"EZ" wrote:
> Tinman wrote:
>
>> As for your incident, I wonder what would have happened if, as luck
>> would have it, your electrical power *did* go out--and then back
>> on--some time after the Traeger lost its fire. Seems there could have
>> been a crap load of pellets firing up at once, should that unlikely
>> scenario occur.
>
> Well, I'm betting the pellets would stop with the electricity, then when
> the power came back on, hopefully the glow plug would fire up for its 4
> minutes and gracefully ignite the pellets as the augur fed them.

I was thinking about the fire going out (on its own), but not the
electricity. Four hours later the power does go out, then comes back on,
starting the fire again (this time with a boat load of pellets to burn!).


> If not, well, there'd be what I found that morning - a crapload of pellets
> that stupid ol' me fired up by power-cycling the Traeger.
>

Aha, so it did happen after-all (but at least not unattended). I was
concerned that burning such a large number of pellets might be a problem.
Guess it's better than a similar situation occurring with gas...


>> I've got a TEC series CB grill now and its on the TEC burner for any
>> steal I cook these days. If anything, might try searing a steak and
>> then finishing on the Traeger for more smoke flavor.
>
> I'm thinking that just might be the ticket. Except for having to get two
> pieces of outdoor cooking equipment uncovered, heated up, cleaned-up
> afterwards, etc. Ah, but I bet the result is worth it!

You betcha. The thing with steaks is that they are damned expensive to
practice on these days. And when you screw it up it's done. Most of my
"bad Q" was still pretty darned good, even if as leftovers (your lost-fire
incident duly noted).

I almost tried the sear-then-smoke, or perhaps smoke-then-sear, technique a
few weeks ago with some very nice thickly-cut aged filets. But in the end I
chickened out--no pun!!!--and seared 'em on the red-hot TEC burner,
finishing on low on a regular gas burner. One of these days...


--
Mike