New Pellet Grill Owners: Avoid the 8 Most Common Mistakes

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for watching - show some love by hitting the subscribe button!

[@chrisstrayer4323]

I can't subscribe twice, so I'm forwarding to friends who bought pellet smokers this fall. I appreciate the straightforward videos.👍

[@1526BBQ]

@@chrisstrayer4323 thanks Chris! I appreciate the support and the feedback.

[@BlueSky-dr5gx]

Thanks you've answered so many of my questions and then some! I subscribed to your channel! 👍🎉

[@1526BBQ]

@@BlueSky-dr5gx thanks! Glad it helped!!!

[@575motocross4]

Mad respect for the amount of drink breaks taken, highly important and overlooked part of smoking.

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks brother. Many ppl on here were giving my shhh about it. I'm like, "I was just having a drink with you guys. Damn." Thanks again🍺🍺🍺👍

[@dallhoc2895]

One tip I would give is not to dump the whole bag in the hopper. The bottom of the bag contains allot of fine pellet dust. This can build up + absorb moisture and clog up the auger.

[@1526BBQ]

That is a great tip! Thanks Dallhoc!!

[@Erforscher1]

I think this guy speaks from experience. I can see where the grill lid clipped him in his grape

[@1526BBQ]

????

[@KF-zl5io]

Dead center on the grape

[@1526BBQ]

😀 what does that mean??

[@KF-zl5io]

Bro....your grape = your head

[@1526BBQ]

😱👍

[@fuelgasscrubber]

Come for the tips, stay for the drink updates! Love it. Thanks!

[@lovingMe-uo4qf]

My man brought a pellet grill home and I had never used one. Oh my goodness! I will never cook on a stove again! This is the most bestest thing that has ever come in to this woman's cooking life lol

[@1526BBQ]

They are awesome!!

[@oliversmith4805]

Yep, my first smoker was an 18" as well, straight away made 2 racks of ribs and realised i needed bigger as i couldn't fit any more ribs in at the same time

[@1526BBQ]

Yep!

[@michaeld.krochter5623]

Great stuff...this is what I've learned after 10 years of smoking..thank you hope all the new smokers view this..

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks Michael!

[@LousyAcousticCovers]

Love the hinge mod!! You’re definitely not lazy, you just don’t like doing certain things and love doing others. Not much different over here! Good stuff bro. Subscribed.

[@mooreusmc08]

Good video. Helpful info. I've had my Traeger for about 6 years. I would say another important tip is understanding how to restart after a flameout.. On a Traeger it's an "LER" code on the display. It is crazy important that the firebox is cleaned out after a flameout. Which sucks because there is probably meat on the grills. But the auger will potentially dump a ridiculous amount of pellets into the pot. It has to be cleared out before you restart it.. Otherwise. FIRE time. Not a good fire either.

[@1526BBQ]

That is a great point. Maybe I'll throw together a video just on what to do after a flame out - thanks!

[@miguelmorganus3773]

I just figured this out last week, not in a fun way.

[@1526BBQ]

Which one???

[@derekk6906]

I have a really nice charcoal smoker, holds heat really well. I can walk away for several hours with minimal temperature drop. After watching this video, I believe a really nice smoker is better than a pellet grill with better smoke and less maintenance. I would imagine Steaks burgers and fajitas would be better on a charcoal grill with the high direct heat than a pellet grill. Just personal opinion.

[@mattiasklement2677]

Im 3 hours away from buying a traeger pro 780, this was super helpful. Also buying my first brisket right after.

[@1526BBQ]

How did the brisket turn out??

[@mattiasklement2677]

@@1526BBQ phenomenal, 11/10 were the ratings i was given.

[@1526BBQ]

@@mattiasklement2677 awesome man!!!!

[@carolferguson]

Congratulations!!!! I have been smoking briskets too

[@tylerclendening7446]

1st time watching a video of yours! I've had my 1150 Pro Series for about 6 months now and some of what you explained has made me notice a few things that I need to be doing better to produce a better outcome with the food I smoke. Thanks for the advice my man!!

[@1526BBQ]

Glad I could help. Thanks for watching!!

[@yourtalentexpert]

Ok. I just bought a Traeger and am a grill novice. Looking for a new hobby. This video was so helpful and hilarious (love the drink breaks lol). New subscriber!

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks Derek! Welcome to the family!!

[@tedhart4468]

Iv had my Austin xl for over a year and iv done just about everything you can think of on it its pretty sweet !

[@1526BBQ]

I love my PB pit!! Semper Fu!

[@robertowolfo2128]

I just bought one. Excited to try it.

[@1526BBQ]

You're going to love it!

[@counterremoverepeat]

I was looking at one of those, but some reviews put me off of it. What kind of issues have you run into?

[@1526BBQ]

Ive had flame out because I didnt clean the ash pot, and I had a flare up because I didnt clean the dripping tracks. So all my issues were my own fault....

[@dustinsiemers4766]

DONT LET YOUR PELLETS SWELL IN THE AUGUR. I have one to add which is a mistake I made which is to not let your pellets get wet and to clean out your hopper and augur after smoking. Also you should probably cover your grill or put it in the garage. Also use good pellets and store them in a sealed dry container.

[@1526BBQ]

Great point Dustin! Thanks for adding to the conversation.

[@chrisryan8863]

Not doing exactly what you said led me to have to eventually throw away a fairly new pellet smoker because the auger system was destroyed

[@1526BBQ]

@@chrisryan8863 that sucks man - sorry to hear it. Did you upgrade to something better??

[@thegods2622]

If you got a cover your not gonna have issues with your pellets getting wet. I had a full hopper and it was pouring rain for a day or two and it was still go to go when it cleared up. And my smoker and grill set out in the open.

