How To CLEAN a TRAEGER Pellet Grill | Maintenance 101

#Traeger #TraegerGrills #PelletGrills
In this video, I show you how to properly Clean and Maintain your Traeger Grill. With a few simple steps, you can avoid any grease fires, or pellet overload in the fire box. I've seen a bunch of people posting about fires in their Traeger, or their fire going out (temperature drop). The major cause of these issues is a poorly maintained grill. Let me know if you have any other ways of cleaning your grill in the comments section.
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Products Links:
Stanley Wet/Dry Vacuum:
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Paint Scraper:
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CitruSafe Grill Cleaner:
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Wood Grill Scraper:
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If you are interested in buying a Traeger or any accessories, use this link:
traeger.uym8.net/vMaMv
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Disclaimer: affiliate links above, so if you purchase something through them I will receive a small commission, but you will not pay more for the product(s)*
It just helps me out!

[@ItsRyanTurley]

If you're looking for some of my favorite Traeger recipes and videos, check out this 'Holy Brisket' Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PL_vFEuU4lIwDt1LR_g4OYmwJ1FMhP_MWd

[@dec2321]

Thanks for the video. Something to add to your tips: Flip your drip bucket over and form the double layer of foil on the outside of the bucket. Then pull the foil off and put it inside your drip bucket.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Bro. I had to read this twice... but this tip is next level mind blown 🤯 awesome idea!!! 💥🔥🙏🏼

[@Smokedout33]

Wow, that's pretty good idea!!!!

[@carolferguson]

Thank you!

[@jeanniek1498]

Wow great tip

[@TheGreaseBoxLLC]

If you’re tired of the grease pail, we have a fix!

[@bbqbymazie]

Great tutorial, Ryan!

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Thank you Mazie 🙏🏼👊🏼🔥💨!

[@wendycornett-marquitz9582]

This was very helpful! Thank you!

[@spencerdelgado4188]

This is awesome. I do the exact same thing. I don’t cover my drip tray with aluminum foil or my drip bucket. I just clean as needed.

[@mattgaffney3305]

looks pretty straightforward. Gracias!

[@dorinaturley1787]

Awesome tutorial Ryan!

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Dorina Turley Thanks so much!

[@klaritydawn]

Thank you sooo much. I just had this model gifted to me and I'm dying to use it. This guy took amazing care of this so I'm thrilled. I'm definitely going to be binge watching so I know how to use this. I seriously cannot wait to smoke a brisket!!!

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Oh wow, how lucky Klarity! Have you used it yet? I'd love to hear how you are enjoying it!

[@klaritydawn]

@@ItsRyanTurley Hi Ryan! Btw...my mom is a Turley, just thought this is Cool. I've done whole chicken, chicken breast several times, filet mignon's, porterhouse steaks, burgers, hot dogs, ham chops, and even a loaf of bread, and All turned out Amazing. I TRIED a Brisket but FAILED miserably. Idk what I am doing wrong but so frustrating. I have tried before on other grills (that I purchased all items to make it smoker too) but FAILED. Years ago I had a smoker and I made a brisket that turned out soooo good but since then I've had NO luck. HELP???? 🙃I LOVE this Traeger and use it every time I get the chance which has been a lot.

[@NickThompson19]

Nice tip on the drip tray liner and the wood scraper! Great video, thank you!

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Awesome, thank you Nick!

[@stevep8531]

@@ItsRyanTurleywhere is the best place to buy the wood scraper, cheaply?

[@CreatorDrews]

awesome demonstration thanks!!

[@stephenamerson439]

Excellent video to the point! Background music not needed distraction.

[@larssoderlund4003]

Thanks!! Super helpful!!

[@randywunderlich6315]

Good stuff, thanks for the info!!!

[@blakstar64]

For the grease catch bucket, try a used pickle jar. When it’s full, just screw on the top and you’re done. Or it’s just as easy to dump the grease into a ziplock bag.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Love this tip! Cheers Rich!

