Following the correct startup process is very important as it can have many different affects on your cook, even hours in. Grills started incorrectly may experience temperature swings, flame outs, and many other issues.
To determine if your grill is a closed-lid startup grill, you will need to find your model number.
Now that you have your model number, see if it is in the list below. If your model number is in this list, you know your grill requires a closed-lid startup. If you do not see your grill in this list, you may assume that your grill requires an open-lid startup.
Closed-lid startups are very simple. When ready to cook, set your Traeger grill directly to the desired temperature and preheat with the lid closed for approximately 15 minutes.
If your grill requires an open-lid startup, follow these steps:
Should the fan cycle off and on during startup?
I set my grill for 450. It says "preheat complete" at 375. Is this normal or require some kind of action?
You should always shut down your grill using the grill's shut down feature, regardless of the model. One of the main reasons for this is for safety to prevent backburn and grill fires.
Backburn and Grill Fires
When you turn off the grill without using the shut down feature, mechanical components like the auger stop functioning; meanwhile, the fire will still be going full force in the firepot. This combination can cause the pellets in the auger to ignite, causing a grill fire.
Using the proper shutdown feature can also prevent the grill from burning out the remaining pellets in the fire pot at the end of your cook. The next time you start your grill, because the firepot was not burned out with the prior proper shutdown, you may experience a grill fire from the remaining pellets in the firepot.