Let's Talk BBQ
FORUM SPONSORS => MAK Grills => Topic started by: FinsnFeathers on March 30, 2019, 07:19:23 PM
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Hey all.
Just did an 8 hour smoke on two pork butts at 225. It took 8 hours to hit 190.
I hit the off button as normal. I noticed about 10 minutes in to the cool down there was smoke coming out the pellet hopper.
So I took all the guts out and there was a good flame coming out the auger tube.
The fan by the pit boss was blowing air out which seems odd to me. Wouldn't that pull the fire toward the hopper?
Never had this happen before so looking for some input.
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Safe to assume you haven’t had your MAK apart for anything where perhaps something was put back in incorrectly? Burn back is definitely not the norm on a MAK. If you haven’t done anything lately that could be the cause, I’d definitely reach out to MAK support.
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So did some research and if the vents are clogged it will happen. Mine are not....
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Safe to assume you haven’t had your MAK apart for anything where perhaps something was put back in incorrectly? Burn back is definitely not the norm on a MAK. If you haven’t done anything lately that could be the cause, I’d definitely reach out to MAK support.
Nope....haven't taken it apart. Will reach out to them.
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So did some research and if the vents are clogged it will happen. Mine are not....
Absolutely, clogged vents could cause a backdraft. Do you have a 2 Star? If yes, the vents that lead into the cold smoke chamber can sometimes catch ya off-guard.
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Call MAK before you use your grill again.
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So did some research and if the vents are clogged it will happen. Mine are not....
Absolutely, clogged vents could cause a backdraft. Do you have a 2 Star? If yes, the vents that lead into the cold smoke chamber can sometimes catch ya off-guard.
Checked those and all clear as well....and yes, 2 star.
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Call MAK before you use your grill again.
So I cleaned out the auger tube with a vacuum. Is it not safe to use now?
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If all vents are clear, as mentioned above, I wouldn’t suggest using til you speak with MAK tomorrow. That’s just not normal behavior for a MAK, and the last thing you want is a fire in your pellet hopper.
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If all vents are clear, as mentioned above, I wouldn’t suggest using til you speak with MAK tomorrow. That’s just not normal behavior for a MAK, and the last thing you want is a fire in your pellet hopper.
Got it. Thanks all.
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The drain tube is also a vent and needs to be clear
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The drain tube is also a vent and needs to be clear
Are you referring to the hole the grease drains through to the grease pan? If so, all clear as well.
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I received a response from MAK on this.
Looks like I am doing everything right. They do want me to check on the fan to ensure it is facing the right way.
They also recommended vacuuming out the auger tube every month or so to get any pellet dust out which I have not been doing.
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Sounds good... and easy peasy which is nice :)
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Ran the MAK again on Monday night. All good! :thumbup:
There was a lot of pellet dust in the hopper and the tube.
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Ran the MAK again on Monday night. All good! :thumbup:
There was a lot of pellet dust in the hopper and the tube.
Sweet!!! Sounds like you’re life can resume :)
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Get a colander and strain the dust out of your pellets.
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Ran the MAK again on Monday night. All good! :thumbup:
There was a lot of pellet dust in the hopper and the tube.
:thumbup: Glad to hear it!
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Here we go again.....vacuumed out the fire pot. Put new pellets (lumberjack apple and cherry) in the hopper. Set the temp to 375. Put the pork sausage on.
Cook went well. Hit the power down.....10 minutes later smoke coming out the hopper again....not happy at all for the money I spent.
This time I powered down....could smell burtness again.
I talked a buddy at work to get a 2 star.....he told me this morning he had the same issue during a cook.
My pellets are dry....all vents clear...fire pot clean.
Don't get it.....pretty disappointed at this point....so is my buddy.
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They will make this right. Please give them the opportunity. They have failed no one I am aware of
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100% agree! Give MAK the opportunity to resolve this for you. This is absolutely not the norm.
