First smoke with my PitBoss 820!

[Snizzley]

Hello All-

I have been bit by smoking bug (big time) and it feels great! I was using a Chargriller Offset with charcoal and wood for a couple months and having OK results. It was a ton of work and sometimes the brisket came out dry because it was hard to maintain low temps with real fire.

So I pulled the trigger on the PB 820 and it almost feels like cheating. I am somewhat torn because there is no craftsmanship with this pellet smoker after the cutting / prepping of the meat BUT you can dial it in easily and not be married to the smoker all day feeding it wood.

Anyway this seems like a great community and I am happy to be apart of it and share my triumphs and failures with ya'll. Happy grillin!

 

[kruizer]

Welcome to SMF from Minnesota.

 

[Smkryng]

Congrats on the new Pit Boss and welcome to SMF!

 

[spudthegreater]

Welcome. Im new here as well and ive been having a blast with my new pit boss 820. Some people complain about not getting enough smoke from a pellet smoker, but I think thats because they actually cook with it not smoke. I mean it this way, set your dial to smoke. Put a waterpan in there to stabilize temps, and dial it in with your p settings. I like smoking at low temps say around 150 to 175 most of the time but after 3 hrs or so i pick it up to 180 to 200 all with the p settings. lower temps equals higher p settings. I start with 6 and go to 4 if i want it a bit warmer. its counter intuitive, but thats how it works. If you still want more smoke use a tube smoker. I'll show you a pic of my setup thats been working stellar for me.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Welcome aboard and congrats on the new smoker.

Sorry that no one forwarned you that smoking is habit forming.

 

[Snizzley]

Welcome. Im new here as well and ive been having a blast with my new pit boss 820. Some people complain about not getting enough smoke from a pellet smoker, but I think thats because they actually cook with it not smoke. I mean it this way, set your dial to smoke. Put a waterpan in there to stabilize temps, and dial it in with your p settings. I like smoking at low temps say around 150 to 175 most of the time but after 3 hrs or so i pick it up to 180 to 200 all with the p settings. lower temps equals higher p settings. I start with 6 and go to 4 if i want it a bit warmer. its counter intuitive, but thats how it works. If you still want more smoke use a tube smoker. I'll show you a pic of my setup thats been working stellar for me.View attachment 459826

Ah I totally forgot the waterpan! So you never go beyond the P setting? You just tweak the P setting up and down for the entirety of the smoke?

 

[spudthegreater]

Ah I totally forgot the waterpan! So you never go beyond the P setting? You just tweak the P setting up and down for the entirety of the smoke?

Yes, for meat smoking. I do other things beside the low slow smoking where i increase the temps, but if you REALLY want smoke and to get that meat infused with it, 250 to 275 seems to be just too high with a pellet smoker. water pan and p settings and keep track of the temp difference . Ive had it as low as 140 and as high as 235 just using the p settings.

 

[Snizzley]

Yes, for meat smoking. I do other things beside the low slow smoking where i increase the temps, but if you REALLY want smoke and to get that meat infused with it, 250 to 275 seems to be just too high with a pellet smoker. water pan and p settings and keep track of the temp difference . Ive had it as low as 140 and as high as 235 just using the p settings.

Awesome info. Thank you for the tips. I will definitely use the water pan and P setting for my next Shoulder smoke. Cheers-

 

[SmokinAl]

Welcome to SMF!
Congrats on the new rig!
Looking forward to seeing it in action!
Al

 

[JLeonard]

Welcome from Mississippi

 

[Hank R]

Welcome from western Canada