PBV4PS2 temperature issues

[Chuck P]

My ¢2...

Agree w/ GeekChef, the PB controller (at least my PBV6PSE controller) is not very good at temperature control. This pic shows my last bacon smoke... before the hopper pellets started burning. Crazy control characteristics, and it's mostly been that way from day one.

This first one I think was a difficult control scenario for it because of the relatively low setpoint and hot ambient temps that day (well into the 90°s. I think the fire was going out because of the long temperature decay times, then it'd go through an ignition cycle to get caught up with a pellet loaded burn pot. Does anyone know what the control algorithm looks like, such as shutting down if a certain number of ignition cycles doesn't produce a temperature increase?

Here's how it did stepping up for some summer sausage a couple months ago. More what I'd expect, though I wasn't challenging it with door openings.

Someone mentioned that the controller tells you what you want to see, and not what is happening. On the app, I can turn the temp up 10 degrees and the reported temperature climbs up to meet it within 15-30 seconds. There is no way the cooking chamber is responding that fast. It hasn't earned my trust for monitoring accurate temperatures either, asw it runs about 20-30 cooler than the setpoint.

My RecTeq RT700 controls like a piece of lab equipment. Maybe its control quality has me unrealistically expecting too much from the PBV6? I don't think so. If RecTeq can do it, so should Pit Boss.

 

[Cowboy1955]

My ¢2...

Agree w/ GeekChef, the PB controller (at least my PBV6PSE controller) is not very good at temperature control. This pic shows my last bacon smoke... before the hopper pellets started burning. Crazy control characteristics, and it's mostly been that way from day one.

This first one I think was a difficult control scenario for it because of the relatively low setpoint and hot ambient temps that day (well into the 90°s. I think the fire was going out because of the long temperature decay times, then it'd go through an ignition cycle to get caught up with a pellet loaded burn pot. Does anyone know what the control algorithm looks like, such as shutting down if a certain number of ignition cycles doesn't produce a temperature increase?

View attachment 4562
View attachment 4563

Here's how it did stepping up for some summer sausage a couple months ago. More what I'd expect, though I wasn't challenging it with door openings.
View attachment 4564

Someone mentioned that the controller tells you what you want to see, and not what is happening. On the app, I can turn the temp up 10 degrees and the reported temperature climbs up to meet it within 15-30 seconds. There is no way the cooking chamber is responding that fast. It hasn't earned my trust for monitoring accurate temperatures either, asw it runs about 20-30 cooler than the setpoint.

My RecTeq RT700 controls like a piece of lab equipment. Maybe its control quality has me unrealistically expecting too much from the PBV6? I don't think so. If RecTeq can do it, so should Pit Boss.

Welcome from Texas to the group!

 

[Barefootdog]

I've had a PB Brunswick vertical smoker for 2-3 years now.
Unit has always had a number of re-occurring problems.
I've learned to be real real careful with this unit.

Yesterday afternoon was finishing up some beef jerky.
Temps had been holding fine at 170 - 180 (Set at 170) for a few hours.
Went out to inspect progress and noticed 190.
15 minutes later 210.
Shut it down. It was the end of the cook anyway and the jerky was good.

Why?...after holding in a narrow range for hours does the temperature take off?
I've stopped doing overnight long cooks.

Temperature swings high and low.....and the hopper fire issues.

Yesterday at start up the auger wouldn't feed.
This is a re-occuring problem.
It had worked well on the prior smoke.

PITA

I keep the unit clean, including the temp sensor.
Store it under cover and with a PB cover on the unit itself.
I don't keep more pellets in it than I'm likely to use for the single smoke.
Fresh pellets are stored in the spare room inside the house.
I screen my pellets prior to use.
I have a good doors open start up procedure.
I keep my top vent open for good air/smoke flow through the unit.

PB replaced the screen/controller the year I bought it.

Physically this is such a nice vertical smoker....
But why in the world can't they do what's necessary to make it functionally reliable?
Why all the drama....it's a smoker.
It's not like we're trying to put a man on the moon...it's a smoker...it shouldn't be this difficult.

I'll call PB again in the morning.
They're always pleasant.

PS That new model of the Camp Chef XXL Pro vertical cabinet with the added wood burner box is beginning to get my attention. Maybe the PB has worn me out....

 

[ace_3s3s3s]

I installed a 2nd controller/probe from PB a couple of months ago, it was no better than the original ones.

Last week I did ribs. I always use my Thermoworks "smoke" thermometer to keep an eye on the PB. The usual +-40 degree swings. But when I saw the (220 setting) go to an actual temp of 420 I threw a fit.

