How NOT to Use a Pellet Smoker
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- Опубликовано: 24 янв 2023
- Title Info: How NOT to Use a Pellet Smoker #BBQPitMasterSecrets
In this video we will cover the Top 5 Biggest Mistakes you can make on your pellet smoker and give you the Top 5 best Tips and Tricks to point you in the right direction in making awesome backyard BBQ!
Any questions let me know in the comments! Enjoy!
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I literally got my pit boss this past Tuesday for my 35th birthday. My jaw dropped during the intro 😂
Usually these types of videos are full of obvious bs and no one learns anything. This is NOT one of those videos. Full of relevant and CRITICAL information for a new pellet grill owner. You are literally preventing people from burning their house down lol thank you!
Ha! Thanks! 🍻
I disagree. That was a complete waist of my time. That was all honestly 100% commen sence
The biscuit test is pure genius. That's a new one for me.
As a 35 year old man who bought my pit boss yesterday, I feel absolutely called out.
Great video though, thank you for all the helpful information.
Tip - use a large litter box scoop (one that was purchased new and dedicated to cooking pellets 😜) to scoop pellets into the hopper. It takes a bit of extra time, but gets clean pellets into the hopper. You’ll be amazed at how much dust is in the bag when you get to the bottom. Pouring from the bag puts the dust in the hopper and auger tube and increases the chances of a fire.
Amazing tip! Thanks for sharing!!
thank you for this video! I feel ready to give the pellet smokers another shot!
When I seasoned my traeger I noticed how much saw dust was in the cooking chamber. Was really bummed but I read this exact thing. Started using a sifter to get rid of dust. Made a HUGE difference. Cannot recommend enough
I use an old dedicated colander from my wife. She didn't want it anymore so I use it. Pour part of the bag in it, shake it a little over a garbage can to get the dust out, then they are ready to put in the hopper.
I use the same. Buy a new plastic dog food scooper to get the pellets out of the large bags. When you get to the very bottom of the bag and scoop there’s a ton of sawdust material. What I did is poured the remaining few scoops into a colander or strainer and it removes all the dust when you shake it through the strainer and only remaining good pellets that you can use are left! 😊
"Get into World War history or get into barbecue"...how about those of us who did both?
I came here to say exactly that😂
Right there with you.
Exactly Germans had some of the biggest bbqs during the war😉
Here here
I represent that comment…
I am 42. I have chosen the path of grill master. I recently bought a Pit Boss. Thank you for this video.
The biscuit test alone was worth a sub. Lol. Great video!
Ha! Welcome!
35??? I'm 26 😂
I was 33 years old when I got my smoker and I'm a woman. 🙄
@@bcc7777🔥
@@bcc7777 lol he’s just joking around
I’m 25 😬
@@bcc7777just came to say the same thing 😂… keep on smokin’!
I love the biscuit test. Very useful. My last pellet smoker just reached the end of its life, after 7yrs of use. These tips will definitely help anyone who is interested in buying one. As for me, I'm moving across country, once I get to where I'm going I will definitely be buying a new pellet smoker. They are worth it
😊
I was just blessed with a brand new FREE pellet smoker from a friendly neighbor. Thanks for the info, can't wait to start smokin!
That's awesome! Now the big question, what are you gonna BBQ first?
Great video. I recently received a pellet smoker as a gift. Your 5 “Nots” were superb. Your 5 “To Do” were even better.
Thank you for 14 minutes of useful info.
Nice! What smoker did you get?
@@GrillSergeant Traeger 34 Pro.
Damn, I’ve been making mistake number one ever since I’ve owned my grill and that’s been years. Thank you so much for the information now I can avoid exploding
I literally turn 35 in two weeks. And this is the first smoker video I’ve ever watched. You nailed that like clockwork. 😂
“Open the noor…” 😂😂😂
I was fortunate enough to receive a Lexington Pitboss as a Christmas gift from my wife and kids and it is my first pellet grill. This video helps tremendously and I'll definitely be trying the biscuit test in the near future. Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for watching. Got a ton of bbq ideas on my channel. See you around!
Something that wasn’t mentioned and is very important is to not put pellet dust in your hopper. The dust, over time, compacts in the auger tube. I’ve have to break down my grill and pull the auger out and clean out the tube. This takes about three hours!
Just got my first pellet smoker today. Was just wondering if you may could use an air compressor to blow the dust out when your doing a complete clean out?
I just bought another brand but I'm taking all your tips to heart. Much appreciated
I just bought a Traeger entry level job. Your tutorial is most informative and helpful. Thank you very much. I will definitely be trying your recipes.
