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[LowSlowJoe]

I know this probably sounds crazy, but I wonder what affect the stainless body might have on the visibility of the smoke at times (not questioning LSJ and Woody standing right by it looking specifically for it though). Most other pits are black and many are funneling all the smoke to a 3" smoke stack instead of spreading it across a 2-3 foot long slot too. I feel like there's a ton less smoke visible from my Memphis than the Traegers and GMGs I've had previously. However, when I'm smoking food that I'm tending to more, my clothes smell just as smokey as they did when cooking the same foods on the other. I love my Pro and the food seems to taste the same as my old grills.

All I can say, is he started this up while I was standing there, I saw almost literally no smoke coming out.  We stood there talking for a while, you could see the grill was getting warmer, but still no smoke. I walked around near the back and literally put my nose right up to where the exhaust comes out... couldn't really smell any smoke.    He left the grill run like that for 10 minutes or so, and then opened the lid, and really virtually no smoke at all was seen as he opened it.  I have never seen any of my pellet grills startup , without any smoke. Usually mine are like billowing white smoke as they start, this grill never did anything like that.

  Now, it's only the second time I've ever seen any Memphis grill running in person.  The first time, was also his, the first time I met him, he was cooking a brisket at the time, it was pretty cool out that day, like maybe 40F.  I don't know for sure the details of how hot he was running that day, nor did I go so far as to stick my nose by the exhaust.   As I recall that first time I saw his Memphis, it was putting out some 'smoke' out , but then it was a cool day, and it may have also been steam/moisture.  But anyway,  his is the only Memphis I've seen running in person, and so far I've only seen it run the two different times. 

  ( I haven't had a chance to try any of the food he's cooked either, so I can't comment on how it tasted. )

[LowSlowJoe]

Other thing that I still find as odd...   he insists  ( and I have absolutely no reason to doubt him ) that his Memphis uses like 1.75 pounds of pellets in a hour when running at 275F.    This seems kinda high to me. Apparently he's had conversations with Memphis and is told that is in the range of what could be expected.  It doesn't concern me that it's using that many pellets , but if that's accurate consumption, I would not guess that is a sign of highly efficient burn.

Just to be clear, I'm personally not concerned about his grill, or trying to be critical of Memphis grills in general. I just find all this quite interesting, way different then I had ever expected, I'm actually kinda fascinated by it all.

[Bar-B-Lew]

Maybe we can have Woody and gtsum2 post pics of their grill running at 180°, 250°, 350° to show smoke output of each.  Something just doesn't seem right about what you experienced on Woody's grill.  I say that from performance of the grill standpoint not from the fact that I don't believe what either of you are saying.

[glitchy]

LSJ, maybe Woody's grill has the new smog control system in it?

I agree with your observation that it's strange how little smoke I see out of my Pro at times, I often cannot see it or smell it as well. Burning 1.75 lbs/hour though seems high. I haven't tracked mine that close, but I'm pretty sure I'm no where near that. Though it will burn through a good bit when I run at 400-500 degrees.

[bregent]

LSJ, maybe Woody's grill has the new smog control system in it?

I agree with your observation that it's strange how little smoke I see out of my Pro at times, I often cannot see it or smell it as well. Burning 1.75 lbs/hour though seems high. I haven't tracked mine that close, but I'm pretty sure I'm no where near that. Though it will burn through pile when I run at 400-500 degrees.

Give Greg at Memphis tech support a call. There are parameters on the old controller that he walked me through to fix some startup temp issues. Perhaps there's something on the new controller that will increase smoke output.

[Canadian John]

 The pre Wi-Fi Memphis pits "bellowed"( fans on/off) at any setting under 300º, to the point the fans may barely come on...There some conditions that effects  the duration of the fans being on:  Ambient temperature - If cold, can't give an exact temp, the fans

run 100% no mater what the setting, however the higher the setting, the more likely the fans are to run 100%. The reason is there is limited pellet delivery under 300º and to keep the pit temp up, it's fans on..SO - pay attention to the fan operation when set

under 300º.... It has to be really cold for the fans to stay on when set at 180º.. Re Cold: ~ 50º and under the fans may not cycle w/ the pit set much over 225º.. The less fan operation results in more smoke..  Something else that may help is,"Pre Heat the Pit":

Set to 300º and make sure it gets there. Load the food and set to smoke - anything under 300º..If there is no fan cycling, lower the setting until it does.. Hope this helps.

[ZCZ]

Maybe if there is no smoke it is not actually burning pellets? 

Other than that how does the food taste?

[Bentley]

A lot has to do with the meat being cooked and the amount of time I have to cook it in.

[Canadian John]

A lot has to do with the meat being cooked and the amount of time I have to cook it in.

That's a big 10-4:The colder and more moist the meat is ,more smoke is absorbed, to a point.. More time spent absorbing smoke = more smoke absorbed; so low pit temps with cool moist meat is optimal.  If the smoke ring is your goal, "cherry" is at the top of the list.

[Deebo1133]

Here is mine at 250. I went up and down the temps when I first got it because it was mentioned to me that there may be a sweet spot. 250 is where I see the most visible smoke. I did however back mine down to 180 after a cooks dn the pot being warm and it was smoking like a Siv so there may be something to the pit getting warmed up and the amount the fan runs....?


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[Deebo1133]

Wow....meant to say backed it down to 180 after a cook and it was smoking a lot.....


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[Deebo1133]

I may have to spend some time and do a good test.


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[Deebo1133]

Here is at 225 yesterday. The more I cook on this thing I am thinking that it does well through the whole smoking range if you give the pit time to warm up. Food tastes great anyway.



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[ZCZ]

My 2013 Memphis Pro. Smoking a 4 lb. brisket flat from Costco today. Grill is running at 200.
Hickory pellets.

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Z

[Bentley]

Mine won't even start putting out good smoke for 45 minutes...The unit is just so efficient on consumption it takes that long for mine to get into the groove!  But reading these comments, it sounds like there have been a LOT of changes to combustion and air delivery since 2010. 

And if the company says 1.75lbs is normal burn for 275° now, so be it, but I would have to be at 500° to burn that may pellets in an hour!  At 275°, mine is half that rate, so maybe things have changed a great deal!  And my sweet spot is 200°, not 180°!