Any Input On Pit Boss Pellet Smokers?

[tx smoker]

I've been struggling trying to find the perfect smoker for sausage without breaking the bank. Did a mod on a Master Built Pro propane and it works well in perfect conditions. The problem is that if there is any wind it blows the burner out since the flame is so low to maintain low temps needed for sausage. Bought a new MES140B (the black one with no window or remote...didn't need those) last Thursday. I've spent 3 days trying to figure out the temp control and it's all over the charts. I know it's not going to be accurate but if it's consistently inaccurate I can work around that. It's not consistent though. I set the controller at 110* and it stabilizes at 132*. Next day I set the controller at 110* again to start running the temps up and take notes of what temp I actually get at what setting and it stabilized at 112*. That's a 20* variation on the same setting from one day to the next....and just one example of many problems I'm having with it. Another issue is that if I raise the temp by 5* at the controller, it'll go up by about 35* then comes back down over a period of 30 minutes or so before it stabilizes. This could be a HUGE problem if I'm trying to hit 160* or 170*. That's gonna put me over 200* before it starts coming back down. For the record, all of these temps were done with two Maverick 732's running inside the unit and both showing the same temps so I'm not relying on the factory therm. These are real numbers. My amazing, incredible, brilliant, and beautiful wife noticed my struggles yesterday and gave me a $1000 budget to get whatever I wanted for sausage smoking. I don't make large batches so don't need a big capacity unit and if I can get something of really good quality for less than the budget, I can spend that $$ elsewhere :-) I've looked at the 20# unit at Sausage Maker for $700 (on sale for $200 off) and several different sizes of Pit Boss pellet smokers on Amazon. They have one that looks to be the perfect size for right at $500 and it qualifies for Prime, which means no shipping cost. Can anybody provide any input on these smokers? They appear to be nice units but I'm tired of playing games with inexpensive smokers so some educated input would be greatly appreciated...on these or any other smokers you may recommend based on experience.

Sincere thanks,
Robert

 

[wanna-be-smoker]

I have a Camp Chef pellet smoker for two years an have ran 1000s of pounds of pellets with Minimal issues. I have cooked in temps a cold as -48 and it never missed a beat.

I have a camp Chef group on face book if you would like to join and see into the world of camp chef smokers. Camp chef misfits is the name, just answer the 3 questions if you wanna check us out

 

[wanna-be-smoker]

Pellet cookers make smoke from temp swings. Its kinda like a campfire where when there is less fire there is more smoke and when the is more fire there is less smoke. On the CC cookers you can cook from 170-500 and also have high and low smoke setting which produces the same smoke but at different temps.

low smoke averages 160 and high smoke averages 220. The it will swing 10-15 above and below those settings to create smoke

 

[Gwanger]

I have a Camp Chef pellet smoker for two years an have ran 1000s of pounds of pellets with Minimal issues. I have cooked in temps a cold as -48 and it never missed a beat.

I have a camp Chef group on face book if you would like to join and see into the world of camp chef smokers. Camp chef misfits is the name, just answer the 3 questions if you wanna check us out

Are you just looking to cold smoke, then amazn sawdust or pellet smoker, use LP or others for hot smoking

 

[tx smoker]

"I have a camp Chef group on face book if you would like to join and see into the world of camp chef smokers."

I very much appreciate the input and recommendation, but I'm just not into any social media outlets. I've seen WAY too many people who's lives have become completely centered around social media, even to the point of losing their jobs because they can't put their phone down long enough to do any work. With my addictive compulsive personality the last thing I need is another massive distraction :-) That's my issue/decision though and no reflection on those who can use social media responsibly.

Staying away from trouble,
Robert

 

[tx smoker]

"Are you just looking to cold smoke, then amazn sawdust or pellet smoker, use LP or others for hot smoking"

The availability to cold smoke would be nice but it's primarily for hot smoking...at low temps. I have 3 smokers and a total of 8 cookers on the patio, as well as an array of A Maze N products. I just want something that's more stable and reliable than the cheap smokers I've been trying to get by with for sausage smoking. With all the money I have tied up in cooking equipment already, I was trying not to spend a fortune on another cooker....until the wife gave me the green light yesterday :-)

 

[wanna-be-smoker]

i cold smoke cheese/butter/salt/eggs and so much more in my pellet smoker. I just use a tube in the bottom of the cooker and use the shields and pans of ice between the tube and what im smoking to keep the temps down.

another nice thing about CC is they have the ( just pull a rod) ash cup dump. You still need to Vacuum the cooker out now and then because of ash and the blower. But it allows you to have a clean/empty burn pot for each cook without having to take out the pans and shields each time to clean the ash from the pot

 

[wanna-be-smoker]

"I have a camp Chef group on face book if you would like to join and see into the world of camp chef smokers."

I very much appreciate the input and recommendation, but I'm just not into any social media outlets. I've seen WAY too many people who's lives have become completely centered around social media, even to the point of losing their jobs because they can't put their phone down long enough to do any work. With my addictive compulsive personality the last thing I need is another massive distraction :) That's my issue/decision though and no reflection on those who can use social media responsibly.

Staying away from trouble,
Robert

all good my friend.

i use its for what its worth to me lol.i work for myself so i try not to fire myself lol

 

[tx smoker]

"all good my friend.

i use its for what its worth to me lol.i work for myself so i try not to fire myself lol"

Now that's funny!! Ok....went back to Amazon and looked at the CC smokers. They look like really nice units, but one small issue. All of the ones they make that appear to be high quality are horizontal pits. I'm looking for a vertical smoker. Guess I should have clarified that in my original post :-) I have a large, custom built T-Pit that is horizontal but it seems as though all of the top producers of sausage and most of the folks here use vertical smokers for sausage. I've done both, having started out using the T-Pit in the beginning when I started making sausage, then got the two vertical units. I like the concept of vertical better, now I just need to find a good vertical electric smoker and get rid of the junk that I've bought the past couple months. Hmmmmm....maybe I need to have a garage sale to get rid of a bunch of cooking equipment and lawn & garden tools.

 

[wanna-be-smoker]

they did have the XXL that was horizontal pellet cooker that they pulled off the market for a issue with the door. I would assume it should be back soon. I dont have much info on the pit boss one bit did see one in person at a local dicks store

 

[Gwanger]

they did have the XXL that was horizontal pellet cooker that they pulled off the market for a issue with the door. I would assume it should be back soon. I dont have much info on the pit boss one bit did see one in person at a local dicks store

I use a masterbuilt 2/door propane w/ cold smoking attachment,I can go as low as 150* w/propane and light the cold smoker for smoke and little or no heat.