So I researched a lot of 3rd-party controllers on Amazon and just ordered one. When it comes I'll hook it up and report back.

 

[GeekChef]

I installed a 2nd controller/probe from PB a couple of months ago, it was no better than the original ones.

Last week I did ribs. I always use my Thermoworks "smoke" thermometer to keep an eye on the PB. The usual +-40 degree swings. But when I saw the (220 setting) go to an actual temp of 420 I threw a fit.

So I researched a lot of 3rd-party controllers on Amazon and just ordered one. When it comes I'll hook it up and report back.

That’s awesome! Let me know if u have any issues…..I have changed out a lot of them. Which controller did you buy?

 

[GeekChef]

My ¢2...

Agree w/ GeekChef, the PB controller (at least my PBV6PSE controller) is not very good at temperature control. This pic shows my last bacon smoke... before the hopper pellets started burning. Crazy control characteristics, and it's mostly been that way from day one.

This first one I think was a difficult control scenario for it because of the relatively low setpoint and hot ambient temps that day (well into the 90°s. I think the fire was going out because of the long temperature decay times, then it'd go through an ignition cycle to get caught up with a pellet loaded burn pot. Does anyone know what the control algorithm looks like, such as shutting down if a certain number of ignition cycles doesn't produce a temperature increase?

View attachment 4562
View attachment 4563

Here's how it did stepping up for some summer sausage a couple months ago. More what I'd expect, though I wasn't challenging it with door openings.
View attachment 4564

Someone mentioned that the controller tells you what you want to see, and not what is happening. On the app, I can turn the temp up 10 degrees and the reported temperature climbs up to meet it within 15-30 seconds. There is no way the cooking chamber is responding that fast. It hasn't earned my trust for monitoring accurate temperatures either, asw it runs about 20-30 cooler than the setpoint.

My RecTeq RT700 controls like a piece of lab equipment. Maybe its control quality has me unrealistically expecting too much from the PBV6? I don't think so. If RecTeq can do it, so should Pit Boss.

Ugh! That is sad….was hoping it would be the pitboss controller to move to! Grill Sargent on YouTube has raved on and on about that new controller with its new smoke mode of control. And those graphs are amazing looking!

 

[Chuck P]

I'd been thinking (danger... danger...) There's a lot that goes into making a well-behaved controller, other than the controller itself. The design of the auger could feed :rimshot: into the difficulty I've seen. The width or "tallness" of the spiral could make it too easy for the fire to jump up the corkscrew, as well as the clearance between the auger and feed tube. The rotational speed and auger dimensions could load too much fuel in the feed tube that manifests into a difficult to control situation at extremely low temperature setpoints. Once the pot is full of pellets it's hard to tell them not to burn, though the controller can tell them to burn fast and hot by running the fan.

I haven't played with the smoke mode, but the directions don't make it clear if you're abandoning any sense of temperature control when you enable smoke. It seems like it's just a duty cycle for fuel additions that gets adjusted over a set time.

I've only had this PB smoke for three months. I really like the functionality of the design and had several great cooks over the summer up until now. It's just this latest cool bacon smoke that went sideways.

 

[GeekChef]

I'd been thinking (danger... danger...) There's a lot that goes into making a well-behaved controller, other than the controller itself. The design of the auger could feed :rimshot: into the difficulty I've seen. The width or "tallness" of the spiral could make it too easy for the fire to jump up the corkscrew, as well as the clearance between the auger and feed tube. The rotational speed and auger dimensions could load too much fuel in the feed tube that manifests into a difficult to control situation at extremely low temperature setpoints. Once the pot is full of pellets it's hard to tell them not to burn, though the controller can tell them to burn fast and hot by running the fan.

I haven't played with the smoke mode, but the directions don't make it clear if you're abandoning any sense of temperature control when you enable smoke. It seems like it's just a duty cycle for fuel additions that gets adjusted over a set time.

I've only had this PB smoke for three months. I really like the functionality of the design and had several great cooks over the summer up until now. It's just this latest cool bacon smoke that went sideways.

I have found over time that with a pellet smoker…..the lack of smoke is the only drawback for me with PID control. So you should definitely turn on that smoke mode that is the main draw to that controller.

I find that my pitboss 150ss portable pellet grill with non-pid has a much much better smoke amount that my vertical smoker. Sure it swings +/- 10-15 degs but who cares over a 3-5 hour smoke session. PID is just too precise and relies less on smoke and more on fuel consumption of the pellets.

Let us know if u turn on that new smoke mode and how much smoke is produces at 300+ degs