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I will....just venting.
It was in the add mode when I went to cool down. Think it is a timing issue?
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Here we go again.....vacuumed out the fire pot. Put new pellets (lumberjack apple and cherry) in the hopper. Set the temp to 375. Put the pork sausage on.
Cook went well. Hit the power down.....10 minutes later smoke coming out the hopper again....not happy at all for the money I spent.
This time I powered down....could smell burtness again.
I talked a buddy at work to get a 2 star.....he told me this morning he had the same issue during a cook.
My pellets are dry....all vents clear...fire pot clean.
Don't get it.....pretty disappointed at this point....so is my buddy.
Do you have the newest version of the MAK 2 grill?
How old is your grill?
Also, what brand of pellets are you using? If you are still using Lumberjack pellets try the Bear Mt Hickory. When I used the Bear Mt Alder I had all sorts of problems.
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Grill is just a year old.
I am using Lumberjack 100% apple and 100% cherry. Been doing so the whole time.
Also using a colander now as well.
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I really believe this will be an easy fix once MAK helps you figure out the culprit. When the cool down cycle is working properly, the likelihood of burn-back should be nil. In my opinion, something that is easily correctable is just not right. Keep MAK informed and they will have your back til you are 100% satisfied. That’s just how they roll :)
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When I got a Traeger Jr I had burn back *every* *single* *time*. We installed a switch for fan only for shutoff that really helped but we still had burnbacks about 1 out of 3 or 4 times. It wasn’t until we stopped using Traeger pellets when the burnback ceased. I would consider trying different pellets. The bear mt is what mak uses and sells. I highly recommend the hickory as I’ve gone thru 20 bags without a problem.
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Sent another email two days ago to Dennis at MAK but no response yet... >:(
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Sent another email two days ago to Dennis at MAK but no response yet... >:(
Definitely not making excuses, but have you tried calling? In my experience, calling is a much better way to get through to the guys at MAK.
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Sent another email two days ago to Dennis at MAK but no response yet... >:(
Definitely not making excuses, but have you tried calling? In my experience, calling is a much better way to get through to the guys at MAK.
I have not. We are out in our 5th but heading home today. I will try calling tomorrow.
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Sent another email two days ago to Dennis at MAK but no response yet... >:(
Definitely not making excuses, but have you tried calling? In my experience, calling is a much better way to get through to the guys at MAK.
Yep, calling is better. You never know; Dennis may be out of the office, and Matt or somebody else can help get the ball rolling!
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UPDATE: I called on Friday afternoon and spent about 45 minutes on the phone with Dennis.
He walked me through a few things and then had me put the MAK in to smoke mode with a clean fire pot.
He timed it and all was good there.
Next we set it to grill. Timed how long it took to get to temp and all good there.
He let me know that in the cool down sequence there is a pellet dump after 10 minutes and this may be causing the back burn.
We went in to cool down mode and he suggested I open the lid. The MAK was at 465 degrees when I did this with the lid open.
No problem!
So I guess I will be leaving the lid open (it is under a gazebo) during cool down.
Dennis is a great guy and I really appreciated his help. :thumbup:
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Love a happy ending
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Interesting way to resolve the situation... but I guess if that is what it takes then it is what it is. You can leave the hopper lid propped about 1” and still stop that auger feed.
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Interesting way to resolve the situation... but I guess if that is what it takes then it is what it is. You can leave the hopper lid propped about 1” and still stop that auger feed.
Nope...hopper lid closed....grill lid open.
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Interesting way to resolve the situation... but I guess if that is what it takes then it is what it is. You can leave the hopper lid propped about 1” and still stop that auger feed.
Nope...hopper lid closed....grill lid open.
Oops, misunderstood. Just not something I have heard of before. Wonder if you’re the only MAK owner that has to do this. Assuming your MAK is on level ground and not at an angle causing any small remnant of a fire to be directed right towards the auger tube?