Pit Boss Pellet Grill Smoker 1100 Pro 6 Month Review +My BIGGEST Regret Should I Buy a Pellet Smoker

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for watching! If this video added value, please subscribe.

[@williampeppers812]

I bought the Pro 850 yesterday and I sorta wished I had seen this video prior to the purchase. BUT I have it now and got 3 racks going can't wait to see the final results. Thanks for the inspiration. My son congratulated me with "Dad your now upper middle-class now that you graduated to a pellet grill" LOL

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks William! You may like this other video that I just recently put out on which pellets to use. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4jMq6h_lKl_g5o

[@danielgeorges3048]

I just picked up a used (used 1 time!) Pit Boss 850 from a neighbor for $350. I’ve been watching all sorts of content on these items. I feel like your last piece of advice is what I’m going to find to be true. I did a great 1st cook last weekend that has me anxious to do more this weekend! Thanks for the content.

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks Daniel! Welcome to the club!!!

[@DJDossEntertainment]

I just bought the Pro Series 1150 S PID. Best one 100%. The controller takes longer to get to temp because of this but stays very consistent and right on! Definitely recommend it.

[@1526BBQ]

Oh man - I can't wait to get a PID controller!! Thanks for the quick review!

[@KeleentProductions]

Honestly a RecTeq smoker is the best one to get. Legendary customer service, Wifi PID controller, and completely superior build quality.

[@1526BBQ]

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind when tis time to replace this one - hopefully years from now.

[@KeleentProductions]

@@1526BBQ I'm not sure which is better Traeger or Pit Boss, but everyday i see new members in our Recteq group saying they owned a traeger and switched over to Recteq and they were blown away at the better quality. They were fed up with their Traegers failing and having shitty customer support. I'm glad Pit Boss appears to have some good form of CS from what you mentioned. One thing I see Recteq has (the 700) that other ones don't is a smoke box which you can cold smoke cheese in or what i use it for- warming box. I just bought a Recteq bullseye to pair with my 700. :)

[@anthonymartins2454]

Awesome job! I really enjoy your videos! I had both the PB Pro Series 820 and RecTec RT700. Love both these smokers. Loved my Pit Boss more when I changed the board to RT 700 controller. Really easy modificatiom. The PB worked as good as my RecTec after that. Ended up selling the PB and keeping the RT. The stainless steel on the construction on RT was the game changer.

[@dank9288639]

yeah just picked up a rec tec 340 it's real nice. sucks ass that I have to send it back because ups totally mangled it while in transit 🤦‍♂️

[@KeleentProductions]

@@dank9288639 Nice! Mine had a small dent on the hopper lid and they offered to fix it or i could have a free accessory :)

[@RossMalagarie]

Looking at your barrel plate, (the metal diffuser under your grill grates) you have a lot of humidity where you are too, you may want to "season" it like you do with cast iron or even stainless steel, I clean off my plate every few cookings after its has built up burn food on it and i use a metal scall pad to get pretty much all of it off and a spoon to scrape off the rest, then I spray top and bottom of both the barrel plate and direct flame slide plate with PAM spray then wipe with a paper towel to coat all sides so that day when I use the pit it will burn the oil into the metal coating or "seasoning" it which will add a protective layer from rust. Works good.

[@1526BBQ]

Thats a great tip Ross - thanks!

[@8329kelso]

Non PID controller pellet grills are thermostat pellet grills. They do have a temperature probe and do go by the temp inside the cooker.

[@1526BBQ]

I don't know, sounds like I'm going to have to test it to verify.

[@mindofwatercolor]

@@1526BBQ You're absolutely correct (this comment is wrong). If it has a probe and adjusts by temperature feedback, it is by definition, a PID controller. A non-PID controller uses preset, timed delivery intervals and is not adjusted by temperature feedback. It may even have a probe but thats so it can display the actual temperature on the control panel. The drawback is usually bigger temperature swings. PID controllers, on a good quality grill can hold the temp swings to +/-5º in most cases. It does on my ZGrill 7002f2

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for the backup!

[@mindofwatercolor]

@@1526BBQ keep the great recipes coming. Enjoying your channel!

[@1526BBQ]

Thank you, will do!!

[@mikem7977]

Good info. Honest and very usable for me as I consider buying my first pellet grill. I have had several propane grills and even an electric grill but am thinking about making the leap. Thanks for providing your views. You helped me decide to go for it.

[@1526BBQ]

You're going to love it, there is a bit of a learning curve - but once yiu figure it all out you will love it. I have a video on the 8 mistakes to avoid as a new pellet smoker, you may want to watch that video too. Thanks for watching!!!

[@RossMalagarie]

I have a Pit Boss Austin XL. The only thing I regret is not getting the 1150 Pro Series as for only $150 more I would have gotten the ash clean out, so you don't have to take the grates, and barrel plates out to vacuum ash (this is the main feature I want no vac and no hand pulling out just dump) WiFi, not important but a nice feature more cooking surface, not needed but nice direct flame plate pull rod on the outside, so you don't have to take a grate off and move the plate with a pair of tongs front shelf

[@1526BBQ]

Yeah i agree. When this one dies out I will be upgrading to one that has the ash pot upgrade.

[@Mankitchenrecipes]

Wow, it seems all your cons have been resolved with the new PBPS 1150 and trust me I am tempted to upgrade, just gotta get the wife convinced LOL. The 1150 has PID controller, BIG plus! The ash pot slides off from underneath, BIG Plus. I had them send me replacement grates and there are 4 instead of 3 and so far so good! They did not however resolve the height issue you have. I don't find that as much of an issue unless I do a beer can chicken, then it's mighty close depending on the size of the bird. MY BIGGEST complaint is that 8" shelf...and THAT was not resolved on the 1150... They did on the Navigator (nice 12" shelf) and messed it up on the new Pro Series 1150 by keeping the 8"shelf... As for the top shelf, I use mine quite often and occasionally have issues with space between the bottom and shelf but not enough for it to be an issue. You can put a lot of things on that shelf or smoke on the shelf and not directly on the grate but hey, to each there own and this is a Great Review Tony and I agree... Buy A Pellet Smoker, you'll be glad you did :) Thanks Tony, and why the channel name change???

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for all the added value in your comment. I know, I want to upgrade too - but I just got mine 6 months ago. Hahahaha. I decided to change the name because when I spoke to friends about it was always hard for them to get what I was saying, or they would ask how to spell it. I wanted to make the name easy to remember and share. 1526 is the year of the known first record of the word barbacoa - which is where Barbeque derived from. I thought it would be easier to share, but for me and for future subs and followers, to share - 1526 BBQ. Thanks, as always, for watching!

[@1526BBQ]

Oh, and I kept Semper Fumus (which was shortened to Semper Fu) as my tagline or slogan. Semper Fumus is Latin for Forever Smoking.

[@Mankitchenrecipes]

@@1526BBQ I was checking out some videos on the 1150 and unfortunately I'm not all that impressed. It may have a PID controller but it's the same as what we have in that the temp settings jump 50 degrees after 250! THAT SUCKS! I thought it would let you at least go in 25 degree increments... And they say it takes about a half hour to heat to 300... oh well, I love what I have.

[@RossMalagarie]

@@Mankitchenrecipes Pit Boss just released a firmware update to the 1150 PID so now it allows for 10 degrees adjust from 200F-300F and 25 degrees adjust at 300F and above, and should help with getting to and holding temps.

[@Mankitchenrecipes]

@@RossMalagarie Oh that's AWESOME! Maybe I will upgrade now? I couldn't believe they didn't have those increments with a PID controller. Thanks for the update!

[@robertzuna861]

Great review, and I appreciate your approach to the pros and cons list 👍 I also waited far too long to get into pellet smokers. I live in AZ, and I've always used a stick burner and always used mesquite since it is abundant out here lol! And I swore I'd never get a pellet smoker. My cousin finally talked me into getting a Pit Boss. I have the same model, and the pro series 4 vertical cabinet and I love both of them! I have yet to experience the "pellet void" the way you described it, however, I've had issues where the pellets get low, and expose the opening to the auger, but again, only when the pellet hopper gets low, around 5-7 lbs. I like the modification you made to clean out the ashes, I saw that video a while back, and forgot to subscribe so I could go back and see it again. I'll be subscribing today and I will do that with mine. Also, I'm about to purchase the Pit Boss Platinum Lockhart which will give me 3 of these awesome pellet smokers!

[@1526BBQ]

Appreciate the love brother. I've since changed my ash cleanout mod - I replaced the hinges with the same "tab" I used in the front of the access hatch. This lets the searing grate sit better and keeps temps more evenly distributed. I've been thinking about getting a vertical smoker - what's the biggest benefit of vertical versus horizontal?

[@robertzuna861]

@@1526BBQ To me, the vertical deletes the "hot spot" for starters. The smoke and the heat are really distributed evenly. And the Pro Series 4 really holds a temp excellent. There is hardly any "swing" on the temp, even when you open the door to spritz, check temps, etc.. plus, it looks awesome lol! And honestly, this is now my "go to" for ribs, chops, and most recently, brisket.

[@wackyguns]

I have the new pro 850 unfortunately it does not have the ez pot removal like the 1150 which was a bummer but its been good so far

[@1526BBQ]

Yeah I agree, even with all the cons - I love my Pit Boss. Thanks for watching brother!!

[@RossMalagarie]

yep got my Austin XL and if I would have known about the 1150 Pro I would have gotten it, the ash clean out door makes it worth the price alone oh and the flame plate slide from the outside too. But who knows, maybe I will give my Austin XL to my pops and get the 1150 Pro?.......

[@NataKnowsBest]

I'm currently researching good smokers for my hubby for Xmas and I loved this! Super informative. I subscribed for more videos 👍

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks for watching Natal, and thanks for subscribing!

[@matthewschmidt355]

There is a new pit boss platinum Laredo that is only available at Walmart. It has WiFi and Bluetooth. I would highly recommend that model or the new vertical smoker by pit boss called the Brunswick.

