Camp Chef struggle to maintain temp, much less reach 450
Here’s a 2 minute snippet I recorded while trying to get to 450. This was about 20 minutes after I closed the lid.
Is this “just a thing” with pellet grills where it can’t actually reach 450 or is something else amiss?
by kebmpb
7 Comments
orangutanDOTorg
Mine hits whatever it’s set to, unless I’m running charcoal pellets then it hits the moon regardless of what it’s set for. I remember seeing some reviews saying they don’t get to high temp but mine has never had the issue though I haven’t done a high temp cook in freezing ambients if that’s what you are doing.
Have you tried closing down the vents partially?
If you can’t figure out a fix (and camp chef support can’t either) you could try running 50/50 charcoal pellets from Royal Oak and normal pellets – they burn a lot hotter. But if I go over 50/50 the temp runs away and I have to pull the plug. I didn’t buy more after the first bag
MOS95B
They can definitely hit 450. And higher. It’s just not efficient or economical a lot of times. Pellet grills are actually designed more to be smokers, with the ability to get to low grilling temps if you want to wait and burn all that fuel.
Fast-Alternative-263
The struggle is real.
PS Make sure the internal Temp probe is CLEAN and the vent going to the pipe is open.
400footceiling
There are also oak pellets from Camp Chef that seem hotter burning, but your internal thermostat should be able to keep up with whatever temperature demands you set.
KobeMonk
Try a standalone thermometer inside the cabinet to confirm the numbers. Clean the RTD and replace if necessary. I replace mine every two years.
Kinetic_Photon
What was the temp outside the smoker? And was it windy? When it’s really cold I get a lot of benefit from the insulator coat they sell and when it’s windy lowering the hight of the chimney cover.
That being said, this kind of bouncing with large delays in changing readings looks more like the temp probe is dirty or worn out. I replace mine every year now and it makes a big difference. They are only 12 bucks.
saintnyckk
What was outside temp and how open were your vents? Those things matter a ton. If it’s cold, close the vents more and it’ll get to temp.
7 Comments
Mine hits whatever it’s set to, unless I’m running charcoal pellets then it hits the moon regardless of what it’s set for. I remember seeing some reviews saying they don’t get to high temp but mine has never had the issue though I haven’t done a high temp cook in freezing ambients if that’s what you are doing.
Have you tried closing down the vents partially?
If you can’t figure out a fix (and camp chef support can’t either) you could try running 50/50 charcoal pellets from Royal Oak and normal pellets – they burn a lot hotter. But if I go over 50/50 the temp runs away and I have to pull the plug. I didn’t buy more after the first bag
They can definitely hit 450. And higher. It’s just not efficient or economical a lot of times. Pellet grills are actually designed more to be smokers, with the ability to get to low grilling temps if you want to wait and burn all that fuel.
The struggle is real.
PS Make sure the internal Temp probe is CLEAN and the vent going to the pipe is open.
There are also oak pellets from Camp Chef that seem hotter burning, but your internal thermostat should be able to keep up with whatever temperature demands you set.
Try a standalone thermometer inside the cabinet to confirm the numbers. Clean the RTD and replace if necessary. I replace mine every two years.
What was the temp outside the smoker? And was it windy? When it’s really cold I get a lot of benefit from the insulator coat they sell and when it’s windy lowering the hight of the chimney cover.
That being said, this kind of bouncing with large delays in changing readings looks more like the temp probe is dirty or worn out. I replace mine every year now and it makes a big difference. They are only 12 bucks.
What was outside temp and how open were your vents? Those things matter a ton. If it’s cold, close the vents more and it’ll get to temp.