What I Wish I Knew Switching To A Pellet Grill

[@HouseDadLife]

Everyone that stops in for a BBQ always asks me about the convenience and how this thing works vs a gas grill. Hopefully it helps someone else make the decision on what they should buy.

[@josephkirby3735]

Thanks so much for posting this video. After 14 years with a gas grill, I'm in the market for a replacement. I watched way too many videos and talked to several people, but your video has helped me decide to go with a pellet grill. Great information and everything I can relate to. Thanks again!

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad I could help, I know when I bought this one, it was a bit of a gamble for me, no one had answers to the questions I wanted answered. Thanks for taking the time to let me know, I appreciate it!

[@bricker6241]

I just got a Pit Boss Competition 1600. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS THING!! Everything from meat to apple pie goes on this baby!

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm loving mine, never tried pie on it, interesting idea.

[@raiderjames85]

What wood are you using for the pie

[@miketomko2933]

My Pit Boss is on the way. Thanks for the great insight. I have a komado and a small propane Pit Boss. This will complete my collection. Great vid! Thanks

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad I could help. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.

[@larryknobloch4419]

Thank you for this great video! This is one of the best and most informative videos on pellet grills that I have seen. I just bought my Pit Boss and am planning on getting it set up for use soon. You answered a lot of questions clearly and in lay persons language.

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad I could help. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! There's a brisket recipe on the channel that works great on this grill in you need something to get you started, either way enjoy your grill.

[@larryknobloch4419]

@@HouseDadLife thanks! I watched that one and will be trying it out in the next week or so.

[@mikeoneill81]

My pellet grille has a 25 min shutdown cycle. It’s a little different than what you do. I used my pellet grill for the first time yesterday for some ribs and they turned out awesome, even for a rookie like me.

[@HouseDadLife]

A shut down cycle would be a nice feature, I didn't know it existed, there has been a couple of times I've left mine on high for an hour, sucks through a good chunk of pellets.

[@johnroy4508]

Thank you for your excellent review and all of you personal informative information that you shared with us. This was one of the reviews I have seen on youtube! Wishing you and your family all the best!

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad you liked the review, it really was a hard decision because I just wanted to hear about someone using the pellet grill and their experience. I found very little of my questions answered so I thought I'd share. Thanks for the family well wishes. I wish your family the best as well kind sir. God bless!

[@rebeccadees2300]

I just ordered my pellet smoker/grill. Thank you for sharing this video. This has been encouraging since I’m new at this. I chose the pellet stove because I felt it would be easier for me to use than the propane or charcoal stoves. Looking forward to having mine. My initial project is going to be ground beef jerky.

[@HouseDadLife]

Good luck with it, enjoy the new toy phase. Hopefully you have as many successful bbq off of yours as I have off of mine.

[@jeraldehlert7903]

I'm getting a different brand, and a modern wifi connected pellet grill... this video has so much value. Thanks for making this. The home depot is bringing mine sometime this weekend. :) Now I'm even more confident that I'm going to love it.

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad you found the video helpful, it's always nice to read comments like this. Enjoy your pellet grill, I'm about to fire mine up to have ribs for supper.

[@kyleblake8210]

I agree with everything you said. We'll done on the video. I've had my pellet grill for 6 months I'm not looking back either. My favorite I've cooked so far is smoked cheese burgers with a sear at the end, a reverse seared dry brined tomahawk ribye and a smoked meatloaf.

[@HouseDadLife]

Both sounds absolutely delicious. My wife has a killer meatloaf recipe, I'm going to have to try this. I heard the reverse sear in another comment, maybe I need to look into that as well.

[@TheDWZemke]

Truely appreciate your work. I have the pitboss 1600 I love it. With the clean out, just a flip of a switch, I do it everytime , because it is 30 seconds. Good vIdeo. I have friends that have made bbq pits that need tendering every 45 min to 1 hour. I spent the money and can do a pork butt with, 8 hours main cook, with no extra work on my end (I sleep all night long)! Then check every hour in the morning until up to temp.

[@HouseDadLife]

Thanks very much for the comment. I do try and put together videos that will help other people and be as unbiased as possible, it means a lot when people take the time to leave a comment. So doing a pork butt overnight. I've never thought of this and now I have to try an overnight smoke of some kind. Thanks for the tip!

[@TheDWZemke]

@@HouseDadLife best way to cook port butt. Nice job once again.

[@jonathanfish6590]

Idk if it was mentioned, but a smoke tube or two helps with more smoke flavor. Fill with pellets light it let burn 10-15 minutes blow out turn on its side and set somewhere out of the way

[@insertname8888]

I love my Pit Boss. When I do a shoulder or brisket, I'll set it and won't touch it for sometimes up to 10 hours. I have a bluetooth meat thermometer, so there's no need to open/close the lid over and over again. I'll just check to make sure it has enough pellets every few hours. Easiest cooking ever lol

[@HouseDadLife]

Literally my favorite part of cooking on this thing. Close the lid and just let it go.

[@peterbatt7169]

This is a great video for pit boss pellet grills. I’ve had mine for about five years and have a few things to add. First, I almost exclusively run on the smoke setting and the P settings are key. I do have a hotter (left) and cooler (right) side on my pit boss. I have never gone through your startup procedure when going for higher temps. I’m not sure what this accomplishes. One BIG NOTE. When changing between temp settings, expect a potentially massive temp spike. To my understanding, this is a known issue with the pit boss. I have seen my unit spike to almost 400 when switching temp from 225 to 250. Pit boss pellets are pretty excellent quality and the competition blend rules. Lastly, clean your temp probe that is part of the unit. Carbon buildup can make your smoker act up a bit. Thanks for a great video.

[@HouseDadLife]

Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing your feedback and user experience! I only started to use the p setting last year and wish I would have done so sooner! Smoke on!

[@DJSbm-28]

Thanks great useful information. I have been thinking about a change from gas and this helps so much.

