Small Footprint Pellet Smoker

[dreinert]

Hi everyone,
I’m tight on space and trying to find a smoker with a small footprint to squeeze in next to my propane grill on the porch. I was initially sold on the Pitt Boss pro series vertical Wi-Fi pellet smoker at Lowes but I was just reading a ton of bad reviews centered around Inability to maintain temps ( like super long time to heat up and/or massive temp drops) and component failure. Another detail I just learned from Pitt Boss customer service is the PB Pro series vertical only does 50 degree increments b/w 300-400F (that being said I have read posts on this forum that the newer smokers off the line are doing 10 deg increments all the way up to 400F so maybe no big deal on that issue).
I glanced at the Campchef XXL and the Grilla Alpha Connect which have all the features I need with a small footprint but I just don’t know much about their reliability and whether or not they have the same drawbacks. So now open to suggestions.

Thank you
David

[WI Bubba]

This one will give you a ton of capacity in a small footprint.

https://smokedaddyinc.com/product/the-pellet-pro-vertical-cabinet-pellet-smoker/

[grantgallagher]

I have the grilla and its fantastic. Havent had a single problem. To be fair i havent really put it through its paces at high temps because im not using a pellet for that.

Heats quick, holds like an absolute champ in PID mode, in PRO mode you will get temps swings by design to generate more smoke. Temp setting increments also not an issue. I cant remember exactly what it is but max its 5 degrees.

[Draznnl]

Let’s tag DaveD he has a vertical smoker he likes.

[DavidNorcross]

You are getting great advice so far. I can add that I have the Grilla Silverbac and am thrilled with the results. Welcome to the Pit from Virginia!

[MBMorgan]

I guess I'll chime in here. I've been a very happy Grilla (OG) owner for several years and recommend it very highly:

Small footprint? Check!
Reliable? Check!
Best Customer Service? Check!
Cooking capacity (600+ sq. in.)? Check!
Smoke Profile (excellent for a pellet rig)? Check!
PID Controller? Check!
"Pro Mode" Controller (for more smoke)? Check!
Wi-Fi? Check!
Cool Factor?
... CHECK!

[smokenoob]

has that lava lamp look….

[MBMorgan]

"has that lava lamp look…."

smokenoob - All part of the cool factor ... 😎👍 ...

[bep35]

I ordered mine on Black Friday Weekend. 20% off. Can't wait! Have Fun!

[ssandy_561]

Don’t forget you can customize the Grilla OG once you acquire it.



GO BILLS!!!!!

[MBMorgan]

I assume that's a Bronco?

[ssandy_561]

MBMorgan it is a beast that rips a Bronco a new one. 😆

[ssandy_561]

Also for having a small footprint you can load it up. I’ve cooked three pork butts on it multiple times. This time it was an 8 lb., 8.74 lb. and 9.53 lb.

[Potkettleblack]

You get a fourth one up on the top shelf.

[Bogy]

Even another one with the extension shelf. Which I have used very seldom. I broke the support arm off last year when it was sitting on the garage floor, and either need to throw it away or figure out a way to fix it.

[DaveD]

Hey thanks Draznnl ! Yep, I've got a Pit Boss Copperhead 5 vertical p-smoker and I really like it. Caveat smokor: This is the only smoker I've ever had, and have been at it just under a year -- got it last July. But it performs extremely well, with a gradient of less than 20F from top to bottom. Has just a whisker under a full square metre of cooking space on five racks. Very consistent behavior, and the controller keeps temperatures within about 20F of set point.

I've definitely not experienced any issues with temps at all -- gets to target in minutes, holds rock steady (provide you use the water pan, as designed -- need that thermal mass in there), truly set it & forget it. The controller has 25F increments from 150 to 300F, then three more settings: 350F, 400F, and "HIGH". I've never gone above 350 so can't comment on those.

Extremely low-maintenance cooks, frees you up to worry about the food, recipes, etc Very tidy footprint too.

EDIT: my profile pic gives an idea of its size sitting beside a Weber Spirit 3-burner.

Hope this helps!

[DaveD]

And to be clear, this unit is strictly a smoker, NOT a grill. You can't sear anything with it, and it tops out about 450F (but I've never gone there).

[WayneT]

Understood about it just being a smoker. I've got my gasser and SNS Kettle to sear with. Thanks for the feedback.

[DaveD]

OK cool. You did use the phrase "pellet grill" so out of an abundance of caution...

[dreinert]

Thank you everyone for all this great info and advice. The Grilla Alpha might be winning my heart ( plus I decided it reminds me of a Star Wars droid) . Though I was contemplating some of the Pitt Boss reviews in that internet reviews are sometimes an over estimate of "The Negatives " since humans often post more negative than positive reviews…. But thus far I haven’t read/heard anything bad about the Grilla Alpha.

[MBMorgan]

I have named mine "Evil R2D2"

[big_mack]

Grilla grills are good quality. Better than PB and CampChef. The Chimp is a tailgater so its the smallest. I've compared the chimp, the og alpha and the sliverbac and they are all well built but designed differently and look different. I got a good deal on the Chimp but I would have got the OG alpha if I had the $300 more.

[Potkettleblack]

I have a pre-Alpha Grilla and LOVE it. Got it when I was in a similar situation to you, condo deck, gasser in place.

It's capacity is good, though a whole brisket is a bit of a challenge. I could talk about great cooks, but lemme talk about the service. My Grilla has been reliable, but I had someone do a clean out on it, and it stopped working. I figured that the augur was jammed, so I got the instructions on how to pull the augur out. Five or six screws, a bit of a challenge position-wise, but got it done. Now, it worked, but I couldn't dial the temp below 350. Used Facebook Messenger to reach out to Grilla on a Sunday. 10 minutes later a response. After taking a picture of the grill, giving him the model number, he diagnosed the likely problem, and shipped me the part, at no cost. Mind you, I've had this cooker since 2018 or 2019. Linked me to a video showing how to make the repair with the replacement part. I got the part, it's good as new.

I would wholly endorse purchase of a Grilla. Great grill, great folks.

[Panhead John]

THAT is customer service!

[Potkettleblack]

It gets better. While doing a new repair, I broke a screw. They're shipping me a burn pot, no cost, and there's a video about how to replace that.

The only thing they could improve is doing the maintenance videos on a used cooker. It's disconcerting to see their spotless grill and compare it with my heavily used one.

[Bogy]

Potkettleblack I often think the same thing when I watch videos like that. I put in a new door last year, and the video from the home improvement store showed them taking out a brand new door, and putting in another brand new door in its place. I was replacing a door in a hundred year old shed.
I did watch a video recently where the guy doing it didn't actually show it happening, but did say, if the screw breaks off, this is what you are going to have to do.

[glitchy]

Another option could be a portable pellet grill. There’s the Grilla Chimp, GMG Trek, CampChef Pursuit, Traeger Tailgater, etc. While I’m not as much of a Traeger fan as I used to be, my first pellet rig was a Traeger Junior which is the same as a tailgater without the folding legs.

Here you are going to get 1000 votes for Grilla. I’m not sure why, but each BBQ forum seems to have a particular brand that gets pushed like a drug. I’ve never had a Grilla, but I think they are probably fine pellet grills and priced well for their specs (thicker metal than most in that price range).

You really just have to pick your desired features and what you’re willing or able to spend. I’ve gone through double digits of various pellet grills and all but a couple have gotten the job done pretty well. If footprint is your only concern, the OG might be the best choice. However, if you could see ever wanting to cook tons of food, that Smoke Daddy PelletPro vertical looks very nice. Personally, I have always avoided PitBoss. They look like junk to me. I’ve seen all kinds of broken floor models in stores and have seen more complaints about their stuff than any other company. Everything from temp issues to frequent flame outs. That mostly pertains to their horizontal models, but if those are problematic, I don’t believe their verticals would be of that much better quality.

[Brookie]

Maybe a silly question but can the Grilla OG be kept out doors indefinitely? Thinking about this guy in snow country on a deck where it can't be relocated inside. Thanks and sorry to hijack this thread a bit..Brookie

[ssandy_561]

Mine has sat on my deck here in snowy Ohio for one winter. It is always covered when not in use and it still works like a champ. I’ve also done some cooks in sub freezing weather and it powers through the cold.

[Potkettleblack]

I have a cover for it, but it has always lived outdoors in Chicago with no problem.

[Brookie]

Guys, thanks for the feedback.. I have been on the fence for one to use on my deck at Tahoe (6400'). I'm getting sucked in...

[das85]

Dug up this thread as I now have the same q.. I recently convinced my father-in-law to get a Grilla for his vacation home (his first ever smoker), he likes it so much that he now wants to get a pellet smoker for his primary home too!

Unfortunately, he had a negative experience with Grilla in the ordering/shipping process and doesn't want to buy from them again.

He is again focused on small footprint as he doesn't have a lot of space...but wants to be able to cook Thanksgiving turkey which I think rules out the tailgate sizes (e.g. GMG Trek which I love). He found a Traeger Pro 575 locally, he'd ideally like slightly smaller footprint and I'd like to give him a couple of other options to consider. I think we rule out MAK 1-star and Yoder YS480 due to budget. And, I think, Smokedaddy.

With that in mind, lead candidate is currently Pit Boss vertical.. I also noted GMG Ledge and Camp Chef SG24.

Any thoughts from the crowd here beyond what's already above? I think this is also out of budget but has anyone here tried a Pellet Joe?

(Please don't suggest trying to convince him to do another Grilla, I'm not sure what happened but he really doesn't want to deal w/them again.)

[DaveD]

Still loving my Pit Boss vertical. The Copperhead 3 is a three-rack unit, exactly the same just scaled down, even smaller footprint. There's a guy on Youtube who has used it extensively, Weekend Warrior BBQ at: https://www.youtube.com/c/WeekendWarriorBBQ
So you can get a very good idea of its capabilities, size, etc. Good luck!

[das85]

Thanks DaveD that is very encouraging