I’ve been reading here on this Forum since the first of the year and on other Forum sites about first time Pit Boss owners and those of other Pellet grills manufacturers having a hard time with Temperature swings and those that have suffered fires... Mostly Pit Boss owners... I hope these tips and info will help potential Pit Boss Pellet grill owners in the prevention of barrel fires and wild temperature swings... $400.00-$700.00 plus dollars is a lot of money to go up in Smoke for any grill.. smh... No pun intended..
1. Read.. Always follow the directions of the owners manual and never take any short cuts in the understanding of the proper operation of your pellet grill .
2. Preheating of the grill is essential and must be done correctly each and every time the grill is used.. Again, never skip a step in the preheating of your pellet grill..
Always preheat your grill for at least 30 mins at 350* degrees or as per your owners manual instructions. This is key in preventing wild temp swings and to help your grill maintain stable temps while cooking.
For low and slow bbqing and your desire is to use the smoke mode, the outside ambient temp can effect your grills performance. The Factory preset temp range while on Smoke mode is 160*-190* degrees and the Factory default P- setting is P4. During cold weather cooking, it’s best to use a P-setting like P2-P3 to help prevent a flame out while on “Smoke”mode. Your grill will run more stable using P2-P3 during cold weather cooks. During warm/hot weather cooking while using the Smoke mode, P4 or P5 can be used, which will produce more added smoke.
3. Understanding of the P sub settings is key in preventing the Wild temp swings along with the proper preheating of your grill. Always use quality grilling pellets and never use any that have Charcoal Pellets mixed in with the Hard Wood Pellets. If you do, you’ll always have wild temp swings because of the Charcoal pellets burn differently then the Hard Wood Pellets.
- For those who prefer Low and Slow smoked bbq, the P set button during Startup should be set on P.4.. Factory default...
- After the Preheating steps and procedures are all completed, your grill should be good to go..
- For those that are using the smoke mode or are bbqing at or below 225*F, never use P setting P.6 or P.7.. The grill will have a greater chance of a flaming out.. and while on the Smoke setting and until you truly understand your grill, never just “Set it and forget it”. That’s with any Pellet grill..
- Always watch for grease spills that can cause grease fires. Invest in a shop vac and do a thorough cleaning after every cook...
- Again, be watchful of Flameouts.. Temps below 160-150*F If this happens, the digital temp display will start to flash and the Auger will continue to feed the fire pot with pellets. You’ll also know if you start smell and to see a lot of smoke because the pellets are just smoldering producing a lot of smoke but no real flame and the pellets will pile up in the fire pot and the bottom of the barrel. If the Igniter is restarted by a restart or the pile of smoldering pellets catch fire, this will cause the over filled fire pot and barrel to start a fire... Possibly a big one.. All Pellet Grills can face this possibility if this happens.. And all Pellet Grill manufactures know this too... Until you know your grill, Never just set it and forget it.. Like going to work or some other long duration away from your grill.. smh
- If the Temps drop below 160-150* F . or the Digital Temp Gauge starts to flash, don’t push the prime button and don’t turn the grill off and back on again.. Just turn it off and safely remove everything you can from the grill.. Safely... If there is a smoldering fire and a pile of pellets, do whatever is necessary to safely put the fire out.. The longer the pile of smoldering pellets burn, the more potential for damage, harm and injury...
- I’m a happy PB Austin XL owner and I’ve learned that understanding these pellet grills is key to a long, trouble free ownership.. It’s always better to learn from someone else’s mistakes then to have them happen to you and the lost of your investment because you didn’t do your research or follow directions..
- If steps 1 through 7 are followed, then steps 8 and 9 shouldn’t happen . And if in doubt, just ask for help... I hope the info helps someone and have a happy and safe Summer bbqing ..
PB Austin XL in SoCal.. and always Semper Fi