[@HouseDadLife]

That was my goal to help inform others that are trying to decide, and you're very welcome.

[@TyroneBiggins81]

Grilla Grills Silverbac. Stainless steel parts inside and the door 12 gauge stainless steel. Evenly cooks throughout the entire inside. Other than a traditional offset it’s a very well manufactured pellet grill/smoker.

[@nelsonway]

Thank you, the standard user experience is exactly the pre-purchase review I was looking for.

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad I could help!

[@snipersteve378]

Thanks great video I have a Pit Boss Pro 600 compact model it does everything I needed to do I can get a bag of pellets from Walmart on the cheap compared to a tank of propane which is close to $20 us now. So far I've made ribs chicken and cajun style shrimp on wood skewers came out phenomenal I'm glad I made the switch too pellet smoker!

[@HouseDadLife]

You're welcome, glad you enjoyed the video. I'm even more happy you are enjoying the smoker. Ribs are the bomb on here as well.

[@Last_Chance.]

​@@HouseDadLifedo you wrap your ribs or not?

[@HouseDadLife]

If they are getting dry yes for an hour or 2. Otherwise they stay out.

[@sgteduardo2146]

On the fence about getting the Weber 18-inch Smokey Mountain charcoal Cooker or a pellet grill?

[@HouseDadLife]

@@sgteduardo2146 Convenience pellet grill, flavour, charcoal has an edge I think.

[@johnolski8253]

I bought my Pit Boss specifically for smoking meat, I've used a Weber kettle grill for decades, but watching this video, I'm ready to take the plunge and use the smoker as a grill. Great video!

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad I could help, it's still going strong and I haven't looked back. Thanks for leaving a comment!

[@charlescahoon3557]

I have a Camp Chef I bought almost four years ago. No problems. One thing I did was order an insulation blanket for it. Helps with the heat retention in colder weather but also cuts pellet usage in warmer months.

[@HouseDadLife]

That's a good tip, thanks for sharing!

[@92Blackjeep]

I love my pit boss!. Recently bought a whole hog leg to do "pulled ham". because it was so big it took a solid 25 hours to fully smoke and bring up to 210* internal. but oh my gosh it it good!

[@HouseDadLife]

25 hours, now that's commitment. Nice work, what temp did you end up cooking it at?

[@terrancefitzgerald3942]

Quick hack: you can use oak hardwood heating pellets in the grill, & it’s around $5 per 40 pound bag vs around $18 per 20 pound bag for grills pellets, & they are the exact same thing.

[@HouseDadLife]

I have definitely thought about this. I wonder if they are free of chemicals or if they press in used would like melamine.

[@21lt]

I have the exact same pit. I love it! I had never cooked a brisket before I got the Pit Boss. I now cook a great brisket. I have had the pit shut off on me twice because I didn’t clean it after too many bbq’s ( the pellet box had too much ash). Other than that it’s a great bbq pit.

[@HouseDadLife]

Very nice to hear, I never did brisket before this thing either, and i've also gotta say, it's a great brisket here as well, enjoy the grilling!

[@thomasvispisiano4663]

Best real life review I have seen! Thanks!

[@HouseDadLife]

Your welcome, glad it was helpful.

[@stephbets]

Thanks for this video! Super helpful for people like me who aren’t familiar with pellet grills.

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad I could help! Welcome to the channel!

[@joegiunta5635]

Best honest pellet grill endorsment I have seen. Thanks

[@HouseDadLife]

Appreciate it I do my very best to provide the information as unbiased as I can.

[@jolkraeremeark6949]

Got our Grilla Grills Silverbac about a year ago and absolutely love it. We have the AT version that makes moving it around a pleasure. If you're doing burgers, steaks and the like, consider Grill Grates for your specific pellet grill. The Grill Grates transform your pellet grill into something more like your traditional gas/charcoal grill. I absolutely love ribs on the smoker, and always put rub on at least 12 hours prior to smoking. Smoke on, friends, smoke on!

[@HouseDadLife]

Glad you enjoy it!!

[@09X19]

Silver back is the best. Great company.

[@DistrictFire]

In 40 years in the fire service I went to many fires on decks from grills. Not one was a pellet grill. I'd get a pad for the stains though.

[@HouseDadLife]

Now there's a statement from someone who knows. I must say though, the pit boss has caught all my grease. Any deck stains I've had have been from me playing fumble the burger.

[@rickmoses6152]

Great video ! Nice presentation & well thought out. Thanks for a job well done !!

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad you liked, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

[@fishingthe262]

I rolled my pitboss to the curb. It’s a convenient way to set it and forget it, but it delivered inferior flavor no matter what brand of pellets I put in it. There simply is no substitute for burning wood. It’s more hassle but the flavor is just better.

[@redneckatheist4136]

Yeah you sometimes have to switch baits to catch fish. Pellet smoking is a learning curve...just like fishing.

[@fishingthe262]

@@redneckatheist4136 I liked the convenience of pellets at times, but I LOVE to tend the fire in a nice day.

[@HouseDadLife]

On a nice day when I'm not doing other projects I could see that.

[@redneckatheist4136]

@@fishingthe262 In my younger years, I loved managing a fire. Now I like to set the pellet smoker off, grab the kayaks, and head out to figure out which lures I'm losing today! Come home empty handed...but there's meat ready soon!

[@kevinmach730]

If you're used to real wood and a fire, pellet grills are just not the same. That said, throw a few smoke tubes (I sometimes run two at once), and you get some decent smoke flavor and you can't beat the convenience. For something like a 4-5 hour cook, maintaining a fire is doable and can be enjoyable- but for those longer cooks like brisket or pork butt, my pellet grill is staying just where it is.

[@waydegardner7373]

I’ve had a Camp Chef and now a Green Mountain Grill for a combined 10 (ish) years. They’re great and have come a long way but they’re not a stick burner and you’ll get close but not like a pit. I use my old OK Joe, a GMG, a Pit Barrel Cooker, a PK grill and a Weber 315. All are great and do things differently. I use my pellet grill 80% of the time.

[@HouseDadLife]

Great to hear, sounds like another win for the pellet grill. I'm sure each has its strong point, I know I was super apprehensive about the change and I never should have been, hoping other people enjoy it as much as we do.

[@markwybierala4936]

Excellent and informative video. My son and I are just starting with one of the small Traegers we found on sale. I’m curious about the meat smoking abilities. I had years of great results with one of those round charcoal Brinkman smokers with the water pan but it looks like the pellet grill is far simpler with better temp control. Can’t wait to smoke some fresh trout.

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Smoked trout does sound delicious, let me know how it turns out.

[@andrewhennessy9092]

Just got my first grill today. Can’t wait, nice video.

[@HouseDadLife]

Enjoy using it, the first few weeks I was on a grilling bender.

[@HEATHERKAYANDERSON]

I have a Masterbuilt Electric smoker, I had it a year and pieces started breaking off, It smoked very well the first year and 2 yrs later its Junk, But I love smoking meat its amazing, Thank you for this vide , I will buy this one Thanks to this video :)

[@HouseDadLife]

That sucks to hear you got a bad one, I've had great success with this unit, it's still going as of today, about 6 months away from 9 years, and no part fails. You're most welcome for the video, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

[@timraber6575]

I got rid of my gas grill over 6 years ago. I purchased a Weber charcoal grill and have never looked back. This past year I picked up a pellet grill. I have cooked pork butts, ribs, and a brisket that just was wonderful. I got the Traeger , but the Pitt Boss is similar. I have cooked some burgers, but I haven’t quite mastered that yet.

[@HouseDadLife]

Sounds to me like you are not missing your gas grill either. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

[@redneckatheist4136]

Great video, thank you for putting this out there. I have been BBQing for 25 years (not sure what that is in metric, lol), but 3 years ago I converted to a pellet grill/smoker. Since, I have averaged a thousand hours a year on the PitBoss Platinum Lockhart, and have had many many warranty replacement issues. To me, this is a benefit, not a detriment. I can easily replace a part that costs me nothing but a phone call, and smoke on. I converted from an offset smoker, and never really was a gas griller. These pellet grills/smokers are the way forward. I have a pork butt on right now that has been on for 12 hours, and has just started to break the stall...so cheers!

[@HouseDadLife]

Sorry to hear about the warranty problems on your Pit Boss. Mine has been rock solid, better knock on wood. I'll have to try a massive pork slab of some sort this year, and need to invest in an internal temperature probe to make sure I cook it properly. I can eyeball it fairly well, but I wouldn't consider myself a BBQ genius of any sort. Thanks for taking the time to leave your experience.

[@redneckatheist4136]

@@HouseDadLife - Brother...I wouldn't consider these warranty "problems". Pit Boss always comes through, and the reality is, I put WAY more hours on this pit than most backyard cooks would. Pit Boss has always honored their warranty, and been very understanding that I use my Pit boss more than most. Internal probes are a must for finishing...regardless of the cook, run until the bark is set, wrap in pink paper, probe, and pull it out when it passes the toothpick test. Rest for longer than you think. Keep smoking!

[@az8theist977]

Fellow atheist BBQer here! My pulled pork from the Pit Boss ARE LEGENDARY!. But 12 hours before the stall? Have you tried wrapping the pork but? I use the heavy duty butcher paper for wrapping and have had excellent results. It also seems to save time as I wrap it 160, and it soon climbs to 203 in about 2 hours after that.

[@fingbaddrivers1283]

Love the video I have camp chef cleaning is alot faster it has 2 shoots one for hoper and one for ash tray. Also best spot I found to buy pellet is costco the big bag of competition trigger goes for 20-25$ canadian a few times a year

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm still going off my competition blend I picked up south of the border at Menards, on sale 10 bucks a bag... filled my trunk!

[@JustYourAvarageJoe]

I absolutely love my pit boss pellet grill but I find it takes longer to cook so I kept my bbq and use that when I want a faster cook

[@HouseDadLife]

I really haven't noticed a speed difference... hmmm.....

[@vincepattillo5297]

Hello, I’ve had about 3 PitBoss pellet grills to your one. I’m obviously not doing something right from a care/maintenance perspective. The longest I’ve had one to last is about 3 years before it’s too dilapidated to safely use. I will watch your video for tips and hopefully I can learn to take better care of a future grill. My auger was jammed on my current grill. I’ve cleared the jam, but now I need to put it back together. I was so frustrated with it, and end up buying a Ninja Outdoor Woodfire grill and haven’t went back to the PitBoss since this past November. Note-I use my PitBoss pellets in my Ninja to add the smoke flavor to the food.

[@HouseDadLife]

Wow, I'm really sorry to hear that. I feel like I don't take very good care of mine. It gets cleaned when I have trouble with it lighting or coming up to temp. It does get covered after every use, and I do let it go on max for about 10 min anytime we cook anything on the grill, that's it. Hopefully you have better luck in the future.

[@paulpardee]

Wow, yeah I hadn't even considered a pellet grill before and I was honestly expecting this to be a video telling us why we shouldn't buy one.... but having grill/smoker/pizza oven combo sounds pretty darn cool! We're building out a new backyard kitchen this year and I think we're going to replace our propane grill with pellet!

[@HouseDadLife]

I was so reluctant when I got mine, at the time no one had one that I knew of and they were very new. I'll never go back to propane or gas, it's changed everything about how I bbq for the better. It's opened up new options for things I didn't think I could do at home, like pepperoni sticks and it seems to take very little research on something new to get something that's delicious.... brisket. I hope you enjoy your pellet grill as much as I enjoy mine.

