First Time Recteq RT700 Owner, Need Help

JGouvisis20

Member
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22
Hi everyone!

My name is Josh, and i just bought my first rt700 during the cyber sale. Ive never owned a pellet smoker before, but did alot of research for 1 year before i settled on buying my recteq. Ive read alot of posts already, but am asking for anyoneinput on a few things.

1. Can anyone gives me any advice, recommendations or anything that would be helpful that you learned, that i may not know as a new pellet grill owner?

2. What are your go to rubs, pellets, or anything else you use during your cooks? Why, and where can i find info on them? Any links if allowed to post, would be helpful.

3. Lastly, what are some things you found over time you werent fond of on your rt700, and what did you do to make it work for you better?

Anything extra youd like to add would be great also!
Thanks to everyone in advance!
 
Josh,

I've only owned an RT-700 for a little over 6 months. But I've had a pellet smoker/grill for almost 15 years. Like you, I took several months before buying the RT. I got down to the RT or a Grilla Grills Silverbac. The RT has more surface area and has that large hopper. Also, good reviews for both.

I wouldn't call this advice but what I did was buy a book by Paul Kirk called "Championship Barbecue". Paul is an oldtimer in the BBQ circuit. And I bought this book well over 12 years ago. I've got a few others and have flipped through many more. I have found this book has more recipes for rubs, sauces, and slathers than any others I've found. I make my own rub based on a combination of a couple from his book. The great thing about the book are the stories and background he gives on topics as well as with each recipe. I think making your own rubs and sauces is part of the schtick of BBQing. Plus, my wife doesn't care for peppery things and most of the rubs I've bought at farmers markets, from BBQ places onlines, etc., are a bit too peppery for her. I do indulge in a bit of pepper when I cook beef. But my poultry rub is a little sweet with a decent amount of dry, ground herbs.

I have used a variety of brands and types of pellets. I think there's an entire thread on pellets as I did post something on there just several days ago. You may want to check that out. There are a lot of well-seasoned BBQ veterans on this forum.

Not specific to the RT-700 but I'm not a huge fan of smoked fish. It's just not my thing. I do plan to experiment again with some salmon soon. But I plan to cook it at a higher heat...325 - 350 instead of smoking it at 225. Otherwise, I've done beer-can chicken, spatchcocked turkey (just this past Thursday), chicken pieces, and wings. I've done "reversed sear" steaks using my RT-700 and finishing on a gas grill with Grill Grates. I've done a brisket flat that turned out decent. Then I've been practicing with chuck roasts for the past few weeks to build a better process for going back and doing a brisket. I'm planning a whole brisket for New Years.
 
I just bought a bag of Grilla Grills "competition" pellets, a bag of Traeger "gourmet blend" pellets, RecTeq "ultimate" blend pellets, and CookinPellets "perfect" blend. So I generally want to see how these different brands and blends smell and taste...as well as how they burn. I'll report back in a few months my thoughts on how that goes.

That said, for many years I had gotten the BBQ'rs Delight pellets. I used to buy separate bags of oak, hickory, apple, cherry, and mesquite. I think I tried a pecan once. But I liked those pellets better than the Traegers (I had an old Traeger BBQ075 for many years). Traeger allegedly used alder wood as a filler. That said, the flavor wood smoke / flavor was plenty adequate so alder wasn't necessarily noticeable. With the BBQ'rs Delight, they advertised that they used oak as their filler. The storyline was that pure flavor wood would be too strong. But what I found was that these pellets burned nicely...a little less ash as well. I used to buy 1/2 pallets of pellets (yes, I did say that) to get the best price. But eventually, the price went up and I had difficulty calling and ordering the larger quantity.

I ended up going back to Traeger pellets because I could still get the separate flavor 20lb bags at a local pool supplies store and got a good discount there. I really like mixing my own blends. I like a bit more apple and cherry when I do poultry...with a hint of hickory.

Paul Kirk, BBQ professional in years past, always preached the hickory, apple, and oak combination. And I did that for a long time. I used mesquite pellets, or mesquite/oak blend, for beef cooks and grilling steaks. Problem with buying all the separate flavored pellets is I sometimes end up with too much of something I don't use so much...like pecan.

So, here I am on Thanksgiving Eve thinking about what blend I'm going to use tomorrow. These different blends I purchased appear to have some similarities and others a bit different (maple anyone?). The CookinPellets say they use nothing but flavor wood in their pellets. I'm very intrigued about how that's going to smell/taste. The other blends I bought don't appear to be too different from what I used to do with the separate flavors I used to mix together on my own. I'll figure out, by morning, what blend I'll use on my spatchcocked turkey tomorrow...and report back. And, oh, I have never spatchcocked a turkey before but it doesn't look hard and I'm excited about it may turn out. I've watched several YT vids on the topic recently and will use as many of the good tips I picked up on watching them.