[@1526BBQ]

Nice

[@FloridaDock]

Not sure I think +1 -2 degrees as a temp swing but I have zero complaints with my Recteq RT-700...... thanks for the tip. PID all the way.

[@1526BBQ]

Yeah man! I can't wait until I get a PID controller....one day. Thanks for watching!

[@Natedoc808]

I got the Pit boss sportsman for Christmas, just using the smoker side today for some pulled pork!!! So excited. It’s been rad switching from a Weber 24” charcoal bbq over to the grill side of this bad boy, now it’s time for smoke on!

[@1526BBQ]

Let us know how it goes!

[@Natedoc808]

@@1526BBQ turned out absolutely killer. Super juicy and perfect flavor. I’m gonna smoke something once a week for sure!

[@1526BBQ]

Nice!! 👍

[@sgtjameslindsey2493]

Any professional cook knows to clean the grease traps, whether it be on a grill or an extraction hood, or you risk having a major grease fire. It's a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher near anytime you are grilling or even in your own kitchen, especially if my wife is cooking. She is terrible about starting something on the stove and walking off to let the dogs out or step into the garage. Never leave anything unattended while cooking. I was a professional chef in the Marine Corp from 77-81 and do most of the cooking for our family now. I just bought my first Pit Boss pellet grill (second hand but new condition), and it looks to be the same model as yours. It looks like they did the burn off on it but never cooked on it.

[@oscarb9139]

Number 9. A properly run stick burner is as clean as a pellet cooker, and may run cleaner depending on the pellet feed of the pellet cooker. Clean smoke is sweet smoke. If a stick burner smokes, the operator should spend time learning how to run it right. Properly run stick burners will have better flavor than a pellet cooker. The best smoke has a slightly blue hue to it as it leaves the stack. If you ever seen smoke coming out of my stick burner, one of two things is going on. Either I just lit it, or I am frantically trying to fix the problem. Clean smoke smells better and tastes better. Oh, and in case anyone thinks I am a pellet hater, wrong. I own two. They are for small cooks and winter cooking when I don’t feel like standing outside all day monitoring the fire. My stick burner can usually take care of itself for 40 to 50 minutes, which is as long as you want to go between checking the meat. Another mistake is not having a blanket for the cooker in cold weather. An old moving blanket trimmed to fit the top of the pit (trimmed so it won’t be directly exposed to anywhere that is hot enough to burn it) will cut pellet usage down by 30 to 40%. I have used my pellet pit down to 0 F. With a blanket, it uses about the same amount of pellets as it does in the summer.

[@1526BBQ]

All great points. The blanket issue is one I dont have to mess with since I live in South Florida - buy makes sense. Thanks for watching, and for adding!

[@oscarb9139]

@@1526BBQ Wasn’t sure where you were. I used to live in the mountains and we had a very dry climate, so pellets never swelled, but temps were freezing or below over half the year. Moved to Texas, and now empty out the hopper after every cook to keep the pellets from swelling. I still use a blanket if the temp is under 50 or windy. It seems like I am always running out of pellets.

[@jdsnapp]

@@oscarb9139 p

[@1526BBQ]

👍

[@oscarb9139]

@@jdsnapp Sorry, not up on all the internet shorthand. Dont know what "p" means.

[@nateescalus]

Thank you for posting this video, I just got my first pellet grill today and this helps a lot!

[@1526BBQ]

My pleasure. Thanks for watching!

[@nateescalus]

@@1526BBQ Is there a particular amount of pellets you have to put in the Grill for the burn off to completely work?

[@1526BBQ]

I don't know the amount, your burn off is more about time. I don't recall how long you need to run your pit to do a significant burn off for the should be in the owner's manual. If I had to guess it's going to be like an hour at super high temperatures. 1 hour shouldn't be too many pellets but you could always over fill and remove the pellets that are left over later, at least you can easily remove pallets from the 1100 Pro that I have not sure which model you picked up. I know it's not an exact answer but hopefully it helps. The owner manual should have what you're looking for..

[@garrettaguirre2445]

tip to use for those that want a stronger smoke flavor i bought a cheap cold smoke tube at walmart that can be used in my pellet smoker as well and it has worked wonders the tube can be filled with pellets as well but will slow burn them after the initial lighting of the end of the smoke tube and it lasts about 4 hours so i usually once its out dont worry about it but for real long smokes you can smoke the first fill empty it and reload it. makes a massive difference if your like me and like a good smoke flavor on your food

[@josephagundez5336]

I picked up a Pit Boss 820 at Lowe's last year and I absolutely love it. I had never smoked anything in my life, but during my time stuck at home due to the pandemic I wanted to find something fun to do and that was BBQ. The hardest part for me to get over was the temperature swings. I freaked when I saw the temp go low then shoot up high then go back low again. It took me 3-4 cooks before I forced myself to trust the process and let the smoker do its thing. Now I'm doing smoked tri-tip and ribs. I'm not confident enough to do brisket yet, but I'll get there.

[@1526BBQ]

Thats awesome brother - welcome to the club! You'll never look at BBQ the same again.

[@rubbnsmoke]

I've seen videos where the lid blows completely off during startup. I stir my pellets also. I use a long paint stir stick. My Pit Boss 1150 has a firepot that drops out for easy cleaning. You really need to try the Costco Kirkland pellets. For $12.99 for 40 lbs. you can't beat them. Just as good as any Pit Boss pellets I've used,

[@deplorableredneck4.02]

Glad I found this..my pellet grill ( pit boss 820 ) caught on fire cause the auger wasn't turning on and off ..and yes I do vacuum out the ash pot

[@1526BBQ]

That sucks! Did PB help you out under warranty?

[@deplorableredneck4.02]

@@1526BBQ no...it only had a one year warranty...I didn't buy extended warranty..heck my treager lasted 15 years ..I love my pit boss don't get me wrong but yea I will never ever leave my grill alone again..

[@deplorableredneck4.02]

@@1526BBQ i was going to buy a new pit boss from Lowes as it was $50.00 off this weekend..it now comes with a 5 year warranty from PB

[@1526BBQ]

Sorry brother. Smoke on!

[@deplorableredneck4.02]

@@1526BBQ heck yea thanks and have a safe Memorial Day tomorrow..God Bless Our Troops

[@billyt8780]

Great job, important advice especially for people just starting with pellet grills

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks bro!!

[@nufrrtos5070]

What exactly is a PID controller? A PID is a computer temperature controller that basically imitates the common-sense things you do when you manually control temperature, in order to nail the ideal temperature. Let's say you're manually controlling a gas knob or something. First, you start out wanting to get to the ideal cooking temperature as quickly as possible, so you turn the knob to full up. Then, as you're getting near the target temperature, you back off on the knob early, so you don't overshoot the target temperature, instead of waiting until you hit the target temp, then backing off. Finally, you tweak the knob up and down from what you remember is the average setting, until you maintain that ideal temperature. That, in essence, is what a PID does.

[@1526BBQ]

Yep!

[@ckherring82]

I'm about to but pellet smoker thank you for tips. Oddly most will match reloading and shooting. The size my wife agrees with. Whether motorcycle buy what works for us. For grills smokers etc. Buy enough for my huge family. I live in country bought huge playground stuff all the kids play and hang. No I'm not wealthy just a farmer and county mounty... but I want quality once versuses buying 5 times. Cost the same but headache of fights or building disposing is much higher.

[@1526BBQ]

I hope you make the right choice. Either way you will love the food that comes from it. Enjoy!

[@robertbusek30]

I have an electric smoker, but my father-in-law just got a Weber pellet grill for his birthday. It’s nice to have outdoor cooking options... 😀

[@1526BBQ]

Sweet! After a couple of months using that weber you got to come back and tell me how it is.. In hear good things.

[@robertbusek30]

@@1526BBQ - Well, we’ve used it twice to good effect so far. We love applewood pellets! My mother-in-law doesn’t like gas grills, so this was a good compromise. Do you happen to have any advice about how to efficiently clean a pellet grill? It’s a big one and I want to keep it clean without having to take forever. I’ve subscribed, so keep up the great work!

[@1526BBQ]

Saturday at noon Eastern time I am dropping a video on how I keep mine clean - maybe you could use some of those techniques on that Weber! Thanks for the sub!!

[@robertbusek30]

@@1526BBQ - Sweet! Thanks for the heads up!

[@1526BBQ]

Semper Fumus Brother!

[@ezrider5448]

I’m in bro. I’ve been using a pellet grill for about two years now. And everything you said is spot on. So I’m probably going to hang for a little bit see what else you got to say...😎

[@1526BBQ]

Appreciate it brother.

[@ryu-ken]

I was gonna buy the small smokepro but decided to pay the extra for the bigger model. glad I made the change

[@1526BBQ]

Yep. Always buy bigger!

[@elizabethshaw734]

I am purchasing a full size pellet smoker grill by ASMOKE at home Depot. I was told that traeger pellets are crap! Here's a tip. Smoke some cream and make ice cream with it. It is divine! :-)

[@1526BBQ]

That's not a bad idea, thanks! I haven't done it but I've thought about maybe smoking some vanilla beans and then making vanilla ice cream out of it. Have you tried that?

[@elizabethshaw734]

@@1526BBQ no I haven't tried that yet in fact I never thought of it. LOL I have just smoked plain cream heavy cream and made ice cream with it is exceptionally delicious and one batch I added Jack Daniels to just a little bit because a lot will prevent freezing but that was better than exceptionally good.:-)

[@Mankitchenrecipes]

Great tips Tony! I think you covered some good points about a pellet smoker. And true, you won't get the same smoke flavor as you would from a WSM or offset smoker but with those you can also get too much smoke as well. To me, the pellet smokers add a good amount of smoke, without over smoking your food. Some people really like the smoke flavor and get a pellet smoker and are disappointed. How do I know if there was too much smoke? If hours later I burp and burp up smoke flavor, that's too much smoke for me. Yes it tasted great going down but the after smoke..... I like both if smoked right, but you can't beat the convenience of a pellet grill. Great review and keep them coming! Have a Great Day!!!

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks Kevin! Happy Thanksgiving brother.

[@jamescook5784]

You can also set it on smoke mode for 15-20 minutes at the beginning of your cook then change to regular smoking for better taste.

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks James!!

[@rickmelonman]

i'm amazed at how far babacueing has moved forward since i was a boy and that was 45 years ago. i had a simple charcoal barbacue and it made awsome food.

[@chrismeeson4641]

Thank you very much for the tips. I’m out cleaning my pellet grill right now. Appreciate it.

[@1526BBQ]

Glad I could help

[@Tunaslayer1]

I have a Cabela's 36" which is made by the same company that makes Pit Boss. I Believe it is Dansons Inc. I totally neglect it, and it is awesome. It has a window, a pellet change out port. and a vacuum port to remove the ash from the fire box. Yes, you still need to remove everything now and then to clean the accumulation on the bottom of the unit. I went with this because it was less than the "T" brand, and it has 36" of cooking surface, and all the above mentioned upgrades. I must let you know that the viewing window is great, but you will need SOS pads, and a good degreaser to keep it clean. Thanks for the video!!! Keep them coming!

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks Tunaslayer1!

[@kameljoe21]

I have about the same amount of cooking space yet I can shelf up about 4 or 5 feet. In 1 inch increments. Is that big? Most of the tips are common which most people will do the first few times then they will not do it till a problem happens and they clean it and its solves it and back to taking care of it for a few smoke then back to not worrying about it again.

[@1526BBQ]

👍

[@johnberry8180]

Pellet is pretty close,to set it and forget it for a little while. I still use my off set quite a bit, but the pellet is really nice when multitasking

[@maltz99]

You're dead on with most of what you said. I do have to disagree with the temp swings. The lack of big temp swings is why many get away from stick burners. That and to make it easier... I have both Traeger (8yrs) and a 2yr old Pitts and Spitts. My T has about a 10°+ swing where as my higher end P&S is maybe 1 or 2. IMO the lower end unit someone has, the greater the temp swing... again, just my opinion with a good 8yrs of pellet grills. I liked your video!

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks maltz! I appreciate your opinion and the fact that you watched and added to the conversation. Thank you!

[@kameljoe21]

I am pretty sure that the higher end models will have a much better temp swing based on a few things. Type of cabinet, Insulated or not, Smoke damper, More than one probe. Temp probe placement is key. In my smoker my temp probe is half way up my vertical smoker and another temp gauge is at the top. It will show 180f mid range and 200 at the top. I have yet to go out and watch and see how much it swings in wind or other types of weather. Type of thermostat be it pid or what ever other types will also depend on how much swing there is. An automatic damper and variable speed blower can also adjust the temps. The type of igniter is also key. My smoker starts up very very fast, with in about 1 mins and its off to the races. Pellet smokers are pretty much the exact same thing a pellet stove is. There is almost nothing different other than the settings. Slower burn rates and controllers. Higher end smokers are likely to have far better equipment and ways to choke off the smoke and keep the heat in while adding and reducing the heat. Having a second blower would be something to help force the heat out and cool down the chamber when it gets too hot.

[@1526BBQ]

Engineer?

[@kameljoe21]

@@1526BBQ Everyone is an enginner!

[@1526BBQ]

😀👍🚀

[@stephenshealy6514]

Good deal, I'm getting one, been fire smoking for years in different smokers and I'm ready to kick back, thanks

[@1526BBQ]

Enjoy. You may be use to more smoke flavor. If you feel the need for more smoke pick up a smoke maze. amzn.to/3qkMIzq

[@sarahhall7212]

New to this channel and just bought a PitBoss Lexington 500

[@1526BBQ]

Welcome! Thanks for watching!!!

[@jimmiemack1947]

Your right about the lighter smoke flavor. Why I am going to get a smoke tube. I want a bolder smoke flavor especially for brisket. You cannot achieve billowing smoke levels like you would get from an offset or vertical smoke with a pellet. Not possible!

[@1526BBQ]

Have you seen my pellet review video. Good pellets make a big difference!!

[@ethansherrill6061]

I know I'm tardy to the party but this video honestly helped me and I'm a total newbie so thanks a bunch.

[@tomolsen3420]

Yep, buy bigger. I cheaped out and ended up buying another one. You won't believe how good these things cook.

[@1526BBQ]

Yep. The WSM I got was instantly too small. Dealt with it for six years, then I got my 1100 Pro PB. Thanks for watching Tom!

[@robertlacross6704]

I’ll add one. For anyone who lives in high humidity areas the pellets will absorb moisture. I live in south Florida and found this out the hard way. Pellets won’t ignite they’ll just burn and create a ton of smoke

[@1526BBQ]

You know, I live in South Florida too and have never had an issue. I leave my pellets in th hopper and all... Weird.

[@robertlacross6704]

@@1526BBQ Wow, really? Maybe it’s the pellets. I was using the pit boss pellets

[@1526BBQ]

Yeah me too. Ive heard other ppl say the same thing and Im also like - really, doesn't happen to me....

[@youknowit5464]

It doesn’t happen to me either and I’m between south Louisiana and south texas all the time. Pit Boss competition blend in an 850 pro series

[@1526BBQ]

Last week I posted a video on tasting different pellets turns out my Pit Boss pellets were my least favorite so I'm switching to Lumberjack pellets. I'm curious if my Lumberjack pellets will swell up with the humidity?? Guess time will tell. Thanks for adding to the conversation!

[@duanehenicke6602]

I agree with everything, except. Yes the auger is on a timer when on the smoke setting. Thus the reason for the "P" setting. Now on any other settings it waits for the inside temp to drop 5° below set temp. Then run until set temp is reached. And that's the reason for the wild temp swings. Now a PID will run the auger when set temp has dropped 1°. It runs for a bit, checks the temp. If not reached it runs a bit more. This is also the reason it takes most PID's longer to come up to set temp from cold. PID's are much more reliable as far as flame outs go. And for baking dishes. I have both and enjoy both. I've had flame outs a few times on the non PID. Was my fault everytime. Poor quality pellets don't do well on these at low smoking temps. My PID pit purrs like a kitten. Only time it flames out is when i tell it to.

[@1526BBQ]

I dont think non-POD pits use the internal temp at all - but I'll have to test it to be sure. Thanks for watching, and thank you for your feedback!!!!

[@dennisprow7576]

Lol always cracks me up "so, you wana buy a pellet smoker, or maybe you just bought one..." yup, just got a Lexington 500 haha

[@johnherkert5324]

Thanks for the tips. My friends gave me a zgrill as a combo birthday/ Christmas gift. I can’t wait to set it up

[@1526BBQ]

What an awesome friend! Is he/she in the market for more friends???? lol. Thanks for watching!

[@murphtheirishmanmurphy7268]

Love my Z grill!

[@1526BBQ]

🔥👍🔥👍

[@ScottysBackYardBBQ]

i bought my first 18in wsm in 1981. was big enough. 1 time i needed more room so i went and bought another 18 in. now i own 4 18wsm 4 22.5wsm a master built 560. 26 weber kettles 2 yoders, a bradley smoker and now i am getting a pit boss lol so if you run out of room folks just go buy another smoker

[@1526BBQ]

Thats always an option!

[@Ivarposthumus]

Thanks for tips! And yes! Temperature swings don't matter! Finally somebody that says it on video. Most people are obsessed with them and say they're the devil. Going to switch from a WSM, Weber Master touch and Smokey Joe to a pellet grill. Thinking about the GMG Daniel Boone. Cheers!

[@1526BBQ]

I loved my WSM for many years. Thanks for watching!!

[@daltonbreaux]

I’ve developed degenerative disc disease and lifting my 22.5” WSM cooking chamber is a no go. I’m considering the move to a pellet grill or even going back to an offset. GMG, Traegar and Pit Boss are on my list of consideration. Any advice would be greatly appreciate or even some feedback on your transition.

[@Ivarposthumus]

@@daltonbreaux I went for the GMG Daniël Boone. I love it. Getting the pizza over for it this spring. Check this video. Very informative guy, good solid reviews and exactly what you're looking for. After that video, check his pellet comparison. He went from the science behind offset and has now made a dive in pellet smokers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZ6mmpWOmMugp7s

[@daltonbreaux]

@Ivar Posthumus Thank you for the info. I’m one of those guys that does a ton of research before buying anything above a couple hundred dollars. I dread buyer’s remorse.

[@Ivarposthumus]

@@daltonbreaux I'm the kind a guy that does research on anything to get the best option/quality/value for money 😅🤣. Starting with the videos of the channel I gave you is a very, very! good start.

[@wessimpson2544]

good info so far I just bought a Louisiana Pellet 700 (LGH700SL). I was looking at the Traeger Junior 300 but thought it might be a little small for us. Also no front shelf and cover included like this one and would have cost more - you pay for the name. I'm a good grill master I own a Kamado Joe classic but it's a pain for the longer slow and low cooks. So I thought let's try a pellet.

[@1526BBQ]

Thats great Wes. I love my pellet smoker.

[@tonysanders2332]

I love my Pit Boss Austin XL. I've found Lumberjack pellets (70%) mixed with Jack Daniels charcoal pellets (30%) makes for great flavor.

[@1526BBQ]

That sounds great. Where did you pick them up?

[@jonsanderson6936]

Finally, someone who knows how to get someone to subscribe to their channel. I hate being asked to subscribe before I know if I like the video. Great video. Subscribed liked, alerted

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks brother!

[@anzac3779]

Just bought a pitboss 700sc glad I found your channel

[@1526BBQ]

Welcome to the fam Anzacmt! Learn how to run, clean, and maintain your pit - your going to love it!!

[@stephengranger9019]

The 700 sc is the one I'm looking to buy and wondering how it's working out for ya???

[@1526BBQ]

@anzacmt - this ons for you....

[@johnmanthey2683]

I would suggest also would be to “sift” your pellets. Just in case of foreign debris in bag of pellets. Also cleaning and vacuuming the grill out keeps ash from prior cooks blowing up and onto your meat.

[@1526BBQ]

Thats a great point, thank you!!

[@paullylambert5386]

Sifting is good because some pellets are stuck together and create pellets that are 2 or 3 times longer than normal and will cause a dam effect in the fire pot creating bursts of unwanted heat.

[@paullylambert5386]

ooops i commented before you talked about bridging of the pellets !

[@1526BBQ]

@@paullylambert5386 I failed to mention sifting pellets - so thank you for adding to the conversation, and thanks for watching!!!

[@TheBradleyd1146]

Buy Bear Mountain pellets. They are really clean. Never sifted

[@koreyhannan9071]

My buddy thinks my cheap upright propane smoker has better flavor overall than his traeger. It takes Little chunks of wood versus pellets. I just ordered a pellet burner and I'm excited for more ease of smoking

[@caseyadams4659]

On the pit boss, only the smoke setting is on a on/off timer. The actual temp settings are controlled by temp probs and feed pellets accordingly

[@1526BBQ]

Not on the 1100 Pro. The newer Pit Boss pits, that have PID controller do control with the temp probes - but not my old pit!

[@davedoes5893]

Casey, I believe you are correct here or its a communication issue. I have the 1100 Pro as well. It turns the auger on based on temp but unlike a PID controller its on or off based on that temp. What a PID controller does is use calculations to figure out how much pellets it needs to feed to achieve and maintain a temp.

[@1526BBQ]

Sounds like I have some testing to do!!

[@ruthless4645]

Best advice he gave you was SPACE, many for these smokers tell you they deliver 1200+ sq inch's of cooking space, BUT that's with the "upper/middle" racks in. The upper/middle racks are basically useless for anything other than warming/holding food while you can only really smoking/cook food on the bottom rack, they will often account for wasted 1/3+ of your useable REAL cooking space. Choose carefully!.

[@1526BBQ]

I agree. My upper rack is somewhere in the garage - never use it. Thanks for watching, and for adding to the conversation!

[@JPHBJH]

My smoked cheese and two types of bologna that I did yesterday says you are wrong

[@1526BBQ]

😝😂😝😁👍👍

[@adriannewman1322]

I have a Cuisinart pellet smoker and I've used it more in the couple months I've had it than I used my propane grill I had for 2 years I haven't seen much temp swing maybe 20 degrees I don't stir my pellets and I haven't had trouble yet

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for watching and commenting Adrian. Maybe the walls of the hopper on the Cuisinart are steeper, which would decrease the potential of pellet voids forming???

