Traeger BBQ124 User manual

OWNER’S MANUAL
RESIDENTIAL PELLET GRILL
This Grill Protected Under Patent Number: 4,823,684
FOR OUTDOOR USE ONLY!
WARNING!
DO NOT STORE OR USE NEAR GASOLINE OR OTHER
FLAMMABLE OR COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS IN THE
VICINITY OF THIS APPLIANCE!
USE ONLY TRAEGER BRAND HARDWOOD
BBQ PELLETS IN THE OPERATION OF THIS UNIT.
TRAEGER
®
BBQ124

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of this TRAEGER WOOD PELLET GRILL
Model BBQ124. With proper set-up, operation and maintenance, this smoker will
provide you with years of cooking enjoyment.
Your new grill comes almost completely assembled. You will need to complete
the assembly which includes:
1) Positioning the U-shaped firepot cover over the firepot, and setting the angled
drip pan in place.
2) Hanging the grease bucket on the grease drain tube hook located on the
grease drain tube.
3) Installing the chimney trim piece and chimney cap on the smokestack. NOTE:
The trim piece must be installed BEFORE securing the chimney cap on the
smokestack.
4) Placing the porcelain coated cooking grill into place in the cooking chamber.
5) Install the four casters into the front and rear legs of the barbecue.
When you un-box your grill, make sure you have, and can identify all of the
following parts:
(1) Porcelain coated cooking grill. Remove for placement.
(1) U-shaped firepot cover. Remove from grill for placement.
(1) Angled drip pan. Remove from grill for placement.
(1) Grease catch bucket. Remove from grill for placement.
(1) Chimney cap. Remove from grill for placement.
(2) Locking casters
(2) Non-locking casters
Follow these step by step instructions and you’ll be cookin’ in no time!

SECTION ONE: ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
INSTALLING THE STAINLESS STEEL TRIM PIECE:
The stainless steel chimney trim piece slips over the smokestack. Please
put this into position before installing the chimney cap. It slips over the
smokestack.
INSTALLING THE CHIMNEY CAP:
The chimney cap screws into the mounting bracket inside the smokestack and
should only be hand tightened.
POSITIONING THE U-SHAPED FIREPOT COVER
AND ANGLED DRIP PAN:
Use this illustration to properly place each of the following parts:
U-Shaped Firepot Cover, Angled Drip Pan, Grease Catch Bucket.
Become familiar with each of the components and how they fit inside your grill.
HANGING THE GREASE BUCKET
Locate the grease drain tube found at the bottom right hand side of the grill body.
Hang the grease bucket on the hook on the drain tube.
Drip Pan
Support Bar
Angled drip pan V channel
grease catch
Grease drain
tube
Firepot cover
and shield
Firepot
Auger tube
Angled Drip Pan
Short End of
Angled Drip Pan
Firepot
Long End of
Angled Drip Pan

SECTION TWO: EMPTY PELLET
HOPPER LIGHTING INSTRUCTIONS
(To be used on initial firing or anytime the unit runs out of pellets)
In order to ensure proper operation of your grill, you must first
allow the auger tube to be “charged” with pellets.
1. Make sure the power switch is in the OFF position. Plug power cord into a
110 volt outlet.
2. Open the pellet hopper lid and locate the auger. Make sure there are no
foreign objects in the auger. Turn the power on and look into the pellet
hopper to confirm the auger is turning. At the same time, place your fingers
over the firepot and feel the air movement from the combustion fan. Look
and see if the hot rod is getting hot. DO NOT TOUCH IT! Turn the power
switch off.
3. Fill the hopper with bbq pellets. Set the cook mode switch on HIGH (300
degrees on thermostat control). Note: During the initial charging of the
auger, it will take approximately 5 minutes for the pellets to travel from the
hopper to the firepot. When the pellets begin to fall into the firepot, Turn the
power switch off. WARNING! USE ONLY TRAEGER OR SMITH &
WESSON BRAND BBQ PELLETS, which are specifically made to work
in our grills. NEVER use heating fuel pellets in your unit.
4. Turn the grill back on, set the cook mode switch on SMOKE. Let the pellets
come to full flame. Once you see flames come out of the firepot, turn the
power switch OFF and let the grill cool down. Line the angled drip pan with
heavy-duty aluminum foil. Starting from the large end first, proceed in a
right to left manner. Be sure that the foil that runs along the edge of the pan
is tight against the bottom of the pan. Next, put the U-shaped firepot cover,
angled drip pan and cooking grills back into their proper position. Set the
cook mode switch or thermostat dial on SMOKE. Turn the power switch
ON. In approximately 2 minutes you will notice whitish-gray smoke coming
out of the grill. The hot rod will operate for four minutes before shutting off.
After 4 minutes, the cook mode switch may be moved to any cooking
setting you desire. Note: Before cooking the first batch of food in your
new grill, you will need to season the unit. Turn the cook mode switch
to HIGH (300 degrees on thermostat control) and run for 45 minutes at
this setting with the lid closed. This must be done before cooking
food on your unit.
5. After using the grill for the first time, it should take approximately 10
minutes of warm-up time before you can start cooking food inside the unit.
ALWAYS START YOUR GRILL ON SMOKE MODE
Once the pellets are ignited, you can switch to any
cooking temperature you desire.

