I just finished assembling my new and first pellet smoker, The Pit Boss 77550 5.5. I am super excited to use it. My first cook will be tonight in 23 degree Jersey weather. I have only used gas smokers so far and have had great success. Has anyone used this smoker? And please any suggestions on helping me through my transition from gas to pellet would be great.
Don’t have your particular smoker but there are some general rules to remember. Make sure you season the cooker following the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep your pellets dry and protected. I use Home Depot Homer buckets with a lid. Make sure you keep the firebox clean. Pellets make an ash that will restrict air flow after a few cooks and can lead to varying problems and the fire going out. I use a Home Depot bucket top shop vac to easily get rid of the ash after every cook. Get a separate thermometer to measure temps in the smoker. Each rack will be different in a vertical and the onboard thermometer is probably just an average, and may not be that accurate. And last but definitely not least is to get a decent digital thermometer to check the temp of the meat. For most meats you will want to cook to temperature. Now go and have some fun!
Thank you very much for the advice. My first cook went great until the last hour when i wrapped the ribs in foil. After a half hour, the fire went out and the hopper and fan stopped...the display said ELD. I unplugged it and plugged it back in. Everything turned on but the temperature would not rise. Do you know what the issue is?
Nope. I see error code elh - high temp, and el1 - temp probe but no eld. Maybe the d stands for door? Time to give them a call and get it fixed while under warranty.
I don't have a pellet smoker, but I am familiar with glass oven doors. Please keep yours clean from the start. A razor blade scraper will be a great help - use it frequently.
Comment