Does anyone have an idea as to why my pellet grill has the smoke going through my hopper instead of out through the stack? Ive just replaced the auger motor and the blower fan and still seem to have the issue. When taking off the covers I notice the fire is starting to go inside the auger a bit. Is that because I don't have the igniter out far enough? I currently have if 1/2 inch into the box.
by InvestigatorSoft3990
17 Comments
We Need Your Help!
We’ve noticed that recent changes in Reddit’s algorithms have made it harder for original content (OC) communities like ours to get the visibility we used to enjoy. This shift means that posts and comments aren’t getting the attention they deserve.
By voting on and commenting on posts, you’re not only helping others but also boosting the visibility of your own posts. Your engagement is crucial, not just for r/PelletGrills, but for all the wonderful niche communities like food, crafts, art, and culture that thrive on original content. Even a simple comment like “This would fit X sub” can make a big difference.
Together, we can support and uplift our entire community. Let’s keep the positive vibes and delicious smoked meat content flowing!
—
It’s working: https://i.imgur.com/EU1Y5GO.png – Concurrently more users are viewing r/Pelletgrills, keep up the votes and comments and thank you to everyone who’s helping us stand out.
—
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pelletgrills) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Definitely not right. Is the fan blowing? Do you vacuum all the ashes out of the pot before each smoke? A pot full of ashes is one of the most common causes of problems.
I could be completely wrong as I’m still new to this, but that can’t really be anything else but back burn right? Pellets in the auger or hopper itself are catching fire. Should probably shutdown the grill and inspect what’s happening inside
Did you confirm both the auger and fan are working? Burn back up the auger can cause a flash explosion/fire so be careful. Ive read alot of times its caused by too much ash left in the pot but im assuming you’ve already cleaned it. Also as im sure you’re not an idiot you start it with the smoker lid open and your stack open as well? Shutting your stack completely off or choked down will cause draft issues. I sift my pellets prior to putting them in my hopper to cut back on dust as well, not sure if it helps but just an idea if trouble shooting.
Yeah usually I would see a tornado of flames in the pot because the fan is blowing down the auger and through the holes.
Is the fan rotating in correct direction and not blowing wrong way?
need to clean
Does this pellet grill happen to have two fans? Some grills like my GMG Prime have a fan pressurizing the auger tube and other fan coming up straight from the bottom to fan the flame.
If there are any vents make sure they are clear
This happens to me when moisture gets into the hopper. Usually if I keep the hopper lid closed and let it run for a bit it goes away on its own.
This happened to me on the end of a bag. Any amount of sawdust will catch fire and set the tube on fire like a blowtorch. I used the trap door to empty out the pellets cleaned out the dust and then siphon the last pellets. Now when I get to the end of the bag I make sure I use like a strainer to get the dust out.
Well, you’ve heard of the reverse sear, was only a matter of time some mad lad would do a reverse smoke.
Those pellets look like they were soaked or mangled. Nothing like the pellets in your hopper.
Do you set the tempature high to start out? Or do you set it lower to get it going then raise gradually? On my camp chef if I try to go to grill mode before letting it take it’s time to get to temp, the fire grows very quickly and starts to go through the auger and causes the smoke out the hopper.
Were your pellets too dry? I turned on my grill after a long hiatus and this happened because the pellets had been in the hopper for quite some time and dried out. I put it out and upon investigation I noticed all the plastic coating was gone on the pellets. Almost the consistency of saw dust. Pretty obvious that would flame up pretty easily. I empty the hopper if I plan on putting away for a while and store any pellets in an airtight container now.
Mine only does that if I go from 450f straight to shutdown. I have to step down the heat a couple times and then can shutdown from 300 or so.
I had the same issue on my last smoke.
Someone on my feed suggested the sawdust overtime builds up in the auger. I vacuumed my auger. Haven’t done a full smoke since but ran it for 20 minutes with no issues.