SECTION THREE: STANDARD LIGHTING
PROCEDURE (For Normal Use)
1. Set the cook mode switch or thermostat dial on SMOKE. Turn the power switch
ON. In approximately 2 minutes you will notice whitish-gray smoke coming out of
the grill. The hot rod will operate for four minutes before shutting off. After 4
minutes, the cook mode switch may be moved to any cooking setting you desire
SECTION FOUR: OPERATING TIPS
1) Your Traeger Grill should never be moved while it is hot. If you are transporting
your grill in a vehicle after cooking on it, make sure the fire is completely out and
the unit is completely cold before placing it in any vehicle. NEVER put water in the
firepot. It will jam the auger.
2) This grill is designed to operate with the LID CLOSED. Cooking with the
lid open will greatly increase your cooking time.
3) NEVER add pellets by hand to a hot firepot. This is dangerous and you may
get seriously burned. If you run out of fuel and lose your fire while cooking, let
the unit completely cool and start all over again with auto-start or manual lighting
procedure.
4) Your grill comes equipped with a three position cooking mode control.
The switch can be changed at any time to increase or decrease the temperature
of your grill. “HIGH” is used for grilling. The auger runs all of the time on “HIGH”.
The “MEDIUM” setting is for slow cooking. The auger runs for 2 minutes than
shuts off for 2 minutes. “SMOKE” is for smoking foods and adding wood smoke
flavor to the foods you cook. The auger runs for 1 minute and is off for 3 minutes.
This creates a natural wood smoke flavor to your food. The “SMOKE” setting can
also be used to “hold” foods at approximately 180-200 degrees F.
5) After starting the grill make sure the U-shaped firepot cover is properly seated
in its support brackets. The lips of the U-shaped firepot cover should be pointing
down along the front and rear of the firepot. If not seated properly, direct heat and
flame could come up out of the firepot and cause a grease fire in your unit.
6) When estimating cooking times, remember that the outside temperature will
dramatically alter your cooking times. If it is hot outside, it will take less time for
food to cook. If it is cold, wet or windy, it will take longer for food to cook.
7) Grease fires are caused by not properly maintaining your grill or failing to clean
your angled drip pan on a consistent basis. In the unlikely event you experience a
grease fire while cooking, keep the lid closed. Never open the cooking chamber
lid during a grease fire. If it does not go out, lightly sprinkle baking soda on the
fire. Be careful not to burn yourself. If this does not work, then carefully remove
the food from the unit (being careful not to burn yourself), turn the power switch off
and shut the lid until the fire is completely out. When completely cool, remove the
grill, replace the foil on the drip pan, reset the drip pan and cooking grill and
resume cooking your food.

SECTION FIVE: MAINTAINING YOUR
NEW TRAEGER GRILL:
1) Change the aluminum foil on the angled drip pan after each use. Periodically
clean the grease out of the V-channel grease catch, grease drain tube and
interior surfaces of the grill. Empty the grease bucket when it is half-full. It’s
easier to clean off accumulated grease when the unit is warm. BE CAREFUL
NOT TO BURN YOURSELF. If grease is allowed to build up too much on the
angled drip pan in the V-channel grease catch, or is allowed to plug the grease
drain tube, you could eventually get a grease fire. We recommend cleaning these
locations after every 10 uses.
2) Outside surfaces. Do NOT use oven cleaner, abrasive cleansers or abrasive
cleaning pads on the outside surfaces. Use warm soapy water to cut the grease.
3) If the unit is stored outdoors during the rainy season, care should be taken to
insure that water does not get into the pellet hopper. Wood pellets, when wet,
expand greatly and will jam your auger. Using a HYRDOTUFF cover to protect
your smoker is highly recommended!
4) Two or three times a year, remove the cooking grill, angled drip pan and U-
shaped firepot cover and clean in and around the firepot. A shop-vac is handy for
this chore. Make sure the unit is COMPLETELY COLD before starting this
procedure.
5) We recommend keeping a long-handled grill cleaning brush near the unit so
that immediately after removing food from the grill, and while it is still warm, give
it a quick brushing. It only takes a minute and the cooking grill will be ready the
next time you want to cook on it. Be careful not to burn yourself!
NOTE: When operating this grill, maintain a
clearance of 10 inches from grill back to
combustibles.

SECTION SIX: IF YOUR FIRE GOES OUT
If your grill fails to light or if the fire in the firepot goes out while cooking
or smoking, follow these steps:
1) Turn off the unit. Open grill lid, remove all food, cooking grill, angled
drip pan, and u-shaped firepot cover.
2) Remove ALL un-burnt barbecue pellets from inside and around the
firepot.
3) Before replacing the u-shaped firepot cover, angled drip pan
and cooking grill, restart your grill and confirm that the ignition cycle is
working. (Hot rod should begin to turn red hot and pellets should
fall into firepot from auger tube.
4) If this procedure is not successful refer to the Standard Lighting
Procedure section in this manual.
SECTION SEVEN PARTS AND SERVICE
Part names are given in the front of this manual on the COMPONENT DIAGRAM
PAGE. To order parts: Find the part name on the component diagram page. Call
or write your Authorized Dealer, distributor or Traeger Industries. Give us your
name, phone number, address, model and serial number of your unit.
To order parts directly from the factory:
TRAEGER PARTS DEPARTMENT
PO 829
Mt. Angel, OR. 97362
[phone]
TOLL-FREE: 1-800-872-3437
Email: [email protected]
Website:www.traegergrills.com