# Avoid Costco Silverton pellet smokers



## larryb (Oct 14, 2021)

I bought the Costco version of a Traeger grill, the Silverton 810 because of size,  Traeger name and cabinet underneath.  BIG MISTAKE. The silverton is designed to leak air and therefore smoke.   There are designed-in gaps lid to shell.  It is supposed to have downdraft exhaust, like the IRONWOOD series, but doesn't work.   I have bought Lavalock  sealing gasket material.  Because of the design, the sides can't be sealed.   My recommendation is to pay the extra $100 bucks and get the genuine Ironwood.


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## flatbroke (Oct 14, 2021)

Lucky they have a great return  policy


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## Displaced Texan (Oct 14, 2021)

Their fake Baileys is top notch, though.


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## flatbroke (Oct 14, 2021)

Displaced Texan said:


> Their fake Baileys is top notch, though.


Their bourbon is good too.


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## Murdy (Oct 14, 2021)

Just about all their fake booze is good.  Including the wines according to my wife.


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## Displaced Texan (Oct 14, 2021)

Murdy said:


> Just about all their fake booze is good.  Including the wines according to my wife.


The inebriation isn't fake, lol. So I'm told...


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## civilsmoker (Oct 14, 2021)

larryb said:


> I bought the Costco version of a Traeger grill, the Silverton 810 because of size,  Traeger name and cabinet underneath.  BIG MISTAKE. The silverton is designed to leak air and therefore smoke.   There are designed-in gaps lid to shell.  It is supposed to have downdraft exhaust, like the IRONWOOD series, but doesn't work.   I have bought Lavalock  sealing gasket material.  Because of the design, the sides can't be sealed.   My recommendation is to pay the extra $100 bucks and get the genuine Ironwood.



Costco's return policy is/was stellar (ie before you made modifications).  

I'm not saying this is the case (I haven't looked at the Silverton) but I will point out that fire pot auger feed pellet cooking chambers are NOT designed to be air tight. They are made to leak for a very specific reason.  The reason is for SAFETY and improved functionality.  First the functionality, pellet smokers are convection ovens and to get even heat they are designed to "leak" uniformly to get even heat through out the chamber.  The safety reason is when you turn off the smoker the forced fan turns off and there has to be a positive natural draft out the CC chamber or you could get draft back up the auger tub, ie a backdraft fire.  I see many people complain about about back draft fire issues and many have sealed up their CC chambers which compounds a potential issue that inherently exists in the design of all fire pot auger systems.


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## bill1 (Oct 14, 2021)

Pellet machines have fans forcing outside air into the crucible for combustion.  This steady stream of air may become smokey, but it still has to have a way to get back out.  

Smokers have to smoke.  

Plus, I wouldn't be too quick to judge the design.  The classic fireplace or steel drum smoker design is for the smoke to _only _move *up*. So you place the smoke "stack" at the highest point. The early Traegers worked this way.
But if you put the exhaust at the lid, the smoke goes up from the middle, hits the top wall, then curves to the back to go out at the lid joint.  If that joint is shaped to favor that down-but-outward path, you can minimize the  amount of smoke that follows the physically shorter path from the crucible direct out to the lid joint so that the "path of least resistance" actually becomes longer.  That longer path means the smoke spends more time in the chamber, and makes an added "pass" across your meat as well, giving more smoke flavor.  That can be particularly attractive in pellet grills, which are frequently faulted for not having enough smoke flavor.  I think that's what traeger is now doing with the Ironwood.  I'm maybe not understanding, but it sounds like the Silverton works similarly, and the trapezoidal lid design may actually be superior to the round for this.  

Plus, I'd really dig that cabinet underneath!  

You may want to verify (don't trust me!) but I think Costco allows you to return things, like smokers, even when they've been used.  If so, why don't you try a cook?  If you don't like the result, take it back and say "Bad design...the food is awful".


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## larryb (Mar 27, 2022)

larryb said:


> I bought the Costco version of a Traeger grill, the Silverton 810 because of size,  Traeger name and cabinet underneath.  BIG MISTAKE. The silverton is designed to leak air and therefore smoke.   There are designed-in gaps lid to shell.  It is supposed to have downdraft exhaust, like the IRONWOOD series, but doesn't work.   I have bought Lavalock  sealing gasket material.  Because of the design, the sides can't be sealed.   My recommendation is to pay the extra $100 bucks and get the genuine Ironwood.


Update.  after installing the lava rock gasket material everywhere on the lid, the smoke started coming out of the storage compartment below the grill.  but not out of the downdraft outlets where it should.  AFter a few cooks this way, i removed (not easy) the lava rock gasket material on the back of the top.  after 4 months i discovered that the controller was low by almost 40 degrees.  Traeger is happy with a 20 degree offset (why are they happy with a 20 degree offset???)  and sent a replacement controller and temperature sensor.  now it is only 20 degrees low, which i can live with by extending the cook time.  love the storage cabinet, and the cooking space. i don't understand the need or usefulness of the stainless liner below the grates!  either way, i have adapted to the issues and will be keeping it.


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## larryb (Mar 27, 2022)




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## bill1 (Mar 27, 2022)

Food looks good...how does it taste?  Still considering returning it?


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## 1MoreFord (Mar 28, 2022)

larryb said:


> ........................i discovered that the controller was low by almost 40 degrees.  Traeger is happy with a 20 degree offset (why are they happy with a 20 degree offset???)  and sent a replacement controller and temperature sensor.  now it is only 20 degrees low, which i can live with by extending the cook time........................



Or you can increase the cooking temp.


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## sandyut (Mar 28, 2022)

Displaced Texan said:


> Their fake Baileys is top notch, though.





flatbroke said:


> Their bourbon is good too.





Murdy said:


> Just about all their fake booze is good. Including the wines according to my wife.


You guys are killing me.  Utah liquor laws are kinda F’ed and Costco can’t sell booze, just some beers.  But I have been in a Costco with a booze section…its dreamy


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