[@traviswheeler2798]

Just ordered the Zgrill 1000d. Trying to learn something before I actually have it delivered. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@1526BBQ]

Awesome brother! Thanks for watching, glad it helped.

[@jaredcook4577]

I’ve been thinking on a Zgrill as well,,,

[@1526BBQ]

Please let me know how it goes. Travis how has yours treated you??

[@traviswheeler2798]

@@1526BBQ My experience so far has been amazing. The set up of the grill was really easier than expected and took me about 40 min. That alone was a plus. So far I have smoked one brisket. Probably the beast I have ever tasted. I know it’s best I have ever made. I have even grilled burgers and steaks. Crank the heat up for those burgers and steaks to get the beautiful grill marks. So far mesquite and hickory are the two pellets I have tried. Hard to decuywixh one is better. Bottom line is it’s a great grill. Glad I got it and glad you shared your video and tips. Big help. Thanks again.

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for all that info!!

[@BrettCrawford646]

Bro, you said something about salsa and deviled eggs. I’m in. I had never thought about putting those on a grill.

[@1526BBQ]

Here you go brother. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYjMcqyBrc5ghLs kzbin.info/www/bejne/onXZoWmCnc5gkK8

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@adrianr8486]

I have the same grill, passed 2 grills my pit boss seems to have trouble getting to high temperature. Can't get passed 350 on p4 setting, which I had no trouble getting to. I cleaned out my grill and cleaned temp gages both, one on top and the one in the side (inside). I put new pellets and I can see it struggle. I can set it to 400-450, and my temp will be around 300 plus, not more than 330. I got degreaser and will do a good cleaning, flush out auger before lowering my Psetting to p3. I ll go from there.

[@adrianr8486]

My pitboss is not old

[@1526BBQ]

That sounds odd. You are cleaning out the ash pot, I think thats what you said. You may want to call customer service - you may need a new controller. Please let me know how this turns out.

[@adrianr8486]

@@1526BBQ havent got around to cook something. Bad weather here. But I'll clean it good re prime it and go from there. I'll let you know how it goes.

[@adrianr8486]

@@1526BBQ update, I grilled Sunday and after cleaning and repriming and new pellets grilled worked better.

[@1526BBQ]

@@adrianr8486 thats great news!!

[@terryshampoe]

Good Advice! Keeping things clean is very important. I've used many different smokers or combi smokers and you gotta keep them clean.

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks Chef Terry! Cleaning and maintenance is key.

[@potojr]

Great video. I'm just now doing the burn off on my pellet grill. Bought an Austin xl yesterday. Go big or go home ha. But definitely some good tips, thanks

[@okiepita50t-town28]

I use a smoke tube if I want more smoke flavor. Works great. And don’t forget the drink breaks.

[@williamriley2528]

If you want a heavier smoke taste more like a stick burner, just add a $15 smoke tube to your pellet grille cooling chamber during your cook.

[@1526BBQ]

Yep. I have a pellet maze (same idea) that I use from time to time.

[@chuckstuckey9450]

I just purchased the Pit Boss 600 PS1 and my first cook was a 20 lb turkey. I would have liked a little more smoke flavor so the tube is a must but can you explain the cooling chamber as in location or where to properly place the tube please?

[@1526BBQ]

I think he meant cooking chamber.... With that, I would also ask - what pellet brand did you use? I found that certain brands gave more smoke flavor then others. Here the video on it kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4jMq6h_lKl_g5o

[@chuckstuckey9450]

@@1526BBQ Unfortunately I did not know about pellet differences at the time of purchase. The guy at Lowes just handed me a bag of competition blend. I was smart enough to empty the bag into an airtight container for moisture prevention. Its a new process for me and a learning curve so I will checkout the video link provided and see if I can learn something. Thanks for the feedback and I will certainly stay tuned into your channel. Happy Holidays.

[@1526BBQ]

Big learning curve for me too brother. Thanks for watching

[@mywayoflifeoutdoors.1182]

Good vid man I appreciate the info. Just switched from a stick burner to a pellet burner.

[@1526BBQ]

Appreciate it brother.

[@juanmartinez-ui2ff]

i usually just kick my hopper just to make sure the pellets are good lol

[@1526BBQ]

Thats one way to do it!

[@xskeetsx1576]

I did an easy modification, take the two screws out on the side away from the barrel. Swing the grate up, put those screws back in with a couple nuts in them and just put the grate back down. Just don’t stick your fingers in the auger lol

[@genghischuan4886]

dude Im guilty of not cleaning out the dripping tracks and honestly I like that taste it makes from the smoke

[@1526BBQ]

Mine have caught on fire before - so be careful...

[@rsteeb]

I like my CampChef Woodwind's removable-from-the-bottom ash pot!

[@1526BBQ]

Thats sweet! The new Pit Boss pits have something like that too.

[@genghischuan4886]

dry brining your meat over night will give you the deep smoke rings and flavor you are looking for. I buy my pellets from rural king and one of the bags I get is charred hickory. I always mix in a bag of those as a blend. trust me you get the same smoke quality if not better

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for the tip

[@dgeorge6130]

I cover the plate with heavy duty foil (with sear plate closed) makes for easy clean up

[@1526BBQ]

Does the aluminum foil near The Flame Broiler evaporate? I'm concerned that it will, and I think that off gas has some pretty toxic stuff. That's why I've never done it. What's your experience with it?

[@dgeorge6130]

@@1526BBQ I haven't had any issues with it burning up , having said that I've only had pitboss a few months, also have not used over 450 f You diffently want the sear plate closed 🍻🍻

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks bro! I may reconsider my stance....

[@gman1185]

It specifically says to not do this in the instruction manual. I'll try it anyway lol.

