# Weber SmokeFire



## normanaj (May 31, 2021)

Was out today and saw one of these for the first time.I'm not in the market for a pellet grill at the moment but my curiosity got the best me as they were on sale.I've never owned a bad Weber product but I've not seen or heard anything about these on here or anywhere else.Anyone own one?


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## kruizer (May 31, 2021)

Don't own one. Several reviews saying there is a problem with pellet feed and grease fires. Not interested.


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## chopsaw (May 31, 2021)

Norm , I want one myself . Here's what I know , 
The Gen 1's had huge trouble . Pellet feed from bad hopper design , and the grease trap system catches fire . Notice , " trap " not drain .
Gen 2 They fixed the pellet feed ( they say ) . Not sure they addressed the grease fire problem any more than saying " use a drip tray " I read the ash blows around and mixes with the grease . Not good . 
I really  like the fit and finish of the smaller one I saw . Not much to think about with grease fire as one of the problems . 
A lot of negative end user reviews . 
Sponsor videos are mostly positive , by design I'm guessing . 
They really dropped in price , I'm guessing from low sales . 
I think there is another thread on them , but this was one I looked at . 






						SmokeFire Ex6
					

Like most I saw most of the bad reviews when the SmokeFire hit the market but given recent sale decided to give the grill a try after seeing some if not all the issues are being fixed. Upon setting up it does look like I have the newest Auger that they’ve been sending people. After powering on I...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## normanaj (May 31, 2021)

Thanks for the link 

 chopsaw
 .


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## chopsaw (May 31, 2021)

You bet . I was just looking around the other day . Nice unit . If it wasn't for the grease trap , I'd already own one . Still thinking on it . 
I've been buying shop equipment from a place called Acme tools . Turns out they sell all kinds of stuff . 
Got an email that the Ex4 was on sale for $799.00 free shipping .


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## chef jimmyj (May 31, 2021)

Dont know if the Grease Fire issue is fixed or people found a work around, drip pans and frequent clean out of ash and grease.
I thought I  heard in one of the newer videos that there were some baffle/dividers, part of the new feeder, that keep grease from getting too close to the burn pot but can't confirm that is factual...JJ


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## rexster314 (May 31, 2021)

I have had an EX6 Smokefire since November, the Gen 2 version. I've had very little problems, and NO grease fires whatsoever. I think some people are calling flareups during high temp grilling a grease fire. After every 5 cooks or so, I scrape the insides down into the ash catcher then dispose of it. Whatever I cook, steak, ribs, chicks, pizzas, sausage, comes out great tasting and my wife loves the results each and every time. For every person that has troubles with the smoker, there's 5 that has no problems at all. Plus you can't beat Weber's CS department


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## chopsaw (May 31, 2021)

rexster314 said:


> I think some people are calling flareups during high temp grilling a grease fire. After every 5 cooks or so, I scrape the insides down into the ash catcher then dispose of it.


Thanks for the input . I really like the looks of them , and I wanted the drop feed tube or whatever it's called . 
Like you said , I clean out my Genesis 310 about every 4th cook . You have to , or you'll have a problem . I can see where this would be the same . I most likely wouldn't cook at the highest temps . I have other options for that .


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## GA Tom (Jun 1, 2021)

I was considering one of these grills a while ago and discovered that there are forums/discussion groups that discuss only the Weber Pellet Grill. One web site is https://www.weberpelletgrills.com/threads/holy-cow.737/. There may be others.


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## rexster314 (Jun 1, 2021)

GA Tom said:


> I was considering one of these grills a while ago and discovered that there are forums/discussion groups that discuss only the Weber Pellet Grill. One web site is https://www.weberpelletgrills.com/threads/holy-cow.737/. There may be others.



There are about half dozen groups for Smokefire cookers on Facebook some very active, some pretty dormant. IF you are on Facebook.


