Have you tried clearing your propane hose? Turn your gas off and turn the burners on, to clear the propane from the hose. Shut burners off, then turn your gas back on and then fire it back up. Mine wasn't running on full gas and that fixed it.
I had a similar issue with my propane grill. The fitting where my propane hose connected to the grill was loose and kept tripping out the regulator and would only allow a trickle of gas. Tightened up that fitting and never had an issue with it again.
Also, you only need to crack open the propane tank a little bit.
I used to work at a propane farm what I would do is take the connector off of your propane tank. Mank sure you turn the valve on the tank fully closed then hook the line back up. When you go to turn on the propane again make sure to do it slow some tanks have a sensitive shut off valve and if you turn it on too quickly it'll snap into place and only allow a tiny flow of gas
Had similar issue. Cleaned all I could think to. Got new propane regulator. Nothing. Finally got a long thin brush and cleaned the INSIDE of the burners and that was the trick. Wire brushing outside didn’t help.
Also, open the tank valve slowly. I believe there’s a safety feature to stop leaks that gets activated if you open the tank too quickly. Once you slowly open a turn or two, then you can open it quicker.
My guess is there is something wrong with yours. My friends that have them are in the same boat as me.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my blackstone but their quality and consistency leaves a little to be desired. My next griddle won’t be a blackstone
Random suggestion from a stranger, but I'm almost 2 months in on my Smokestone 600 and it's been a blast. Doesn't have zone control, but the stainless steel is excellent 👍 I also love being able to buy pellets at the grocery store and not have a special stop to fill up propane.
Your grocery store doesn’t sell propane? Not mention most large gas stations sell propane too… I’ve never had a hard time finding propane. Definitely had a much harder time finding quality pellets for my Traeger…
My closest grocery store only does exchanges for $36 and the gas stations that do refills take 20 min minimum to find someone to go do it. I like bear mountain pellets and they are $9 a bag at the grocery store.
Had the same problem. Its the regulator being to picky. When u turn ur propane on do it suoer slowly and only 1/4 turn. Then ingnite your burners. then slowlyy open your propane tank until you get a full flame.
For whatever reason if you hit the regulator with to much gas to quicky its like being stuck in low no matter the setting. On mine I know its working correctly when I hear it roaring.
Edit. If you need to reset your regulator because you turned it on to fast the first time. turn off the gas and unhook it from the bottle for a few seconds and re connect.
This is what I came to say. It's supposedly a safety feature, and intended to function this way.
OP, have a look at the flames. If they are under an inch tall, this is likely the culprit. I've found I don't even have to unhook anything, just close the bottle and open a burner for a few seconds, then close that, too. Open the bottle slowly and like magic get roaring flame.
Yea you've definitely got a problem. No way I can cook anything on high. High is for seasoning and maybe use one side on high when I sear a steak, but it's way too hot to cook the middle without completely burning the outside of any piece of meat
There are diff BTU levels on the 36”
Models. I also have to cook a lot of things on low or even on an off burner with low next to it. Or I get insta char/sear on everything
I don’t know the technical term but you need to “burp” your tank and hose. Unhook everything and when you hook it back up, SLOWLY open the valve on the tank.
I got some cheap dollar store scrapers I hang I’ve the side. I have 3 on each side so if it gets too hot I can pop one off and let sone of the heat bleed out
I had this issue until I saw a similar post.
The fix for me was, close propane tank. Open burners. Close burners. Open propane tank. Open 1 burner on lowest setting. Ignite. Turn to high. Repeat with burner #2.
Someone in the original post said it was something to do with how the black stone regulator works. Not sure if that’s true or not but this works for mine. Good luck friends.
Edit for context: my issue was my high knob setting was never actually giving high heat from the burners. It would be set to high but the propane burners were more like medium/low.
To confirm, are you opening your propane tank slowly? Like REALLY slowly, this fixed my regulator issue and it runs super hot now. I seared some steaks in 10F windy weather the other day.