[@1526BBQ]

Which part???😱😀👍

[@1madeintheimage]

Great ideas but only Germane to those of the center fire pot design. I've got a sawtooth SPG401 1st gen pellet grill, and it is a departure from the Traeger copies out there, (mainly the fire box/ash pot and the center placement of these) of which the Pit Boss Green Mtn and many others are. My smoker doesn't have those grease "side tracks". And I've solved the pellet feed dilemmas toy spoke of by adding a tall 20-24 inch cardboard tube that effectively narrows the pellet box and steepens the angle, while also doubling the hopper capacity, for a true "set it-n-forget it" ability. Cheers!

[@1526BBQ]

Cheers!!

[@_type1rider]

Just bought my first pellet grill today, Pitt Boss Pro 850. Looking forward to breaking it in!

[@Mutch820]

Thank you for talking about stirring the pellets. I had a flame out on an overnight cook a few weeks ago. It didn't ruin the cook, but I had to finish it in the oven. The picture you showed is exactly what happens to mine. (I have an 850 Pro Series) I'm guessing there really isn't anything I can do about it? I'm planning on smoking a 15lb brisket overnight on Saturday and would rather not have to get up every hour to stir.

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for watching - sorry you had a flame out. At least you saved the cook!!

[@icejunki]

I'm new to this whole ball of wax. I'm glad I found your channel. Great Content Amigo. SUBSCRIBED

[@1526BBQ]

Appreciate the love Clem!!!

[@ljc4810]

Thanks Brother I just got my first Pit Boss 850, Is grill time!”

[@1526BBQ]

Nice! Thanks for watching, and welcome to the club!!!

[@mbbrooks123]

Cleaning it out is a real pain to get the big round sheild thing under the grate where the flame is on the 1100 pro series and some others. I saw someone put some aluminum foil on there's to protect it and I'm going to do that right before the brisket I'm going to smoke this week. Thanks for the tips man! Subscribed just now because I saw some good looking foods in the video list

[@ivandrago9140]

Good tips man, I'm buying a pellet smoker this weekend. You just got a new sub.👍

[@1526BBQ]

I appreciate it brother. Have you owned a smoker before, either way your going to love it. Welcome to the club!!

[@suprask8r.93]

This is probably a stupid question, but do you end the smoke as soon as your meat reaches temp? For example: I smoked a 3lb chuck roast the other day at 225 degrees, it reached 160 degrees at like 2 hours, but the directions I was following said to smoke for 6 hours, so I did 6 hours.. and then once that time was up, I raised the grille to 275 degrees and I smoked it with it wrapped in tin foil til the meat reached 200 degrees. When I pulled it out, I let it rest for an hour, and it was hard and dry.. it was not falling apart tender like I expected it to be.. did I cook it too long? Should I have wrapped it in tin foil and brought the meat to 200 as soon as it hit 160? Instead of smoking it for the entire 6 hours even though it reached 160 at 2 hours?

[@1526BBQ]

You got to cook to temp, not to time. Yes, you should have wrapped when you hit internal. For my typical chuck roast its about 2 hours at 225 - but again you got to check temp.

[@guitarsrcool4922]

Well this video was made 2 years ago and you mentioned using Pit Boss pellets. You also mentioned doing a comparison video of other pellets so im sure you found out Pit Boss is one of the worst pellets. There isn't much of a smoke flavor from them.

[@1526BBQ]

Yep. Pit boss and Treager were by far the worst. Thanks for watching!!

[@chrome2l]

Great communication, easy on the Jack & Coke. 👍

[@1526BBQ]

😀 thanks brother!

[@havocproltd]

yeah... got my smoker by accident at an auction. thought it was a regular grill. oops! 4 summers later and uncountable briskets and stuff, MAN do i wish I had a bigger smoker!! And for smokers out there in the garage in the winter...get a welder's blanket to throw over the thing, on top of any manufacturer insulator!! and 2" foam for wind breaks!

[@1526BBQ]

All great tips!!

[@havocproltd]

@@1526BBQ I liked yours. Especially about cleaning out the firepot! I got a special shop vac for ashes for mine! That was a great clip of the thing blowing up! Oddly, I already do all of the things you mentioned!

[@daniellynch9292]

Bought a Pitt Boss 1150PS2 today . After putting it together and following the instructions to a T to do a burn off. the instructions said to "leave the lid closed".which I did. Fortunately it didn't blow up.

[@HunterK723]

you had me at exploding bbq..subbed

[@1526BBQ]

Hahahaha thanks for the love!!

[@sublime._9684]

Good video brotha. I liked the description of the "clean smoke" that a pellet grill offers. I had been wondering how these compare to that wood fired taste.

[@1526BBQ]

You'll get smoke taste, just not as strong. Thanks for the support!

[@ksburner01]

If you want more smoke out of a pellet grill set it at a lower temperature. The higher the temperature, the less smoke your going to get. I think some of them even have a smoke setting on the temperature dial before the lowest temperature. You can do that or you can do what I did and not clean out the pellets after a flame out and then turn it back on. You'll have enough smoke for the whole neighborhood.

[@1526BBQ]

Yeah, thats right. Another option is to use a pellet maze while smoking, like this one. amzn.to/3qkMIzq

[@oscarb9139]

The most common mistake for inexperienced BBQ pit masters is too much smoke. Dirty smoke will impart a bitter taste on the meat. So, IF you like lots of smoke, put it on heavy at the beginning of the cook and then try for clean smoke for the remainder of the cook. It puts the smoke flavor on, and then as the meat renders fat and loses moisture, it mellows the smoke somewhat. Now, I know some people want heavy smoke flavor because it is “smoked” meat, but it can be overpowering if overdone. I love heavy smoke on cheese, but like a light smoke on ribs. Brisket gets a little dirty smoke at the beginning and then as clean as I can keep it for the rest of the cook. Start with less, and add more with each cook until you are happy. You can’t undo too much.

