Hey RCAlan - I know you already have the valve so kind of a moot point but I talked to someone who got a different air pump that goes to a lower air settings. He said once the SD gets going, this allows the SD to last longer and works better. The guy is supposed to reply back to me on what air pump he got. I've heard of people getting a different one than the one SD offers.
SmokeDaddy Magnum P.I.G and Pellet Pro PID upgrade for my PB Austin XL
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Kstone113, the stock air pumps low setting is really low... I’ve seen a few videos where the Owners swapped for a higher output air pump. For the average size Pellet Grill, the stock air pump set on the medium to high setting should work fine and if the User really wants to back off on the air, just set it on low or turn the air pump off. I have another portable air pump that can inflate car tires, that I haven’t used/tried yet. At the moment, no need too.
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
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Yes I have... The SD Magnum P is made of heavy gauge aluminum. After My first cook and dealing with the clean up, I made some changes and a few mods. The base canister cap now has 8 holes to allow for better air/oxygen flow, I added a larger diameter baffle spring to improve air circulation and I lined the interior of the SD Canister with heavy duty aluminum foil... Those 3 mods, plus using and pre burning of the lump charcoal has really helped cut down on the creosote buildup. I’ve also noticed that since the SD aluminum canister gets super hot, it will change to a darker color both inside and out.. That’s a normal process of Aluminum. lining the interior of the canister helps with the cleanup and also helps cut down on the creosote buildup. I also line the top canister cap with heavy duty aluminum foil as well. The SD Canister should be cleaned after every use and lining the canister with heavy duty aluminum foil makes the cleanup a lot easier. Remember, due to the heat being produced within the SD Canister, the interior of the canister will still darken if you use aluminum foil or not. Hope the info helps...
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
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Hey RCAlan - just checking back to see how things are going and if any other cooks under your belt and hows things in general with the Magnum P.I.G. are going.
I know I've said awhile I plan to get one and still do. I just need to find time to go get it from the store. I might actually go tomorrow if I can squeeze in time.
I did do another brisket a few weeks ago and used my heavy D heat diffuser and was happy how things came out but still craving that extra smoke flavor that I am confident the cold smoker will provide. Seems like you have everything down to a good system/process with yours. All the research I've done(like you), seems like you are doing it right now.
I know I've said awhile I plan to get one and still do. I just need to find time to go get it from the store. I might actually go tomorrow if I can squeeze in time.
I did do another brisket a few weeks ago and used my heavy D heat diffuser and was happy how things came out but still craving that extra smoke flavor that I am confident the cold smoker will provide. Seems like you have everything down to a good system/process with yours. All the research I've done(like you), seems like you are doing it right now.
Yes, the Pellet Pro PID Controller is working very well on the Austin XL.. As for the SmokeDaddy Magnum P.I.G. Cold Smoker, I couldn’t be happier. It is a learning process, but it’s worth the little extra effort when you consider you’re burning real wood and the benefits real wood smoke can give to your cook. Also, the Cold Smoke Canister doesn’t add any extra heat to your pellet grill while cooking. Some may prefer to use tubes and trays and that’s fine. I never post to knock Ones preferences, I just prefer the flavor profile of real wood smoke instead of burning more pellets in a tray or smoke tube. And I’ve tried both... Now when I bbq/smoke a chicken or a turkey, I use pellets only for my cook... and when I’m bbq/smoking pork or beef, I’ll fire up the SD Magnum P.I.G. and it’s all good. The after cleaning process is a little extra work, but for me, it’s worth the extra effort and the mods I’ve done makes it that much easier. Is the SD Magnum P. for everyone? No, but those that have one and have learned how to use it correctly wouldn’t use anything else...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review...ve_star&pageNumber=1&tag=smokingmeatforums-20
If You do ever make it over to SmokeDaddyinc in person, ask Dennis are there any new products coming in the future...
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
I will ask. I am tentatively planning on going in on Friday since I have the day off.
Hey RCAlan - I finally made it to SmokeDaddy today. I got my Magnum PIG and hopefully will get it installed on Sunday. I did get to talk to Dennis for 30 minutes or so. Probably could of talked more but he had stuff to do. Man, he's a great guy and everyone who worked there was cool. Dennis showed me a number of things. They are working on a wi fi enabled PID controller. The prototype he had looked good! That was definitely there new things coming out soon. He said they are phasing out their horizontal pellet pro smokers and more going with their new vertical cabinet smoker. The vertical is really nice in person! Dennis said there is no other pellet smoker like it that has as much space as that one.
Once I get the Magnum PIG installed and do a cook, I'll post back here the results.
Once I get the Magnum PIG installed and do a cook, I'll post back here the results.
