If you had it to do over.
- Thread starter Edchad
- Start date
It was not really a find. I work for Tracker Marine in Bass Pro so I get a discount plus Johnie Morris gave me $300 in gift cards for the 40th Anniversary of the company and I had a couple of more gift cards plus they gave me another $50 off for it being a floor model. It was probably the last one in Missouri because we dont carry Pit Boss any more,Just Tragers and Camp Chef smokers now. But I do get my pellets from work and they are half price at $5 a bag for a 20lb bag!Congratulations on the find !!
Roll that smoke
GirllaSlingster
New member
I'm new to the pellet scene- been using a GrandTurbo stainless gas monster (with dedicated smoke tray and burner) and Weber Charcoal kettle here and there as well for approaching something like 20 years. I've spent a good bit of time in TX and St. Louis... so I'm well versed in what top notch tastes like!
Got rid of both of 'em and went all in on a Louisiana Grills Black Label 1200 from Costco (there was a sale in July with a discount and included the grill cover).
Overall, I'm impressed- excellent smoky flavor with chicken, fish, T-bone steaks, etc. Really like the dual temp monitors and control from the Grill IT app. Only somewhat negative at this point: there is almost too much smoke flavor infused into vegetables. I'm working on ways to reduce that while the main course is on there too (might fire up a higher temp for shorter time when meat comes off and is resting or try some other pellets).
Got rid of both of 'em and went all in on a Louisiana Grills Black Label 1200 from Costco (there was a sale in July with a discount and included the grill cover).
Overall, I'm impressed- excellent smoky flavor with chicken, fish, T-bone steaks, etc. Really like the dual temp monitors and control from the Grill IT app. Only somewhat negative at this point: there is almost too much smoke flavor infused into vegetables. I'm working on ways to reduce that while the main course is on there too (might fire up a higher temp for shorter time when meat comes off and is resting or try some other pellets).
Dab_Smoke_810
Member
I got the 1690 comp I would maybe look at the pro elite only complaint is I wish the body was a little more sturdy it got a little wiggle
NewbieForLife
Member
I wanted a Recteq 340 or 380, but I live in England. To get anything shipped here is not like picking up the phone and saying I need a package picked up in the US and delivered to England. It winds up costing as much or more than the product. Recteq must have figured that out and would not even discuss shipping it to England, so I would have to ship it myself. The process made me feel like a traveller from the east coast who had to travel through the wild west in the Jesse James days. There were more outlaws than cowboys. These outlaws had a modern day slant, they didn't use 6 shooters to rob, they use papermate pens and import laws.
Knowing that I am not a Doctor, and I don't have a database of patients, and I also have a zero tolerance for stupidty or bullshit, I looked for a grill that could be delivered to my door, thinking I would let the people I bought it from put it on a stage coach, drive it through the wild west, and bring it to me.
I ordered a PitBoss PB550 because it was the size I figured i needed. I used it once and it made a cinder out of the small piece of meat. The second time I used it I used three thermometers and it was 101- 114 degrees hotter then the acutaul reading on the display claimed it to be. So I didn't get my second cook started. I had to use the oven in the house.
I called the outlaws I bought it from and they tell me they have to contact PitBoss. Now I will probably be tied up all winter waiing for the corporate outlaws to make a decision. Seems like we cant get anything done because each level of outlaws wants to have his say in the process.
What I have learned from buying a PitBoss grill is to find out BEFORE I BUY if they offer instant replacement if the grill is a piece of shit, or if I will have to dance and jump through a few hundred hoops to get the MFR (Manufacturer, not muther fucker, but they seem to be synonomous) to replace the grill or fix it before it gets rusty.
I wonder if I would have have went through the same corporate bullshit with Recteq? A friend in Wyoming says NO. He said the owners of Recteq call him personally to see how their grills are doing.
Knowing that I am not a Doctor, and I don't have a database of patients, and I also have a zero tolerance for stupidty or bullshit, I looked for a grill that could be delivered to my door, thinking I would let the people I bought it from put it on a stage coach, drive it through the wild west, and bring it to me.
I ordered a PitBoss PB550 because it was the size I figured i needed. I used it once and it made a cinder out of the small piece of meat. The second time I used it I used three thermometers and it was 101- 114 degrees hotter then the acutaul reading on the display claimed it to be. So I didn't get my second cook started. I had to use the oven in the house.
I called the outlaws I bought it from and they tell me they have to contact PitBoss. Now I will probably be tied up all winter waiing for the corporate outlaws to make a decision. Seems like we cant get anything done because each level of outlaws wants to have his say in the process.
What I have learned from buying a PitBoss grill is to find out BEFORE I BUY if they offer instant replacement if the grill is a piece of shit, or if I will have to dance and jump through a few hundred hoops to get the MFR (Manufacturer, not muther fucker, but they seem to be synonomous) to replace the grill or fix it before it gets rusty.
I wonder if I would have have went through the same corporate bullshit with Recteq? A friend in Wyoming says NO. He said the owners of Recteq call him personally to see how their grills are doing.
OP
OP
Edchad
Well-known member
I hate to hear things like that Newbie. All that really stinks.
