Mak 1 Heat Max

B

bubbatdog

New member
Anybody have any suggestions for cold weather grilling? I can't get the grill to get above 320 degrees in below freezing temps. A little frustrating because both of my Green Mountain Grills are not experiencing the same thing.

I do have a blanket on the Jim Bowie so I know that helps.


Any suggestions would be great.


By the way, I take back anything I said about the griddle. I do think that it is still to expensive, but I LOVE IT!
 
W

wolverines

Member
If you bought it from BP, I would try contacting them first, if not, contact MAK. I could see higher pellet consumption but I would think you should still be able to get it up to temp.
 
R

rwalters

New member
I've had no problem getting my 1 Star up to 425° on cold days...I have never had a need to exceed 425°. But cold in my neck of the woods is seldom below 32°.
 
B

bubbatdog

New member
Ive done steaks, burgers, omelettes twice and Fried PBJs so far. The eggs on that thing are another level of good. Kids love the PBJ's


It's been below zero here the past few days, but I was even having trouble getting it above 400 before the cooldown. I bought it from a local guy, and I will probably just get ahold of MAK. They sent me another board not too long ago, and I didn't want to be a pain in the ass.
 
R

rwalters

New member
bubbatdog said:
Ive done steaks, burgers, omelettes twice and Fried PBJs so far. The eggs on that thing are another level of good. Kids love the PBJ's


It's been below zero here the past few days, but I was even having trouble getting it above 400 before the cooldown. I bought it from a local guy, and I will probably just get ahold of MAK. They sent me another board not too long ago, and I didn't want to be a pain in the ass.
Click to expand...


Eggs on the MAK...hmm, may have to give it a whirl!

I'd call MAK and ask for Bruce. Sooooo helpful...love the guy!!
 
B

BBQJUDGE

Member
I got my MAK II up to 390 at -1F and it probably would have went higher if I had been patient. I was burning Mesquite pellets at the time.
 
TentHunter

TentHunter

Moderator
When I need to get my MAK 1 star up to higher temps in extremely cold weather, I tend to use straight oak pellets, because overall they have a higher BTU rating.
 
O

onionhead

Member
On my MAK 2, I have easily maintained 425F while cooking at -5F. They only problem I had was being able to read the display - LED hard to read in really cold weather. This is why I now have a wifi unit. It is much easier on me. I was using Lumberjack MHC. Worked fine!
 
B

bubbatdog

New member
I only use 100% pellets. I have the same pellets as you onion. How long does it take to get to 425 at that temp outside.


There is no way I could maintain it. I got it to 325 degrees last night after 30 minutes, but after I put the hamburgers on, it wouldn't get back above 250
 
S

SmokinKat

New member
Hey Bubbatdog-- here's the information from the MAK FAQ page:

My grill won’t get as hot as it used to– what do I do?
There are several reasons why this might be happening:
Dirty Thermocouple (located in the back left-hand corner of the main cooking chamber). Take a piece of moistened steel wool and clean the thermocouple all the way around, up and down, so that it looks brand new.
Clogged exhaust louvers/vents: Remove the interior baffle plate at the back of the cooking chamber, and clean the exhaust vents on the back wall of the cooking chamber. If you have a Two Star grill, also clean the exterior louvers that go into and out of the Warmer/Smoker Box.
Clogged grease chute: If you have a grill style with the exterior grease bucket, ensure that the grease chute is not clogged with grease and debris.
Damp pellets: If pellets have absorbed some moisture, they will not burn as hot. Try a fresh bag of pellets.
Try changing the brand and/or variety of pellets you are using. Fruit wood and Alder pellets burn at lower BTUs; Hickory, Oak, and Mesquite pellets burn the hottest.

Give those items a shot, and if you're still having issues, give Matt or Bruce here at MAK a call, and they can do a bit more troubleshooting with you. 503-623-1234.
 
KyNola

KyNola

Member
Bubbatdog, I noticed you said you use 100% pellets. That may be your issue. The MAK does not do well with 100% hickory pellets because they will produce a lot of ash and are not easily blown out of the firepot by the fan, particularly when it throttles back. The firepot can fill with ash, preventing the new pellets from properly burning.
 
O

onionhead

Member
Wow! It took me about 30 minutes to get to setpoint of 425. I did not use a blanket, either. I am surprised with your results.
 
mcschlotz

mcschlotz

Member
Bubbatdog, I highly recommend you use BBQ'rs Delight pellets. They are the only brand I use in my MAK, always consistent. Lowest ash etc...
 
B

bubbatdog

New member
I've used Lumberjack, Cooking Pellets and BBQ delights for years. Still use them in my Davy Crockett, and Jim Bowie.


Why shouldnt I be able to use 100% pellets in a MAK.?

Why do those other grills get to 450?

I have done all of the troubleshooting. I just need to call MAK. They are the ones that told me to use 100% wood pellets
 
T

Tomsmccann

New member
I use pretty much only Lumberjack and can get to 490 no problem regardless of wood type. I think I could get to even higher temps if the pellet boss allowed it. Given, I'm not in a cold temperature climate.

Let us know what MAK says.
 
KyNola

KyNola

Member
So we're all on the same page for this discussion can you please define "100% wood pellets"? I think there may be some confusion in the definition.
 
KyNola

KyNola

Member
bubbatdog said:
100% wood, no fillers
Click to expand...

Ah! Now I understand. When you said 100% wood pellets I thought you were referring to using pellets that were 100% hickory, 100% apple, etc. Most pellets have a base wood such as oak or alder and then the flavor wood is added to it. Oak based pellets burn much hotter than alder based pellets because alder is a much softer wood. You might want to investigate what the base wood is of the pellets you are currently using. BBQ Delights are oak based.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom