5 Tips For Beginners | Pit Boss Vertical Pellet Smoker
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2019
- Did you just get your Pit Boss Vertical Pellet Smoker? I've been using mine now for about a month and I have 5 beginner tips to help you off to a great start.
Do you have any tips to share? Please let us know down in the comments.
Tip # 1
Clean your Pit Boss smoker while it is still warm instead of the next day or the next time you decide to smoke something.
Tip # 2
Use your Water Pan. So many good reasons to do so... I give you two.
Tip # 3
Invest in a good external meat probe. The pit temperature you see on the display is next to the burn pot and fluctuates as new pellets get pushed in. Its more important to monitor the temp at the rack level where your meat is.
Tip # 4
Putting your meat into the Pit Boss Pellet Smoker cold helps you get a better smoke ring.
Tip # 5
Know your pellets. Learn to pair the right kinds of pellets with the right kinds of meats/ fish/vegetables. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Answering your Top 5 BBQ Questions here: th-cam.com/video/A7QdO6CmpHk/w-d-xo.html
One thing I started doing that I picked up in the pit boss forums was to use the water pan that comes with the verticals as a heat shield. I place the water pan about an inch above the heat shield over the burn pot and line it with foil. Then the next rack, about 2 to 3 inches higher, i put a disposable tin foil pan that I fill with water. This has been a game changer for me. I made my profile picture my set up so you can see it easier.
Quick tip. I use Simple Green to clean my glass. Its eco friendly and food safe. No scrubbing needed. Grease and smoke easily comes off, even if the surface is cold. Great videos!
Even cheaper, use the ash from your burnt coals, on a paper towel, takes it right off. Easy, and free. Sometimes the antidote is in the poison.
Great stuff, and the editing is on point!
Thanks, Ry. I watch a lot of PM videos as well. This video I used his 2:1 ratio tip. 😁
I didn’t get the pellet one but I got the other one at Walmart for 50 percent off and thanks for this video. Now I know how to keep her clean 🧽
First time smoker ever and just got my Pit Boss pellet smoker, very appreciative of this video.
That is awesome, Jacob! You’ll want to watch this one too... th-cam.com/video/hg62RUHKlkA/w-d-xo.html
This will help you out BIG TIME!
Picking up my first series 5 today...pork butt waiting in the fridge. Your videos are a great help...Thank You!!
Great vid! Thanks for taking the time. New to smoking and just ordered a Pitboss! Learning from you while I wait for it to arrive!
Great video sir! Great tips for newbie pellet smokers. This unit will be my first pellet smoker. Graduated from the old school offset. Lost a lot of sleep with her but was still fun. Picked up the masterbuilt electric with the side cold smoker accessory. Made outstanding briskets with that, but the build is pretty cheap. This unit looks perfect for what I need. I will follow your maintenance tips. Thank you
This is GOLD hints, thanks so much for doing this. Brilliance!👏👏😊
Thank you, Mona! 😁
Great tips...thank you.
Here's anithrr tip...use large heavy-duty foil to line water pan....it cleans up much easier...just dump liquid and remove foil.
Tom Crumpton Love that idea! 💕
And aluminum foil around the grease trap.
Thanks. I'm old school charcoal smoker guy. New to pellets. Very good Video
Great Advise.... Thank you very much. Doing my first pellet smoke tomorrow!!
Really awesome tips my dude! I just got this as an early Christmas present and I want to maximize my efforts moving from a propane smoker. You have definitely boosted by confidence. Thank you!
Awesome Christmas present 😁. Thank you. What are you going to smoke first?
Thank you for the 6 tips it’s definitely going to come in very handy!
You’re welcome and have a great weekend my friend
Very Kool Video, Thanks for the Tips. I’m thinking about getting one of these smokers😎
Thanks for the video, your videos have helped me to choose the Pit Boss as a smoker. Just FYI, steam at atmospheric pressure is 248 degrees Fahrenheit.
Good job WW - I learned a lot
Thank you sir! You have been a Huge help in getting started.
You’re welcome Sean! Enjoy that smoker 😎
Awesome tips Mike! You’re far better than I at cleaning your smoker after. :)
Thanks, Charley. When I got this smoker I was determined to clean it better than I did my previous smokers. I used to let it go far too long and it became a burden for me... which led to decreased enthusiasm... which led to not smoking at all lol.
Awesome tips, thanks for sharing.
I am so thrilled to have found your channel. I have the Pit Boss 4 and most of the smoking videos are from guys that have green eggs or yoders or other smokers. Yours is the same setup as mine. It helps me with my smoking.
Thank you, Jay! When I first got this smoker I started looking around on TH-cam and there were almost no videos out there and I was trying to learn from other videos with the green eggs or traegers. I think I have about 35 Pit Boss videos out there so far :)
Just got my 4 today
Enjoy your videos!! Keep up the great work!!
Thanks buddy love seeing a video frome a fellow ohioion! But just got the pit boss 7 series upright smoker and everything i have cooked on it turned out perfect so far, thanks for the videos love your recipes!!!!!
Mike, thanks to your awesome videos I decided to get the 5 series smoker. I just finished the burn in and the unit is cooling down. Thank you for all your videos that made the decision easier.
Nice! I just bought the 5 Series Sportsman as well. I love it :)
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ I need your help. When you close your Sportsman or any PB vertical smoker, just using your hand does it seal all the way around? I have a 1/4"
gap on the latch side and the hinges are not adjustable.
Based on my experience with two different smokers from them, here is what I can share... when i first start up the smoker and there is heavy smoke, the smoke comes out of everywhere. Over a few cooks the gaskets “settle in” and the leaks are not as bad. It’s usually only during the start up that I see that and that is only if the door is closed. The door should be propped open in the first 5 minutes anyways to help get the initial smoke out. Last thing I’ll offer up is... there is a huge hole in the top of the smoker for the chimney.... don’t worry about a tiny leak or two around the door 😁
Just bought one and dude you’ve help me get started cheers from downunder
Thank you, Steve! You guys from down under have been so awesome! I really enjoy making the videos so as long as you are all interested I'll keep them coming. BTW, one of my favorite TH-camr's is from Australia... Self Sufficient Me. I consider him to be one of the top channels that inspired me to start making videos! Cheers Mate :)
Hey Steve. Where did you buy yours from ? BUNNINGS?
Just bought mine from Bunnings today looking forward to giving it a crack tomorrow... thx for the tips much appreciated 👍
Can’t wait to use this
Thanks , good videos, very helpful !
Great info! I just used my smoker last weekend for the first time.. LOVE IT!
Thanks, Dana! Very cool! I wish I had one of these a long time ago. I’m smoking a brisket at the moment... can’t wait till it’s done 😋
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ are the verticals limited on the size of Brisket you smoke ?
@@chadsmith7909 yes. If you want to smoke a whole packer brisket I would suggest a Series 5 or higher. The Series 3 that I have in this video is too small.
Nice tips, thanks.
I have a pit boss love it!
legend i have the same smoker so trying to learn as much as i can
Great tips! Subscribed👍
Awesome video!!
Great job presenting some awesome tips!
Good info Mike, thanks for sharing 😎
Thank you 😁
very nice info on that smoker friend
4-29-20 just bought a series 5 copperhead,besides getting me hungry,i figured it was x for a vertical smoker. have a pit boss 3 job pit(gas,lumb coal,smoker) but the smoker is not what i need any more,i am hooked on smoking an i just build my smoker,(wife said its better then buying a new truck,last weeks thinking!)well WARRIOR its time to come out and play.THANKS for all the info
Im picking up one tomorrow. Just found your channel. Liked and subbed. Great video with lots of tips for a FNG like me. LOL Thanks again
Enjoy that new smoker Randy!
Great tips, good explanation of each tip. I think I'm liking the this Pit Boss Smoker. Nicely Done. Thanks for sharing. 😎.
Thank you 😎
Mike. Great tips
Thank you, Tommy 😁
I found that an easy way to remind how long I’m cooking is to use an app. A new one came out that works well for me called pellet grill minder.
You just sold me on this smoker.