[@davewaskosky3292]

Awesome presentation and informative as hell. (Sorry for the swearing) but you just answered all of my questions and have now given me the courage to go out and buy one. Oh yeah, know of anyone that might want to buy my Weber genesis?

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad I could help. I remember how much of a leap of faith buying that bbq felt like for me. It's still going strong and I'm still not looking back.

[@tyrus0872]

What was the thickness of the grill, it looked beefy and I have to add a well cared for grill. Your absolutely correct about departing from gas, no flare ups, consistent temps, hot spots disappear, cleanup is easier, and the list only continues to grow. Now although I don't own one, it's easy to see the difference between the the two. Kamado's, offsets, barrel cookers, Santa Maria grill and a Weber Summit are enough for me........owning a pellet grill at this point seems a bit boring and I'm skeptical of flavor profiles. Presentation and the ability to have fun cooking "Oh natural" is high on the list today. Tomorrow is another day, who knows it could be an option, good video, well presented and always interesting because it's BBQ. Enjoy

[@HouseDadLife]

It comes with a solid grill which I really enjoy. At some point I might end up with a charcoal grill, because, well I also enjoy bbq in all its forms. I do have a fire pit in the yard, maybe I need to get a grill for that, or make my own pit. I recently returned from Texas which sets bbq to a whole other level. Not a hobby I'll master from what I saw there. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

[@rickhambric9737]

My Austin xl runs 260-280 on P-zero. Perfect for ribs!!!!

[@HouseDadLife]

The temperature around here moves around so much I go anywhere from p0 to p4. Ribs on the smoker is the bomb, enjoy!!

[@TweeknTurtle]

I prefer the PIT BOSS PRO SERIES II 4-SERIES WOOD PELLET VERTICAL SMOKER over the barrel for the ability to low temperature slow cold smoke. I’ve had mine for about a year and half and love the wireless feature. It will wake me with a alarm if it runs low on pellets or has a drop in temperature during a long cook. I can also check the temperature of the meat and adjust the temperature without having to go outside and check it. Makes smoking large amounts of meat a breeze. I do clean my pot after every cook but on the unit I have it’s just a thumb screw and the whole pot slides out to easily dump the ash. Now that I am getting older the traditional staying up all night stoking a wood burning smoker is no fun but this unit makes it so simple even someone with no experience smoking can have great success. One trick though, never latch the door closed on this unit until after you get clean smoke or it can become very dangerous and some have actually exploded.

[@HouseDadLife]

I've been curious about the vertical smoker, sounds like you really enjoy yours. Maybe if my barrel ever gives out that's what I'll try next. There are a bunch of new features that have been added since I picked up this unit that I would love to use. Either way, I've already come a long way from the way we smoked sausage in a wood shack using a metal 5 gallon pail with a steel lid. Many years ago. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment with some great tips.

[@jimmyturbeville8753]

great video and info i have had a pit boss pro for about 4 years i had a treager before i sold it because it wasnt big enough i love this pit boss i have cooked a lot of meat on it always has a good smoke ring and just the right amount of smoke flavor i even baked a cake on it my neighbors are always asking me what am i cooking next thanks for sharing

[@HouseDadLife]

Glad you liked the video, I have the same reaction with my neighbors, always curious what the smell is next door.

[@loman0071]

Really good for reverse searing a steak when you open up the for the flames to come through. I've got a navigator. Done pizzas, ribs, burgers, steaks, brisket, belly pork and focaccia. Really good grill/smoker.

[@HouseDadLife]

Haven't tried the reverse sear, maybe that's something i need to check out.

[@davidm4099]

Loving my Recteq 590!! Awesome grill

[@HouseDadLife]

Right on!

[@txrick4879]

The thing with pellet grills is keep the fire pot clean of ashes or it will choke the feed auger but it can be fixed .

[@chrisphillips1114]

Had no idea you could use it to do burgers like a regular bbq. Thanks

[@HouseDadLife]

I use it instead of a regular BBQ for everything. Thanks for taking the time to comment, glad it helped you out.

[@ronm6585]

Thanks for sharing. Those burgers sure looked good. 👍🏻

[@HouseDadLife]

They were great, it's been a personal quest to try and make a better burger every year. So far 14 years in I've achieved my goal every year.

[@ral819]

Great review. I cook for one mostly and can say , on my gas grill , I do like just lighting one side. However , I was impressed with your grill.

[@HouseDadLife]

I used to do the same, but the even temperatures and how little pellets this thing uses caused me up even forget about this until you just mentioned it.

[@dob3079]

got a traeger pro 22 four years ago. Used it probably 30-40 times. Only had 1 flame out where I had to shut it down and restart it, and that was because I didn’t clean it before that cook. Just sold it and got a new pro 575 with the wifire. But I ALWAYS vacuum the entire thing out before a cook. The people that have issues with these things don’t clean them

[@HouseDadLife]

I've only had it flame out when using the smoke setting in really cold temperatures because it works on a timer to auger in pellets, not specifically trying to hold a temperature. If I set a temp, I don't know if I've ever had a flameout, and I only clean it 2 maybe 3 times a year. Glad to see the traegar is doing the trick for you, enjoy the BBQ season!

[@primussingletoniii2711]

Nice video, but why didn’t you place the cheese on top of the patties and close the cover for a nice melt?

[@HouseDadLife]

Sometimes I do sometimes I don't. I like the variety. We get cheese from the local cheese factory, I actually like the unmelted texture.

[@IsaKocoglu]

Great video! Thank you for this great “introductory” video 👍

[@HouseDadLife]

You're welcome, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

[@rosswitte]

Great video. Need to try pizza. I did add a thermal blanket to mine.

[@HouseDadLife]

Glad you enjoyed, pizza or cheesy bread.... sooooo good!

[@daveadorjan]

Traded my Pit Boss pro series for a Weber Performer Deluxe Charcoal grill and Amazing bbq everytime! Cannot stand the pellet grill flavor and feel charcoal is by far the Best!

[@HouseDadLife]

Might be the pellets you've used. I've recently learned many pellet manufacturers add ingredients to their pellets. As I write this pit boss does not. Charcoal is good too definitely agree with you there.

[@franks4973]

Great video, nice to have the “regular guy” review. I have a top of the line Weber grill which I love, rotisserie etc.. but it only lightly smokes for short times, for instance a rotisserie chicken is great with a touch of smoke. I use my propane vertical smoker for ribs, brisket, pig legs but nervous to leave it overnight. So would you be comfortable to let this run overnight and go to sleep?

[@HouseDadLife]

Yeah I would have no issue with that, can't remember if I have or not for brisket. If I bought a new one I'd probably watch it a few times before I let it go overnight.

[@supertruckerrolling]

The key component that was missed is adjusting the cap on the stack. If cooking a low temp I keep it lower and open more for higher temps, it's something you just have to try. I have it down to a number of turns up or down. My only complaint on this smoker is its not a real even heat for smoking because the center gets so much hotter. So if you're doing a long cook like brisket you need to be turning it which you now open it up to much. The Traeger has a heat shield over the burn pot itself and you can buy them but I made one. I wish I had bought their large stand up for the smoker part.

[@HouseDadLife]

Now there's something I haven't heard about yet playing with the exhaust as a damper. I'll have to play around with this and see what I get. Someone else commented here about a heat shield they made for a couple of bucks and apparently there is an aftermarket version as well. More things to try. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

[@danyancey]

I've got the cheapest pit boss grill they make. Bought it last year and it has a heat shield that's vented over the pot if you want to do an open flame cook you have to slide the shield to the open position which sounds just like the traeger you're talking abiut Except my pit boss was only 289$. I've checked out the traegers and they're essentially the same thing. The higher end pit bosses that are still cheaper than the least expensive traeger are actually built with thicker steel as well. 14 gauge vs traegers 16 gauge which is kinda funny

[@HouseDadLife]

Good tip, thanks for taking the time to comment! Still learning this bbq, and still love it.

[@EricJorgensen]

If you want to dive into NY or Neapolitan style, there's a pretty decent chance that the green mountain grills pizza oven attachment can be easily adapted to your pit boss. It sits directly on top of the firepot. This is for thin crust pizzas that are done in just a few minutes -- no reason to bother with the frozen pizzas.

[@HouseDadLife]

Thanks for the tip, I'm a huge fan of thin crust though, but this most certainly will help others.

[@EricJorgensen]

@@HouseDadLife i bought my 2nd hand green mountain daniel boone pellet grill because it plus the $140 pizza oven attachment was cheaper than a good propane pizza oven like a roccbox. I liked both so much that i found a heavily used camp chef pellet grill for $50 and all i had to do to install the pizza oven attachment was get a length of angle steel from the habitat store for a dollar and cut it to length to fit and hold up the rear tabs

[@HouseDadLife]

Now that's a very good mod idea. Hmm, you got me thinking.....

[@sdlittlefield]

I like the simplicity of this smoker. What model# is it? thanks!! Enjoyed the video

[@HouseDadLife]

Unfortunately they don't make the exact one I have it looks similar to the 700T1. Hope had helps.

[@BeamerTime354]

Shop vac is a must for any pellet smoker. #1, it’s a pit boss, #2 the smoke level is because of cheap pellets you use and the temp. I have a reqtec 700 smoker and with B&B post oak, pecan mix I get amazing smoke. Also the reqtec is all stainless steel so I have no rust at all after 5 years.

[@HouseDadLife]

There's a few people in here that have mentioned the reqtec, after having mine got as long as I have I must say this is looking like an attractive next grill for that reason. Thanks for sharing your experience using it.

[@BeamerTime354]

The warranty is good, had my controller start acting up after about a year and called them. They replaced it right away with a new one in 2 days. It is not the best pellet smoker but for the performance to price ratio it is a really good pellet smoker. To be honest I still mainly smoke ribs and stuff like that on my offset but use the pellet smoker for a brisket so I don’t have to tend fire all night.

[@michaelprosperity3420]

I'm picking up a vertical smoker from Lowes when it goes on sale. Pitboss Series 4 Professional. It's $499 waiting for it to hit between 4-450.

[@HouseDadLife]

Check back in and let me know how it works for you when you pick it up.

[@michaelhernandez8309]

Would be good I think too keep a gas grill, incase of power outages for extended periods of time, here in San Antonio a few years back we a a bad snow fall and power outage for days and alternate way of cooking was needed, best too be ready

[@HouseDadLife]

Good plan there having a backup option, for that yeah, gas is pretty solid.

[@mikestrickler4299]

Bought my grill a month ago. This the same experience for me! Never thought about pizza or bread cooking but I will now. Should have bought one as soon as they were available. Thanks for the video great job, not a lot of fluff, FULL of info.

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video, enjoy the grill. Pizza is sooooo good on the stone cooked in here.

[@TexasScout]

If you have a Walmart around you, they have some burger patties that are 1/2 pound each and they are the best burger patties I have ever cooked on a grill you might give them a try. That was a really great synopsis of pellet grilling. Thanks for posting it.I just have one question, do you clean out your firebox every time you use it? I bought a pellet grill about a year ago and the firebox completely rusted out in that time however, I never vacuumed out the firebox and left peloton it all the time. I’m wondering if cleaning it out every time you use it to help with that.

[@HouseDadLife]

You're welcome for the video and thanks for sharing the burger. In regards to your question I do clean it out about once a month on average sometimes as little as 2 times a season, anytime it doesn't light right away or has any difficulty coming up to temp that's how I can tell its due.

[@bmcantrell619]

I have the same model and mine just started popping the GFI. I believe the electronics got wet. I have owned it 7+ years. Moving over to a PB Laredo 1000

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm waiting for something in mine to break, it does stay covered, but winter here is nasty. Hot cold, moisture dry. I'm surprised it's still going honestly.

