Just added a downdraft hood to my Traegar Texas

[okie52]

Grub is looking real good. How did your Traeger run with the hood?

Thx. The ribs and sausage did turn out pretty good.

I guess the hood worked fine. The rtd was showing a significant difference from the grate and dome thermometers (about 40 degrees...245 rtd 287 on grate and about the same on the dome) .  I only had one grate probe so I can't speak to any evenness of grate temp.  I figured the grease chute would have more smoke flowing out of it but it wasn't any more than usual. 

I was also trying out the Amazn tube so I wasn't really that focused on the hood.

Next time I'm going to run three probes on the grate and remove the oven liner pans to see if I get the grate and rtd closer together on the temp.

[okie52]

Thx to all for the kind words. 

As much as I hope the DD hood is a positive improvement I was thrilled that the Amazn tube performed so well.  I'm getting lazy in my old age and I'm still searching for set it and forget it...lol.

[pmillen]

If you have a pellet grill, you have to have one of these bad boys.

Not all pellet grills require the add-on, Smoke.  As TentHunteR says, in a few posts up, the MAKs have it incorporated into their design.  And the Fast Eddy by Cookshack series (PG-500 or PG-1000) extract the smoke from below the food. 

Here's a cutaway of the PG-1000.

[smokeasaurus]

That is true pmillen. Cookshacks are in the Mak category that is for sure. The downdraft hoods are necessary in the more "affordable" grills.....GMG,Traeger,Camp Chef and Rec Tec. When someone is shelling out 1500 plus for a pellet grill (or any kind of pit) you would hope that you would not need mods 

[okie52]

By putting the smokestack opening to the grill lower than grate level wouldn't that basically accomplish the same thing?

[pmillen]

By putting the smokestack opening to the grill lower than grate level wouldn't that basically accomplish the same thing?

I think so.  That's what the FE pits look like.  A metalsmith might be able to cut a hole for the smokestack just above the grease tray.

Although many pits have the firepot directly below the grease tray so the heat may escape.  The FE pits overcome this by isolating the firepot off to one side.  Nevertheless it may work on some pits with some shielding.

[smokeasaurus]

By putting the smokestack opening to the grill lower than grate level wouldn't that basically accomplish the same thing?

I think so.  That's what the FE pits look like.  A metalsmith might be able to cut a hole for the smokestack just above the grease tray.

Sure would. I don't why some mfg's put the exit opening so high up. You are just asking for heat and smoke to naturally rise and not give the meat the hot smokey bath it so rightly deserves......

[solobaric]

This was going to be my next mod.  I'm going to wait for some more feedback from some of your cooks before I pull the trigger. I'm hoping to even out the temps across the grate and definitely some more smoke. What model traeger do you have and any issues with the lid catch?

[pmillen]

That is true pmillen. Cookshacks are in the Mak category that is for sure. The downdraft hoods are necessary in the more "affordable" grills.....GMG,Traeger,Camp Chef and Rec Tec. When someone is shelling out 1500 plus for a pellet grill (or any kind of pit) you would hope that you would not need mods 

And I should have included the Englander pit.  It's licensed from Fast Eddy/Cookshack and has the same design as the PG-500 at about ⅔ the cost.

[smokeasaurus]

I saw a Englander pit assemble at a Home Depot the Holiday Season before last. Nice looking pit.