Great video Big boss man
These are great tips I love my vertical smoker and have had no issues with it so far besides the first time I used it the ribs were a lot tougher then I would have liked, thanks for the video
Just curious what did you change? Im new to smoking and ive also had tough ribs. Also have had tough ribs from places that otherwise have good BBQ! Im confused lol.
Leo Sell what I did is even though straight on the rack would be the preferred method I have found that wrapping the ribs in foil actually makes a huge difference. I wrap it in foil and put them on for about 6-8 hours (depending on how well done I want them) checking them periodically after hour 6 until they reach the doneness that I want in my ribs. Also be sure to keep that water pan at least 3/4 of the way full. Hope this helps
@@Static_Voices thanks!
Leo Sell you’re very welcome I hope this helps
great info thx
Is there a recommended time for the 'smoke' setting?
Mr. Buckeye it is beast mode here in SoDak. Temp 95 and heat index at 107. I give it 24-48 hours to Cleveland. Supposed to have thunderstorms tomorrow. So thought today good day to run the Pit Boss VS. I had a pot roast in the freezer, the kind you toss in the slow cooker with veggies, and I thought what the heck. Everything is a learning experience, right? Got it all defrosted by last night and seasoned it up lightly with my favorite season all, wrapped it in foil and overnight in the fridge. Thanks for the tip about cleaning the cabinet temp probe. I never thought of that. You mentioned in four chuck roast video about opening the stack more. I kept mine pretty well screwed down thinking it’d keep the smoke in more. I opened mine up more like you suggested. Thank you. The one benefit I noticed right off the wild temp swings I was experiencing were reduced. Little more fine tuning and I may get it down pat. I asked you about a baked potato. Today I scrubbed and pricked one and put it in at the same time as the meat. 5 1/2 hours when my meat hit 160pulled it. Potato still hard, think the secret there would be to either pre=bake it in the oven first or parboil it the finish it in the smoker. Lessons learned and you keep right on feeding those good tips. Thanks again.
Haha! Thanks, John. Yeah it is a learning experience for sure. If the pit is running a little hot I just adjust the chimney cap a little bit and good to go. I think you are in to something with the potatoes... par boil is a great idea and I’ll do that for sure. Keep that temp probe clean. 😁
great tips...I just ordered one and Im a little nervous about doing a brisket since the last time I smoked one it turned out to be as tough as leather..
Thanks for the 7 tips
You bet!
Good advice
Thank you
Subbed ya, My next video will be my Pit Boss Vertical series 7 I got today. Most likely doing pork shoulder or chuck roast. Cheers brother, 1st time seeing your videos, nice work.
Underated video.
Can you pull the shelves out and hang summer sausage from the top to smoke?
Ahhh I just bought this and trying to put it together
So I pulled the trigger on one because of your review- how do you easily get the pellets out at the end. I don't like to let them sit in fear of them clogging the systems. Is there an easy way other than funneling them out the hatch and then burning the rest
This is great info, thanks! I bought the 6 rack Louisiana vertical smoker from Costco (I heard made by Pit Boss but a different color). I've only made the small chicken parts and a pre cut pork tenderloin in medallion size. I previously had the small bullet smoker from the big box store & smoked better on that than this all pellet unit so it'll take some getting used to for me. Your cleaning tips were also terrific!
Thank you! There is definitely a learning curve if you are switching from a charcoal/wood smoker.
Also, if you're like me and use an extension cord outside, it does matter what you use. You'll want to use an extension cord that is rated for outdoor use. The industry standard is SJTW. The best gauge I've found so far for my pit boss copperhead 5 is 12. I wouldn't go any more than 25 ft in wire length this way you'll avoid any unnecessary resistance. I was using a standard orange 16 gauge 50 foot extension cord I got at Wal-Mart and it was causing my screen to dim so much that it was almost not visible 1 hour into the smoke day or night. It was also causing some temperature swings up to 340 when I had it set to 250. Reduced power, poorer performance as it effects all electronics.
Can you use a steamer to clean the smoker????
Thanks Mike!
How did your pork belly turn out?
Tasted great, but I was just shy of total crackings.
Thanks for asking!