[@pato6672]

@@matthewschmidt355- Laredo is sold out on Walmart site. I signed up for notification when it becomes available. It's the one I want...

[@NotTelling51]

I've been using a Weber WSM for 13 yrs. I'm thinkin about getting a pellet smoker.. not sure what brand yet.

[@1526BBQ]

The two things that I would look into if I were you, 1. how easy is the ash pot clean out, 2. Is it PID controlled. Newer pits have an ash pot you basically unscrew from the bottom - super convenient. PID controllers use actual pit temperatures to control the auger. Good luck!

[@NotTelling51]

@@1526BBQ gonna be hard to beat the quality I get from my weber. I need to decide how good of a pellet smoker I want. Any of them will smoke more quantity than mine. Just not sure how many bells and whistles I really need.

[@mattricard26]

Grilla grills

[@daltonbreaux]

I’m in your position right now. I’ve cooked on a WSM for over a decade and I agree with this video as far as flavor is concerned. I have friends who own pellet smokers and they all agree that the food off my WSM is much better. I’ve never sampled their cooking. I recently purchased a used 850 for cheap just to experiment with it. If you went to a pellet from your WSM I’d appreciate knowing about your experience. One thing I disagree with in this video is that I never have to tend my fire on the WSM. I’ve used mine for so long that I’ve reached a point where it is truly fire and forget.

[@NotTelling51]

@@daltonbreaux thanks for the comment. I bought a Camp Chef. It's not as good as the WSM for sure. Even though I like you, didn't fiddle with my WSM at all. It was pretty easy however, this Camp Chef is even easier than that. It literally is turn it on walk away. Other than make sure it has pellets, there's nothing to do. I'm still learning the Temps. I had my WSM down pat. I new the exact Temps for each meat. I'm not there yet with the pellet. Having said all that I'm just at a place in my life where simple is a good thing. It's not as good but I'm gonna keep using it just because it's easier.

[@darkdaysahead5079]

I have a 1150, very unhappy about the purchase. It won’t hold low temperatures, I called them about the new update for the controller and they gave me the run around about fixing it. Guess I’ll just get a rec tech controller. I’ll probably never buy another product from them.

[@1526BBQ]

Sorry to hear that. Thanks for sharing, and for watching!!

[@joshals]

Great video! I picked one up (Pro Series) based on your input. How do you clean/keep the heat deflector clean? Do you wrap with tin foil or just deal with it?

[@1526BBQ]

I deal with it, but have been thinking about a foil wrap. The only issue is the flame broiler section. You dont want aluminum foil exposed to open fire. It will melt and cause nasty fumes all over your meat....

[@CheyonceEast]

Thats because you have the walmart exclusive which is a bit cheaper but made cheaper. No wifi and thinner metal. Correct me if I am wrong?

[@1526BBQ]

Yes, it does have thinner metal and no wifi - but I bought it at Lowes thank you very much! 😄😄😝😝😎

[@ronschreiber3635]

so why don't you have it ?? with all the con's ??

[@1526BBQ]

I have the Pit Boss 1100 Pro, and I love it.

[@jcz232321]

LIKED, SUBSCRIBED, AND RANG THE BELL FOR ALL NOTIFICATIONS!

[@1526BBQ]

Tim him you're the man! Thanks buddy

[@Rotvic17]

What's your opinion on recteq. A few people I know love them

[@1526BBQ]

The only pellet smoker I've owned is Pit Boss. I hear good things about rec, but I've never seen one in action.

[@Rotvic17]

@@1526BBQ ok thank you!! Pit boss seems awesome as well

[@aflypoet]

Great video

[@1526BBQ]

Thanks brother!

[@kevincris2589]

Paid $200 for mine 2 years ago on clearance from lowes. Happy with it cuz of the price i paid. Mine is starting to rust though and when i called pit boss i was told that its normal for this POS to rust and to just spray with some paint if it bothers me that much lmao.

[@1526BBQ]

Yeah, these Pit Boss machines arent meant to last forever. Mine has a little rust too. Of you going to paint make sure you knock off as much rust as possible, and get high heat paint. Thanks for watching!!

[@MrC9Oh3]

No matter how well i clean or season it my barrel diffuser seizes up from drippings, its useless.

[@1526BBQ]

Oh no! I have that issue from time to time. I keep a plastic scraper handy and just scrape off all that gunk.

[@1526BBQ]

Does any of it evaporate/melt from the heat?

[@greywolff9367]

1/23/2021 @ 3:35 pm tryed calling and for 36 min on hold i gave up, guess they dont care

[@1526BBQ]

That sucks man. Sorry to hear it. I never had that much trouble getting through.

[@Jordanfiend361]

Lol def click baited me with the picture of the newer model lol.

[@1526BBQ]

Sorry brother, it was not intentional. When I made this thumbnail I could not find an image of an 1100 pro with no background. Now I know how to remove backgrounds, so I'll fix this image in the next week or so. Sorry bro