My apologies for the long diatribe. Just wanted to share what I've done with flavors and brands of pellets in the past and what I'm about to embark on. Best wishes for a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to all. And good luck to those that are going to try new things on a Thanksgiving cook. (Yikes)
 
@JGouvisis20 are you just getting into the smoker game or converting from another type of smoker?
@Waterboy Just getting in! Had a propane grill forever, and did research of the difference of a smoker. Obvious i had to up my game! Held out til Recteq Black Friday and bought the rt700 w/matador with all accessories. Should be herr this Friday or Monday! Cant wait! How about you?
 
Hi everyone!

My name is Josh, and i just bought my first rt700 during the cyber sale. Ive never owned a pellet smoker before, but did alot of research for 1 year before i settled on buying my recteq. Ive read alot of posts already, but am asking for anyoneinput on a few things.

1. Can anyone gives me any advice, recommendations or anything that would be helpful that you learned, that i may not know as a new pellet grill owner?

2. What are your go to rubs, pellets, or anything else you use during your cooks? Why, and where can i find info on them? Any links if allowed to post, would be helpful.

3. Lastly, what are some things you found over time you werent fond of on your rt700, and what did you do to make it work for you better?

Anything extra youd like to add would be great also!
Thanks to everyone in advance!
1) a Pellet smoker is not a stick burner so if you like a heavier smoke, do what you can to add to your cook with things like "Smoke tubes" or wood chips/chunks on the heat shield etc. If you like light smoke then don't worry about it. On the same note, your days of baby sitting temperature and having keep an eye on your cooks virtually every minute are over !
2) Personally I find Lumberjack pellets to be the best "overall" brand and Bear Mountain my #2. Even these have a big heat difference in my opinion as well as smoke flavor. I can go to a local Rural King store to get my Lumberjack's cheap. (Under 9$)
RecTec makes good rubs but I really like Meat Church rubs. Easiest to order online then to search all over.
3) remember that you paid for a 6year warranty also so use it. RecTeq has the best customer service and warranty. If probes or wheels fail etc. Call them ! Speaking of probes go to YouTube and look up the calibration videos for the meat probes and then the internal probe. Sync them to get your most accurate readings.
I've only noticed 3 real problems. One, if you have the seat kit it is possible for grease to run under and along the bottom side until it actually drips passed the drip tray front and back. This can possibly cause a grease fire in the bottom. Fix: make sure your grill is LEVEL and if needed, you can turn your seat plates lengthwise on greasy cooks. I'm not saying be scared, just to pay attention.
Two, at times during the trial of different pellets and high temp cooks (375°+) I've found if you try to shut the smoker down immediately, you can at times also create a fire pit fire possibility. The reason is: on a higher auger setting more pellets go into the pot to build higher temps.(obviously) so the potential for smoldering or burning up the auger is there.
Fix: if doing a high heat cook (pizza?) Do not just turn it off. Set the temp to extreme smoke (low) for a CPL minutes before turning it off. This allows the pellets in the pot to burn off before starting the shutdown procedure. Always make sure the smoker isn't smoldering before puting it away. This has only happened twice in 2 years to me, but making you aware. It's not a RecTec problem it's a "Science/math" fact...lol
Last would be the app having function problems. It was spotty before the app fix earlier this year and now I VERY RARELY have an issue. A lot of times is user issues and technology is never perfect*
There's my 2¢ others may disagree. Enjoy your smoker I feel it's about the best option out there. Wouldn't change my purchase.
** Also most of what I've said has threads on it in this awesome group so use the search function here to learn alot!**
 
@JGouvisis20 you got a lot of solid info from @Buckeye smoker there ^^^.

If you are coming from a gasser my guess is you’ll find the smoke profile OK. If it’s not enough you can look to add. I have a drum smoker in addition to my Bull and use it when I want a heavier smoke flavor. My family prefers the pellet smoke. Also lower temp cooks produce the most smoke. Once you get over 250-275 you won’t get much smoke flavor.
As far as pellets go stick with quality brands (a little subjective). Read some of the threads on pellets and you’ll see a trend emerge, but remember taste is a personal thing. You’ll need to experiment. It’ll also depend on what you have available locally.
My opinion on rubs and pellets is to try a bunch. You’ll begin to settle in on what you like. Best if you can find a local shop with a good variety. We have one locally where I get my favorites for the same price as online with no shipping or waiting. Pellets can be tough ordering online because of shipping costs. Again read the threads, the good folks on this forum share info about deals all the time.
You are going to love your Rec Teq. Relax, experiment and have some fun!
 
Don't overthink it. Start off simple. Get to cookin' and then get deep in the weeds once you have a few cooks worth of experience under your belt.

