Just picked up a Pit Boss Pro Series 1100 - Any tips?

[indy82z]

Hello everyone, I just decided to give a pellet cooker a try and decided on the Pit Boss Pro Series 1100 from Lowes. I figured for $600, why not give it a try. Anyone have one of these and can offer some tips or suggestions? It is a all new thing for me as I have had an offset and have several WSM's. Plan on firing it up tomorrow for the first time and cooking some ribs and butts.

Thanks!

 

[tom b]

Don't over think it. Turn on cook food, simple as that.

 

[skywalker]

Been looking at that one and others for past two hours. Sitting on the fence.:smile:

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

It might sound nerdy, but I would suggest reading the manual and operating it per the instructions. At least until you can figure out if there is a better way for you to do it.

 

[pjtexas1]

It might sound nerdy, but I would suggest reading the manual and operating it per the instructions. At least until you can figure out if there is a better way for you to do it.

Best advice! They have a detailed start up and shut down. Not complicated but not as simple as setting the temp and putting the meat on.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[jermoQ]

They make really good food. It will not taste the same as a WSM or probably even an offset, so dont expect exactly the same. It will still be some delicious food. I have enjoyed my Pitboss 820 for 4+ years, now. I like to cook at a low temp, maybe 200 to 250 at the highest. If you want faster cooked, I recommend running on SMOKE for at least 2 or 3 hours, then turn it up from there. Keep in mind that it functions similar to a convection oven, so food may cook a little faster than you expect.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Don’t run it in the rain........

 

[indy82z]

It might sound nerdy, but I would suggest reading the manual and operating it per the instructions. At least until you can figure out if there is a better way for you to do it.

Yep, that is the first thing I did. I was just curious if folks had some tips, like they tend to run hotter on this side or I usually do this..

I am excited to give it a test run today and see how it goes. Pretty windy here today but still hopeful it will impress me.

 

[mike243]

The lower the temp the more smoke flavor you get,temps will run 20-30 up and down from your set point depending on the weather and pellet type,I have a Austin LX which is the same unit minus the shelf,bought mine in may of last year and love it

 

[RCAlan]

Yep, that is the first thing I did. I was just curious if folks had some tips, like they tend to run hotter on this side or I usually do this..

I am excited to give it a test run today and see how it goes. Pretty windy here today but still hopeful it will impress me.

You got yourself a very nice Pellet Grill at a great price.. Here’s a few tips that’ll help maintain and enjoy your PB Pro Series 1100. It’s a little long, but helpful.
1. Always, always properly preheat your PB PS 1100 before every cook at 350* degrees for 20-30 mins. Never take short cuts and never just “Set it and Forget it “.
2. There’s a Start Up process that needs to be followed with Your PB grill that when understood and followed will help prevent Flame Out and will help with temp control. That’s why I said never just “Set it and Forget it”.
3. In Your Owners Manual, there’s a section called the Understanding of the P-Settings. This Section is very important to get a good understanding for preheating your grill and while using the Smoke Mode. To help avoid issues, never use P6 or P7, your Grill will have a greater chance of flaming out especially in cold weather.
4. Your grill will produce good smoke for bbqing while selecting temp settings from Smoke Mode, 200*-225* and 250* degrees... Selecting/running temps above 250* degrees and your grill will produce less smoke. Just remember, Low and Slow temps equals more smoke and high temps equals less smoke for your cooks. This is very important, Your grill will have temp swings and this is completely normal.. Your Grill is just “Cycling”... It’s adding more pellets to the fire pot. Temp swings of 30*-40* degrees is fine and during this process is when your grill will produce good smoke for your cooks. Over the course of your cook, the temps will average out pretty close to the temp you selected to cook at.. Preheating Your grill properly will help in preventing Wild Temp swings are the ones You want to avoid when possible. Your PB temps will run hottest centered over the fire pot, so be watchful on your first few cooks until you’re familiar with the differences in the temps.
5. Always keep Your Fire Pot clean of ash from prior cook and a good investment if you don’t have one already is a Shopvac. Keeping Your grill and Fire Pot clean will help avoid wild temp swings and flame out problems due to excessive ash in the Fire Pot. Use heavy duty Aluminum foil on the Flame Broiler and Flame Broiler Slider to help with clean ups. Also, after cleaning the Flame Broiler and Slider it’s wise to cover them lightly with cooking oil to help prevent rust.
6. While Bbqing in windy weather, it’s best to keep your grill out of the draft of the wind. High winds will effect the performance of your grill and how it’s able to maintain stable temps.
7. Rain and Water can be a Pellet Grills worst enemy. Read Your Owners Manual about using your grill in rainy weather. Your Grill is not waterproof... No Pellet Grill is.. Water can damage the Controller in your pellet grill and water will compromise and damage the wood pellets in your grills Hopper. Compromised wood pellets will jam the Auger in your Grill and also cause flame outs. Also, invest in a good grill cover and when you’re not planning on using your grill, it’s a good idea to remove the unused pellets from the Hopper and store them in a air tight plastic container.
8. Do Your research and read about all the happy PB Pellet Grill Owners that followed directions and are happy with their grills... and those that suffered issues because they wanted to do it their way and take short cuts and didn’t follow the directions from their owners manual.
9. For Your first few cooks and until You’re familiar with your grill, it’s a good idea to have your owners manual nearby.
10. There’s a learning curve with each brand of pellet grill, so take notes, relax and enjoy Your new PB Pro Series Pellet Grill. Oh and post back your results from your first cook. Good luck.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[indy82z]

