What Is Seasoning
Seasoning, sometimes called "initial burn-in," is a simple, one-time process that primes the auger with pellets and utilizes high heat to burn off residual, food-grade, non-toxic mineral oil that is used during the manufacturing process to prevent rust.
- NOTE: It is normal for the grill to produce an odd smell during the burn-in process due to burning off the residual manufacturing oils.
How Often Do I Need to Season My Grill?
You should only have to season your grill one time (before grilling for the first time); however, you should re-season your grill after replacing the following parts to burn off any anti-rust and manufacturing oils:
- Barrel
- Drip Tray
- Firepot
- Grates
- Heat Baffle
How Long Does Seasoning Take?
Seasoning a Woodridge Series grill takes approximately an hour.
How to Season a Woodridge Series Grill
- Plug in the grill to an electrical outlet.
- Add hardwood pellets to the hopper until it fills to the safety grate and close the lid.
- Press the main power switch located on the back of the auger box to turn on the grill.
- Press the selection dial to wake up the controller. 'TRAEGER' will scroll across the screen, indicating the grill is on.
- From the home screen, turn the dial to 350°F. Press the dial to lock at this temperature.
- Select the Ignite/Shutdown button to start seasoning.
- Once the grill has reached 350°, let it run for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, increase the temperature to 500°
- Once the grill has reached 500°, let it run for another 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes at 500°, shut down the grill and let the shutdown cycle complete.
- To shut down your grill, press and hold the Ignite/Shutdown button, or the selection dial for three seconds until the shutdown animation shows on the display.
- Your controller will count down from three.
- When it reaches zero, the shutdown cycle will begin.
- A countdown timer will begin.
- Once shutdown is complete, the grill will enter standby mode until you are ready to use the grill.
White Ash/Residue after Seasoning
If you are seeing a white ash-like residue/film appear after seasoning the grill, it can be wiped off and cleaned with a non-corrosive degreaser.