I was smoking a tri-tip and for the second time in about 2 weeks, my smoker went out. This wasn’t normal. I had owned my Traeger for about 3 years at this point, and smoke something 2-3 times per week. Dinner was delayed, and I was hungry and irritated. I was trying to figure out what went wrong. The only thing I had changed was that I had bought a smoker insulation blanket about 3 months earlier, when it was the middle of winter.

The smoker blanket had worked miracles for me during the winter. My smoker was running more consistent, efficient, and could get hotter than it ever could before that. In the winter. I love that thing. It was also the reason my smoker was going out now that things had warmed up.

Why Can’t You Use Your Smoker Blanket When Things Warm Up

The manufacturer’s recommendation against using a smoker blanket when temperatures exceed a certain threshold, such as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, may be due to several reasons:

1. Heat retention: Smoker blankets are primarily designed to help insulate the smoker and prevent heat loss. In warmer temperatures, such as above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the smoker may naturally generate and retain sufficient heat without the need for additional insulation. Using a smoker blanket in such conditions could potentially cause the temperature to rise excessively and make it challenging to regulate the heat effectively.
2. Airflow restriction: As mentioned earlier, pellet smokers rely on a balanced airflow to maintain proper combustion and heat distribution. When ambient temperatures are higher, the smoker may require increased airflow to prevent overheating. Using a smoker blanket in warmer conditions could impede the necessary airflow, leading to inefficient combustion and potentially causing the smoker to go out.
3. Risk of damage: Some smoker blankets are made from materials that may not be suitable for use in high-temperature environments. Exposing these materials to excessive heat can lead to melting, deformation, or even a fire hazard. The manufacturer’s recommendation to avoid using the blanket above a certain temperature range could be to prevent damage to the blanket or any associated safety risks.

Why My Traeger Was Going Out

I don’t think my problem was restricted air flow. If that were the problem, it would have caused problems for me for the winter months as well. I think the problem for me was that the insulation blanket was doing too good of a job. It was retaining too much heat, so no more pellets would be fed, and the fire would go out. So what did I do? I took the blanket off and I haven’t had any trouble since.

That said, I’m still going to put that insulation blanket back on next winter. I only used about 1/3 as much pellets as I had been, it got hot and it stayed hot. I didn’t buy a brand name insulation blanket either. It was one of the cheapest ones on amazon, though I made sure it had decent reviews. I couldn’t be more pleased with how well it worked, and if it kept it so hot that it stopped feeding pellets in the spring, I guess that’s just a testament to it doing its job, so I can’t be mad. They come in a size that will fit most pellet smokers too, which was nice.

Stanbroil Insulation Blanket

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