Cheers from Australia!🙏👍👍
These are great tips and I was doing some things wrong. Never had a problem, but after seeing this video I’ll start doing a few things differently……specifically, leaving the lid open during the startup phase and also not unplugging too soon. Liked & Subscribed.
Awesome Tom! See you around!
Offset smoker here. Great video. The pro tips are excellent. When I first began smoking, I cooked to time instead of temperature. I ruined so many cooks because of it, until someone said, just cook to temperature. Made all the difference. I use a combination of hickory, apple, and cherry wood. Makes for a great flavor.
I had to clean out my dad's Pit Poss Saturday. It was just covered in burnt fat and grease. He's lucky it didn't catch on fire.
Thank you Grill Sergeant! I just got my first pellet smoker (my 2nd grill ever!) and I'm learning so much! And thanks to studying these tips, I'm a lot more confident when it comes to something that seems so foreign to me. Like that billowing white smoke in the beginning, oh I thought I messed up, but I remembered the videos and tips and was like "nope, this is normal, keep the smoker open and the white stuff will go away! I cant wait to try all of the amazing food I'm going to make on this!
Wow, what awesome tips ! As a self taught fire fighter I couldn't agree more with a water bottle to put out a grease fire ! Thankfully my pellet cooker has a self cleaning option just like an oven. You're my hero Grill Sergeant!
This comment deserves a flaming trophy!
Water on fat fire... I've seen that video
That was one of the BEST pellet smoker tip videos I have EVER seen. You were spot on with everything! This video will be very helpful to a lot of new pellet smoker owners. Even though I know the do's and don'ts I really enjoyed your video friend 🙂and it doesn't hurt to have reminders every now and then. I too have run out of pellets 1 or 2 times, it happens to everybody and they'd be lying if somebody said it never happened to them. Grill Sergeant you're the man! You have really made something out of your channel. You are one of the top grilling/bbq channels out there in my opinion and I've enjoyed watching your channel grow from...well, you know how it all started 😉
Thank you brother! No joke I ran of pellets on something I was filming today! 😂 Oh the irony! 😂
That biscuit test is a fantastic idea! You can use with your oven as well. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Love the biscuit test. It really gave me a feel of where my hot and cold spot are on my smoker!! Thanks!
Just found your channel, and I'm new to smoking. I've got a pitboss competition series gen2 vertical 5 smoker. I loved your tips but knew most of them. However, the one I didn't know and enjoyed the most was the biscuit test. I'm pretty sure I know where my hot/cold spots are simply because of science and how this cooker is designed. I do intend on giving it a try just to confirm. Thanks for the tips!
I rarely comment on RUclips videos, but I've watched this video two consecutive times. As a Traeger Pro Series 34 owner, this is really good information! One of my common practices is that I only cook over top of the drip tray surface area, especially burgers. Otherwise, a.) some of the ends will crisp up faster and b.) grease drips down into the smoker. Thank you sir!
No problem! Thanks for watching Joe!
Been smoking for years, but it’s good to see the ideas of others. Nice presentation! The biscuit test is one of the lesser known and most valuable. Glad you shared it.
That biscuit idea is pretty slick definitely a good idea to figure out where the hot zones are
Without question, PRO TIP #5 "The Biscuit Test!" I will be doing that this weekend. I just got my pellet smoker a few months ago and I really need to figure this out in real time. Thank you for this pro tip!!!
Nice! What pellet smoker did you get?
As a huge pellet smoker fan, when I first saw the title of this, I read it as "Don't Use a Pellet Smoker". Which made me think "pellet smoker haters gonna hate." Followed by "humph... let's see what he has to say."
These are actually excellent tips of what not to do, and what to do, when operating your pellet smoker. I salute you Grill Sargent. 🫡
I think most people ask timing questions not for exact doneness but rather an approximate cook time for planning purposes. IE spare ribs take about 5 hrs brisket takes 14 hrs. Salmon takes 2. Wings take an hr etc...
I completely agree!
I might be 10 years early for this but I’m ready
Welcome! 🍻
Thank you for these tips. I found the biscuit test to be very insightful. I’m definitely going to try that one.
Nice video with some good advice. I'd like to add two things that some eager beavers overlook: RTFM - Read The Fine Manual. Most pellet smoker manufacturers will tell you to vacuum the ash out of the barrel (chamber) after every 20 pounds of pellets. That includes cleaning out the auger and doing a restart (400 for 15 min). The other is pay attention to how you store your pellets. There have been more flame outs due to damp/wet pellets than just about anything else. And I'm with Fred Willis (below) - Lumberjack pellets for the win.