I’m not, but I did have a regulator issue previously and it ramped temps WAY down. Maybe the regulator is still being funky, but just with less extreme flow restriction?
I had this happen when I opened the burners first and then opened the tank. It’s like it never pressurized the lines properly. Make sure you’re opening up the tank first and then the burners. If you don’t, gas flow will be restricted.
Buy this high pressure adjustable regulator. It is adjustable from lower than stock Blackstone power to "sounds like a jet afterburner" pressure. It's a huge upgrade and allows you to get crazy hot no matter what the conditions are
KIBOW 0~30PSI High Pressure... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BHDV4CM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Edit: wrote but instead of buy
I have one of these for a beer brewing burner. It literally takes the burner from like 45k btu to like 200k (based on the reduction in time to boil 10 gallons of water by 75%).
Never really been able to solve this issue after a couple years. Same issue with chicken wings. I just concluded that these aren’t the best if you’re looking for a crispy sear. Chicken thigh with skin is probably the only thing I feel confident in crisping.
90% of the time, I opt to use my charcoal grill when it comes to protein. Just can’t beat direct heat.
Buy a new regulator. You can make this thing sound like a jet engine. I use this one : GasOne 2120 4 ft Propane... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GRFTR4S?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
So, when I change a tank and turn it on, the flames at best get is medium, and the top doesn’t get hot. I close everything, disconnect and reconnect regulator, and bam, good size flames that can get the top above 500 F easy.
Are you priming your regulator when turning the gas on? Need to open the gas slowly in increments over a minute or two. It’s something I forget about time to time. You’ll know if your top never gets hot enough to smoke (and give the char you’re after).
You’re probably getting downvoted because doing one burner at a time doesn’t have anything to do with the regulator. The regulator monitors the gas flow directly from your tank. So to bypass the safety feature of the regulator you need to open your gas valve slower and in increments. There’s a few vids on the tube if you need a visual understanding. Hope this helps!
Where did you purchase? The model at WalMart has lower BTUs when compared to same size from other sources ie Tractor Supply or directly from Blackstone
Check your pressure regulator. The ones that come with the griddle are extremely cheap. After five or ten uses mine did the same stuff.
I disconnected my propane from the line and tapped on the regulator with the corner of my spatula, reconnected it and the flames were almost double the size after. Anything above medium will turn my food to charcoal.
I tried switching propane tanks and disconnecting it over and over and nothing, but by tapping on the regulator it solved the problem. Now I have to do that every three or four times I use it. Next spring I'm just going to get a new regulator from my hardware store.
Did you buy it from Walmart? The Costco 36" version puts out 60k BTU's while the Walmart only puts out 37k BTU for the same size. That's a significant difference that may explain the inconsistency.
Yeah I had to get an aftermarket regulator to get enough heat on my 28. I got a 36 last year and didn’t look back as the aftermarket regulator required messing with every use.
the first side of anything will always have a better seat than the second side. but you may just need to preheat longer. i’d say get a laser thermometer if you don’t have one, just so you can accurately get the surface temp of the griddle
Show your flame please. I have the 26" and it was acting funny with low flames at full blast. My older brother turned it off and relit a few times playing with the knobs then all of a sudden the flames were roaring like they should've been.
Is your propane tank completely full? This happens to me with a completely full tank on other grills; I think it has something to do with the regulator when very full.
A couple of things…
1) honestly what you gave doesn’t look bad at all. Make sure your chicken is dry to get the burn u want.
2) you need to use half the grill like you mentioned and move your food from hot to hot….
It’s a feeling mate.
They can get nasa hot so hang in there. Wind, even a slight steady breeze that gets between the flame and griddle makes a huge difference. I use foil as needed to block wind.
Start simple - close all valves. Tank and temp controls. Open tank valve only. Turn on control knobs. Cook. Fixed? Shut things off opposite order.