[@davidz2950]

Cleaning the Traeger after every cook might be a bit much but I appreciate the tips. I will be cleaning that RTF probe

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Yeah I don’t go into that level of detail after each cook, but definitely be mindful of the drip pan and excess ash which can affect flavor of your next cook. Thanks for checking it out!!! 🙌🏼

[@bonitrombetta1458]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@ItsRyanTurley]

My pleasure, happy to help!

[@HealthIsYourWealth_Char]

I just wanted to say Thank you! I did buy them citrus clean but made my own with lemons. You should see how clean my Traeger is

[@bluwatcher]

Recipe?!

[@cookingsimplydelicious]

This is an amazing tutorial as I love grilling every weekend. Thanks for all the tips you shared. Great job Fully watched

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Cooking Simply Delicious thanks for checking it out and I appreciate the support!

[@n8diesel]

That spider makes an epic daring escape at the 7:00 minute mark! I’d like to see a slow motion zoomed in recap of it please.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Omg 😆 good eye! Yeah spidey knew what was about to down! I’ll work on the #short SLO-MO recap 😂

[@ashleeguzman6331]

I need to clean my drip pan. Its a hot mess. Its my first Treager so unfortunately, I've been learning things the hard way. Should have done more research before using. Thanks for the video.

[@reddottbtb]

I just got a used treager. Thanks for the video. Mine has a trough that looks like grease flows along and goes to the bucket. I'm going to scrape that out too. I'll see what other crevices I find and comment here. I got a hand me down Costco model.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Nice, I hope the video helps! You’re going to love it, you’ll be hooked soon! Let me know if I can ever help out. Cheers!

[@belindaruffa]

Thanks so much!

[@ItsRyanTurley]

My pleasure Belinda! Happy grilling this summer!

[@carolferguson]

Wow. Thanks!

[@Erik-rd5dl]

I like the idea of using the foil to funnel the grease. I have a larger Trager but like that idea. I may make a shute out of a piece of leftover aluminum

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Yes it worked well for the design. Now I have the Timberline XL and it doesn’t use a drip tray liner / foil which will take some getting used to.

[@mr.burgess2575]

Nice!

[@karenlloyd3188]

Thank you

[@cyndilaurie5865]

You answered the question I couldn’t find on the other videos which was how well to clean the grate (or not) between general uses~ thx! Do you also flip the grate over and scrape it or is that unnecessary? Do you apply Pam spray or olive oil before cooking? And is there any reason to occasionally give the grate a thorough cleaning? Thank u!

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Awesome, glad this was a helpful resource. As for flipping over the grate, I really don’t do this every time, but if I do a deep clean I will flip it over and scrape if it needs it. I also do not apply any oil before cooking. I find that when using the WOOD scraper, all of the natural oils from my beef, pork or fish, will still be there, and it is perfectly seasoned! I hope this helps, and happy smoking!

[@406findings]

How often should i do this good of a clean? I try every time i use a full bag of pellets.

[@Doctorbob12341]

Hi thanks for this very informative video, one question, do you change the foil on the drip pain after each use or depending on how soiled/greasy it gets?

[@jayvila1337]

Thanks for the video, I'm looking for a part for the traeger. What is the shelf holder called below the handle of the traeger smoker?. I bought a traeger at a yard sale and it's doesn't have that shelf connected. Thank you

[@BaibaSK92]

My husband bought this grill just the bigger one about a year and half ago and it’s been such b ich to clean every single time. It gets so greasy that no matter what he uses the grease is just everywhere and he can’t seem to scrape drip pan clean enough.

[@enirehtakanodrac449]

Gracias 🙏

[@ItsRyanTurley]

De nada 🙌🏼

[@carolzdawczyk4714]

How do you clean grease trap on pro 575?