[@bond007xxx]

@@HouseDadLife I just got my first pellet grill - went super cheap via Amazon - $249 after all discounts! Foldable legs, etc. First smoke turned out GREAT!!! -What sold me? Every major component is "standardized" and can be easily replaced (or even upgraded!). PID Controller ($60), Burn pot ($20), Auger motor/Fan ($20). Reading many reviews ...even some major brands like GMG (Green Mountain) report POOR customer service / warranty claims. So once I realized I could replace major components myself in MINUTES, I decided to go with the most affordable to reduce my risk. LOVE IT. Thanks for your summary intro. One tip... line the drip pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

[@HouseDadLife]

@@bond007xxx Thanks for the tip, and great idea on a discount pellet grill. I'll have to look into this.

[@unclealzbbq2185]

I LOVE THE PIT Boss !! I used mine so much I wore it out; then decided to go offset charcoal and wood and Never LOOKED back-- Yes I will get another PIT BOSS why you ask?? because if you want GREAT BBQ and do not have the time to baby sit it Pit Boos is the way to go Example Baby back ribs take 5-6 hours set it forget it.

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm curious about the offset, I've heard a few people really like them, maybe I'm just too lazy to baby the fire.

[@unclealzbbq2185]

@@HouseDadLife The offset are great// !! Thats where the flavor is at but you have to watch the heat.

[@HydroHavenGrow]

Interesting. We have a pellet stove dealer up the road... I never knew or explored what they were or how they worked. And now I know. We have considered a propane grill, but this seems like a plausible replacement for my charcoal grill. Very informative, thus I SMASHED it. Have a lovely weekend, kind sir.

[@HouseDadLife]

Thanks for the SMASH and the visit. A pellet dealer, very handy, at the time I bought mine almost no one carried them, now they seem to getting much more common place. If you do pick one up let me know how you like it!

[@richardcuevas4972]

Here's an easy cleanup. The copper teflon sheets you can put on the grill to cook food on on the grill to keep from burning your grill food. I put them all over my drip pan under the food . When the food drips it drips on the copper Teflon and not directly on the drip pan and builds up. I just take off the copper teflon sheets and clean them off and put them back on. Saves the drip pan. Also my pellet grill does not make enough smoke from me so I have a old house pot and put hickory wood in it and get it burning good then I cover it with thick aluminum foil tight then I pole several holes in it and put it in the grill and it helps smoke the meat.

[@HouseDadLife]

Sounds like a good setup, as long as you find something that works well for you. Enjoy the bbq weather!

[@JoeSmith-fu9yx]

Gave up on gas grills 20 years ago when the cons started outweighing the convenience. Have always had a Weber kettle around then 2 years ago bought a pit boss sportsman and absolutely love the thing. Not as good as the kettle and smoker but good enough 90% of the time and the convenience is worth the switch. Still use my Smokey mountain for brisket though because that thing is incredible on long cooks and the pit boss can be hit or miss on larger pieces of meat and it doubles as a kettle when I’m craving that charcoal flavor.

[@HouseDadLife]

I've got no experience with the kettle or pot style charcoal bbq's but I've definitely interested. I feel like I'm still trying to master the pellet grill, or maybe bbq in general. I've been all over the US and there are some mind blowing bbq places out there. Maybe that's how I level up my game. Either way, it sounds like you've got what you want to achieve dialed in, cheers to that.

[@JoeSmith-fu9yx]

@@HouseDadLife the only difference between pellets and charcoal is the extremely high heat and ability to char, my pit boss has a small area for direct flame that does a decent job. The flavor of lump or briquettes can be had in a pellet grill by wrapping your coals in aluminum foil and heating them up then just let them smoke in the chamber while you cook. This keeps all the ash in the foil for easy cleaning. If you really want good food look at stick burners, they require more attention but man they put out great food.

[@HouseDadLife]

I've only cooked on a stick burner once, it turned out well despite the wobble pops that were had. Thanks for sharing the charcoal tip, I can see myself trying that out. For the stick burner we ended up using applewood, added a great flavor to the meat, I could see you really being able to customize how you cook here.

[@JoeSmith-fu9yx]

@@HouseDadLife that’s the beauty of the stick burner, but you work for it lol. You can add wood chips to your pellet grill the same as charcoal for extra flavor. Some types of pellets are real light on smoke flavor.

[@uuzd4s]

I bought the Camp Chef brand Pellet Grill in a 24" about 6 years ago. About a month ago I found I couldn't get the Grill above 250 degrees. I flailed w/ completely cleaning the Hopper & Auger that had Pit Boss Competition Blend (which had gone pretty crumbly due to Humidity) and replaced it w/ a good Oak/Pecan Hardwood blend. I keep the ash buildup around the Burn Pot pretty clean, as well as the Burn Pot itself, so that wasn't the problem. Anyways, the New Hardwood Pellets didn't work. So, finally I got smart and stuck an Inspection Mirror and flashlight down into the Burn Pot and there it was, the Pot had rusted out around the Auger Tube cutout. Fortunately Camp Chef still sells the Burn Pot and it's Stainless Steel now, which the original was not. Also, there are Aftermarket suppliers for these Pellet Grills with decent quality replacement parts at lower prices than OEM parts. My SmokePro SE Burn Pot was $20 bucks + shipping for OEM from Camp Chef, so I went w/ that. Anyways, it's supposed to hit 50 degrees out tomorrow, so I'll swap parts then. I went thru sever KZbin Vids on swapping out the Burn Pot and/or the Igniter so it looks like 4 screws and an electrical connector to play with and maybe some Zip Tie rework. I knew when I'd purchased my Pellet Grill I'd be giving up the ability to Sear a Steak. These Pellet Grills are Gr8 for Low & High Temp smoking, baking, making Pizzas and reheating foods but they're No good at actual Grilling if you want that Maillard reaction Flavor. So, I bought the Sear Box attachment that works just Awesome as it gets up to 1500 degrees and Sears w/o further cooking. you can also turn it down and do Burgers, Sausage or Dogs. I throw a couple of Tablespoons of Corn Grits over the Pizza Stone just before setting my Pizza on it. It prevents Sticking, aids in cleanup and the ones that stick to the undercarriage of the Pizza don't change a thing. Happy Grillin ! !