[@jaredm674]

Super smoke setting fix's that

[@tomgates316]

There have been a number of videos on KZbin over the last couple of years showing one of those SMOKE events when a pellet smoker is re-lit after a pellet flame out, and the owner does not clear the overflow of pellets. Have seen them anywhere from a half-full burner cup (when caught right away) to the bottom of the smoker barrel having a 1/2 inch layer of pellets that have been shoved thru the burner cup by the auger and spilled out into the barrel. As you say, light that baby up and you'll have smoke for the entire neighborhood. And if it is on the side of 'lots' of pellets spilled out, this can create a huge flash over that puts the whimpy 'bang' in this video to shame. :-D These flash overs can break the weld points of the cover hinges, bend the hinges, and cause high-temp large fires in the smoker (blower fans do that) that will cause the high-temp paint on the smoker to peel off. The paint is generally about 900F type paint, but a fan-blown large pellet fire in a smoker can reach 1200F. Usually the electronics get fried as well in these fires. Rule of thumb if pellets flame out: turn off smoker, unplug it, remove your cook, take out racks etc to get to burner cup and remove all loose pellets inside the smoker - then replace the racks, plug in, go through normal startup, preheat back to your cooking temp, put your cook back in and continue. I use a multi-probe Thermoworks monitor with one probe being a grill temp probe that alerts anytime the grill temp drops below 160F so I can check to make sure there is no flame out, or catch it very early.

[@johnmanthey2683]

You mentioned about the size of your grill. You also forgot to mention how much space you have available to accomodate a grill. Some folks don't have a lot of room for a big grill.

[@1526BBQ]

Yeah thats true.

[@akira3871]

In short, follow the instructions for your particular grill.

[@1526BBQ]

That covers most of it. Thanks for watching!

[@lettingthebearout7528]

Do you stay up all night with a brisket stirring the pellets? You don’t do overnight smokes?

[@halpwr]

Love the drink and the smile. Great vid

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks halpwr!!!

[@kevinquigley4337]

Good one dude.... I cooked on standard bbqs my whole life but recently got a pellet unit. I went through the same learning curve and learned the same things. The only thing I would add is don’t be afraid to add you old skills. Like any good tool.... it should not just be used like the manufacturer suggests. I do set it and forget it for some things but I open it and fuck with things a lot for others and just deal with the temp swings like you used to. The good thing is that the recovery is much faster and more accurate.... you don’t get up to 500 before you get back to 350. Also agree on the flavor being different but really..... who needs to SEE the smoke on their chicken? A little less is fine. All good tips. Pellet bbqs are a total cheat but their pretty cool....

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks brother. And thanks for watching!!

[@jeffsmith350]

I have a rt-700 from REC-TEC best pellet grill ever! My grill does not have temp swings,like you are taking about. My pellets do not hang up. Rec-tec is a much better pellet grill

[@1526BBQ]

You're the second person to recommend Rec Tec. Def going to check them out when its time to replace my Pit Boss. Thanks!

[@tonylipscomb6307]

Yeah at twice the price

[@dougiefresh9618]

I've got the mini for camping and the RT 700 great grills. You get what you pay for.

[@jeffsmith350]

@@1526BBQ they have they best customer service i have ever seen. They are in Augusta Georgia

[@jaredm674]

I almost went with rec but went with a Treager iron wood love it works great no feed issues it temp swing. My first was pit boss telling there's a huge difference between the 2

[@chuckheinch]

Great tips. I've been through all these mistakes including the explosions. Clean it after long smokes. Had the drip pan flare up and shoot flames. Temp swings don't really matter as mine swings 40 degrees. I disagree with smoke flavor. I've overamoke using different types of pellets, especially mesquite and oak. I quit using a stick burner due to Convenience.

[@1526BBQ]

I agree, you cant beat the convince. What brand pellets do you use. Ive tried some different ones and feel better brands make better smoke....

[@chuckheinch]

I've been using a local almond pellet, Knotty Wood, brand mostly and typically use Louisiana grill brand. Almond is mellow for most everything.

[@1526BBQ]

@@chuckheinch never heard of almond pellets, I'll have to check them out. Thanks!!

[@harleykilfian1107]

Just hit that bell. Thanks for the tips. My First pit boss.

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks brother!!

[@kellyvb9881]

GREAT tips, BUT there is NO link to the mod u talk about. the link is about the water tray. Where is the other one?

[@happyjack880]

I'm "that guy" when it comes to #2. I'm slowly learning. LOL. Thanks for posting.

[@1526BBQ]

Everyone starts somewhere. Welcome to the club brother and thanks for watching.

[@dtrust68]

the things that irritates me about my pit boss is the temp...Ive put an oven temp gauge inside near the internal temp probe and they will be 30 deg off. As in the oven temp will read 30 deg lower than the internal probe connected to the controller. ill place it at 250 and the internal probe will read 250 but actual temp grom oven gauge is 217 or 215...irritating like no other. They have sent me a new controller and a new internel temp probe. Its the walmart pitboss lexington 500. Ive also plugged all but one of the holes in the back as it doesnt have a stack for the smoke. i kinda gave up with placing temp probes everywhere and seeing all the different temps. not sure what to do anymore lol

[@1526BBQ]

Sorry Dustin. I havent put an oven probe in mine to check - I could be having the same issue!!

[@347strokerdude]

I feel like if I don't follow these tips, I'm gonna get whacked by Tony Soprano. Lol, Just kidding. New sub here and great tips!

[@1526BBQ]

LOL I appreciate it brother. Thanks for the sub!!

[@baconmaples]

Thanks for the information brother! I made more than 1 of these mistakes lol

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for watching!!