Can you recommend a thermometer. Thanks in advance
I can’t find the pit boss cleaner where I’m in Canada don’t know if it not here yet
Appreciate the tips!
Hi, Chris! Appreciate you watching :)
Could you do a video on chicken wings on the smoker?
Chris Kinder you read my mind. I’ve been thinking about doing it but wasn’t sure what most people would want to see... two choices: smoked low and slow with juicy interior and soft exterior. Or, cooked at a higher temp with a hint of smoke/ juicy interior, crispy exterior. What do you think?
I would say the high temp option.
Chris Kinder alright, next video. I bought the wings a few days ago... frozen kind but uncooked
I use the 2 series vertical wood smoker. I've done Ribs twice, Turkey twice, pork loin, Chicken wings twice and salmon, I've had the thing a little over month!
You are getting excellent use of that thing. How do you do your Turkeys?
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ let the brine sit for a day or two then put the bird in it for another 24 hours. I then use all purpose rub and my own version of dirty bird seeing as we can't get it in Canada, then I put a little dash of sweet heat over it and smoke it for 3 and a half to 4 hours and it comes out golden brown and really juicy and tender!
👍👍👍 Nice! I love the idea of letting the brine sit for a day or two... that is really smart!
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ I got the idea from your video you done on it, I've followed your advice for everything I've smoked, even the hot sauce and Italian dressing for the wings!
Just watched your video, I’m new to smoking just burned in my Pit Boss Pro Series Vertical, i made 2 loins already and some steaks. I see where the pan at the bottom is for water 😅 I thought it was a grease catcher so am I gonna mess it up by not putting water in it?
Hey Mike. Just bought one of these today. I was wondering what you thought about placing it on a deck under some tall trees. Any issue with cooking under tall trees?
Congrats, Joshua! I dont think you will have any problems with it under tall trees. I usually have mine under my patio cover which is only about 10 feet tall.
I want to spray some flavor to the ribs in between cook, can I pause it open the door to do that?
What kinda skin your get with that water pan? Would anyone choose a vertical over a horizontal pellet?
Does the unit come with hocks to hang and smoke sausage?
Need your advice. Can you roast 4x 3kg beef roasts all at the same time?
Awesome video... just got the same smoker. Quick question - do you empty out the pellets entirely after every cook? I've read that if you leave some in the hopper/auger between cooks, they can get moist and enlarge and cause problems. Just curious what you've found. Worried about it b/c we live in a humid area but cleaning out of all pellets every time sounds like a huge pain.
Thank you, Craig. Cleaning out the pellets is a huge pain so I leave them in there. I haven't had any issues but I use the smoker at least once a week and I store it in my garage.
GREAT video, I had a quick question. I just got the series 5 copperhead. If I do an overnight cook, can I just add another water pan in? As in...will the machine still run and not be damaged if the base water pan evaporates but I have another water pan in there for back up? Thanks bud and keep up the great videos!
Hi, Chris. What I like to do is fill up the water pan at the beginning of the cook and when it evaporates, I don’t refill it. The key to doing this safely is to have a foil pan on the rack just below the meat which will catch the grease and reduce the likelihood of a grease fire.
I have the PIT BOSS PRO SERIES 4-SERIES VERTICAL WOOD PELLET SMOKER from lowes and Love it. The main issue I have is my front door was bent when I got it and I thought it was no big deal as I got a good buy on it. I realized later after my return period that its preventing it from forming a good enough seal =/
Dang! That will definitely reduce the efficiency and amount of smoke flavor you get. Is it still under warranty?
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ Its less than a year old, I've reached out to PitBoss via the email addy and waiting to hear a reply. It would be nice if I could just get a replacement door.
Rexx Reviews I can’t promise anything but I’ll send this to their social media person. I don’t work for them or get paid for my videos but I’ve developed a great relationship with them.
Send them a Private message on their Facebook
Great info, Mike. Are you using pellets from Pit Boss or another brand? I only see Pit Boss and Louisiana Grill pellets here in Canada. The selection of woods for pellets are poor so it seems like the competition blend is the best option.