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## bill1 (Jun 1, 2021)

The $200 price cut is nice, but I wonder what spurred it.  Considering it's Weber, I was somewhat surprised when there wasn't more of an initial roll-out of this product.  Also when the Gen 1 took a bit of a rap, not much was done to do Formal Damage Control and Roll Out Gen 2.  One could possibly argue that the Gen 2 fixes were not all that extensive and were almost "done on the cheap" making me wonder at the time if Weber was considering phasing it out of their lineup.  

It could be the $200 cut is just to put it at the Traeger price point, where I think it compares favorably.  

I assume this industry has independent watchers that monitor and track sales...so how is Smokefire doing against the competition, esp Traeger and PitBoss?


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## chopsaw (Jun 1, 2021)

Bill , all great points and my thoughts exactly .


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## NoCoPK360 (Jun 1, 2021)

I've had an EX6 for about a year now. Mine was a gen 1 but I installed all the upgrades which Weber sent for free before ever firing it up. I've not had many problems with mine. You do have to clean it out regularly especially after a long cook. I use drip pans which makes that pretty easy. The thing about the Smokefire is it actually works pretty good as a grill and it puts out more smoke flavor than most pellet grills. I had a Grilla Silverback before the Smokefire and it was a nice cooker but I hated the lack of smoke flavor. I don't have that issue with the Smokefire. The software can be wonky but the last update from Weber has worked well. It's a good grill/smoker for the money especially if you get it on sale.


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## TomCrump (Jun 13, 2021)

I wanted one in the worst way, but the Gen I disaster made me gun shy. Even though the Gen II was introduced, I purchased a Rec Teq RT-700 and haven't looked back.


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## bill1 (Jun 13, 2021)

NoCoPK360 said:


> ...The thing about the Smokefire is it actually works pretty good as a grill and it puts out more smoke flavor than most pellet grills...


I think the higher temp comes from the shape of the crucible and, by letting gravity do the last leg of the pellet journey, Weber can move the auger away from the crucible.  

But why is the smoke flavor better?  Is it because Weber is really not combusting pellets as completely in the Smokefire (having an open-bottom crucible) so the extra ash is a feature not a bug?  For those that have used both, is the pellet consumption considerably greater in the Weber?  

Or is the smoke flow just a little more circuitous in the tall Weber (with the vents relativity low) so the smoke spends a little more time in the cook chamber before it exits?


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## NoCoPK360 (Jun 13, 2021)

I would say the pellet consumption is greater than my Grilla Silverback was. I don't know the reason for better smoke flavor but it's probably a combo of several things. The fact it has the flavorizer bars instead of a big deflector plate also plays a significant factor in my opinion.


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## bill1 (Jun 14, 2021)

NoCoPK360 said:


> ...flavorizer bars instead of a big deflector plate also plays a significant factor in my opinion.


Fair enough...if flavorizer bars are significantly hotter than the typical pellet cooker's grease slide/deflector plate, the evaporation products of dripping fats could add a flavor similar to, or at least as desirable as, smoking wood but I doubt their shape/placement has anything to do with how the wood smoke itself gets to the meat.   

I've used a large cast iron pan directly over the crucible, with a layer of pellets for extra smoke, but covered with a lightly perforated steel plate that allows smoke _out _slowly but captures (and burns) most of the falling fats from meat directly above it.  But I can't say the endgame flavor is fundamentally different than just using the pan and cover UNDER the manufacturer's sliding grease pan. 

I'd love to hear from experienced chefs on this but I've suspected that the "great smells" we associate with fat dripping on open fire is actually from the burning wood and cooking meat, not from the "cooking" of the dripping fat, but I'm open to convincing.  Certainly igniting and burning any fat or oil is generally not pleasant to the senses, but it could be that just taking it to its boiling point could release good trapped flavor molecules in the air at less than combustion temps. 