[@pgarberina]

Do you have a video about how to handle cleaning your auger out each time? Also do you remove pellets every time after your smoke? Leave my grill outside right now and I know I’ve heard and read things about not leaving pellets in it outside. I do have a nice Traeger cover and it rained the last two days. I did pull the pellets out and they look pretty good. No moisture they don’t look expanded from the original size. Would appreciate some thoughts or a good article you can point me to on best practices related to the pellet box to keep the Traeger operating smoothly.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Hey Paul, sorry for the delay. I have never cleaned my auger as it doesn't seem necessary if your pellets are good condition. I leave pellets in the hopper outside) but I also use my traeger a few times a week, so the pellets never sit that long. If you plan on going a few weeks between cooks, I would recommend pulling them out and storing in an airtight container. If you plan on smoking regularly... just leave them in. I hope this helps, cheers!

[@katheschofield3532]

Ryan, Great video. Have not received my grill yet, but trying to gather info. Really looking forward to Traeger cooking. BTW, is the drip pan original? I have read that there is a problem with warping. Your drip pan looked great.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Hi Kathe, thanks for checking it out! Happy to help if you ever have q’s. As for the drip tray, that was a replacement due to warping. Traeger hooked it up though as I said in the vid, their Customer Service is fantastic!

[@katheschofield3532]

@@ItsRyanTurley Sorry, missed that. will watch again.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

No I didn’t mention the drip tray. I mentioned their customer service 😆 sorry for the confusion.

[@PMart317]

do you vacuum every cook??

[@MrCrow1963]

Wee tip fold tinfoil over outside of your drippings bucket to form bucket shape first.

[@ryantay87]

You vacuumed the fire pot for ash. I didn't see any pellets in it. Do you need to manually add some before igniting? Trying to figure out if I need to or not. My sugar has pellets, but my fire pot was vacuumed. Any advice is appreciated.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Hey Ryan, there should already pellets in the auger if it has been properly primed. So when you turn your Traeger on it will feed pellets into fire pot immediately and begin the fire up phase. If you want to watch this process once with everything taken apart it might help ease your concern. Then once you see pellets ignited you can place down the heat shield, drip tray, grates, etc. just use heat safe gloves and be careful. I hope this helps and holler if you ever need anything 🔥💨

[@sharp357]

The salesman told us he uses a pickle jar in the drip bucket so all he does is dump it and wash the jar. I think Ill try that.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Cool, yeah that is definitely one way to do it! Hope you enjoy your new Traeger! Holler if I can ever help out...

[@carlboehm8808]

Yo Ryan - how do I best clean the drip tray? Do you recommend the citrus safe?

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Yo Carl, keeping those drip trays clean is tough. Are you using a liner? If you are not I would start now. If you have a bunch of built-up grease and creosote, I would suggest scraping as much off as you can do with a paint scraper, and then yes you could use citrus safe but it’s not necessary. You just really want keep it as clean as possible to avoid any grease fires and buildup.

[@Eminemownz99]

Hey Ryan, I’m a little late. Do you think I could just blow out the ash if I don’t have a shop vac? Thanks!

[@bk6271]

Sure can! Also can you video yourself doing that please

[@traceyhathaway4105]

I have a question about cleaning the inside of my treager. You said you never use product inside, I found a rat inside, I’m concerned not using product inside it won’t be clean enough…?? Help please

[@kimthesax]

Do you have a problem with the foil on drip tray "melting/breaking appart" when searing at 600F+, I am using the most heavy duty foil I can find in Norway that is meant for Grilling?

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Hi Kim, most Traegers only go to 500ºf, so I can't speak to that heat level. But I haven't had that issue. Perhaps try the thicker Traeger branded foil drip sheets?

[@carolferguson]

Help please! Ok. I was grilling today (it has been raining) and it kept stopping. I looked up the code & it said low temperature for over 10 minutes. So after 3 times I loved the meat inside. Later I cleaned my Traeger. I turned it on again. And then it cut off. What is wrong? Please help😫. I admit the I bought cheap wood pellets and they acted like they’d been wet. They kind of disintegrated. Should. I vacuum them all out?