Thanks, Richard. So far I have only used the Pit Boss pellets. I havent seen any other brands at the places I shop. The competition blend is the most versatile but if you can find the apple wood kind it is better with pork than the competition blend (in my opinion).
Where do you place the water tray above or below the temp probe
What did you do when the pit boss door broken??
What's the orange grease cleaner you are using?
I find that using the owners manual suggestion of vinegar mixed with baking soda and the abrasive side of the kitchen sponge will make the smokiest glass look like new, no scraping needed.
@@dawniebee946 The owners manual says to use steel wool, I only use the nylon scouring side of a kitchen sponge. The glass still looks like new when cleaned.
I have the series 5 and your videos are extremely helpful especially for a beginner like me. So super beginner question for you. I Noticed you put foil on top of water pan in a couple videos. Do you have to refill water throughout smoke? I notice water is gone about every 90 min or so. If the foil is on top, that would need to be removed each time I refill water. Thank you!
Thank you, Jeff. Yeah, I typically need to come out and refill the pan about every 2-3 hours depending on what temperature I'm cooking at. Just leave the foil in there throughout the whole cook. I actually don't bother with the foil anymore. I just run the smoker until all of the water is gone and scrape out any excessive grease the next day.
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ Awesome man thanks for quick reply. Just finished your whole chicken video cause that's what I'm smoking tonight :)
Howdy. Love your videos. Can you tell me what the smoke is? I cannot find an answer that explains this? Thank you in advance.
The smoke is produced by the wood pellets. Basically what happens is the smoker uses the pellets as fuel to cook at your desired temperature and then every 10 or 15 minutes it will allow the pellets to smolder which will produce a good amount of smoke for a couple minutes. It does this over and over until you have it cooked to your desired temperature.
Danny McBride with the tips!
What kind of vinegar do you use in your spritz bottle? And what is the water vinegar mix amount? If you don't mind me asking.
I use apple cider vinegar. I usually use 1 cup of water and one cup of vinegar.
Thanks for advice #4 0000 steerl whool works better than a razor and wont scratch the glass i clean bugs off my car windshield with it.
Hi Mike! I just recently bought the same smoker and have been following a lot of your videos. One question, how do you clear out all the pellets, the manual mentioned clearing them out after every smoke so they don't get wet. I'm finding it difficult to remove them all, and the small door on the back removes a good majority of them, but definitely leaves a few too many.
Hi, John. I store mine in the garage so I dont empty it out all that much but what you can do is remove that safety grid and take a long broom handle or something like that to push them all through the chute. Anything left in the augur you'll need to turn the smoker on and press the prime button down until they all feed out into the burn pot. I wouldnt go through all of that hassle unless you are storing it outside or you are going to store it long term/not use it for a couple months.
Cookhouse BBQ awesome, I was a little worried about when it starts to freeze here. I’ll just store it in the garage to make it easier. When you mentioned using different pellets, I wasn’t sure if you were completely removing them and then putting a new flavor in or not. I appreciate ya brother. Keep putting out those videos!
Great video, great tips. Just wondering, how does electric compare to charcoal/woodfire smokers, apart from the obvious (more labor, more effort with the woodfire ones)? Is there a huge difference in taste/smell? ***complete newbie in this field***
Charcoal and woodfire smokers are superior when it comes to flavor. For most people though, they don't mind trading some flavor for convenience.
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ Thank you, heading to the store today!
Quality pellets are necessary to. I prefer Lumberjack pellets. They have a better burn in my opinion
Damn man thanks! I was just happening to be watching your video less than halfway though my smoking.and my ribs were looking dry af. When I saw you spritz it and why I immediately jumped up and dumped 1 part water and 1 part vinegar into a squirt bottle and sprayed the fuck out of it. It turned out amazing. Thanks so much for saving my dinner!!!
secret to getting off black soot from your glass is using the ash from the burnt coals on a cloth, paper towel, it'll take it right off.
What if u want different flavor for different meat after u put ya 20kilo bag in how u change that
How do you like the iWeber? I'm looking at getting a probe for my Jumbo Joe Premium and my Pit Boss 5 Series Vertical. Great video!
Thank you! I wanted to like it but sadly the bluetooth range is not very good. I dont recommend it.