So do you or anyone have an IR thermometer that could measure flavorizer bar top surface temps?  I can believe the large center one over the crucible may be at several hundreds of degF but I'd be surprised if the outer ones are any hotter than the ambient cook temp.  I suspect the same of my oil slide/deflector plate but will measure at my next cook.  An experiement is worth 1000 theories.


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## chef jimmyj (Jun 15, 2021)

bill1 said:


> I'd love to hear from experienced chefs on this but I've suspected that the "great smells" we associate with fat dripping on open fire is actually from the burning wood and cooking meat, not from the "cooking" of the dripping fat, but I'm open to convincing. *Certainly igniting and burning any fat or oil is generally not pleasant to the senses, but it could be that just taking it to its boiling point could release good trapped flavor molecules in the air at less than combustion temps.*



Like any food or flavor components, that are cooked on or Drip on a Very Hot surface, Fats taken to their Smoke Point or even Vaporized, give off Aroma and contribute to Flavor as their Smoke molecules contact the food. A Classic example is WOK HEI, Dragons Breath, the aroma and flavor you get from a Super Heated Wok as the Oil/Fats begin to Smoke. This is the reason Chinese Restaurant food tastes different/better than the same recipe made in a Wok at home using stove temps.
Just like inefficiently burning Wood and the bitter creosote flavor it gives off. FLAMING FAT,  from extended Flare Ups, will give Char-Grilled food a nasty Petroleum like Flavor. YUK! Grease Flames give off Soot as well because the burning of the Fat is inefficient and incomplete compared to Vaporized Fat on the Flavor Bars, or the Hottest portion of a Drip Plate...JJ


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## chopsaw (Jul 23, 2021)

After several trips to look at one in person , I ordered it off Amazon . 
I don't expect any problems , but I guess I'll see .


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## normanaj (Jul 23, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> After several trips to look at one in person , I ordered it off Amazon .
> I don't expect any problems , but I guess I'll see .
> 
> View attachment 505249


Waiting for the review.


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## chopsaw (Jul 23, 2021)

normanaj said:


> Waiting for the review.


Seems 2 of the casters were threaded before lunch , and 2 were threaded after lunch . Called Weber , but I'll probably go buy 4 casters in the morning .


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 23, 2021)

Best of luck with the new Toy. The following is a Gen 2 review after a disappointing test of the Gen1. I questioned the guy about addressing every fix but the Grease Fire issue. He replied that Weber fixed that as well. Looking forward to your thoughts...JJ


.


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## rexster314 (Jul 23, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> Seems 2 of the casters were threaded before lunch , and 2 were threaded after lunch . Called Weber , but I'll probably go buy 4 casters in the morning .


I've read of several instances of different threading. Makes no sense.


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## chopsaw (Jul 24, 2021)

chef jimmyj said:


> Best of luck with the new Toy. The following is a Gen 2 review after a disappointing test of the Gen1. I questioned the guy about addressing every fix but the Grease Fire issue. He replied that Weber fixed that as well. Looking forward to your thoughts...JJ


I watched that a few weeks ago . It's a good video . Interesting enough to watch the whole thing .  He steps right over the " grease fire issue " for sure .  At this point I have no worries about any of it . I use a drip tray in all my cookers , except my Genesis 310 , or when I grill on the 22 . If you don't keep the Genesis clean you will have a fire . I've had the 22 " kettle catch drippings on fire also . Not a worry on the  kettle really , but the gas or pellet grill where you are still feeding the fire can be a disaster . No question about that . 
There is a great idea somewhere in the design of the grease drain / trap on the Smokefire . It falls short because of the pellet dust . If they can figure that part out , they'll have something . 
The fit and finish on this thing is top shelf . Going to go ahead and put it together , and hope to get the firmware updated and pair my phone today .


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## chopsaw (Jul 24, 2021)

rexster314 said:


> I've read of several instances of different threading. Makes no sense.