Wow... Great News Kstone113 and thanks for the update. No speculation/guess on the prices on the WiFi enabled PID Controller or their new vertical Cabinet Smoker? Oh, did You ask Dennis for any additional tips on how to deal with the Creosote accumulation that you’ll see on your first few cooks. I know my procedures and modifications will really help as well. Reading everything I saw and did will really help You. Make sure You start with hot and completely prepared lump charcoal and then use chips and chunks for the smoke. The Aluminum Canister will darken on the inside a lot, that is completely normal. Lining the canister with foil will help the cleanup... You might want the canister to get seasoned first, so using the foil is up to you. Oh and don’t be afraid of the smoke production... You can prop the lid to let some of the smoke out. Good luck and enjoy.
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
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Also two great reads/info to help You with your new SD Magnum P
www.smokingmeatforums.com
www.smokingmeatforums.com
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
Understanding Smoke Management - updated 12/08/14
Understanding Smoke Management Recently, on several meat smoking and BBQ forums, including this one, I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of threads pertaining to the color of the smoke being produced, specifically Thin Blue Smoke (TBS) vs. Thick White Smoke (TWS). Various posts on the threads...
www.smokingmeatforums.com
AMNPS & Smoke Daddy Myths?
Are the following statements facts or myth's? AMNPS produces no creosote. Smoke Daddy creates excessive amounts of smoke and creosote making products taste bitter. The following are the results discovered while cold smoking three country cured hams, but first, the ham that was smoked in...
www.smokingmeatforums.com
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
Alan, I'm very curious how you would compare the smoke flavour (amount) you get in your cooks now with the stock Austin XL controller. I've found that the stock controller in my PB was about right for me, but after switching to the PP I too found things lacking.
Before the PB, we had a Big Chief and the smoke flavour was way over the top with anything we smoked in it. So naturally, I'm a bit sheepish about getting the Magnum as I don't want to experience the same thing.
Thanks,
Mark
When comparing the PB Austin XL Controller to the Pellet Pro PID Controller for smoke production, the stock PB Controller puts out a little more smoke to me. I didn’t mine the temp swings from the PB controller, as I had mine dialed in pretty good. The reason why I swapped out the PB controller for the Pellet Pro PID Controller was because the stock controller just stop working. PitBoss sent me two new controllers for free, even though my grill was out of warranty... and the Grill still wouldn’t fire up. Everything was checked and changed... from the controller fuse to the changing out of the GFCi wall outlets as well... Nothing worked. I got the Pellet Pro 35lbs Hopper and PID controller combo, did a 20min. change out and not one problem or issue since. The Pellet Pro Hopper Fan and Auger Motors are both heavy duty setups as well. The PID controller does allow for more stable temps, with the only downside being a little less smoke production. Now that’s where the SD Magnum P. comes into play. I get all the real Hardwood Smoke for my bbq from the Magnum P. and I just use the pellets in the hopper and PID controller as my heat source. I can bbq Hot and Fast at temps above 275*-300* degrees or higher and never have to worry about the lack of smoke or hardwood smoke flavor. When I do bbq Low and Slow, I’ll get a little extra touch of the Pellet smoke from the PID controller setup, to go along with the hardwood smoke from the SD Magnum P. If I’m getting to much smoke, I can dial it back by using the 2 pc Full Port Brass Valve I have installed if necessary. It was a little work, but I got everything covered now... No Complaints.
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi.
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Hey RCAlan - I am not sure on those prices. The vertical cabinet smoker is $1200 but he did have a deal with at least $100 off....maybe more? It is heavy duty double walled and had tons of space to cook on. He said for the price, you get the most cooking area out there. I believe he meant in the pellet arena. The PID controller, well, it is still in testing phase but I can tell you it won't be $100. He joked and said everyone wants these things for $100 and they ain't cheap! He was talking about having pre-programmed cooks from their new app but we will see how that goes. Cool idea.
So onto my cook yesteray. Well......just a big wow. All I did was cook chicken but man, it was like having chicken on a charcoal weber but better temperature control. I got the Magnum PIG installed and did what you said, I got soe charcoals in there getting really hot so that took maybe 30 minutes. I don't have a chimney currently. I may look into getting a mini one if they sell small ones. NOt sure yet....a lot of messing around to do. I actually used a heat gun instead of a torch. It worked decent but took longer. Dennis was the one who told me that's what he uses instead of a torch.
I forgot to foil inside the Magnum PIG but afterwards it didn't look bad inside it. I remember you saying you foiled the top but I didn't know what you meant until now....iLOL. So yeah, I'll be doing that next time and perhaps foiling inside also but wasn't any build up inside. I only used charcoal to start and chunks of pecan. I didn't use any chips as I wanted to only use pecan and was out of chips. I had plenty of chunks. This kept a good mini fire going.
I had the Magnum PIG going without the grill on and it is a lot of smoke but good quality smoke. When I turned my grill on, the fan from the grill keeps the smoke moving which is good. I cook the chicken at 250 for over an hour and then went to 275 for a bit and finished at 425. I had the air pump on high or like a medium most of the time. Low seemed a little too low to me but again, will have mess around with this.
But the chicken, man, this was the one thing I had been missing since getting the Rec Tec pellet grill. It puts out amazing food with good smoke flavor but it is NOT like using real wood smoke. I can't wait to try a brisket and other stuff. It was late so I didn't really do any cleaning yet of the Magnum and I know I'll have to clean the port of the Magnum but it didn't look bad at all. And best of all, my grill cover still fits even with the Magnum PIG on it.
To me, even just after one use, this is a game changer. I never got this much more flavor from the Heavy D like I did with the Magnum PIG.
RCAlan - one cool mod I saw on a Rec Tec Page, the metal tube that comes from the air pump line, a guy went to Napa Auto Parts and had them bend a steel line curved so it curves around the edge and then curves back to blow the air. I'll see if I can get pic on here of what he did but idea is you can put in bigger chunks in b/c the line is off to the side. I am going to look into that because chunks are better for the fire and some I wasn't able to fit past the metal air line.
Kstone113... Just wait til you do your first Brisket, Spareribs or even that Tri Tip... The more You use the Magnum P, the better it gets. The smoke it puts out is great and yes, it not over powering either, it’s just right. You know what’s funny, the more I’ve used mine, the more my grill smells like Pecan and Hickory... and on a level wood pellets can’t match. The after cleaning is very important, but the more you use it and the canister gets seasoned, it’s like having a Offset Smoker and Pellet Grill in one. I know You have a RecTec Pellet Grill, so it’ll take a few more cooks to get everything dialed in to your liking. For Me, it’s the best thing I could’ve done to better enhance the flavor profile of my bbq cooks. Once You have your wood setup dialed in, it’ll make everything easier. Now You can bbq Hot and fast and still have all the smoke you had while bbqing Low and Slow, but better smoke and more of it. I’m glad your first cook went well and again, the more you use it, the better it gets. Oh and if You can get a pic of that air line mod, please post it.. Thanks
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
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Nice pics thanks!
Couple of questions for you @ K kstone113
I see you put the PIG underneath the chimney. Does the smoke go under the diffuser like a reverse flow? It kind of seems like it would go straight up and out. Do you get coverage on the opposite side? Or does the smoke come in fast enough that it goes under the diffuser all the way to the left side of the chamber?
Regarding the steel air line. Does the line have holes it in, or is it pushing the air at the exit point so it draws instead of pushes? Not sure I'm understanding what that mod does.
Cool stuff guys, you definitely have me thinking about trying one of these!
Couple of questions for you @ K kstone113
I see you put the PIG underneath the chimney. Does the smoke go under the diffuser like a reverse flow? It kind of seems like it would go straight up and out. Do you get coverage on the opposite side? Or does the smoke come in fast enough that it goes under the diffuser all the way to the left side of the chamber?
Regarding the steel air line. Does the line have holes it in, or is it pushing the air at the exit point so it draws instead of pushes? Not sure I'm understanding what that mod does.
Cool stuff guys, you definitely have me thinking about trying one of these!
It does kind of do like a reverse flow. The other side of the grill definitely gets the smoke. Now the pump on low, not sure about that as this is only one cook but there was plenty of smoke(way more than normal at 250) and seem to have done kind of a reverse flow. The Rec Tec controller is on the other side and I won't want a fire below the electronics. Some have put in extra pipes to put the smokdaddy elsewhere on the left side but a lot have done what I did and put just on the right side.
The mod allows bigger chunks to fit in your Magnum PIG. No holes in the line anywhere, just instead of a pipe going in the middle of the Magnum, it goes off to the side curved. It pushes the air out of the Magnum PIG into your grill. It isn't a super strong air pump at all. Just enough to push the smoke into the grill. I have heard some grills fans(I've heard Green Mountain sometimes has that issue)are so strong you need a stronger air pump or I think smokedaddy just sends 2. But from the first cook, it appears to be strong enough and does do a reverse flow type of smoke which is awesome and what I had in mind when thinking it should go there and that is the best location in this grill.
Even after just one cook, I totally recommend this device.
Hey all - I did some ribs yesterday for the first time with the Magnum P.I.G. They came out great! A lot of smoke flavor!
A few observations...I started at 250 on the grill but kind of pressed for time so after 1 1/2 hours, I went to 275. After about an 1 hour and 45 minutes, I put 2 more slabs on(I didn't have them before b/c the store was out). Again for time purposes, I put the grill up to 300 when I wrapped the ribs after 3 hours but the other 2 I left unwrapped for awhile.
All that being said, I definitely noticed a difference in smoke taste between the first 3 slabs I put on and the other 2 I put on later. Part of this could be due to higher heat but also, the higher you have your grill, I believe the fan is higher speed? I'm not sure about that but that's how it appeared to me. The first 3 had a good amount more of smoke flavor.
I am sure you could still get some smoke at higher temps like 400 but nothing like 250 or lower. When I did have the temp higher on the grill like 300, I did turn up the pump to a higher(not max) speed. I was gauging the smoke by watching the left side of the grill and seeing if any decent amount of smoke was leaking out. To me, that tells me the pump is blowing hard enough to reach the other side and some of that smoke will reverse back over to the chimney. I did notice if I had the pump on pretty low, I didn't see that. But again, this is at higher temps like 300 plus on the grill.
Just wanted to put some notes from my cook. I absolutely love this device!
And RCAlan - I was going to put foil on the top piece but couldn't get it to close and just left it. Mine is dark on top now but not flaking at all. And inside it doesn't look bad either. I"m curious how yours looked when you said it was really bad. I took the brush to the inside of my cold smoker and the creosote build up easily came off. Perhaps mine has been slightly different because for the most part, I've just used wood chunks and NO pellets and chips just a little bit but when I refill, I just use chunks. I was worried about the cleaning process but mine has been fine thus far. I did have to clean out the pipe going into the grill but I expected that as I had read you need to clean after every use and that held true with mine.
Lots of experimenting to do still but LOVE the Magnum P.I.G. and for anyone who is looking for more real wood smoke flavor out of their pellet grill, this is the device for you. I would suggest though trying other options first like a pellet tube or other tricks.
A few observations...I started at 250 on the grill but kind of pressed for time so after 1 1/2 hours, I went to 275. After about an 1 hour and 45 minutes, I put 2 more slabs on(I didn't have them before b/c the store was out). Again for time purposes, I put the grill up to 300 when I wrapped the ribs after 3 hours but the other 2 I left unwrapped for awhile.
All that being said, I definitely noticed a difference in smoke taste between the first 3 slabs I put on and the other 2 I put on later. Part of this could be due to higher heat but also, the higher you have your grill, I believe the fan is higher speed? I'm not sure about that but that's how it appeared to me. The first 3 had a good amount more of smoke flavor.
I am sure you could still get some smoke at higher temps like 400 but nothing like 250 or lower. When I did have the temp higher on the grill like 300, I did turn up the pump to a higher(not max) speed. I was gauging the smoke by watching the left side of the grill and seeing if any decent amount of smoke was leaking out. To me, that tells me the pump is blowing hard enough to reach the other side and some of that smoke will reverse back over to the chimney. I did notice if I had the pump on pretty low, I didn't see that. But again, this is at higher temps like 300 plus on the grill.
Just wanted to put some notes from my cook. I absolutely love this device!
And RCAlan - I was going to put foil on the top piece but couldn't get it to close and just left it. Mine is dark on top now but not flaking at all. And inside it doesn't look bad either. I"m curious how yours looked when you said it was really bad. I took the brush to the inside of my cold smoker and the creosote build up easily came off. Perhaps mine has been slightly different because for the most part, I've just used wood chunks and NO pellets and chips just a little bit but when I refill, I just use chunks. I was worried about the cleaning process but mine has been fine thus far. I did have to clean out the pipe going into the grill but I expected that as I had read you need to clean after every use and that held true with mine.
Lots of experimenting to do still but LOVE the Magnum P.I.G. and for anyone who is looking for more real wood smoke flavor out of their pellet grill, this is the device for you. I would suggest though trying other options first like a pellet tube or other tricks.
Kstone113, on my first cook with the Magnum P.I.G. I didn’t know what to expect nor what could happen if you don’t have enough heat, use the wrong type of coals and not have enough air circulation within the canister. Like I had originally posted, the canister was completely black and wet inside. So I had to do some research and ask questions to figure out what happened and why. I made some modifications and adjustments and now everything is much better now. The top cap still needs to be cleaned or foiled and everything else needs to be regularly inspected, but other then that, the Magnum P.I.G. is working great. I did do a similar mod with the metal airline in the canister... I bought a copper tube and bent it around top of the canister and also made the proper connections for the air to exit into the cooking chamber. Hardwood chunks will definitely last longer then hardwood chips... The Magnum P is not a low cost investment, but those searching for that Hardwood Smoke flavor, this thing definitely works.
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
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