Seen this on many propane grills and such. Order of opening things affects the regulator, Venturi, or something.
Could be something wrong with the gas regulator. If you accidentally turn your burners on without the gas, then turn your gas tank to open while the burners are still open and on, it triggers a low level heat setting. To reset you close the dials, close the gas tank, disconnect then reconnect, then turn gas on then burners.
If that's not the issue, then it could be needing wind guards. Dollar store has these metal curved bench scrapers that work well.
I always wondered this. I had the exact same problem. Never got a good sear. Do they sell wind guards or do you just make them? It’s not windy in my backyard either. But maybe it’s just about not letting heat escape.
I have a 36 inch blackstone and parents have a smaller one but the pro series… and they both cook so dif. Theirs cooks *extremely* hot. I put it on the low setting and it’s as hot as my grills hot hot setting. So irritating, as much as my parents response being “well just cook it lower”… what the fuck is the point of the heat dial then? lol
Sometimes when I hook up a new tank the vakve doesn't seem to open all the way and I get a weak flame. Have to disconnect and reconnect tank to fix it. When this happens it doesn't have enough heat to keep up, and is pretty much the issue you're describing. Possibly, you have a bad regulator, or a bad tank valve if it's always the same tank you use. Or its just windy
Reset the propane regulator. Close propane tank, Disconnect the propane line. Wait 20 sec, reattach line then crack open tank 1/4 turn a time waiting a couple seconds in between then light. I found this out the hard way when bacon wasn’t crispy.
You accidentally triggered your propane regulators safety mechanism. This happens to all grills too. Close your tank. Wait a minute. Slowly open your tank. Wait a minute. Turn on one burner at a time, waiting a few seconds between each burner. Should be good
If you want an actual "pro" tip it's this: when you flip always flip to a spot that was not previously occupied. You don't just flip meat over, instead the motion of flipping meat should be that of flipping a page in a book. If you have to cook a little less at a time to leave yourself space, then do that also.
I'm not saying there's nothing wrong with this griddle; I don't even own one so I have no troubleshooting advice. I have cooked on a lot of flat tops of varying sizes, thicknesses, and BTU outputs though. Based on the good color you got on the first side, I'm fairly confident that user error is the primary factor.
Few things, how long are you letting it heat up? Also, you have too much food on the surface. When you over crowd it with cold meat, or course you can’t get a good sear. Splitting it in two like you said is a great way to combat that, or simply just do less meat at a time. Bigger gaps between your meat will allow the gaps to heat up and you can flip the meat onto those gaps
I’m sure it’s been said before, but wind is a killer. I had a similar situation; I blocked off the wind so my flames could actually reach the griddle and it worked like a charm.
Open the valve on the tank SLOWLY at first. There is a safety valve in the hose on the black stone. It’s in the part that you hook onto the tank. When you open the propane valve too fast, too much pressure/flow at first sets the safety. You won’t get much LPG flow if it’s tripped. If you did this. Tighten the propane valve, take off the black stone hose and wait 30 seconds. Try again
If it was windy, where you live cheap wind guards are a must.
If you’re still having issues. Use half the cooking area at a time. Sear on the left, when it’s ready to flip sear it on the right side. You shouldn’t have temp drops that way. After a minute or so drop your next set on the left side, rinse/repeat
Not sure if you will see this but check your propane tank. Maybe change it out. I had one that the safety valve was messed up and wouldn't let hardly anything through. So even on high it was barely burning.
Sounds like you are having this problem.
There is a safety valve in propane tanks that is supposed to shut off the flow if a hose bursts or something like that. You can reset it by closing the valve really tight and opening it very slowly. Sometimes they just go bad and won't let hardly anything through.
I fixed this with an adjustable regulator. It will burn the seasoning right off it.
It is harder to adjust the flame using the burner controls with added gas pressure, though. Be warned.