Go to your local grocer and grab a Boston Butt (pork shoulder) for anywhere from $1.19-$2.49 per pound, a big ol' bottle of yellow mustard (cheaper the better... don't worry, it won't taste like mustard) and a dry rub of some sort. I'm partial to Famous Dave's for pulled pork. It's about perfect, can be found most places and isn't super expensive. There's a million of them out there so we can get pretty deep in the weeds on this topic alone but just grab one and try it out. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees while you rinse that butt, pat it dry, slather it completely in yellow mustard and then coat it all over with that dry rub. (Giggity) When your smoker is to temp go plop it on. Wait a couple of hours and then stick a probe in it (you can do this right away if you like analytics and want to watch but it won't be necessary for several hours) cook to about 165 degrees or so and then wrap tightly with a couple layers of heavy duty foil and continue to 190-195ish (give or take, lots of variables here but don't stress too much as ballpark will work and you'll start to narrow in on what exact temp works best for you) degrees. Remove from your smoker and rest for a half hour. Tear it up with some forks (I got Bear Claws for Christmas and they help a lot with this step) and enjoy. Now, you can drill down and get things as complex as you like but that's the 100-mile-view on some basic steps that will churn out some amazing 'que and get you headed in the right direction.

Notes: this will take a while; figure around 2hrs per pound of meat. It will "stall" around 160-170 degrees seemingly forever and you will think something is wrong. This is common and part of why we foil to help get it past that stage. It will only take on smoke flavor for the first few hours so you can safely foil it anytime after this but I prefer going by temp to 165 or so degrees. If you start it early to make sure it's done early you can safely wrap your foiled & cooked butt in a bath towel (it will leak juices so don't use the nice ones for guests... your better half will kill you) and place it in a large cooler for an hour or two for a more prolonged rest. You can make finishing sauces that are heavy on the vinegar & apple juice and I like to experiment here as you can change the flavor profile quite a bit to your liking. If you make too much you can freeze it in vacuum baggies for future enjoyment. In the end, have fun. Don't try to make it too difficult as the best smokes I've done have also been the simplest. Let the meat be 90% of the flavor and everything else you do is just there to compliment it.

This is a great way to start because it's going to be difficult to screw up. Your first smoke will taste better than some pulled pork you've paid for and each one after that will get better and better. Take notes of each cook and how you can improve it the next time. Then refer back to those when starting the next time and keep going.
 
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1. Can anyone gives me any advice, recommendations or anything that would be helpful that you learned, that i may not know as a new pellet grill owner?
Double foil the drip pan if you want to keep it clean.
If you like smoke flavor, cook at low temperature (225). You can also cook at the lowest temperature for a our or so to increase smoke.
2. What are your go to rubs, pellets, or anything else you use during your cooks? Why, and where can i find info on them? Any links if allowed to post, would be helpful.
I make my own since they all have about the same ingredients. Also I need to restrict salt, and most commercial rubs are about 50% salt. Honestly, I am not sure rubs add much to the flavor. I do like to use Frank's Hot Sauce as a sticking agent since I think it adds some flavor.

I am using Lumber Jack pellets based on the almost universal opinion on several boards that they are the best. My favorite so far are the Mesquite blend.

3. Lastly, what are some things you found over time you werent fond of on your rt700, and what did you do to make it work for you better?
The RecTeq cover is a bear to put on and remove.

Anything extra youd like to add would be great also!
Thanks to everyone in advance!
 
Good info above...
1. foil the drip pan, clean the firebox every few cooks depending on how long they are. if you have a super greasy cook, replace the foil. Foil the bucket by forming foil around a pint glass then put that in the bucket.

2. I have use Jeffs recopies on SMF. I buy a lot for variation from big pappa smokers. reregister with them and they send free shipping coupon all the time. Holy Cow is my go to for brisket right now. BPS brad rubs are all great and good values. I dont wrap anything. some do some dont. I never. pellets - I used the rectec pellets for a while and like them...not cheap. cookinpellets I felt were bland. about to try a few bags of lumber jack which are very popular and much more affordable.

3. I love it!!! an s said above the cover is TIGHT.
 
Good info above...
1. foil the drip pan, clean the firebox every few cooks depending on how long they are. if you have a super greasy cook, replace the foil. Foil the bucket by forming foil around a pint glass then put that in the bucket.

2. I have use Jeffs recopies on SMF. I buy a lot for variation from big pappa smokers. reregister with them and they send free shipping coupon all the time. Holy Cow is my go to for brisket right now. BPS brad rubs are all great and good values. I dont wrap anything. some do some dont. I never. pellets - I used the rectec pellets for a while and like them...not cheap. cookinpellets I felt were bland. about to try a few bags of lumber jack which are very popular and much more affordable.