[@HouseDadLife]

I'll have to remember the corn grits on the pizza stone, thanks for sharing your experience!. Happy grilling and good luck with your grill going forward.

[@uuzd4s]

@@HouseDadLife Thx ! Well, I installed the New Camp Chef OEM Burn Pot today and it went Very Wrong. There were 3 serious problems with this Factory Replacement part. First the Igniter holder adaptor on the side of the Burn Pot had Huge Burr's inside that never got cleaned up after it was welded to the Pot. I tried several times to get the old Igniter into this "pipe" adaptor that's welded onto the side of the Burn Pot before noticing the hole was full of Machining Burrs. They were so big they damaged the very tip of the Igniter and it no longer works now. The second problem was that the cutout for the Auger Pipe was cut about 1/8th inch too low. This caused the Burn Pot upper flange to "sit high" and not seat properly against the square Air Box tube that the Burn Pot mounts to. The Flange sat high off the box almost a 1/4 inch on the left side (Auger Tube side) only. I tightened the screws anyways and caused the Auger Tube downward about 1/8th of an inch at its opening end. The Third issue was the Pot was slightly taller and it caused toe Cleanout trap door to bind up so badly, it couldn't be moved once the Burn Pot was screwed down. So now I've got to remove it and send it back to Camp Chef. I think I'm going to try an aftermarket brand and buy a New Igniter as well. I worked as a Custom Fabricator for 15 yrs for a Seafood Processor in Alaska. All the material was "Food Grade" Metals & Plastics and I've TIG welded miles of Stainless before. This welding on this Burn Pot was amateur at best. I can't recommend Camp Chef after this. The Original Burn Pot was almost 6 yrs old but was Rusted out Badly by the time I got to inspect it fully. Also, the Air Box walls were getting pretty rusted and filled w/ flaked rust debris all down the length of the bottom of the Air box Tube, Not Good. This Pellet Grill might last another 3 or 4 yrs if I'm lucky. The Recteq Brand has appealed to me since and I might go w/ them after this one gives up. Thx for the Reply, Happy Grillz !

[@andrewwatt8726]

Next time you grill and heat up the metal, spray any type of cooking oil on the rust. Always season inside and out

[@HouseDadLife]

That's a good idea, I'll keep it mind

[@az8theist977]

I own the Pit Boss Austin XL and could not be happier. One tip you might employ: In the hopper, I cut out the center section of the grid on the top. During a long smoke, the pellets get sucked down towards the auger so the pile does not "drain" uniformly. You have to poke a stick through the grid to push them around evenly. Cutting out the center section makes this much easier.

[@HouseDadLife]

In this case I usually just end up heaping my hopper to the point the lid won't close.

[@JudiChristopher]

EXCELLENT VIDEO Thank YOU for sharing this...

[@HouseDadLife]

Glad I could help, thanks for leaving a comment.

[@JudiChristopher]

I am seriously thinking about getting a pellet smoker... BUT... I want to know what you think about Smoking Beef Jerky on this? I really don't want to buy just a smoker for Beef Jerky... I want it be able to do all of it on one smoker.

[@HouseDadLife]

I haven't done jerky yet, but I've made pepperettes and they were AWESOME!

[@JudiChristopher]

@@HouseDadLife Pepperettes? What is that? Sounds delicious

[@bzybny9697]

Looks good. One thing is add the cheese and turn the grill down to 220 to smoke and melt the cheese for a few minutes.

[@HouseDadLife]

Oooh that sounds like a good point, thanks for sharing!

[@redbone7040]

Three years with my xl pitboss and doing great👌💯

[@HouseDadLife]

Right on! What's the protein of choice?

[@bernardgagnon1626]

40$ a bag. Where do you live in Canada ? I pay max 21$ and they're often on sale for 19$. But I do agree they are extremely easy and practical.

[@HouseDadLife]

Yes, Canada for whatever reason they are WAY more money here. This is why I recommend picking them up from the USA if you live close to a border town. Frequently find them for $9.99. It's almost like we don't have trees.

[@johnnydigiorgio5299]

21$ for a 20pound bag in Canada. 15$ us, for a 40 pound bag. This is half the price. I go often to the US. Yes, I take advantage of this.

[@Darkstar0318]

My timberline xl is my prize possession, I love it. Best chicken and salmon I've ever made

[@HouseDadLife]

Glad to hear you have found a setup that works for you. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

[@lettingthebearout7528]

Do you ever prime the burn pot with a handful of pellets? I’ve seen that in other videos. Not sure if it is a good practice though.

[@HouseDadLife]

I've never done it. Just keep in mind if you run the hopper completely empty or on initial use, it will take longer to light. You might have to turn the smoker off and back to smoke to get it lit.

[@geostall]

I've had a Pit Boss going on 2 years now and could never get enough smoke flavor for BBQ. I watched alot of videos and even bought smoke tubes, and they disapoint. I've known about the P setting but never a good explanation on how it's really supposed to work, until now. I will try it, Thanks!

[@HouseDadLife]

You're not alone, I had the BBQ for years before I figured mine out. Good Luck!

[@froglaps40]

Try mixing in some wood chips in your smoke tube

[@geostall]

@@froglaps40 Thanks I will try that.

[@txdba]

Thank you sir. This is the most informative pellet grill video I'm seen. You actually used the grill while describing and explaining the process and results. Most of the other videos are like a lecture with no or little actual usage. The only thing I might add, is that since I live in Houston, TX with extremely high humidity, I'll probably net to remove the unused pellets between usage, otherwise they will swell and possibly mold. Thanks again.