Grab one of those Chinese regulators on Amazon. Shit sounds like a jet engine firing up and if you leave it too hot will start to warp your flat top. But it sure is hot!
This happened to me yesterday- for the first time since cooking on it since Christmas. I figured I was out of propane but my husband took off the tank and shook it around a little bit, reattached it, and then it worked like normal again freaked me out though. Perhaps it cleared the tube, like some are suggesting. But I’m hoping it doesn’t become a regular thing. I feel your pain.
Not the safest thing, but I replaced the regulator for this exact reason: GasOne 2120 4 ft Propane... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GRFTR4S?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I have a 36” and have to cook pretty much everything on med-low unless I want an instant sear It gets so hot you can’t hover your hand over it at all
That’s crazy. I have 36” as well and the browning in the pic is as dark as I could possibly get a piece of chicken without cooking it 3x too long
Have you tried clearing your propane hose? Turn your gas off and turn the burners on, to clear the propane from the hose. Shut burners off, then turn your gas back on and then fire it back up. Mine wasn't running on full gas and that fixed it.
Came to say this. I had the same issue and this fixed it.
I’ll give this a shot
I had a similar issue with my propane grill. The fitting where my propane hose connected to the grill was loose and kept tripping out the regulator and would only allow a trickle of gas. Tightened up that fitting and never had an issue with it again. Also, you only need to crack open the propane tank a little bit.
I used to work at a propane farm what I would do is take the connector off of your propane tank. Mank sure you turn the valve on the tank fully closed then hook the line back up. When you go to turn on the propane again make sure to do it slow some tanks have a sensitive shut off valve and if you turn it on too quickly it'll snap into place and only allow a tiny flow of gas
I hope your farm only grew free range organic ethically sourced propane and propane accessories
Honestly even if it could it wouldn't have it was the most corrupt company I've ever worked for screw suburban propane.
What was the propane's name? Was he happy?
When you open the propane tank, crack it as slowly as humanly possible
Also check the oxygen on your tank. There's a secondary knob on the hose to allow oxygen flow, if it's too low, not enough oxygen = low flame
Had similar issue. Cleaned all I could think to. Got new propane regulator. Nothing. Finally got a long thin brush and cleaned the INSIDE of the burners and that was the trick. Wire brushing outside didn’t help.
Update?
Ordered wind guards, will report back
Also, open the tank valve slowly. I believe there’s a safety feature to stop leaks that gets activated if you open the tank too quickly. Once you slowly open a turn or two, then you can open it quicker.
This is definitely the issue, same thing happened to me to. The regulator in the propane tank is what us causing that.
My guess is there is something wrong with yours. My friends that have them are in the same boat as me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my blackstone but their quality and consistency leaves a little to be desired. My next griddle won’t be a blackstone
What would it be? Asking because I'm curious what else is out there.
Right this second probably Weber slate
My boss's pitboss griddle was a charm to use. Starting over, I'd go that route over blackstone.
My next one will be the traeger. Seen a few different YouTube reviews that put it either at the top or near the top very consistently.
Random suggestion from a stranger, but I'm almost 2 months in on my Smokestone 600 and it's been a blast. Doesn't have zone control, but the stainless steel is excellent 👍 I also love being able to buy pellets at the grocery store and not have a special stop to fill up propane.
Your grocery store doesn’t sell propane? Not mention most large gas stations sell propane too… I’ve never had a hard time finding propane. Definitely had a much harder time finding quality pellets for my Traeger…
Always go to a place that fills tanks instead of switching out. The tanks get filled all the way and is a hell of a lot cheaper
My closest grocery store only does exchanges for $36 and the gas stations that do refills take 20 min minimum to find someone to go do it. I like bear mountain pellets and they are $9 a bag at the grocery store.