Seems simple . No words really . None you can say here anyway . I thought for sure they would be metric . Good for a change . I have a full tap and die set . 
Nope . Didn't have that size die in SAE . 
They aren't wrong , just bad . After several thousand cuts , change the damn die . 
Anyway . I was going to change the casters anyway , so I have a nice set on the way . Dual locking , quick release with a 5 " non skip wheel . 
Just didn't plan on it right out of the box .


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## sawhorseray (Jul 24, 2021)

Be interesting to see how this works out Rich, I remember they were pretty controversial when round one came out, reckon they've made some fairly major adjustments. Not having the casters work right out of the box would be kind of a pisser, good luck, I'm going to be watching. Hell, soon you'll own the entire Weber product line! RAY


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## chopsaw (Jul 24, 2021)

sawhorseray said:


> Be interesting to see how this works out


Gonna work out just fine . It's already 90 + and climbing . 60 % humidity . 
Not sure I'll survive the assembly in that heat . If I had help I'd bring it in the house to finish it up .


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## sawhorseray (Jul 24, 2021)

Save it for when your son gets home Rich! We're retired, that means no pressure to get a job done ever. RAY


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## chef jimmyj (Jul 24, 2021)

sawhorseray said:


> We're retired, that means no pressure to get a job done ever



Does that include Givin' and Gettin' LOVIN'?...JJ


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## chopsaw (Jul 24, 2021)

sawhorseray said:


> Save it for when your son gets home Rich! We're retired, that means no pressure to get a job done ever. RAY


I can't have a beer until I get this done , and he don't get off until 3 !!
Key is to stay in the heat . No in and out of the house . I'm almost done .


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## sawhorseray (Jul 24, 2021)

No, the key is not to wake up on the garage floor Rich, be careful! RAY


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## bill1 (Jul 24, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> ...They aren't wrong , just bad...


That's not a bug ChopSaw, that's a feature--self-locking threads!   
You're a vanishing breed...a person with their own tap and die set.  I'm amazed at how knowledge of basic shop practice is disappearing in America.  And no one seems to care.  And at a time when decent hand tools are dirt cheap!  

Oh well, off my technology soapbox and onto my biz one...any company, esp one as large and with a ($-valuable) reputation like Weber's, is crazy to let products like this ship with their name on it.  People expect things to work right the first time and the clearly-identified, bargain-priced, "made in China" companies continue to up their game...including clean threads and good welds.  At least_ I'm_ impressed.  (And even happy for them...the most-recently_ Human Development Index _shows they're the most improved country.)    

Weber needs to be VERY careful about what they're shipping or they'll not have a market within a decade.  

99% of all casters probably come from China today.  Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if there's not a little subtle sabotage going on by giving the "American Brands" substandard stuff.   Hey, it's business.  And Weber is just plain stupid if they're not at least aware of the possibility and have an ongoing quality program involving ALL of their suppliers to spot this early and nip it in the bud.


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## chopsaw (Jul 24, 2021)

sawhorseray said:


> the key is not to wake up on the garage floor


All went well . I will admit , I had to refer to the directions a couple times . 
Did the initial start up , burn in and shut down . I have to say I'm impressed . 
I'll clean in the morning , and then we'll see how a first cook goes . 




bill1 said:


> a person with their own tap and die set.


Heck if you like that , you might like this too .
Never know when you might need to do some pipe work .


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## BT_TX (Aug 19, 2021)

rexster314 said:


> I think some people are calling flareups during high temp grilling a grease fire.



No, they are legit blazing fires at 225.  I have had a Gen 1 EX 4 since last July.  I had issues with the auger and that was replaced with the new version.  No issues from that in a while now.  However, I have always used drip pans and had no problems until recently.  Now embers from the firepot fly into the drip pan and start a fire.  The last one took about 30 minutes to finally go out.  There was so much smoke, my neighbor came by to ask if something was on fire.  I am going to try using drip pans with lids and cut a slit into them to see if that stops the issue.  I really want to love this grill because when the cook goes smoothly, the food is amazing.