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Sorry to hear for the trouble. Yes vacuum them all out and start over. It sounds like the pellets are no good. 🥹

[@Xaero324]

How often do you vacuum the insides? Thinking of buying one but if I have to vacuum before every use specially im winter I may reconsider.

[@ItsRyanTurley]

I’d recommend vacuuming every 12-15 hours of cook time. So every few cooks is necessary or after a long brisket. It really only takes about 5 minutes to clean 😅

[@Xaero324]

@@ItsRyanTurley Thanks for the quick response. I'll definitely take that into consideration 😄

[@hectorrivera2477]

Probably already answered but what wood scrapper do you use?

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Hey Hector! This is very similar to the one I use. But any wood scraper will do: amzn.to/2Tf3y7r

[@thebluetarp]

THE PELLETS i assume build up ash. where does the burned up pellet ash accumulate? just at the bottom of the grill??

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Correct, that’s why it’s important to vacuum your pellet grill out on a regular basis.

[@legendaryandrewsouth]

Alright so I just was handed down the tailgater model cooking higher temps not a problem but if I switch to smoke the temp drops down to about 70°F I havent ever done any pellet grill smoking so im in the dark on this but I also know you aren't cooking anything at 70° what am I missing?

[@ItsRyanTurley]

First of all, welcome to Traeger hood! You’re going to love this new hobby! So generally you’re going to want to start out your cooks in smoke or in the 180 to 225°F range. Then work your way up in temperature to get a nice sear, or to finish off your cooks. My guess is, if you were going from a high heat and then dropping your temperature to smoke, The fire could be going out? The other thought I had, is old pellets… Are they fresh new pellets? No moisture? Happy to trouble shoot more if needed, hope it all works out!

[@legendaryandrewsouth]

They are fresh brand new bag of pellets. But i was going from high heat to smoke so that may be my issue.

[@legendaryandrewsouth]

@@ItsRyanTurley ill give a try this week and let you know so if someone else has the same issue you have all the info to help them as well

[@ItsRyanTurley]

@@legendaryandrewsouth also be sure your firebox is cleaned out / vacuumed regularly. If to much ash accumulates the fire can go out which also sounds like could be the case here. This video will help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHemgoqipJtkjbs

[@legendaryandrewsouth]

@@ItsRyanTurley that was in fact my issue. Smoked a couple of my tenderest loins of pork started off smoke setting for 2 hours then brought up to 160° and worked perfect. Thank you buddy!

[@adammoore71]

I don't know how involved it is, but you should throw up some product links (helps me quickly find that cleaner and helps you make a little extra)

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Adam Moore Thank you bro! I’ve been meaning to set up an Amazon affiliate account for product links, and now you’ve motivated me to get it done! I will do it this week, and add the links to all my videos… Honestly much much appreciated! 👊🏼🔥💨

[@josephs6358]

Where did you get that wood grill scraper?

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Hey Joseph, sorry for the delay! I got mine from Costco, but I found one on Amazon that is pretty comparable: amzn.to/2Sxnj9i Holler if I can help!

[@josephs6358]

@@ItsRyanTurley No problem, I actually found one at Walmart and bought it for 20 bucks. Same one as this www.amazon.com/Wood-Grill-Scraper-Shovel-Accessory/dp/B077T84PD7/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=the+great+scraper&qid=1620677717&sr=8-3

[@jmiramontes7]

You don’t wash the grill grate?

[@ItsRyanTurley]

I prefer to keep my grill grates well seasoned and non-stick. But to reach their own.

[@creatinechris]

So the pressure washer was a bad move?

[@ItsRyanTurley]

Lol. Nah prob easier and cleaner 😂

[@Weezulguy]

Hats on backwards, Dude...

[@ItsRyanTurley]

You sir......... Are correct

[@NoName-sl1kx]

Such a good wife, little cleaning boi loves the koook muscle dong

[@wordsareteething397]

Vision pro is embarrassing

[@chriscaz1239]

I eat eggs