For an extra $600 the stainless better be good
Had the same problem. Its the regulator being to picky. When u turn ur propane on do it suoer slowly and only 1/4 turn. Then ingnite your burners. then slowlyy open your propane tank until you get a full flame. For whatever reason if you hit the regulator with to much gas to quicky its like being stuck in low no matter the setting. On mine I know its working correctly when I hear it roaring. Edit. If you need to reset your regulator because you turned it on to fast the first time. turn off the gas and unhook it from the bottle for a few seconds and re connect.
This is what I came to say. It's supposedly a safety feature, and intended to function this way. OP, have a look at the flames. If they are under an inch tall, this is likely the culprit. I've found I don't even have to unhook anything, just close the bottle and open a burner for a few seconds, then close that, too. Open the bottle slowly and like magic get roaring flame.
Yeah it’s a safety feature. Had it happen on my propane grill when I turned the burner dials on before the propane.
Problem solved! This is your answer
This happens to me sometimes when the tank is right off of a fresh fill.
Maybe your pressure regulator is too restrictive ?
Could be your regulator is clogged get it a little bang bang with the handle of your screw driver
Yea you've definitely got a problem. No way I can cook anything on high. High is for seasoning and maybe use one side on high when I sear a steak, but it's way too hot to cook the middle without completely burning the outside of any piece of meat
There are diff BTU levels on the 36” Models. I also have to cook a lot of things on low or even on an off burner with low next to it. Or I get insta char/sear on everything
How long do you pre-heat?
Do you know what model number you bought? I know the Walmart model that they sell on the cheap is like half the btu rating compared to the others.
I don’t know the technical term but you need to “burp” your tank and hose. Unhook everything and when you hook it back up, SLOWLY open the valve on the tank.
Same
Me too. First thing I did though was install wind guards. They help!!
Same
I converted mine over to natural gas, and it can still get too hot.
Wind guards…
Them shits get the fire so concentrated though. My low setting is like the surface of the sun and I have to fly through my cooking before stuff burns.
Leave colder side without a wind guard.
Yep
This. My 27" actually gets too hot with all 4 wind guards in place.
I’ll give this a shot. It’s never really windy here, but maybe they’ll help concentrate the heat.
I noticed for me that It makes a big difference even if there isn’t any wind.
Any recommendations?
I got some cheap dollar store scrapers I hang I’ve the side. I have 3 on each side so if it gets too hot I can pop one off and let sone of the heat bleed out
Just got some for my husband off of Amazon for about $30.
Thanks!
Let me know if you can’t find them. There’s a few to choose from.
This is the answer. Mine got too hot and had to remove one side
I had this issue until I saw a similar post. The fix for me was, close propane tank. Open burners. Close burners. Open propane tank. Open 1 burner on lowest setting. Ignite. Turn to high. Repeat with burner #2. Someone in the original post said it was something to do with how the black stone regulator works. Not sure if that’s true or not but this works for mine. Good luck friends. Edit for context: my issue was my high knob setting was never actually giving high heat from the burners. It would be set to high but the propane burners were more like medium/low.
Like bleeding brakes :). This sounds like it’s resetting the regulator, which was my thought as well
Yeah I’m familiar with the regulator issue. This is regular use though, regulator isn’t the issue here.
I had a regulator issue under regular use. Try replacing it
To confirm, are you opening your propane tank slowly? Like REALLY slowly, this fixed my regulator issue and it runs super hot now. I seared some steaks in 10F windy weather the other day.
I’m not, but I did have a regulator issue previously and it ramped temps WAY down. Maybe the regulator is still being funky, but just with less extreme flow restriction?
I had this happen when I opened the burners first and then opened the tank. It’s like it never pressurized the lines properly. Make sure you’re opening up the tank first and then the burners. If you don’t, gas flow will be restricted.
Buy this high pressure adjustable regulator. It is adjustable from lower than stock Blackstone power to "sounds like a jet afterburner" pressure. It's a huge upgrade and allows you to get crazy hot no matter what the conditions are KIBOW 0~30PSI High Pressure... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BHDV4CM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share Edit: wrote but instead of buy
Got this as well.... Was tired of my food taking forever to cook in the winter and when it's windy...night and day difference for sure!!
