Pitboss Electric

[nmhuntr]

Just wanted to fill in some information on my pitboss electric for those researching them.

Bought mine about 3 months ago. Upon receiving it I noticed that the temperature appeared to be hotter than indicated on the display. Pitboss sent me a new temp probe. This made no difference so they sent me an entirely new controller. Installed it yesterday and same problem. This things runs 30-50 degrees hotter than what the display says and it is set at. It is usable as long as you don’t trust their system But I would not buy another one. I could see it being 10 degrees off but this is way off.

 

[Inscrutable]

Sorry for your experience. Not sure how you are validating the variance and where ... their placement of the sensor can affect that, relative to what you are really concerned about - the temps near your product.

As long as your variance is repeatable/consistent it should manageable. I think you’d be surprised how common this is. Even my kitchen range (that most people don’t even question) was consistently about 50* cooler than setpoint, and after replacing the sensor it is about 20* warmer than setpoint ... always with at least a 20* dead band.

I have the Series 3 analog version, and just adjust the dial based on my Inkbird probes. I usually have about a 30* swing (total plus and minus), which I think is pretty good for a conventional set point controller. Tightening the range much probably would take a PID (although not all PID controllers have gain settings tuned optimally, and still can have a wide deadband).

All that said, I’m sure you are going to produce some tasty cooks!

 

[nmhuntr]

Sorry for your experience. Not sure how you are validating the variance and where ... their placement of the sensor can affect that, relative to what you are really concerned about - the temps near your product.

As long as your variance is repeatable/consistent it should manageable. I think you’d be surprised how common this is. Even my kitchen range (that most people don’t even question) was consistently about 50* cooler than setpoint, and after replacing the sensor it is about 20* warmer than setpoint ... always with at least a 20* dead band.

I have the Series 3 analog version, and just adjust the dial based on my Inkbird probes. I usually have about a 30* swing (total plus and minus), which I think is pretty good for a conventional set point controller. Tightening the range much probably would take a PID (although not all PID controllers have gain settings tuned optimally, and still can have a wide deadband).

All that said, I’m sure you are going to produce some tasty cooks!

I have cooked a couple of good meats but I expected it to run closer to them. At least within 15 degrees.

I compared it to a Thermopro thermometer I had installed about 2” from the installed temp probe. Here are the results.
Set to 180 but heated to 203
Set to 230 but heated to 272
Set to 250 but heated to 300
Set to 272 but heated to 334.

thanks

 

[Winterrider]

Other than not having a low end closer to the 180° Mark ( jerky,fish,et.) It would be quite doable.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I am curious, were those temps with the smoker empty?
Also, try placing your probe at various grate levels to see if those readings follow.

 

[nmhuntr]

I am curious, were those temps with the smoker empty?
Also, try placing your probe at various grate levels to see if those readings follow.

Smoker empty and probe about 1” to the side and 1” forward of their probe. moving it to different heights won’t reflect what they should be reading and what the controller should be adjusting off of So I only ,ensured at that location. I have cooked meat with it a few times. The next time I use it I am hoping the temps track the same. If they do then it is not the end of the world. If they very every time then it is a bigger issue.
thanks

 

[thesmokingyeti]

Just wanted to fill in some information on my pitboss electric for those researching them.

Bought mine about 3 months ago. Upon receiving it I noticed that the temperature appeared to be hotter than indicated on the display. Pitboss sent me a new temp probe. This made no difference so they sent me an entirely new controller. Installed it yesterday and same problem. This things runs 30-50 degrees hotter than what the display says and it is set at. It is usable as long as you don’t trust their system But I would not buy another one. I could see it being 10 degrees off but this is way off.

Thanks

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Smoker empty and probe about 1” to the side and 1” forward of their probe. moving it to different heights won’t reflect what they should be reading and what the controller should be adjusting off of So I only ,ensured at that location. I have cooked meat with it a few times. The next time I use it I am hoping the temps track the same. If they do then it is not the end of the world. If they very every time then it is a bigger issue.
thanks

With meat in the smoker, it will act as a heat sink to absob the heat energy.
So you should see a drop in the chamber temp on the Thermopro.
Place your probe a few inches away from the meat on the same grate you're cooking on.
Make your temp adjustments based on the readings from the Thermopro.
And keep in mind, when the heating element cycles, it is normal to see temp swings.
Are you using a water pan as well?

 

[nmhuntr]

With meat in the smoker, it will act as a heat sink to absob the heat energy.
So you should see a drop in the chamber temp on the Thermopro.
Place your probe a few inches away from the meat on the same grate you're cooking on.
Make your temp adjustments based on the readings from the Thermopro.
And keep in mind, when the heating element cycles, it is normal to see temp swings.
Are you using a water pan as well?

Good idea
I used a water pan on the first smoke but not after that.

thanks a lot

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Good idea
I used a water pan on the first smoke but not after that.

thanks a lot

You're welcome. I'm just throwing some things out here to try.

The water pan will act as another heat sink to help moderate temps and temp swings.
Some folks here on the forum prefer to use sand in their water pan instead of water to act as a thermal mass as well.
Personally, I normally do not fill my water pan unless the outside humidity levels and dewpoints are in the low teens.

 

[nmhuntr]

This is what Pitboss told me
“Meat probes are not designed to measure ambient air temps. If you have them sitting on the grates, they will not provide an accurate reading. If you have an oven thermometer, that would be a better tool to use to measure the air temps in the grill.”

Anyone else believe that? My Thermopro has 2 probes. 1 probe for inserting in the meat and 1 doe ambient air temperature. It appears they are the same probe and it should not make a difference. The only true oven probes I have seen are the analog type.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Inscrutable]

This is what Pitboss told me
....
Anyone else believe that?

Nope

 

[Inscrutable]

To be fair, the non-electronic old style meat thermometers do have a limited range ... not the case with modern digital instant reads.
So give them credit for a half-truth ... probably could run for office.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I do believe there is a hint truth to that.
My smoker has a built in meat probe as well.
It never registers the same temp reading as the chamber probe and it is nowhere as accurate as the the meat probes on the IRF-4S. However, my smoker's chamber probe and the oven probe on the IRF-4S are always within 7 degrees of each other. Nevertheless, I don't use the smoker's built in meat probe at all.
If and when needed, I adjust my controller temp based on IRF-4S oven probe readings at grate level.

 

[nmhuntr]

I do believe there is a hint truth to that.
My smoker has a built in meat probe as well.
It never registers the same temp reading as the chamber probe and it is nowhere as accurate as the the meat probes on the IRF-4S. However, my smoker's chamber probe and the oven probe on the IRF-4S are always within 7 degrees of each other. Nevertheless, I don't use the smoker's built in meat probe at all.
If and when needed, I adjust my controller temp based on IRF-4S oven probe readings at grate level.

Well if it is true we are all being taken just a little because my Thermopor has to probes. 1 for the meat and 1 for the bar b que. However I have ordered an analog one to place in the smoker just to see what I get. I will post follow up data as soon as I get it.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Cool.
Keep us posted.

 

[nmhuntr]

Well I got the old fashion analog oven thermometer and tried it out. It did actually track closer to what the smoker was saying it was. I don’t know why that would be but it did from 180 degrees to 300 degrees. As the team went up the delta was greater ending at 300 degrees on the pitboss and 325 on the oven thermometer.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

That confirms it. She runs hot.
Perhaps another call to Pit Boss customer service is needed.
But don't be surprised when they tell you a 25 or greater degree delta is normal.
Was the smoker empty this time too?

 

[Inscrutable]

Yeah, honestly I don’t think 25* is all that uncommon, or even very problematic if it is consistent and repeatable, so predictable and able to compensate for it.

 

[nmhuntr]

That confirms it. She runs hot.
Perhaps another call to Pit Boss customer service is needed.
But don't be surprised when they tell you a 25 or greater degree delta is normal.
Was the smoker empty this time too?

Yep it was empty
If I trust the new analog thermometer it is closer than I thought. The delta is at the higher end so it is less of a worry to me