And I’m going to address this myself. I am the OP of this thread a little Over a year ago. I believe august 2021 or so.
I’ve tried and tried to make myself like this thing and have about gave up.
1. I mentioned several times in here I got a very good deal on it.
2. That I was pretty much convinced by a salesperson at Lowes it was the best in the world as far as smoke flavor. (Speaking of pellets in general not necessarily PB)
3. And the ease and simplicity of cooking on it with the software and app made it foolproof. I’ve got several serious health conditions and makes it harder to hang with the stick burner and other outdoor cook gear I have.
This may surprise some but to answer my own question a little over a year later. No. I absolutely would not have bought it and if I can find a buyer it’s gone. Or maybe one of the sons in law might want it.
Reasons are.
I was totally brainwashed by the salesperson about pellet smokers having the best, smokiest cooks on the planet. I should have researched before I bought. After and after the first cook the smoke flavor, to me, note I said to me plus my family is lame. If I go to the trouble of smoking meats I want smoke flavor. Not some wierd taste I can’t even describe. From day one my family, which have always bragged on my cooks, commented things like hey this tastes wierd. What happened?? And that hits home because I’ve always prided myself in my outdoor cooks.
You’ll find more positive remarks in here I made myself. But honestly I was trying to be positive and keep trying. But after trying about every pellet made that great smoke flavor I was sold in just doesn’t exist from a pellet. I’ve spent so much time with the smoke tubes, even experimenting with mixes and how to fix tubes with pellets and wood chips it’s insane. Yes I finally got a system down where it was at least ‘decent’ but far from what me and my family or anybody else we know, would consider great smoked meats.
Now I need to make a point here. I’m not complaining about PB!! I’m talking about pellet smoking in general. The customer support from PB has been great with one exception.
The app.
Normally I wouldn’t even care about such but with my health as it is the salesperson convinced me the app was fantastic and would make cooking in my situation so much easier.
I’ll say a couple of things about the app. Not much reason to go into too much detail because there’s probably 10,000 complaints online in here and other places. The app, which was a big selling feature to me is a joke. It’s also dangerous.
It can’t be trusted. I use remote thermometers. To monitor meat temp as well as chamber temps in various areas. If it weren’t for them a couple of times it’s likely there would have been damage.
Once I had flames coming from in there and my app showed a good temp but I noticed my remote rigs were outrageously high. I got up to check and saw more smoke than I’ve ever seen out of it and immediately unplugged it.
I carefully got the door open and could see the tips of flames flickering in the lower area. After waiting a couple of hours for everything to settle down I found something wierd had happened and the pot was literally full of pellets wirh most burned out. There was black suet all in there including one the meats. Ribs and chicken best I remember.
I tossed them because they looked so nasty.
If the app had shown correct temps Or maybe indicated a problem it could have been caught sooner. But I was watching it mainly and glancing at the remotes less often especially because I was nowhere near the end of the cook where internal temps would been the main concern.
Also in here by one so called ‘expert’ I was called everything but a liar about the app I was using and the one supposedly I was supposed to use.
The one I was supposed to use WILL NOT WORK.
Just that simple. I’ve posted a few times about that. Tested and tested and it will not function correctly on my unit.
I’ve tried everything from ohone to the review area at the App Store to email support and have gotten zero actual help. Now the app that does work the closest they’ve pulled and it’s no longer available
Glad I have it installed. But if something happens to it well it’s non existent. But since it can’t be trusted I guess that’s not horrible.
As far as PB. I have an older chip burner Hammertone electric that has worked great since I’ve had it. One time I had a problem way out of warranty and after one email to support I had a new part with instructions in my hand.
So sorry. No. I wouldn’t do it again. But it’s mainly pellet smoking. Not PB.
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Call support
Sounds like a controller issue if the grill is completely clean.
A dirty temperature sensor will cause temperature swings
Hopefully this helps you
NewbieForLife
Member
Thanks Cowboy. The probe was cleaned and the oven was vaccuumed. There is no heat deflector above the fire box. So I looked in the manual doesn't list one. I thought i found the problem, by that wasn't it. I believe their temperture controller is not working correctly. When I set it to F, its putting out a c Temp and reading it as if it were a F temp. So if the set the temp to 225, the actual temp will be around 420-450F.Call support
Sounds like a controller issue if the grill is completely clean.
A dirty temperature sensor will cause temperature swings
Hopefully this helps you
I also have a circle of paint burned off the botton of the drum from over heat.
I’d still call them
Should be under warranty
NewbieForLife
Member
Awesome news. Congratulations!!
Fxsales1959
New member
I'd be happy where I am now. Waiting on my Lowes Pro series to arrive as we speak. I might have skipped the stick burner part of my smoking life with South Florida temps and wood shortages. I also have an Egg knock off (full ceramic) tha I didn't get along with that Id' sell cheap, but you need a football team to transport it. The best thing I ever did was slowly retire my Masterbuilt gravity and buy a WSM.I spent my smoke consulting life calling my friends little girls when they mention pellets. I guess I'm going to have to buy a skirt for my PB unveiling picture.
