Possible New Owner here

SloppySalmon219

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Location
Lowell ,Indiana
Grill
Ex6
Hey guys.. I am a huge weber fan.. I have an 15 year old Genesis I love WSM, 26 kettle and a bunch of 22 kettles.
I wanted to get into the world of pellets so I picked up a Traeger 575 and love it but the size is just too small for me so I returned it after a month.. Now I need bigger and I have been always Eyeballing the EX6.. But all my research its hit or miss.. This EX6 I am looking to get will be a low and slow smoker.. I am not interested in High temps at all.. The fact it can is cool but I got my Genesis with grill grates for that..

I am a huge clean freak on my grills and some hate it but I like to keep my kettles clean as F lol..

Well here is my ?s

I do have a few ?'s Id like some input on.. and again thanks for all the info

1) My driveway has a ever so slight slope will this effect anything?

From what I am reading Foil Pans are the Goto for grease. I don't think grease will be an issue because I am a clean freak.
I have seen people cook on the top grate and foil on the 2nd grate. I have seen foil pans in between the bars and bottom grate.

2) Is there a temp difference from top and bottom grate?

3) Has anyone put foil pans below the bar on the bottom of the barrel?

On all my pits I use gaskets for sealing.

4) Is gaskets necessary or needed?

My Traeger shut down process was after it was done.. I would vacuum out the ash and empty my pellets into a sealed container and clean out the
auger.

5) Is there a pellet prime feature to run the rest of the pellets out of the auger or do I just remove it?
 
1. Will you be cooking in your driveway? A lot of guys put on aftermarket wheels. Locked wheels should solve any runaways.
2. I havent noticed a significant difference, between top or bottom, in low n slow. Most of my brisket cooking on my EX6 has been on top shelf.
3. I use foil pans under brisket on bottom shelf, brisket on top. Everything else I use a cookie sheet with wire cooling rack in it. I came from the store like that. See some of my cooks to see what I use.
4. I personally dont feel that a gasket it necessary, I dont remember any smoke leaking out of the lid….but if it make you feel better do it.
I never thought I would be a pellet guy….ever. Picked up my EX6 new out of box, in Feb 2020. For o er half off retail. First cook is was like no way. Then I dabbled some more…and love it. I’ve grilled/smoked just about everything you can come up with. If mine died today, I’d be on a serious hunt for another.
Clean up is easy with a shop vac.
I dont ever clean out pellets, unless I’m working on it. Like changing out the auger motor to second version .
I feel like a lot of the “issues” with the SF are blown way out of whack. Grease fires…etc. I too am a big Weber fan.
There are other pellet grills out there that are better built, but I’m a SF fan for sure.
 
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I think bbqking has it right. I'm still new to SF (and pellet cooking) but a very long time Weber fan. SF takes some time to understand how it cooks the best and this web page has been immensely helpful as I learn SF. Like any new design product SF has had some quirks (Weber being new to the pellet game) but Weber really stands behind the product and seems quick to help customers out.
As for the use of foil to aid cleanup - LOL - you will get a ton of thoughts on that subject for sure (I did - it was one of the first questions I asked). For my part I use foil pans under a longer-term cook, more for adding water than for cleanup. Like you I'm a clean freak (my 15-year-old kettle still looks new after a ton of q's) and I really haven't found cleaning up the SF is any big deal. I bought a cheap 2.5 gal shop vac like bbqking suggests and use it only for SF cleanup. Cheers!
 
What do you mean you returned your 575 after a month? Is that a thing? Really?
 
I’m of the opinion to leave it alone. The more you mess with it, the more chance of having issues. Specifically with cleaning out the pellets, why on Earth anyone would do that is beyond me, but having to prime every cook is silly. You have then artificially introduced another factor and opened yourself up to a no start and dumping pellets.

I know guys like to tinker whether it makes sense or not, I know guys like to clean and and be anal about stuff, but it’s not the best. Cleaning, fine go for it. I don’t, I’ve run my Smokefire filthy for months and not a single issue. But the pellets in the hopper...unless you’re super humid maybe, that one I don’t get.

Yes it leaks smoke at the lid. Who cares. The only thing I have with a gasket is the Summit charcoal, and it came that way. Everything else leaks and still manages to work.

I’m not trying to be rude even if it sounds that way haha
 
I’m of the opinion to leave it alone. The more you mess with it, the more chance of having issues. Specifically with cleaning out the pellets, why on Earth anyone would do that is beyond me, but having to prime every cook is silly. You have then artificially introduced another factor and opened yourself up to a no start and dumping pellets.

I know guys like to tinker whether it makes sense or not, I know guys like to clean and and be anal about stuff, but it’s not the best. Cleaning, fine go for it. I don’t, I’ve run my Smokefire filthy for months and not a single issue. But the pellets in the hopper...unless you’re super humid maybe, that one I don’t get.

Yes it leaks smoke at the lid. Who cares. The only thing I have with a gasket is the Summit charcoal, and it came that way. Everything else leaks and still manages to work.

I’m not trying to be rude even if it sounds that way haha
Exactly correct.

If you know you aren't gonna use the grill for a few months you could justify dumping and purging the pellets but even then I think you are unlikely to have issues unless the pellets got wet.
 
We all dance to different drum beats. I completely understand the cleaning, still look like new grill. Nothing looks as good as a shiny, new Weber kettle/SmokeFire. But alas I’m not the guy who wants to put any time into making my grills shiny. Functional, is good enough for me. Oh yeah and good food. What I want to know is who cleans the grills and or equipment on these YouTube guys stuff….it always looks very clean.
 
We all dance to different drum beats. I completely understand the cleaning, still look like new grill. Nothing looks as good as a shiny, new Weber kettle/SmokeFire. But alas I’m not the guy who wants to put any time into making my grills shiny. Functional, is good enough for me. Oh yeah and good food. What I want to know is who cleans the grills and or equipment on these YouTube guys stuff….it always looks very clean.
If you’re cleaning because you want to or like to that’s perfectly understandable. I just don’t want to imply it’s necessary to do so and have a functioning grill. I totally am jealous at times of those who are compelled to clean everything and totally horrified at other times. 🤣

Takes all kinds.
 
If you’re cleaning because you want to or like to that’s perfectly understandable. I just don’t want to imply it’s necessary to do so and have a functioning grill. I totally am jealous at times of those who are compelled to clean everything and totally horrified at other times. 🤣

Takes all kinds.
Mega Dittos
 
So guys.... I wanted to follow up... my neighbor had great influence on my getting a traeger ironwood 885.. I had it since may.. used it all the time and loved it.. well over the weekend it failed to started and I called customer service and they said I had a defective hot rod.. I put it in today and failed to start like 5 times. I called traeger and they pretty much had nothing to say.. for a $1500 grill thats sad.. the place I bought it from is taking it back luckily.... being a weber owner for years and having a ton of their products.. I should of just got a smoke fire right away.. idk why I listened to my dumb ass neighbor..


Well I need the room so the ex6 is in stock and I can take it with or the epx6 is om back order... is there a big difference other then color?
 
The hopper internals have had a redesign that will help with feeding pellets to the auger, the burn pot has had a slight redesign and is made from better materials and the glow plug assembly has been improved.

In my opinion, those changes are worth paying the extra to get the EPX6 but you also get the Crafted grates and the rest of the stuff.
 

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