You got yourself a very nice Pellet Grill at a great price.. Here’s a few tips that’ll help maintain and enjoy your PB Pro Series 1100. It’s a little long, but helpful.
1. Always, always properly preheat your PB PS 1100 before every cook at 350* degrees for 20-30 mins. Never take short cuts and never just “Set it and Forget it “.
2. There’s a Start Up process that needs to be followed with Your PB grill that when understood and followed will help prevent Flame Out and will help with temp control. That’s why I said never just “Set it and Forget it”.
3. In Your Owners Manual, there’s a section called the Understanding of the P-Settings. This Section is very important to get a good understanding for preheating your grill and while using the Smoke Mode. To help avoid issues, never use P6 or P7, your Grill will have a greater chance of flaming out especially in cold weather.
4. Your grill will produce good smoke for bbqing while selecting temp settings from Smoke Mode, 200*-225* and 250* degrees... Selecting/running temps above 250* degrees and your grill will produce less smoke. Just remember, Low and Slow temps equals more smoke and high temps equals less smoke for your cooks. This is very important, Your grill will have temp swings and this is completely normal.. Your Grill is just “Cycling”... It’s adding more pellets to the fire pot. Temp swings of 30*-40* degrees is fine and during this process is when your grill will produce good smoke for your cooks. Over the course of your cook, the temps will average out pretty close to the temp you selected to cook at.. Preheating Your grill properly will help in preventing Wild Temp swings are the ones You want to avoid when possible. Your PB temps will run hottest centered over the fire pot, so be watchful on your first few cooks until you’re familiar with the differences in the temps.
5. Always keep Your Fire Pot clean of ash from prior cook and a good investment if you don’t have one already is a Shopvac. Keeping Your grill and Fire Pot clean will help avoid wild temp swings and flame out problems due to excessive ash in the Fire Pot. Use heavy duty Aluminum foil on the Flame Broiler and Flame Broiler Slider to help with clean ups. Also, after cleaning the Flame Broiler and Slider it’s wise to cover them lightly with cooking oil to help prevent rust.
6. While Bbqing in windy weather, it’s best to keep your grill out of the draft of the wind. High winds will effect the performance of your grill and how it’s able to maintain stable temps.
7. Rain and Water can be a Pellet Grills worst enemy. Read Your Owners Manual about using your grill in rainy weather. Your Grill is not waterproof... No Pellet Grill is.. Water can damage the Controller in your pellet grill and water will compromise and damage the wood pellets in your grills Hopper. Compromised wood pellets will jam the Auger in your Grill and also cause flame outs. Also, invest in a good grill cover and when you’re not planning on using your grill, it’s a good idea to remove the unused pellets from the Hopper and store them in a air tight plastic container.
8. Do Your research and read about all the happy PB Pellet Grill Owners that followed directions and are happy with their grills... and those that suffered issues because they wanted to do it their way and take short cuts and didn’t follow the directions from their owners manual.
9. For Your first few cooks and until You’re familiar with your grill, it’s a good idea to have your owners manual nearby.
10. There’s a learning curve with each brand of pellet grill, so take notes, relax and enjoy Your new PB Pro Series Pellet Grill. Oh and post back your results from your first cook. Good luck.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

Thanks very much for the info! I did not end up having time yesterday to get it fired up and broken in but am hoping to either tonight or tomorrow night. Will post up some pics from my first cook this weekend.