I have two Green Mountain Grills and they have you start the grill with the lid closed. I've never had a problem and I've used them a ton. I also must add that your biscuit test is ingenious! Thank you! I've tried to use both of my temperature probes but it's very difficult to judge this but the biscuit test gives you tangible, visual results.
Instead of biscuits I use a loaf of Walmart brand white bread - much cheaper than several cans of whomp biscuits ;) (On my PB1100PS1)
Same with Weber SmokeFire they tell you to keep the lid closed until it reaches set temperature, even on smoke setting.
Same with my Yoder it tells you to leave the lid shut.
New to the grill/smoker scene! Picked up the 1150 & this vid came in handy!
This is level 💯 worth of good insights on how to get the most out of your pellet smoker. I've always been a stick guy for most of my life until recently. My brother in law bought himself a pellet smoker and I was so impressed so I too am a new plallet smoker and I am never going back. The easy and simplicity is to good to past up plus the results are even better then any other method. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us and I just wanted to let you know that you have a new subscriber for life and I hope your channel will continue to grow because you definitely deserve it.
Good info. For the biscuit test, found it a lot cheaper to use bread slices. Good old cheap loaf of white sandwich bread.
Will add a "Don't Do" tip. If your burn pot fire goes out during a cook (not related to empty pellet hopper) ABSOLUTELY DO NOT just go thru another restart. Not without getting to your burn pot and completely cleaning it out first. Then do a normal door open restart. Sometimes running a smoker on a very low temp setting, the burn pot will get starved out. Not always getting enough pellets to keep the smolder going, BUT - the auger will keep dumping in pellets after the burn pot is out cold - no flame or smolder. If you simply try a restart, that burn pot is now PILED WITH PELLETS. It will start the usual startup smolder with piles of smoke (more than regular startup) and at some point, that entire pile of pellets ignites into full flames. You'll get a flash-over that makes the startup "pops" of the cover seem childlike. It will blow big time. And the fire from that full pot can burn at temps in the 600F+ range. So if the smoker ever goes cold during a cook and not from empty hopper, immediately pull the plug so there is no way the fan(s) can stoke any smolder in the FULL burn pot and cause a full-fire flash over. Clear the burn pot and do a normal restart. If you have to remove the grates and diffuser to get to the burn pot, just set what you are cooking to the side off the smoker.
Besides meat temp probes for the cook, I also have a grill temp probe clipped to the grate to track the grill temp. Will have high and low alarms set in case the smoker temp goes way too high for a cook, or if the smoker goes very low - maybe an indication that the burn pot may be getting starved of pellets. That helps head off the pot going cold and the auger dumping a whole pile of pellets inside.
Great info!
I had that happen after the flame went out. And then it got almost up to 500 and started smoking like hell. Was even smoking out of the pellet box. I'm glad you explained what was going on.
great stuff, especially about the different pellet types for different flavors. I also would suggest getting a smoke tube and using that in addition to the pellets in the burn pot if you are looking to amp up the smoky flavors to rival stick burners.
Thank you for the advice on the smoke tube. That's on my next Amazon order.
hi please watch Watchman on the Wall 88 on RUclips
I aggree, I have had fantastic success with a good Stainless steel smoke tube on every long cook, Simply fill with your pellets, light with a propane torch. Tip- let the smoke tube burn for at least 4-5 minutes until you see a good ash build up. otherwise you risk it going out. It lasts for around 4 hrs. Good idea to buy Heat gloves or do what I do and lay it in the grill and light.
The biscuit test and priming the fire pot are the best tips I’ve seen! Thanks!,
I agree , that was great . Never had heard of the biscuit trick or priming the burner pot . Thank you fot sharing your knowledge. Gary Sr.
76 years old
Awesome video
Here's an additional tip from experience... be very careful to not let the pellets get wet. They will soften, start to fall apart and then as they dry; reform into a solid structure... no longer pellets, but in the shape of the hopper outlet and cake into the auger spacing. Requires complete disassembly and difficult clean out. Hasn't been a problem with the style in this video but my stand up box type has happened 3 times.
Seconded on this... It's exactly how I ruined my first pellet grill. Didn't cover it during MN winter and forgot to empty out the hopper before the snow came. At least I learned a good lesson and had an excuse to upgrade.
I thought that went without saying.
@@shirttailsupcoattailsdown269 Thanks bud. I have an old bag of pellets that went through the same winter and a new pit boss! Glad I saw this comment.
Is there a way to seal the hopper?
@@haroldbutterfield5677 No, not really plus the humidity outside will always get in. Just get buckets with lids and keep in there.
I really like the biscuit test. Never thought of that! As for pellets I experiment a lot! I mix different flavors as well. I also found a charcoal pellet (made by Royal Oak) that I mix in at a 1:2 ratio (1 part charcoal to 2 parts hardwood pellets), as it really inhances the visual smoke ring in my meats while not changing the the flavor profile of the pellets I chose for the cook!
Or you can use bread. It’s cheaper.
@@Adam_Smith1136 ?
@@todds5956 toasting white bread instead of baking biscuits to find the hotter/cooler areas
Wow I’ve never seen those before. I have some chunks of pure charcoal. I wonder if I could break some down into small pieces and add to my hardwood pellet mix. Thoughts?
Guilty as charged! I must be the luckiest SOB there is!! Great tips!
Thank you!
The biscuit test is something I've neverheard of but it's a really good tip, thanks
Im here to smoke meats to bring to the WWII reenactment
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Never started mine with the lid open, but have seen plenty of vids of the big bang. It will start open from now on, I never knew that is what caused it! Thanks for the tips, and the time you put into each video!
thanks mate, extremely helpful, just bought a smoker and had no idea on how complicated these things can be, your video has saved me hours of reading , very concise and informative with no gimmicks, love you work
Thank you for the information. This is my first time using a pellet smoker and you helped me with the start up.
I am brand new to pellet grilling. Though I have used a couple of them that others owned. Now, I am a proud owner. Each of the do's and don't were much appreciated. They will make my learning curve go, SO much easier. In addition: I now have some great ammunition to teach others. I am a full-time volunteer chaplain at the Flying H Youth Ranch in Naches, Washington. The Ranch is a Christian boarding program for at-risk, high school aged boys, that has been in operation since 1962.
I also cook, at least, one meal a week for our students. One of my passions it to teach the students, as well as willing staff, how to do things right in the kitchen. As we have a Traeger in our arsenal, that gets used by several of us, I will be sharing this video with our cooks.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Traeger IW885 here. They are designed to start with the lid closed.
Yes, I have the Traeger Timberline 850. Designed to start with lid closed. Tip #1 read the owners manual.
So does the recteq ❤
I also have the IW885 and I always Fire Up my Smoker with the lid closed and have never experienced any issues.
They are designed that way but they actually start better with it open. IW1300 here
Green Mountain Grills (Daniel Boone) My manual says to start with lid closed as well.
Almost had a fire start on my Pitt Boss smoker while making ribs. Now I know it's because I haven't emptied the ashes...or really cleaned it thoroughly 🤦🏾♀️. VERY informative. I thank you 😊 🙏🏾
I liked the biscuit test tip. Very good idea.
I can add a # 6 on what not to do. I saw several videos where people had used aluminum foil to protect the grill from drippings. I assumed this was so it would not have to be cleaned as often or would make clean up easier. I bought 100 yards of foil from Sam's thinking it would last most the summer. It was not easy to place, having the assure heat and smoke were not obstructed and the slide would still worked. The thing about aluminum foil is you can never get it smooth. So after cooking burgers, the next time I used my pitboss, it quickly flamed up all over. If you have to apply foil every time you use it and remove it every time you use it, it is too much work. It is easier just to let it get dirty and clean it every 3 or 4 uses.
I just cook everything in disposable pans
I have never used a pellet grill but I've been cooking with wood for years. My favorite woods are cherry, hickory and apple woods. I am getting my first pellet grill soon so I'm watching a lot of videos to help me decide what I want. I was looking hard at the Pit boss Austin xl
Great idea on the biscuit test. I have definitely figured out the hot zone and cooler zone on my PIt Boss. But it was through trial and error. Recommend this to everyone.
The biscuit test is genius and I will try it for sure !
Biscuit test is a great idea. I found out early on with my pellet smoker that I got more smoke flavor and hotter temps near the smokestack end. Also, the burn pot is usually located in the center of the smoker, so the center also has some hot spots in the back and front (where the heat travels around the deflector under neath).
It helps you visualize your hot areas and helps you plan out your cook.
Great tips and very informative. Looking to get a pellet smoker and I just learned quite a bit.
Thank you Very Much.
Awesome video man thank you so much!! Funny as hell open the door!! You learned me something. Much appreciated St Louis Missouri
I'm always debating about getting a pellet smoker... I've been using the offset so long and the snake method in the Weber. But the overnight with the brisket...or a pork butt...that is what keeps me thinking about the pellets.
Great video Grill Seargent!
Dave! My man! Kettles and offsets a great tools that every pitmaster should have but a pellet smoker is one of those sweet tools that helps you enjoy that long overnight bbq without you having to worry about chasing temps.
Why can't I both be into Smoking food and WW2
Thank you for the helpful tips. Buying my first pit bosss pro here in a couple days.
I love that I found this channel. I just got my first pit boss pellet grill/smoker
Great Tips!! You really covered it all and explained it perfectly!!!
Yo Pop! Thanks for stopping by!
Love the video so many great tips just about to finish my outdoor kitchen and will incorporate a smoker. Thanks again
Thanks Sal!
Thanks for recommending using a paint scraper to clean the smoker. Glad to know I’m not the only one who uses that tool for the same purpose.
Very informative, Sarge. Thank you.
I enjoyed them all. My brother just gave me a new Pit Boss and I have never used one before. Gave me several things to do and not to do. Thanks for the info.
Open the door got me ! 😂😂
I think that the biscuit trick was the most helpful for me. Since different make and model grills cook slightly different, this would give you a valuable "Temperature Grid" for whatever make or model grill that you have. Thank you.
I’m 35 today and I bought my 1st pellet smoker. I’ve been into world war history for a while, so I figured I’d up my game. Thanks for the video :)
It’s like this video was meant for you! 😂
Thanks man for the excellent information. Just picked up a pit boss and plan on assembling it this weekend so i will be following u for some great tips 👍👍
I own a pellet grill since 2020 and this video was BY FAR the best I've watched so far. Helped me a ton!! Great work!
Best channel on the interwebs! Great info! Also, I've done mistake #1 for like 3 years now. yikes. Thanks Grill Sergeant!
Great video, loved the biscuit test idea.
This is great I never read the manual watched it 3 times yes I’m brand new to pellets
Ha! Awesome! Welcome to the world of BBQ!
Been using a pellet smoker for years.. started with a Grilla Grill, then a Camp Chef and now using a GMG Ledge Prime.. There are some who “dis” the pellet smokers.. But for me I love sitting in my room watching TV and having a brew and monitoring my temps from my phone and not worrying about fire management…. Can’t do that with a “stick burner”
Enjoy watching the videos…. Such a good refresher..
🍻
I'm considering a new pitboss and def forgot about the boom boom if the lid is closed but didnt know about the cool down cycle. Glad I watched this video.
Hilarious, relatable intro (I’m 36 and chose backyard BBQ) 😂 Just got my pellet grill, great tips! Thank you
Thanks for the info bud 😊
This was awesome! I have a weber kettle and have converted it to a smoker. I want to up my game and better control the temp. This video has helped a lot.
such an awesome video man, I've been waiting 8 years to be able to afford a smoker to buy for my dad and this fathers day I finally got him the pitboss pro series 850. Awesome for it's price and I'm glad to know these things so I can teach my dad too
Thanks for the biscuit test. That's a perfect and inexpensive way to figure out my zones.
Ma che bravo!
Congrats: excellent video!
Nice video, all the tips were good. The one that stood out the most was the biscuit test. Love it
Thanks for watching!
Very informative video, thank you!
Actually a very decent video, thanks for the info.👍🔥
This video was VERY informative! Great tips I’ll be sure to use.
Never heard of the biscuit test but that is a GREAT idea. Thanks!
Really helpful video! Thank you!
No problem! 🍻
I think the biscuit test is Pro tip #1!!! Excellent and I can’t wait to try it out even though I pretty much know my zones. Watch your six and Carry on Sir.
From a Sargent to a Sargent, glad I just found your channel and subscribed. I’m currently cleaning my Traeger smoker and noticed that the drip pot bottom separated from years of rain water settling under the fat! (I’ll make a new pot from a tin can)
Anyway, another viewer suggested the charcoal pellets. I have some pure charcoal chunks, and I might break a few down to add to my hickory pellets. Will let you guys know if I blew up anything 😅. Fav tip was priming the smoke pot after cleaning. Brilliant
Biscuit test I never would have thought about that that's brilliant. I have always just switch the thermometer around inside the grill to find the hot spots. I am definitely going to use that one thank you
Thinking about getting a pellet smoker.... great video.... definitely subscribed to your channel!
Just purchased my first pellet grill, but haven't used yet because of rain and too much of it, but your video was a life saver. I'm going to try the biscuit test and remember the tips you pointed out. Thanks for this.
Really good info man!!! I’m going to be getting the Pit Boss 1150 in a few weeks and this helps out a lot!!!
Great to hear Timothy! You will love the 1150! I have a ton of videos using that smoker so make sure to subscribe for all the bbq goodness you can learn to make. Take care!