't clean itself (literally), yet my husband always vacuums the firepot. Where is the sensor? How do we get the Ironwood to acknowledge that it's been cleaned? As you said, it's like a vehicle. I feel there must be a switch we're supposed to reset when it's cleaned, like my Road Glide tells me how many miles it's gone between oil changes. 2nd question: What's the honeycomb in the hopper for? It's a pain and makes it hard to empty pellets. Will it hurt anything to take it out? I notice there isn't one in your pellet hopper.
Hi Abby, those warnings are setup in the software. As annoying as they are, its that subtle reminder. :-). The honeycomb in the pellet hopper is to prevent you from accidentally putting your fingers into the auger, its an auger guard. Chef Jason
You just made me excited to clean my greasy, dusty, dirty smoke machine. That is not easy to do because who really wants to do it? I do now:)
My work here is complete. lol. Happy Cleaning, Chef Jason
After cleaning out the fire pit and vacuuming up those pellets do you need to prime your auger again before the next cook?
Hi Andre, you should not need to prime the auger, once you pour in the new pellets they will fill in the gap and you're on your way. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
Very informative, thanks. By the way, are you Guy Fieri's cousin?
Great video & energy- will have to get Another paint scraper! Will Mean Grean used to clean the outside not damage/ruin the finish?
Great video this makes me appreciate how easy it is to clean my PKoriginal. Cleaning a pellet grill is a weekend job.
Love these videos. Very informative.
Chris Bentley thanks Chris
Is it safe to clean the temperature probe. As well mine gets caked with allot of smoke residue?
Hi Scott, yes, I will spray a rag with some traeger cleaner and carefully wipe off the probe, then wipe it with a damp towel to get off any of the cleaner residue. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
We have owned our Treager for years and have kept up on cleaning. It won't hold the temperature even though we have replaced the temperature probe, thermostat and the ignition probe. Any ideas? I'm going to go and clean it again just to check all of the areas you mentioned in case we missed one. We keep our pellets in the house when not in use. You say that they have about a 6 month shelf life. Are you starting that when the bag is opened? Who knows how long they have been in a warehouse or sales floor?
Hi Lorna, for the temp issues you mention, I would call Traeger customer service and have them help getting you back up and running properly. Pellet life is once the bag leaves the store. Chef Jason
This is awesome thank you
on the ironwood line I noticed from the inside the backdraft smoke chamber looks dusty from ash. How do you clean this? can you take the outside panel off? also how often should you change the Hot rod?
Hi David, I will vacuum out into the chambers on the ironwood, but don't take off the outside or inside covers. I have also used a leaf blower to get in there and blow things out, but honestly didn't have much in there. As far as the hot rod, I have yet to ever replace one in ANY of my grills. my guess is wait for it to fail and then chat with customer support at Traeger. Chef Jason
Question - after cleaning out the hopper, do I need to use the initiation feature on the grill to get the hopper and pellets started again before cooking?
Hi Gary, once you refill the hopper, the pellets should fall into the area you vacuumed out. I don’t think you will need to prime the auger, you should be good to go. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
My Treager pro.22 will cut off during the cook it is pluck in working great but the power shut off has done this often
Hi Frank, I would call Traeger support and have them help you with this issue, sounds like something is up and I know they will do a good job getting it figured out for you. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
Some good practical tips
Awesome video!
Great Simple video.
Why not clean the inside of the lid?
Todd Brown I leave the seasoning on there and only clean off any bbq crumbs. I like that extra layer of seasoning
Maybe I’m weird, but I clean my Traeger after every use. I use a nylon pad and citrus spray for the grate, a vacuum cleaner, and last, citrus spray and paper towels for the entire inside.
Every two weeks, during the summer, I will add a step and spray everything with a foam spray to have the grill look relatively new.
Am I overdoing it?
Hi John, I love your cleaning regimen for sure. I don’t clean my inside with anything, I will scrape it down from time to time (if the seasoning builds up) but I like to leave it well seasoned inside. That’s for the upper area.
For the lower area I will vacuum it out and clean the firepot, as well clean out any build up of grease if there is any. That’s it.
The outside I keep shiny new, the inside lives a well seasoned life
Chef Jason
I just bought a iron wood 885 and I’m getting a clean grease trap message. But I don’t see you talk about it in this video. Some help would be greatly appreciated
Hi Cat, it’s a nuisance reminder and it’s for the grease bucket liner. One will also pop up to clean the fire pot, we have a video for that. Chef Jason
Great tips, thanks.
Thought you weren’t supposed to use those brushes to scrape off the grill on a Traeger, something about the bristles sticking and then getting into the food.. Or was it just wire brushes that you aren’t supposed to use?
Nate, I inspect all my grill brushes with bristle and discard them if anything is shedding. store them inside the grill when not in use and keep it out of the direct sun, they should be fine. Like I said, I always inspect them before use. Hope that helps, Chef Jason
No need to hit the grates with soap and water?
Hi Jeremiah, I don't use soap on mine, I just give them a nice brushing on each side and am back in business. you could wash them with soap, just make sure to rinse them real well before cooking. Chef Jason
Is it important to have a separate vacuum just for the grill? I have a wet/dry vac already, will the grill cleaning ruin it?