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## 2fatpugs (Sep 3, 2021)

According to Harry Soo the reason why the SmokeFire produces more smoke flavor than other pellet smokers is because it uses vents instead of a chimney.  This keeps the smoke in the cooking chamber longer and allowing the meat to absorb more smoke.


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## bill1 (Sep 5, 2021)

I think if it were that easy no one would use a chimney.


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## 2fatpugs (Sep 15, 2021)

bill1 said:


> I think if it were that easy no one would use a chimney.


 I am just repeating what Harry said in his video.  They are doing something right because Harry said the SmokeFire gave him the best result from any pellet smoker.  

Here's the video, he says it around 5:30 minutes in.


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## chopsaw (Sep 15, 2021)

I have several cooks on mine so far . This is the only pellet grill I've been around , so I don't have a comparison to other pellet cookers . 
I will say that this EX4 has good clean smoke flavor profile . I think most of that comes from the vented bottom of the burn pot and the drop style auger chute . 
After start up and reaching cook temp , it trickles pellets slowly during the whole cook . It seems to me that fuel use is high . Like I said I have no other to compare  to . Pretty much TBS at all times after reaching temps . 
Normal temp set . 










Smoke Boost


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## rexster314 (Sep 15, 2021)

I've had the SF EX6 now since last December. I've run the gamut of poultry, beef, pork, pizza. Brisket slow smoked. Greasy duck smoked. Ribs both beef and pork. Chicken of all cuts. With the exception of the briskets and duck, I never use a drip pan. 
Never have had any type fire except that flame that gets kicked out running over 500f. Whoever is complaining of unwanted fires is using the grill wrong.


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## 2fatpugs (Sep 16, 2021)

chopsaw
  How does the SmokeFire compare to  your other smokers?  I am looking to upgrade and I can't decide between the EX6 or the Char Griller 980.


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## chopsaw (Sep 16, 2021)

2fatpugs said:


> SmokeFire compare to your other smokers?


I use a 26 " kettle for smoking whole muscle cuts , and an MES 30 for smoking sausage , hams and bacon or cured cuts . I also have a 14 " WSM that doesn't get much use . 
My SmokeFire is the smaller EX4 . It makes some good food as do all the others . 
All are fun to cook on . I find good clean smoke from the EX4  , and easy to use . 
The kettle is probably my favorite , but the EX4 is right there for convenience . 
Fact of the matter is they are all different , and that's why I have them . Gives me options . 




2fatpugs said:


> can't decide between the EX6 or the Char Griller 980.


As usual , I Googled the 980 and in the top 5 hits was a thread from SMF . 
Maybe you saw this already .





						Char-Griller 980 first impressions
					

I've had my 980 about 2 weeks now. Here are some of my impressions. I have an Akorn and Traeger Pro 575. Like them both, use them interchangeably, although the Traeger has had a lot more use lately because its just so easy. I've wanted one of the Masterbuilt Gravity Series since they came out...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## chopsaw (Sep 16, 2021)

Here's a visual comparison .
Brisket from the 26 ,







Brisket from the SmokeFire


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## 2fatpugs (Sep 16, 2021)

Thanks for the pics Chopsaw.  Yeah I read all the reviews for both the 980 and the Smokefire (gen 2) and they both have rave reviews.   I guess my goal is to get as close to an offset smoker flavor profile while allowing me to chase my small children all day.


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## rexster314 (Sep 16, 2021)

2fatpugs said:


> chopsaw
> How does the SmokeFire compare to  your other smokers?  I am looking to upgrade and I can't decide between the EX6 or the Char Griller 980.


I had both the Masterbuilt 560 and 1050. They work very similar to the Chargriller 980 as they're gravity fed. I'd compare the gravity feds to a bruising football lineman and the Smokefire to a deft tight end. You actually have a fire going on in the gravity feds, where, after the initial burning of the pellets, you have more of a smoldering effect on the Smokefire.


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