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ thank you for the response! Range is a huge factor in getting one for sure.
Hi WWBBQ, I have a couple of questions that I just can't find the answer to, Help! Got the Pit Boss Pro Series 4. It says in the recipes to preheat grill and then reduce to, oh I don't know 225 for some stuff....Preheat to what?? Also when do I use just the smoke setting? I thought that was first? Any help would be appreciated!!
I like to pre-heat mine at 225 for about 20 minutes in the summer. In the winter I pre-heat it for about an hour. From there if you like really smoky food, you could put it on the smoke setting for the first hour and then turn up the heat to 225 or 250 for ribs and pork butts. For chicken wings/chicken, turkey you could do the smoke setting for the first hour and then crank up the heat to 300 or 350 until its fully cooked and this way you will get a nice crispy skin. Be creative and have fun with it. :)
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ Thanks a lot!
any tips for doing jerky just purchased a pit boss vertical trying it tonight, one question I did have was do you fill the water pan for jerky.
Hey, Scott! I havent done Jerky yet but I think you could get away with not filling the water pan at the lower temps. Check out my buddy Ry who has done a bunch of jerky videos (they arent on a Pit Boss but you'll get a good feel for how to do it). Here is one of his videos doing it in a vertical smoker... tell him I sent ya :) th-cam.com/video/chlllchzch0/w-d-xo.html
I've done four batches of jerky in the pit boss vertical smoker and yes fill the water pan. All four of the batches I've done have turned out amazing.
The manufacturer states use water at all times or the unit will overheat voiding your warranty
Can i keep the thermometer that came with my pitboss in the meat the whole time during smoking process??
Yes you can.
Looking at getting me one for fathers day. Like all the tips but have question on 1 tip.
Was always taught best to cook at room temp. If meat cold the grain of meat is tighter and when start cooking will make meat tough.
That’s kind of the fun of it all... testing out different methods/ theories. Try it out both ways and see which one you like better. Most important thing is to have fun. Check this video out you will like it th-cam.com/video/hg62RUHKlkA/w-d-xo.html
Edit I did buy one will be bring it on next RV family vacation trip and stink up the neighbor hood 😍
Is it risky keeping pellets in the vertical Pit Boss smoker hopper? It worries me that they will absorb moisture, and clog the auger.
I have always left mine in but I keep my smoker in the garage when I’m not using it. In 3 years I haven’t had an issue yet
Hi bro, do you recommend vertical or the regular one?
It all comes down to whether or not you need a grill. The regular one is an excellent grill and a decent smoker. The vertical is an excellent smoker but you cant grill on it.
Can you cold smoke with Pit Boss?
Follow up question. Probably a silly question. If I want to make 3 briskets at the same time, should all 3 briskets be done at the same time or will the briskets on top racks take longer?
That is an excellent question. No two briskets are the same so they will all take different amounts of time. The main thing to consider is three briskets will increase the thermal mass inside the smoker and they may take longer to cook than a single brisket would. The good news is that that cooler thermal mass will allow for longer smoker penetration.
Sam’s sell Bounty but the bale. Great video Buckeye. We must have got ours about the same time. I always foil line the after pan on each cook. On the window I start with hot water with Dawn and a well used, soft, 3 M scrubbing pad and finish with Windex Blue and paper towels. If the weather holds thinking of a pot roast his Sunday. Curious. Have you tried baking a potato in yet? I’ve doe eggs. They weren’t bad. Good video.
Thanks, John. I haven’t done potatoes yet but they are in my list along with corn on the cob! I need to try that scrubbing pad! Thanks for the tip 😉
Really with the Dawn gets through the grease. I use an ice cream pail. Just like you’d do dishes.
Just getting ready to buy a smoker. Would you say a vertical smoker is easier for a newbe to smoker than a pit boss horizontal grill type. Or are they just similar but two different applications.
either one is great for a beginner. Get the horizontal if you want to grill and smoke. Get the vertical if you only want to smoke.
@@WeekendWarriorBBQ I knew the answer but just need a pro like yourself to confirm. You do great work and your videos are excellent. Thank you!