My Chimp is dead

[klflowers]

I had a problem with the RTD in the Chimp a few months ago. The temp readout said 150, but the control board didn't register this and just kept feeding pellets. I caught it because smoke was billowing out; i checked it with the RFX Gateway and it was malfunctioning. Talked to Grilla, they said clean the RTD, that didn't work so they sent me a new one free of charge. Got it a couple days ago, installed it yesterday. Checked it, temp went above 150 and the monitor went up with it, cool. Fast forward to today. Put a leg of lamb on, set it at 225, fired it up, went about my business. Stuck the RFX in there just because I always use it. After around 45 minutes - I kept glancing at the Grilla app and the RFX - i got a high temp alarm on the RFX. 450. Grilla app said 170. I should have realized something was wrong, but I was distracted.

Go out on the deck, smoke billowing, open the lid, FLAMES. It was on fire. Now, I always thought i was cool under pressure. NOT! I blanked on where my extinguishers are. Ran around the house like a madman. Finally just grabbed a box of arm and hammer and smothered most of it. Then I remembered - by the dang fireplace! Got it out before it could burn back to the pellet hopper.

So it must have been the control board. I'll be talking with Grilla tomorrow - when the problem first arose, i asked and they said it was unlikely that it was the control board. I know it isn't the RTD installation - there is a 2 prong plug that can only connect one way.

So now I have to decide if I want to replace it. I bought it to use on the RV, but on my last 2 trips I didn't take it because it doesn't fit in the "basement" compartments. I have to load it into the back of the car. I really like the convience of cooking on it, but when it went out I just used the kettle and Bronco. And in all the years I have cooked on grills and smokers, I have never set anything on fire that I didn't want on fire. If I do get one, it won't be to travel with; I have a jumbo joe and the wsm on the rv.

OK, let me hear it. Spend my money

[Jerod Broussard]

2 or more fire extinguisher near the cookers.

[Panhead John]

No pics?!?! 😵💫

[klflowers]

The pics would have been of me looking like a crazed man who set his house on fire

[RonB]

You were supposed to take photos before you put the fire out. Now you're gonna have to repeat and take photos. Then buy somethin' that will fit in one of those compartments.

[Oak Smoke]

Sounds like a crash and burn situation to me. After things similar to that I lose trust in something. Then I just want to get rid of it. Good luck what ever you do.

[klflowers]

Yeah i doubt if I'll buy another one

[Richard Chrz]

Im with you on that, when i lose trust, i just want it gone.

[Andrrr]

Yeah man, pics or it didn’t happen. They would go perfect in Feed the Flame!
In all seriousness though, I’m glad you caught it before it got WAY worse. I like the pellet grill a lot but I worry about that causing problems way more than my charcoal. I’ve enjoyed living vicariously through your travels and chimp escapades and was thinking that the chimp was the perfect companion cooker for such things, but, it does rely on electronics and they do break.
Getting back to the important part, though, of spending your money…
Put a fan port in the jumbo joe?

[klflowers]

I hate it cause I really liked the chimp. Now I think about all the times I left it running and left the house.

[Jerod Broussard]

When I first saw the title I was thinking this might need to go under the "Pets" thread.

[jfmorris]

Well, failures like this are why I decided against pursuing a pellet cooker myself. Hard to have technology failures with wood and charcoal...

[dpearce]

Geesh. Sounds like a huge hassle and kinda scary. I honestly have so little experience with pellet cookers, other than my BIL having one. I agree with you, I wouldn't want to risk the RV or the house on something that sounds like it could go sideways like that.

Don't have an RV, but once I get an outdoor kitchen area set up, I'm going to find a nice little tabletop hibachi style grill for those quick and simple cooks. The plus being, I can haul it along for hiking and fishing trips. I've got the bug to cook fish fresh off the hook, after binge-watching Andrew Zimmern's Wild Game Kitchen.

[jfmorris]

I think one of those Lodge cast iron Sportsman grills would be nice, but not for backpacking...

I have bad memories of hauling an overly large tackle box and amount of fishing gear with me to use in the mountain streams of the Appalachian trail with I was a teenager. I learned I needed a LOT LESS tackle than I thought I did for future trips....

For camping, if open fire is allowed, I would pack just a grate that can be used over a wood fire...

[dpearce]

jfmorris oh yeah, the small grill would be for state or local park type trips. Think of places with picnic tables/campgrounds around. If I was truly going wilderness, you're right, just a grill grate propped up on some stacked rocks would be all you need!

[klflowers]

I have a smoky joe - the small kettle, and the wsm on the rv

[Panhead John]

Don’t give up on pellet grills yet Kevin, this one’s 12% off!

https://www.bbqguys.com/i/3052365/twin-eagles/36-inch-stainless-steel-pellet-grill-and-smoker-on-deluxe-cart?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=1558034804&utm_content=396774082973&utm_term=3052365&species=shopping-ad&campaignid=1558034804&adgroupid=83179605829&creative=396774082973&targetid=pla-1689830258559&network=g&device=c&adtype=pla&productchannel=online&productid=3052365&productpartitionid=1689830258559&absrc=Google&abid=396774082973&abcampid=1558034804&abgroupid=83179605829&abkwdid=pla-1689830258559&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1558034804&gbraid=0AAAAAD8ivmPhUaZV30QlBVJtGjf88bv4s

[Purc]

Free Shipping is great!

[klflowers]

Thanks guys. The free shipping is pushing me over the edge

[lemayp]

The rotisserie only adds $800. The free shipping saves enough to almost break even.

[Richard Chrz]

Ughh, glad you were able to get it put out before it got worse,

[LA Pork Butt]

RIP

[klflowers]

I talked to Grilla this morning. If nothing else, their customer service is great. The rep said it might have been the relay that controls the auger that feeds pellets, but that didn’t explain why the readout stuck at 170. He wanted to try and troubleshoot it, but I explained that I used an entire small fire extinguisher in the burn pot and in the pellet hopper. No coming back from that. He wants to check to see if they would offer a discount on a replacement. It would have to be pretty steep for me to take it.

One other thing I noticed was after I updated the app, I started getting warnings about leaving the grill unattended. I asked, because back when I bought it one of the selling points was the wi fi and being able to monitor it from anywhere. He told me that a few years ago they added that for liability protection. He said there were no incidents that caused it, just insurance companies.

[jfmorris]

Well, I would say YOUR experience proves it was a good warning.

Why can't you vacuum out all the residue from the fire extinguisher? It's basically just powder, right? I had to use one on a grease fire in a Weber gas grill years ago, and while I lost the food (pork belly) that caused the fire, the grill was fine after I hosed it out.

[klflowers]

jfmorris i might be able to, but when i explained what I did to the rep, he agreed that it is probably toast. Plus, i'm pretty sure I got some of the retardant on the electronics.

[klflowers]

jfmorris i thought about your suggestion overnight. I am kinda slow. I might be able to clean it out, but it was on fire fire. Flames engulfed the bottom of the barrel, especially when i got the lamb and the drip tray out. Fat dripped in and it was flame on. Without someone looking at the metal, I would be too paranoid to use it even if I replaced the control board.

[captainlee]

Glad you got it out.I've got extinguishers right near my cooking areas but luckily I haven't had to use them. Glad you were prepared.

[jfmorris]

I guess this is a sign of a cooker you don't want close to any flammables while cooking unattended.

I know folks who will simply not leave their house if cooking on any form of smoker, or even a slow cooker (i.e. crockpot). To me, this kind of defeats the purpose of slow cooking. I use it to free me from watching the grill so I can get things done. I can monitor my grills remotely using the Thermoworks app, and that will let me know if the fire were to get out of control, in my mind.

[Jerod Broussard]

The main reason to obtain pellets was to cook while sleeping or working.

[klflowers]

The thermoworks rfx probe is the one that alarmed and alerted me to the problem. I am a big fan of thermoworks