Trailblazer 340 Cooking Way Too Fast?

[wingrove8990]

I have had a RT340 for just over a year now and while I love the size and design of the grill, I find it cooking everything way too fast at all temperatures. This comes in handy for shorter cooks like wings and pork, but I am really having a tough time with longer cooks like beef ribs and brisket. I have tried cooks at 275, 250 and 225 and the same issue happens each time; the brisket is alway overdone on the bottom, but the top and middle turns out pretty good. I am currently cooking a 7 lb rack of beef ribs at 250 and after 4.5 hours, it is already registering at 190.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this issue? It seems that the heat deflector plate is very close to the grill and is causing the issue of the bottom of my cooks getting way overcooked, but even at 225 I find it overdone on the bottom with wrapping in butcher paper or foil at around 165. Is the size of the grill just causing too much radiative heat? I've thought about upgrading to a bigger smoker, but after looking at pictures of the RT700, it looks like the heat deflector is also very close to the grill grate which would cause the same issue.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Greg Jones]

recteq has mentioned this before on the cooking videos they do-the smaller the grill, the shorter/hotter the cook time/temps due to the smaller cooking chamber. I’ve experienced this difference cooking on a RT-700 and a RT-340, you will absolutely need to compensate time and/or temps depending on the size of the grill.

 

[flh69]

I have had a RT340 for just over a year now and while I love the size and design of the grill, I find it cooking everything way too fast at all temperatures. This comes in handy for shorter cooks like wings and pork, but I am really having a tough time with longer cooks like beef ribs and brisket. I have tried cooks at 275, 250 and 225 and the same issue happens each time; the brisket is alway overdone on the bottom, but the top and middle turns out pretty good. I am currently cooking a 7 lb rack of beef ribs at 250 and after 4.5 hours, it is already registering at 190.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this issue? It seems that the heat deflector plate is very close to the grill and is causing the issue of the bottom of my cooks getting way overcooked, but even at 225 I find it overdone on the bottom with wrapping in butcher paper or foil at around 165. Is the size of the grill just causing too much radiative heat? I've thought about upgrading to a bigger smoker, but after looking at pictures of the RT700, it looks like the heat deflector is also very close to the grill grate which would cause the same issue.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I was having the same problem. I have a RT-340 that I found the temperature to be hotter than what is shown on the screen. I bought a thermometer with thermocouples. I put one thermocouple thru each exhaust port & clamp them with clothes pins. Using the thermocouples I found my grill runs between 20 & 30degrees hotter on the right side. The temperatures also varies widely from what shows on the screen. I use this thermometer to control the temperature of the grill. I don't pay much attention to the temp shown on the screen. This is the one I use. Sure helped me with temperature control.

Kamtop Digital Thermometer Dual Channel Thermometer with Two K- type Thermocouples Temperature Meter with LCD Backlight for K/ J/ T/ E/ R/ S/ N Thermocouple​

 

[wingrove8990]

Thanks, flh69. when you ran this temperature experiment, did you put a thermometer next to the stock one to see if it picks up a different temperature than what you were seeing with the Kamtop?

 

[Bytor]

I actually had the opposite experience when I got my 340. I came from stick burning and due to ongoing fire management, things cooked a little hotter and faster than the 340. I have since adjusted and things are fine now.

Being a pellet smoker, it will tend to be hotter towards the side with the most airflow, in this case the right side. Since I calibrated and periodically verify the pit probe, it seems to be a little more uniform, though it still runs a little hotter, however not so much as to overcook anything.

One thing I will do though is rotate my cooks. I will usually do this when I wrap. I will rotate 180 degrees and keep cooking.

I would suggest getting a probe or two in the pit to see what's going on and then look at the pit probe.

 

[flh69]

Thanks, flh69. when you ran this temperature experiment, did you put a thermometer next to the stock one to see if it picks up a different temperature than what you were seeing with the Kamtop?

The thermocouples are not beside the "stock" one. I just run the wires thru the exhaust ports & clamp them with a clothes pin. I keep them from touching the meat or the grill. I found that the "stock" probe temperature stays pretty much on what I have the grill set on & the thermocouple temperatures fluctuate. I actually have to set the temperature on the screen lower to maintain the temperature I want to cook at. I use the thermocouples to maintain the temperature I want to cook with, not the temperature shown on the screen.

 

[Bytor]

I was going to create a new thread, but thought I would just hop back into this one. I don't have overcooking issues, but there definitely is some heat variations going on inside the pit. I think I'm going to try another attempt in creating a baffle of sorts extending out to the right of the burner pot. I'm thinking if I can slow the air flow some, maybe there would be more even heat distribution.

Both Thermoworks Smoke probes were on the 4th rung from their respective sides in the center with a 2.75# chuck cooking inside. I should note that when I placed a probe next to the stock pit probe, they were within 2 degrees of each other. One thing to note is that all the while, the pit probe read 275 with only a couple degree of excursions in either direction.

 

[flh69]

I was going to create a new thread, but thought I would just hop back into this one. I don't have overcooking issues, but there definitely is some heat variations going on inside the pit. I think I'm going to try another attempt in creating a baffle of sorts extending out to the right of the burner pot. I'm thinking if I can slow the air flow some, maybe there would be more even heat distribution.

View attachment 8944

Both Thermoworks Smoke probes were on the 4th rung from their respective sides in the center with a 2.75# chuck cooking inside. I should note that when I placed a probe next to the stock pit probe, they were within 2 degrees of each other. One thing to note is that all the while, the pit probe read 275 with only a couple degree of excursions in either direction.

Although I do not graph mine, I see just about exactly what you show. Roughly 20 to 40 degrees difference from right side to left side. If you come up with a baffle could you post some pictures? I am interested.

 

[Omullins]

I have had a RT340 for just over a year now and while I love the size and design of the grill, I find it cooking everything way too fast at all temperatures. This comes in handy for shorter cooks like wings and pork, but I am really having a tough time with longer cooks like beef ribs and brisket. I have tried cooks at 275, 250 and 225 and the same issue happens each time; the brisket is alway overdone on the bottom, but the top and middle turns out pretty good. I am currently cooking a 7 lb rack of beef ribs at 250 and after 4.5 hours, it is already registering at 190.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this issue? It seems that the heat deflector plate is very close to the grill and is causing the issue of the bottom of my cooks getting way overcooked, but even at 225 I find it overdone on the bottom with wrapping in butcher paper or foil at around 165. Is the size of the grill just causing too much radiative heat? I've thought about upgrading to a bigger smoker, but after looking at pictures of the RT700, it looks like the heat deflector is also very close to the grill grate which would cause the same issue.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I just did a rack or pork ribs on the 340 for 4 hours at 225. Then went to 325 to finish the last hour. They were perfect. Probably the best I have ever cooked.