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Pitboss PBV4PS2 initial thoughts after first smoke. Sorry so long. I am a detail freak. Synopsis is at end of review https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pit-Boss-Pro-Series-4-Series-Vertical-Smoker/5013310445 It is with some trepidation that I post this review. While I am a new pellet grill/smoker...
Not writing a novel this time. Definitely not a set it and forget it, but once used to the idiocyncracies, I might be able to work with it. 5lb Boston butt. sitting wrapped in cooler for shredding for football sammies tomorrow with Carolina Sauce
I have a Pit Boss 1000SC that is a few years old. I think the vertical would be great if you werent using it as a grill also. I have been very happy with my unit but again its a grill not a vertical.
I have owned about a dozen different smokers, including the Pit Boss Platinum Brunswick vertical smoker. I bought the Brunswick because I often do lots of ribs, and I wanted something that holds a lot of ribs at once. Great concept. Reviews online were favorable. So I bought one. Unfortunately, the thing is more of an outdoor oven than a smoker. The meat literally has very little smoked flavor. It is the worst smoker that I have ever used. Now I smoke food on my stick burner, and then transfer it to the PB Brunswick to finish it off. Next year, I am going to buy a new smoker.
I pretty much stand by my reviews re-linked above.
I bought mine from Lowes and elected for free assembly. Not be because I couldn't do it, but I had read of a few damaged in shipping reviews and didn't want to have to pack it back up to return if the brown truck guys drop kicked it. Mine was assembled well and passed my detailed inspection.
Pitboss is a "budget" pellet cooker company and a vertical is OK for mass quantities but you really can't sear with it. There are other models that are the horizontal variety that have what they call sear plates that open up over the firepot for searing steaks and the like. You'll spend more for those models.
ou will also want to have or acquire a quality multi-probe thermometer for ambient and internal temp readings. I find mine is off a little bit from what the controller says cooking temp is, and I'm all AC/DC about cooking temps. You will also wan to invest in a smoke tube or two as the science between the theory of smoke production and actual smoke production varies by temp.
Here's the one I bought https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pit-Boss-Pro-Series-4-Series-Vertical-Smoker/5013310445
Sorry to be so long-winded, just trying to help set expectations.
I'd still do it again, as I've learned the idiosyncracies and cook egurlarly with mine. I hauled it up to our 13th annual gathering earlier this month and all the food I made was complimented..
If you look at my signature you'll see I've had a plethora of different types of smokers.
If this is your first smoker and you do some usage research it should work out for you.
I'm too old and lazy to sit in the Florida sun and feed splits into and offset.
Also pellet brand will make a difference.
I you buy it post back up here and I can elaborate on my babbling.
Mines fixin on getting an 8 lb rib roast in the morning.