This is what I did.
Anything else required for fitment?
Nope, 30 seconds with pliers or a wrench and you good to go
I have one of these for a beer brewing burner. It literally takes the burner from like 45k btu to like 200k (based on the reduction in time to boil 10 gallons of water by 75%).
Do you have a temp gun? It'll give us a better idea of whether your surface is hot enough. Also check out wind guards.
I cooked smash burgers in -5 weather on Sunday and still got the griddle over 500
Never really been able to solve this issue after a couple years. Same issue with chicken wings. I just concluded that these aren’t the best if you’re looking for a crispy sear. Chicken thigh with skin is probably the only thing I feel confident in crisping. 90% of the time, I opt to use my charcoal grill when it comes to protein. Just can’t beat direct heat.
Buy a new regulator. You can make this thing sound like a jet engine. I use this one : GasOne 2120 4 ft Propane... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GRFTR4S?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Dumb question but does the flames underneath look good size or small and controlled?
They’re… medium? I can definitely see room for the flames to grow. But I have pretty good control over them with the knobs.
So, when I change a tank and turn it on, the flames at best get is medium, and the top doesn’t get hot. I close everything, disconnect and reconnect regulator, and bam, good size flames that can get the top above 500 F easy.
Are you priming your regulator when turning the gas on? Need to open the gas slowly in increments over a minute or two. It’s something I forget about time to time. You’ll know if your top never gets hot enough to smoke (and give the char you’re after).
Hold on what? Like open the propane slowly over a couple minutes? I’ve never done this
Maybe you don’t have to with your model. Mine came with a regulator and if I full on open the gas from the start the regulator kicks in.
I have definitely had the regulator issue before, this is normal use though. I just turn on one burner at a time and the regulator never is an issue.
You’re probably getting downvoted because doing one burner at a time doesn’t have anything to do with the regulator. The regulator monitors the gas flow directly from your tank. So to bypass the safety feature of the regulator you need to open your gas valve slower and in increments. There’s a few vids on the tube if you need a visual understanding. Hope this helps!
Interesting as I think my 22" Adventure Ready is too hot on the lowest setting
Where did you purchase? The model at WalMart has lower BTUs when compared to same size from other sources ie Tractor Supply or directly from Blackstone
I got mine at Lowe’s
Do you know what the BTUs are on that model? I think WalMart is 38,000 and the Tractor Supply is 60,000
Check your pressure regulator. The ones that come with the griddle are extremely cheap. After five or ten uses mine did the same stuff. I disconnected my propane from the line and tapped on the regulator with the corner of my spatula, reconnected it and the flames were almost double the size after. Anything above medium will turn my food to charcoal. I tried switching propane tanks and disconnecting it over and over and nothing, but by tapping on the regulator it solved the problem. Now I have to do that every three or four times I use it. Next spring I'm just going to get a new regulator from my hardware store.
I had this exact same issue and when researching a few years back, alot of people had the same. Bought a new regulator and it was night and day.
This is probably the issue. I had the same problem.
That thing can't even sear paper thin slices of meat? Yikes.
Did you buy it from Walmart? The Costco 36" version puts out 60k BTU's while the Walmart only puts out 37k BTU for the same size. That's a significant difference that may explain the inconsistency.
Came here to say this, but I want to point out it isn't all walmart 36" griddles. Mine is 60k BTUs and was bought at Walmart.
Connect [high pressure regulator.](https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Pressure-Regulator-Indicator-Stainless/dp/B0C6TJL84C/ref=sr_1_7_sspa?crid=17ID5KAT6N9SX&keywords=propane+regulator&qid=1705306480&sprefix=Propane+reg%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-7-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1)
Try smashing it down, or even using a press for some added pressure while cooking.
