8
Initial Burn Off
Before cooking for the first time, we recommend that you “burn off” the grill to rid it of
any foreign matter used in the manufacturing process. Prior to burn-off, completely
remove the plastic film on all stainless steel surfaces. Failure to do so will cause the film to
melt to the metal, and it will be extremely difficult to remove. Remove the cooking grates and
wash with a mild soap or detergent. Replace the grates, light and operate the grill at 450°F
with the hood down for 45 minutes. After burn-off, you are now ready to start enjoying your
Memphis Wood Fire Grill!
Lighting Your Grill
It is recommended practice to go through the Periodic Grill Maintenance (pg. 27)
procedures frequently. This will ensure proper ignition of the pellets and is part of the
normal maintenance procedure. Light per instructions found in detail in this manual. If the
grill fails to light, it is most likely due to a dirty or plugged Ignitor and/or a burn pot
obstruction blocking the igniter air passages. (Refer to Using Your Memphis Wood Fire
Grill on page 19 for cleaning instructions.)
Hood Position
Always cook with the hood CLOSED when not using the Direct Flame insert. Cooking with the
hood closed keeps the temperature even, cooking the food faster while using less fuel. If
the hood is left open for an extended period of time, it will cause the ITC to increase the fuel feed
rate in an effort to increase the grill temperature. This could result in pellets overloading the
burn pot.
Instead of frequent, visual checks of your food, the use of a Memphis ITC Meat Probe is
recommended. This tool can be routed through the larger hole in the side of the
Memphis Pro or Elite to prevent damage to the wires. See “Memphis ITC Meat Probe”
on page 20 for further instructions on the use of a meat probe.
When using the Direct Flame mode, the hood should be closed during ignition and warm-up,
with the Indirect Insert placed in the Savorizer®. Once the grill is at 400°F, the EZ-Access
Indirect Insert can be replaced with the Direct Flame Insert and the grill mode can be set to
Direct Flame Mode, where the lid must be left open for the duration of the cook.
Read Prior to Lighting