3. I love it!!! an s said above the cover is TIGHT.
About the drip bucket specifically: I've had better luck foiling the bucket itself (in the unlikely event you get a spill otherwise you'll never need to replace this foil) and then just using an empty pasta sauce or similar jar from your cooking. Save those and then just use those inside of the foiled bucket. Check it occasionally when it's nearly full simply remove, put the lid on, dispose and replace with another one. Repeat as necessary. Doesn't get easier than that.
 
About the drip bucket specifically: I've had better luck foiling the bucket itself (in the unlikely event you get a spill otherwise you'll never need to replace this foil) and then just using an empty pasta sauce or similar jar from your cooking. Save those and then just use those inside of the foiled bucket. Check it occasionally when it's nearly full simply remove, put the lid on, dispose and replace with another one. Repeat as necessary. Doesn't get easier than that.
I use a wide mouth mason jar.
 

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I use a wide mouth mason jar.
I like my wide mouth jars and don't like throwing them away. That's the only reason I wouldn't use them for this. This is why if you save your pasta jars or whatever you were just going to toss anyway it's perfect for this use. When near full, replace lid and throw away. Same methodology but disposable vs not.
 
Like @Mlmurrah says - double foil the drip pan. I wish I'd done that right off the bat. I have a nice thick layer of greasy smoke that is a b*%ch to get off if you don't foil right away

Pellets - I talked with the guys @recteq and they said the Kingsford pellets are best for minimizing temp variation and pellet ash. They said they did a lot of research with several pellet makers and rely on Kingsford - but it really is a personal choice for taste and ash buildup. I've gone through a few bags - depending on how long my cook is and what the outside temp is, burn rate in the pot if affected to maintain temps, etc. will influence the ash inside the barrel
Switched it up to B&B - I use their lump charcoal in my egg and really seem to like their pellets better than Kingsford

Get some LavaLock tape (I got mine from Amazon) and 'seal' the lid - where the lid comes in contact with the barrel - put the felt tape on the inside of the lid. Biggest improvement I could make towards minimizing smoke leak out of the lid & onto the unit. (You want the smoke inside not on the outside) - Also helps keep the temp a bit more consistent.
If you have the side smoke box for cheese & fish, etc - put some LavaLock tape on the door of that, too. I didn't like the way the door closed on the unit. Seemed kinda flimsy vs how the rest of the grill is built. Putting that tape on the inside of the door to seal that helped make it more sturdy & minimize smoke leak
 
Like @Mlmurrah says - double foil the drip pan. I wish I'd done that right off the bat. I have a nice thick layer of greasy smoke that is a b*%ch to get off if you don't foil right away

Pellets - I talked with the guys @recteq and they said the Kingsford pellets are best for minimizing temp variation and pellet ash. They said they did a lot of research with several pellet makers and rely on Kingsford - but it really is a personal choice for taste and ash buildup. I've gone through a few bags - depending on how long my cook is and what the outside temp is, burn rate in the pot if affected to maintain temps, etc. will influence the ash inside the barrel
Switched it up to B&B - I use their lump charcoal in my egg and really seem to like their pellets better than Kingsford

Get some LavaLock tape (I got mine from Amazon) and 'seal' the lid - where the lid comes in contact with the barrel - put the felt tape on the inside of the lid. Biggest improvement I could make towards minimizing smoke leak out of the lid & onto the unit. (You want the smoke inside not on the outside) - Also helps keep the temp a bit more consistent.
If you have the side smoke box for cheese & fish, etc - put some LavaLock tape on the door of that, too. I didn't like the way the door closed on the unit. Seemed kinda flimsy vs how the rest of the grill is built. Putting that tape on the inside of the door to seal that helped make it more sturdy & minimize smoke leak

Thank you!

I did foil my drip pan, but did not double it. Will have to give that a try, thanks for the tip! I also bought some oven liner from Amazon. I saw another post on the forum on how great it works and others have vouched for it also. Gonna give them all a try!

I have Pitboss and Lumberjack now, and am burning through the Pitboss first. I do plan on buying a couple Kingsford, B&B, and BBQrs Delight later on to try. Heard good things about them also. Im not experienced enough yet to know what a good/bad amount of ash is, but hopefully will be easier to tell after a few kinds!

I have Lava Lock on order too, and hopefully will be showing up today! I did notice some smoke leakage from both the barrel and the smoke box. It didn't look like a lot from the barrel to me, but did seem like more smoke was leaking from the smokebox. The other thing is, my smokebox door doesn't sit flush, and is cocked out on the top left corner. I get the impression by you mentioning it being flimsy, that may be the way it is? Not sure, but I left a vm for customer service to also mention a couple other things I noticed on my order to ask them about.
 
I like my wide mouth jars and don't like throwing them away. That's the only reason I wouldn't use them for this. This is why if you save your pasta jars or whatever you were just going to toss anyway it's perfect for this use. When near full, replace lid and throw away. Same methodology but disposable vs not.
Thank you!
 

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