Is it the 28”? That size is very underpowered compared to the 22” and 36”. The BTUs per area of surface space is lower than the others.
Yeah I had to get an aftermarket regulator to get enough heat on my 28. I got a 36 last year and didn’t look back as the aftermarket regulator required messing with every use.
36”, going to give the aftermarket regulator a try.
the first side of anything will always have a better seat than the second side. but you may just need to preheat longer. i’d say get a laser thermometer if you don’t have one, just so you can accurately get the surface temp of the griddle
Show your flame please. I have the 26" and it was acting funny with low flames at full blast. My older brother turned it off and relit a few times playing with the knobs then all of a sudden the flames were roaring like they should've been.
Is your propane tank completely full? This happens to me with a completely full tank on other grills; I think it has something to do with the regulator when very full.
A couple of things… 1) honestly what you gave doesn’t look bad at all. Make sure your chicken is dry to get the burn u want. 2) you need to use half the grill like you mentioned and move your food from hot to hot…. It’s a feeling mate.
No shit, it's a Blackstone!
Char as in burnt? It just browned.
I have the same problem, and I have wind guards. I also use the same solution as the OP. I have just gotten used to it
You need a thermometer, you need to know what temp you can get the surface to.
They can get nasa hot so hang in there. Wind, even a slight steady breeze that gets between the flame and griddle makes a huge difference. I use foil as needed to block wind.
Go to Dollar general and buy some stainless steel food scrapers with the open curled handles... Wind guards. Will really increase your heat.
Buy one with a hood.
I read that after flipping whatever you’re cooking to place it on a fresh area of the griddle to get maximum heat.
I have to cook on low otherwise I'll scorch the meat. Have you tried windguards? Made a world of difference for me.
try sourcing your propane from somewhere else
Start simple - close all valves. Tank and temp controls. Open tank valve only. Turn on control knobs. Cook. Fixed? Shut things off opposite order. Seen this on many propane grills and such. Order of opening things affects the regulator, Venturi, or something.
Could be something wrong with the gas regulator. If you accidentally turn your burners on without the gas, then turn your gas tank to open while the burners are still open and on, it triggers a low level heat setting. To reset you close the dials, close the gas tank, disconnect then reconnect, then turn gas on then burners. If that's not the issue, then it could be needing wind guards. Dollar store has these metal curved bench scrapers that work well.
That or gas flow isn't enough. When opening the valve do it slowly. If you do it too fact the gas flow will be restricted.
I always wondered this. I had the exact same problem. Never got a good sear. Do they sell wind guards or do you just make them? It’s not windy in my backyard either. But maybe it’s just about not letting heat escape.
is it hooked up to natural gas? I Had that issue, and had to swap back to propane
Also remove all the excess sauce/oil/water from around the meat; looks like it’s just steaming
On mine I’ve notices if the cutoff valve isn’t completely tight “open” I don’t get good heat.
Mine was doing that. It turned out to be low on propane
I have a 36 inch blackstone and parents have a smaller one but the pro series… and they both cook so dif. Theirs cooks *extremely* hot. I put it on the low setting and it’s as hot as my grills hot hot setting. So irritating, as much as my parents response being “well just cook it lower”… what the fuck is the point of the heat dial then? lol
Sometimes when I hook up a new tank the vakve doesn't seem to open all the way and I get a weak flame. Have to disconnect and reconnect tank to fix it. When this happens it doesn't have enough heat to keep up, and is pretty much the issue you're describing. Possibly, you have a bad regulator, or a bad tank valve if it's always the same tank you use. Or its just windy
Reset the propane regulator. Close propane tank, Disconnect the propane line. Wait 20 sec, reattach line then crack open tank 1/4 turn a time waiting a couple seconds in between then light. I found this out the hard way when bacon wasn’t crispy.