Thanks again to everyone for their help. It has been a long time since I have experimented with a new cooker!

 

[RCAlan]

Thanks very much for the info! I did not end up having time yesterday to get it fired up and broken in but am hoping to either tonight or tomorrow night. Will post up some pics from my first cook this weekend.

Thanks again to everyone for their help. It has been a long time since I have experimented with a new cooker!

Indy82z, Here’s one more helpful tip for Your PB Pro Series 1100... I’ve found with my PB Austin XL, that the Flame Broiler and the Flame Broiler Slider also acts as the grills heat diffuser. It works great for medium to high temp bbqing and grilling, but not so great for temp control while bbqing Low and Slow. If You want and desire some added tuning to help with temp control, I would suggest looking into getting a true heat diffuser for your grill. Your grill will have more stable temp swings while using a real/true heat diffuser. SmokeDaddyinc.com has two that’ll work in your grill, one that burns real wood also and one that does not. You can reach out to them if you’re interested and give them your grills dimensions so that everything will fit just right. Just another added accessory to consider adding to your new pellet grill hobby. Oh and good luck on Your first cook.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[mike243]

The plate that comes with unit is a true diffuser plate, call it what you want in order to sell somebody else's product doesn't mean the stock part is junk,somebody else is marketing add on parts that may or may not fit your unit, whether or not it will improve your smoker is all a gamble.I have had pretty much 0 problems out of mine, temp swings are normal and are influenced by air temp pellets humidity ect..

 

[smoke ninja]

The plate that comes with unit is a true diffuser plate, call it what you want in order to sell somebody else's product doesn't mean the stock part is junk,somebody else is marketing add on parts that may or may not fit your unit, whether or not it will improve your smoker is all a gamble.I have had pretty much 0 problems out of mine, temp swings are normal and are influenced by air temp pellets humidity ect..

after putting my pit boss through its paces I too came to the conclusion that an additional heat diffuser would be a benefit. I love the sear function on the pit boss but it does create a hot spot over the firepot. most pellet cookers have a thick steel difusser over the firepot in addition to an additional barrier in the drip plate. the boss only has a drip plate/diffuser all in one.

you can buy one or fab something up, I don't think its trying to get people to buy expensive aftermarket parts, just a suggestion to improve performance.....one I agree with from my experience.

it's not as much about making temps more stable but making temps more even and eliminating a hotspot.

 

[RCAlan]

The plate that comes with unit is a true diffuser plate, call it what you want in order to sell somebody else's product doesn't mean the stock part is junk,somebody else is marketing add on parts that may or may not fit your unit, whether or not it will improve your smoker is all a gamble.I have had pretty much 0 problems out of mine, temp swings are normal and are influenced by air temp pellets humidity ect..

Mike243... I sell for no one and I Market for no one... If You read my post clearly and obviously you didn’t, you would’ve understood that my advice/tip was to give the Original Poster valuable information from first hand experience. If You would’ve done some research, You would have and should have known that the thin piece a tin covering the Grills fire pot with 4 screws is Not a true heat diffuser, the Flame Broiler and Flame Broiler Slider in the PB Austin XL and the PB Pro Series Grills are doing that job. Ask PB Customer Service... The thin tin cover that sits on top of the Fire Pot allows for “Direct Grilling”, that’s why it’s there and it does a good job doing that. That’s by design.. A true heat diffuser is different. A good Heat Diffuser is constructed from quality 10 gauge steel and it will cover the Fire Pot completely... It will allow for more even heat distribution across the entire grill cooking area which is ideal for Low and Slow bbqing and it also helps to keep the grills temps more stable and no more “ Hot Spots”, especially over the center of the grill. How do I know this?? It’s because I have first hand experience. Something You don’t have. Any heat diffuser that covers the Fire Pot would be better then the original one that comes with the grill for Low and Slow cooking. Temp Swings are a part of the Pellet Grill experience, but Wild Ones shouldn’t have to be. Did I post and tell the OP that the SD heat diffuser is a must buy? No... I gave him good, sound advice from first hand experience that could help the Original Poster get his PB Pro Series 1100 dialed in and more enjoyable. Since You don’t have first hand experience with it, You wouldn’t know. Everyone has an opinion like everyone has an.... The OP also has a UDS, so I’m sure he may like the option of adding real wood smoke to his bbq if he chooses to. Just another option to have in a Pit Masters back pocket while enjoying some fantastic bbq.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi