Pitboss 1100 & after market heat diffuser

[jkabrahamson]

Well, I got the Pitboss 1100 and while I love it there are two things that could have been better

1) The barrel size makes the top rack basically useless. Maybe if you're smoking something small it would work, but I can't get a 8Lb Pork Butt underneath that rack and a brisket is pretty snug -- at least the ones I'm cooking -- there is little I can do about this.

2) The center placement of the pellet pot makes the temps in the middle a lot hotter than the left and right -- this is something I could fix, or so I thought.

I bought the Smoke Daddy Inc after market 10Ga Heat Diffuser. I also bought the Smoke Daddy Inc after market drip pan. I tried them out and at first they seemed OK. I moved them around with my grate level Weber iGrill probes to get the most even temp and closest to internal computer temp sensor. I was pretty happy...or so I thought.

I tried cranking it up to pre-heat and thats when things went south. The temp stayed even across the grill, but the internal probe for the computer wasn't getting accurate readings being almost 70 degrees off. While part of me feels like they put this in the wrong place anyway, I don't know how motivated I am to try and move it.

I tried using the heat diffuser with the stock drip tray, i tried just the new drip tray, all of them were inconsistent results.

So I know folks have used the Smoke Daddy heat diffuser with the pit boss -- how did you do it? Did you modify it? did you change your drip tray? did you move your temp probe for the computer?

 

[sweetride95]

70 degrees is pretty drastic. Were the temps that jacked up with the stock parts? I am not familiar with the PB controller, is there a way to calibrate the rtd setting?

 

[jkabrahamson]

No, they were only about 20-30 degrees off stock -- but can spike in the middle because thats where the fire pot is. I can deal with 20-30 -- I sort of expect it to be a little off -- so if I want 225 I run at 200, thats not a big deal. When you're trying to pre-heat to 350 though and its stuck at 300 while the grates are nearing 380 THAT is a problem.

 

[RCAlan]

Well, I got the Pitboss 1100 and while I love it there are two things that could have been better

1) The barrel size makes the top rack basically useless. Maybe if you're smoking something small it would work, but I can't get a 8Lb Pork Butt underneath that rack and a brisket is pretty snug -- at least the ones I'm cooking -- there is little I can do about this.

2) The center placement of the pellet pot makes the temps in the middle a lot hotter than the left and right -- this is something I could fix, or so I thought.

I bought the Smoke Daddy Inc after market 10Ga Heat Diffuser. I also bought the Smoke Daddy Inc after market drip pan. I tried them out and at first they seemed OK. I moved them around with my grate level Weber iGrill probes to get the most even temp and closest to internal computer temp sensor. I was pretty happy...or so I thought.

I tried cranking it up to pre-heat and thats when things went south. The temp stayed even across the grill, but the internal probe for the computer wasn't getting accurate readings being almost 70 degrees off. While part of me feels like they put this in the wrong place anyway, I don't know how motivated I am to try and move it.

I tried using the heat diffuser with the stock drip tray, i tried just the new drip tray, all of them were inconsistent results.

So I know folks have used the Smoke Daddy heat diffuser with the pit boss -- how did you do it? Did you modify it? did you change your drip tray? did you move your temp probe for the computer?

Is your SD HD the wood burning heat diffuser or the non wood burning diffuser?? I would reinstall the stock Flame Broiler Main Plate and Flame Broiler Slider and not use the SmokeDaddy Drip Pan for now... The stock flame broiler and flame broiler slider acts as the PB Pro Series 1100 heat diffuser because of its size and density, now when You add the SD HD heat diffuser, your grill will much better temp control and the Hot Spot at the center will be much more manageable. I asked if You were using the Stick Burning HD with Wood added to it, because there are new steps to use to help manage the increase heat due to the wood being burned. If you’re using the non wood burning SD HD, then you should be ok. Check and see if the internal temp probe is making direct contact to any metal in your grill. If it is, move it away from the metal very gently and see if that helps. I didn’t modify my SD HD in any way, but when installed, the heat diffuser is not directly centered over the fire pot, but perhaps an inch or 2 to the right from Center while covering the fire pot. I’ve found that doing this help direct the flame and heat from the fire pot more evenly. On Your Start up and Preheating procedures, after turning on your grill on the Smoke setting with the lid open, once the pellet ignition has started, close the lid and set your grills temp at 300* degrees and let it run there for 20-30 mins. during the Summer season... During the Winter months, preheat at 350* degrees until your grills temp settles and stabilizes. When You can post back if any of these tips help and good luck.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[jkabrahamson]

I'm using the the non-stick burning one (https://smokedaddyinc.com/product/oem-replacment-heat-diffuser-heavy-duty-10-gauge/)

The one thing I noticed is I might need to cut it down a bit to get a better fit. When I put it in there I have to take out the thin metal they call a heat shield and then the flame broiler tray sits right on top of it. Not enough clearance to slant it.

Admittedly I found the same thing as you -- sliding it to the right did give even cook temp across the surface -- even if the computer probe was off.

I was considering trying to move the temp probe to be more in alignment with the grates to see if that makes a difference.

Do you think I should cut the heat SD Heat diffuser? Or do you think its not that big of a deal touching the flame broiler? Not sure how much of an impact that would really make -- its 10GA steel -- it could put up with a lot of heat.

I will try out today what you suggested and get back to you.

 

[RCAlan]

Yes, that thin piece of metal they call a heat diffuser has to come out while using the SD HD. If You can have the SD HD trimmed down a bit on the top and the base about 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch, that could make a huge difference in getting a better fit. I didn’t modify my SD HD at all, but it is a very tight fit. I also posted here in this tread that anyone considering getting a SD HD, that they should reach out to SmokeDaddyinc and inquire if they can trim the heat diffuser to fit their particular grill.. All brands of pellet grills comes in different shapes and sizes... If You do decide to relocate the temp probe, post back your findings. I found that my temp probe was doing the same thing and I notice that it was touching the metal wall where it was attached too, I moved it from touching the wall and It made a bit of an improvement, but I also go by the lids temp gauge as well...

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[jkabrahamson]

I had emailed SD and they simply said if it doesn't fit I could return it. Anyways, included a snapshot from the Weber iGrill. Probe 1 is grate 1 closest to the hopper, Probe 2 is grate 2 is over firepot, and probe 3 isi grate 3 next to the smoke stack. The PID controller temp was closely aligned with grate 1, and grate 2/3 were pretty consistent -- 1 was still 30 degrees off.

This really only matters because you'd want to put a brisket on grates 2 and 3 next to the smoke stack -- and the point pointed towards grate 2.

 

[RCAlan]

That center grate temp being only 30* degrees higher considering it’s right over the fire pot is manageable.. Imagine what the temp would be on the center grate without a heat diffuser there... Also during the course of a cook, your pellet grill will cycle, ie. “Duty Cycle “which means it’s adding more pellets to the fire pot, which will increase the heat/temp at the center of the grill the most... All pellet grills will cycle. Here’s a good read when you have the time. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellet_grill#PID_controllers_(adjustable_duty_cycle) read the section on temp control on Pellet Grills.
One additional tip that You may want to consider and is great in helping with temp management and has worked for me for many years is adding a decent size aluminum water pan to your grill on your next cook. Your grill has enough space to accommodate a water pan, just use it with caution... You don’t want a water spillage in your new Pellet Grill.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[mpkelley20]

Interesting. My 1100 is hottest on the right side by the smoke stack. Not the center. The temp differences have not impacted my cooks at all so I don't think the differences are that bad on mine.

I have had two temp flare ups on mine where I was set to 200 and temps went up to 285-290 range. I had to open the lid to bring it back and then things seems to settle down. Both times it was close to the end of my cook. I contacted pit boss through Facebook (they are very responsive if you DM them) and they asked if I was using foil wraps at the time. I was. Was told that the foil can cause this from time to time. Forgot the specific language around heat retention. I will be trying butcher paper or pink parchment paper on my next to see if it happens again. if it does, Pit Boss said they will replace. They have great customer service so I would suggest reaching out about your concerns.

 

[RCAlan]

Here’s a good read about Aluminum Foil and Water Pans.. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6656-why-use-a-water-pan-in-your-grill

I’m not saying, don’t reach to PB when You have a question or a concern about your grill, but there are different ways to come too the same conclusion and goal.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[mpkelley20]

That experiment would lead me to the opposite of what Pit Boss told me. By using aluminum foil, it should have maintained lower temps, correct? Not flare up.

 

[jkabrahamson]

R RCAlan -- Totally agree with you. I can handle 30 degrees -- and temp swings don't bother me. Until this I was using a gas grill with a pellet tray, so I'm very used to dealing with that...I also always use a water pan.

I took the arm that is for sliding the sear plate to adjust the heat diffuser a little bit back and forth for optimal temp distribution. The one thing that makes me sort of want to try the SD drip tray again is it sits higher than the PB one -- so it wouldn't rub the PB one. The only issue I had with that was the really high temps on burn in and when i cranked it up. I might experiment with it again and let ya'll know.

I have a separate gas grill for burgers/hot dogs/steaks/tri-tip so I would only be using the PB for real BBQ/smoking

 

[jkabrahamson]

OH and almost forgot, my temp probe inside connected to the PID wasn't touching the metal that I could tell, but i'm debating about removing this metal plate in front of it to make it more exposed to the heat -- vs being protected.

 

[RCAlan]

Did You get a chance to read that link I posted? Also, Myself and a few posters here use the SmokeDaddy Wood Burning Heat Diffuser in our Pellet Grills from RecTec Grills to Pit Boss... Meaning some have PID Controllers and some do not. The burning wood created a major temperature issue with temps running sometimes close to 200* degrees and higher over the set point. I found that using a Aluminum water pan filled with water really helped my Non PID Controller PB Austin XL run with more stable temps. The Aluminum and the water helped manage the increase in the grills temp due to the burning wood. If anyone is interested in giving the water pan a try, use with caution... Spilled water and Pellets don’t mix. In that thread I asked the SD Wood Burning HD users to try wrapping the wood in aluminum foil and not use a water pan to see if that could manage the temp issue and tame the burn of the wood... And You know what? It worked... The aluminum foil help control the oxygen of the burn and tame the temp of the burning wood as well. Something the manufacturer of the diffuser couldn’t figure out before selling it and posting a video saying if the temps rise to much, then just prop the lid open a bit. Like I said there is more then one way to get too the correct answer... and some are more easier and logical then others... You can do it Pit Boss’s way and let it ride. Go for it. When You do, post back your findings and Good luck.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[RCAlan]

Perhaps Your Grills flare up was caused by something else that had nothing to do with what you were cooking wrapped in foil...

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[RCAlan]

R RCAlan -- Totally agree with you. I can handle 30 degrees -- and temp swings don't bother me. Until this I was using a gas grill with a pellet tray, so I'm very used to dealing with that...I also always use a water pan.

I took the arm that is for sliding the sear plate to adjust the heat diffuser a little bit back and forth for optimal temp distribution. The one thing that makes me sort of want to try the SD drip tray again is it sits higher than the PB one -- so it wouldn't rub the PB one. The only issue I had with that was the really high temps on burn in and when i cranked it up. I might experiment with it again and let ya'll know.

I have a separate gas grill for burgers/hot dogs/steaks/tri-tip so I would only be using the PB for real BBQ/smoking

If the SD Drip Tray sits higher then the stock Flame Broiler and Slider which is the drip tray and heat diffuser wrapped up in one, wouldn’t it lift the grates to high and not allow the grease runoff to exit properly? Which one is thicker, the Smoke Daddy drip tray or the PB Flame Broiler and Slider?

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[jkabrahamson]

The SD one is thicker. The SD diffuser is 10GA and the SD drip tray is 11GA. I'll take a picture -- the reason it works is because its less of a slope with a more drastic drop off at the end *and* its also rectangle/flat vs curved.

https://smokedaddyinc.com/product/oem-replacement-drip-pan-heavy-duty-11ga/

Will take a picture when I get home from work with it in there so you can see it.

 

[jkabrahamson]

The very first image is the stock PB broiler plate/drip pan. The other 3 are the SD after market drip pan. You can see how its a much more soft slope and then a steep drop off at the end.

 

[RCAlan]

The very first image is the stock PB broiler plate/drip pan. The other 3 are the SD after market drip pan. You can see how its a much more soft slope and then a steep drop off at the end.

View attachment 398915 View attachment 398916 View attachment 398917 View attachment 398918

I would use the SD HD and their drip pan for Low and Slow cooks.. Add a water pan safely if you’re having problems controlling the grills temps or want a little more control dialing in your grills temps. If You plan on doing Hot and Fast cooks or any searing, then I would use the PB Flame Broiler and Slider, so now You can have the best of both worlds with your grill. Always preheat your grill properly and keep that Fire Pot clean after every cook.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[jkabrahamson]

Think I finally got it dialed in.

Let me ask you guys this — after preheating do you turn it to a temp day 225 or do you turn it to smoke? This is assuming you want to go low n slow like for a brisket