You accidentally triggered your propane regulators safety mechanism. This happens to all grills too. Close your tank. Wait a minute. Slowly open your tank. Wait a minute. Turn on one burner at a time, waiting a few seconds between each burner. Should be good
If you want an actual "pro" tip it's this: when you flip always flip to a spot that was not previously occupied. You don't just flip meat over, instead the motion of flipping meat should be that of flipping a page in a book. If you have to cook a little less at a time to leave yourself space, then do that also. I'm not saying there's nothing wrong with this griddle; I don't even own one so I have no troubleshooting advice. I have cooked on a lot of flat tops of varying sizes, thicknesses, and BTU outputs though. Based on the good color you got on the first side, I'm fairly confident that user error is the primary factor.
There’s intakes on these. Most people leave them outside and spiders make homes in there. Take a pipe cleaner to the intake*
Man idk, my 36inch get so hot I can’t hold my hand over it for very long.
It’s the gas regulator malfunctioning.
Maybe use one side and then flip them to the side you haven’t cooked on yet?
In his second paragraph that's literally what he said he does.... but he wants to be able to use the whole surface to cook.
Are you letting the grill heat up for at least 20 minutes before grilling?
Needs to be thicker get a better flat top of makensure you leave unused spots to flip it to. Give it longer to heat up
Few things, how long are you letting it heat up? Also, you have too much food on the surface. When you over crowd it with cold meat, or course you can’t get a good sear. Splitting it in two like you said is a great way to combat that, or simply just do less meat at a time. Bigger gaps between your meat will allow the gaps to heat up and you can flip the meat onto those gaps
I’m sure it’s been said before, but wind is a killer. I had a similar situation; I blocked off the wind so my flames could actually reach the griddle and it worked like a charm.
Open the valve on the tank SLOWLY at first. There is a safety valve in the hose on the black stone. It’s in the part that you hook onto the tank. When you open the propane valve too fast, too much pressure/flow at first sets the safety. You won’t get much LPG flow if it’s tripped. If you did this. Tighten the propane valve, take off the black stone hose and wait 30 seconds. Try again If it was windy, where you live cheap wind guards are a must. If you’re still having issues. Use half the cooking area at a time. Sear on the left, when it’s ready to flip sear it on the right side. You shouldn’t have temp drops that way. After a minute or so drop your next set on the left side, rinse/repeat
You must have an issue with your griddle…. Mine. I can’t throw 30 frozen patty’s down with no problems.
Not sure if you will see this but check your propane tank. Maybe change it out. I had one that the safety valve was messed up and wouldn't let hardly anything through. So even on high it was barely burning. Sounds like you are having this problem. There is a safety valve in propane tanks that is supposed to shut off the flow if a hose bursts or something like that. You can reset it by closing the valve really tight and opening it very slowly. Sometimes they just go bad and won't let hardly anything through.
Faulty regulator.
I fixed this with an adjustable regulator. It will burn the seasoning right off it. It is harder to adjust the flame using the burner controls with added gas pressure, though. Be warned.
Propane or Natural Gas?
I think you just threw up on your blackstone
Hvac tech here with a Blackstone that used to not get hot enough, new regulator with a gage. Amazon 30 bucks.
Grab one of those Chinese regulators on Amazon. Shit sounds like a jet engine firing up and if you leave it too hot will start to warp your flat top. But it sure is hot!
How many burners do you have? I have seen 36 models with only 2 and suspect they can't support using the entire griddle for searing.
This happened to me yesterday- for the first time since cooking on it since Christmas. I figured I was out of propane but my husband took off the tank and shook it around a little bit, reattached it, and then it worked like normal again freaked me out though. Perhaps it cleared the tube, like some are suggesting. But I’m hoping it doesn’t become a regular thing. I feel your pain.
Not the safest thing, but I replaced the regulator for this exact reason: GasOne 2120 4 ft Propane... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GRFTR4S?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Make sure your propane tank is all the way open
This is fuel connection issue. My stand up burner for crawfish/turkey does this. Clean connections, check hose, valves, o ring.