You should be fine using the same vacuum for everything. I have one vac that I use for the garage, cars and grills. Chef Jason
@@ChefJasonMorse thanks! Just making sure. I was worried the food grease will mess up my vac. Thanks for relieving my OCD, haha
Thanks for this video very helpful
Amado Ramos you’re very welcome. Happy Cleaning. Chef J
Why do the inside walls of the grill turn that brownish color.. After my first season, It turned brown just like that..but ive seen other peoples grills still look nice and clean just like new after many cooks.
Hi Paul, they always tend to start off brownish as the first few cooks build some of the seasoning or BBQ patina. The more you cook on it and at some higher temps (above 350˚) that brown will go away and be replaced with darker seasoning. The level of seasoning and cleanliness will depend on how much you cook on it too. Hope that helped. Happy cooking and thanks for watching. Chef Jason
You mentioned to check the chimney but didn't tell how to clean it. I've had two significant fires, each warping components and blistering paint. I have buildup in the chimney but Traeger's cleaner doesn't touch it.
Hi Roger, good point about the chimney, I should have covered that. I will use this dryer vent brush to help get the chimney cleaned if needed. www.acehardware.com/departments/home-and-decor/cleaning-and-disinfectants/cleaning-brushes/1365881
I start inside the grill and brush up into the chimney first, then remove the top chimney cap and brush down into the chimney after. Then make sure to clean out the debris into the grill and vacuum that out when I vacuum the belly of the grill. If that doesn't work to get rid of the buildup, stop into your local Ace and see what they have for brushes that can help. Hope this helps, please let us know if you need anything else. Happy Cooking, Chef J
@@ChefJasonMorse I had the same question. I'm glad I read the comments. Thanks for responding! My husband and I have really upped our grilling game after attending a few of your classes in Loveland, CO.
Should I use an ash vacuum or will handheld ones be fine?
I normally use my craftsman vac for this, however, I just started using the Milwaukee handheld vac and its so awesome. Super portable and great suction. Chef Jason
I’ve requested a proper cleaning booklet and never received them
Richard Aguilar
3135 Show Jumper Ln
Reno, NV 89521
Thank you
Good stuff thanks
I have been thinking about getting a Traeger. Some research though on user comments has given me pause. I hear of quite a few stories where the grill auto-temp allows a run-away and shuts off (thankfully). As an adult I know people tend to often write less when they're simply getting what is expected and when not vent. Still, the number of folks with this problem seems to be the Pro Series with the D2 controller/feeder. Also while watching I see what appears to be some rust inside on the left indicating the powder coating may dissolve over time and high temp cooking? Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but I don't like rust outside of my grills and inside more so. I'd like to be assured that under moderate use (cleaning as you kindly demonstrated) and when stored outside under a roof patio with vinyl cover this grill will last between 10 and 20-years. Will it last - and when kept clean is the Pro 750 w/ D2 controller dependable? Finally, since I already have an Egg grill will this add more dimensions to my grilling that I simply either cannot, or with difficulty, can achieve using my Egg? Thanks and I hope you do read and reply. Great cleaning video that makes me think keeping it clean isn't much more work at all than other less elaborate grills.
John Werner Hi John, I can tell you from first hand experience that these grills (D2 Pro Series) are beasts. We have 4 of them and they have performed flawlessly. Make sure to connect the grill to WiFire and get all the updates before your first cook. I have not had mine overfeed pellets or run away on me, they hold temp quite nicely.
I dont know the backstory behind some of the comments about run away and auto shut off, so hard to answer that, however, thru proper grill maintenance there should be no issues
The grill I used in this video was brand new-ish, only about 5 cooks on it, what you are seeing is the start of the bbq seasoning or patina from the smoke. No rust at all inside here, just starting to I build up our flavors layers.
With proper care and storage this grill should last for many flavorful years, a cover is a great investment for sure
I added a Traeger to my Big Green Egg in my backyard about 8 years ago and it has been a huge collaboration ever since. I do a lot of reverse searing and the smoke from the Traeger goes so well with the charcoal finish of the egg.
The best thing about having a few grills, is being able to cook my entire meal outside
Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
I’ve had my Traeger Texas grill for nine years. Replaced the auger motor and the fire pot. Pretty minor for as much as it’s been used. I grill 3-5 times a week, rain or shine, even been known to grill when it’s snowing.
What if the firebox shows rust, I've only had my ironwood 885 for less than a year and out of the elements. Also after I do all this and fire it back up sometimes it shuts off and says to get the shop vac. Any information would be greatly appreciated TIA
its pretty normal for the fire pot to have some discoloration, it takes a beating from the heat and then cooling and then heat the next time. I wouldn't worry unless it starts to rust thru, then if that happens, call Traeger customer support. Happy Cooking, Chef Jason
@@ChefJasonMorse thank you so much, by the way awesome shows.
Great video - thanks
Very helpful. Thanks.
How often do you recommend doing this style of deep clean? Should you clean your hopper out in between cooking?
I do this deep clean about every 3-5 cooks. I clean the hopper at this point as well. no need to clean the hopper more frequently unless the pellets get wet. Chef Jason
Man thank you so much for this video!!!!
Jose Palomares very welcome. Thanks for watching. Have a great summer of cooking
Awesome videos thanks
Thanks EJ. Chef Jason