[@HouseDadLife]

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, and you are most welcome for the video. Removing pellets from the hopper is probably my only beef with this unit. The new ones have a drop shute to let them out, mine does not, I actually have to remove screws if I want to take the pellets out.

[@cryhavoc38]

clean out your burn pot of ashes after every other use, or after a loong cook like a brisket. The less crap in it, the more pellets and a more consistent temp will be obtained.

[@biff1245]

I have a Camp Chef it’s fantastic, 160F to 400F, holds within a few degrees, variable smoke level, has never let me down

[@HouseDadLife]

Glad you found something that works for you, happy grilling!

[@thecubanrefugee3202]

Awesome explanation, I'm new at this and you just solved all my questions !!!! Thank you !!

[@HouseDadLife]

You're welcome!! I'm glad I could help.

[@Duplexpine]

Getting a pellet grill soon but im still deciding whether i want the pit boss 1150 pro or the 1250 competition

[@HouseDadLife]

I personally don't miss propane at all of that helps, I'm sure either model would be nice. Good luck with whichever you choose.

[@scottbitz5222]

The only thing I like having a gas frill for was when I am cooking a reverse sear steak for dinner, getting that gas grill screaming hot and putting the steaks straight from my Traeger onto the gas grill for that final sear instead of waiting for my Traeger to get up to max temp, however, it was a really cheap gas grill and when we moved to the new house I completely got rid of it and probably won't replace it!

[@HouseDadLife]

I've got a friend that uses his gas grill for the same thing, and I do believe he too has just stopped using it altogether.

[@mgrego2]

I started out 30+ years ago with a Weber gas and moved to the Big Green Egg XL, which I still love but get frustrated with the temp control. Last year I bought a Blackstone and use it quite a bit but I wanted something that I could use for low and slow or a quick grill. I picked up a Recteq Bullseye Deluxe and love it. The Wi-Fi is amazing and the temp control is spot on. Can’t wait to try a steak and a pizza at 700+ degrees.

[@hobbinns]

Have a PitBoss and a pellet grill is way slower than a gas grill to come up to temp

[@ketodad]

Thanks for the awesome detailed review. Gonna get one.

[@HouseDadLife]

Enjoy!

[@tonyfang3700]

thanks for the video. if I jut wanna heat up the wok to do some stir fry. do I have to put the pellets in ? how the power consumption like your electric bill.

[@HouseDadLife]

The ignition is automatic, it will control pellets for you. Power consumption is very low after initial startup where it heats up an element to get the fire pot going. After that electricity is just used to run the fan and pellet auger.

[@josoreo1977]

Yes, you do have to have pellets in it at all times. Pellets are the fuel source. You will have no heat otherwise

[@rm-dc6tx]

My only question is we like certain foods slightly charred (pizza and some steaks) and these burgers look like they have grill marks from the hot grill but no charring?

[@HouseDadLife]

If you want more charring just open up the slider in the middle. I get a nice char on pizza just using the stone leaving the middle slider closed.

[@bretthines6893]

I do pizza all the time on my gas grill! It’s awesome! 700 degrees with the two side burners , middle burner not lit and it awesome!

[@HouseDadLife]

Nice work. You're a better gas chef than me.

[@averageeverydayfishermansh4501]

I have had a Pit Boss KC Combo now for about four months. I absolutely love it. I thought I would use the gas grill side more for times where I wanted something done quicker but I have only used it once and that was to put a big pot of water on to boil some corn on the cob. So easy even I can do it...and I am the master at burning the meats on a gas grill. LOL! --Brent

[@HouseDadLife]

That's the biggest change going to a pellet grill for me. It's so easy to cook things properly. Or maybe I just need to have less on the go. Either way I'm happy it's working for you as well. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@briano8173]

Next time you cook corn on the cob try grilling it on the smoker. We do it all the time and will never boil corn again! We like it a little charred.

[@HouseDadLife]

Ooh that sounds delicious.

[@andrewomalley3129]

I liked my Pitt Boss for two years until it broke when the auger shut down. It’s still under warranty but there are no repair places to get it fixed. I’ll probably just go back to gas.

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm sorry to hear that, I guess every company still builds something Friday at 3pm.

[@BillyG563]

Great video. Super helpful. Thanks!

[@HouseDadLife]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@lancemcdonald1317]

I have a dynamic gas grill.boaght a pellet smoker .a cruisinart oak. Absolutely love it. Wifi Bluetooth. It's big.prob.never go back to gas. Other then too seare the meat

[@HouseDadLife]

I've heard the new ones have Bluetooth, I can't even imagine how nice that must be. Maybe my next model will have it, but this one is far from giving up.

[@lancemcdonald1317]

@@HouseDadLife not the most expensive but it great. I did alot of research.this was the only one I found under 500 dollars with blue tooth.

[@ronnyrice697]

Very good information and review

[@HouseDadLife]

I'm glad you found the video useful, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

[@davidzemke2549]

Nice job! Just made pork jery out of pork tenderloin. OMG.. Where else can you make jerky for about 6 bucks a pound.

[@HouseDadLife]

That's awesome, I'm glad it turned out!

[@dhansel4835]

I presume you are in Canada. If so I have friends visit and they say things are more expensive there. Here in Houston, Texas now (1-15-2023) we are paying $ 2.30 USD a gallon for unleaded gasoline. I understand that food at the grocery stores are expensive also.

[@HouseDadLife]

You're right, I'm up in Central Canada. I frequent the US and spend a few weeks in Texas a couple of years ago. A few things here are the same price, but lots of things are way less money in the USA. They've given us a tax break on fuel for a few months, before that started fuel was between $1.50 and $1.70 a litre.

[@socalifone3044]

Get a Bradley smoker. Simply the best a easiest to operate and clean up is a breeze.