Made a mess too small bucket, & not positioned correctly pellet mess. Also tool hook, made tool, problem for covering Grilla, causing open quick dump door. Partial pellet dump,coverd.
Fine tuned minus two, -2 Alpha's pid controller, now holds low end temps well. Previously 200F mode #1, would drift to 260+. 400F on controller (set point) gets 390 - 395F
What they call competition mode will swing to improve smoke flavor. It's how all Grillas worked before Alpha. It's why I don't see the point of Alpha. Trust the swing, because your home oven swings at least as much. I wouldn't run in "competition mode" below 225. I think CandySueQ goes 250, but I might be mistaken.
I can get the Grilla up to 450. It burns pellets pretty fast, so I don't generally run it above 350. I have a gas grill for that.
I don't change pellets. It doesn't seem worth doing, tbh. I get a nice smoke flavor with the mix of pellets I use (Lumberjack Maple-Hickory-Cherry, now with 1 lbs of BBQer's Delight Black Walnut mixed in to 40 lbs). I do chicken hotter, which produces a lighter smoke. MHC works for nearly everything. I think Candy Sue recommends removing the pellets, adding the 100% flavor pellets first, and then her competition blend (Cherry + Pecan) to the hopper. I would probably go a bit of the comp blend for the start up (like maybe half a pound), then blend like half a pound the flavor wood with half a pound of the blend, maybe mix it a bit more heavily for that first hour worth of cooking (figure a pound an hour at 225, more if it's really cold), and then just comp blend. I am just cooking for me, the wife, and occasionally folks at the office who I don't really love. So, that all seems like too much work.
The cover is made to cover the grill, maybe with tools hanging on the tool hooks. My only complaint is that it sometimes will lift the spring off the door handle. I forget if you have the OG or the Silverback. But if you have funky tools hanging there, or are hanging on the dump lever, going wrong.
It will not keep a pellet tube lit while burning. If you need extra smoke, I recommend a chunk under the deflector plate, on the little platform there that sits above the burn pot. That produces a nice extra smoke at 250 and below that will last an hour or so, plenty of time to lay on better smoke. That's my go to for extra wood, but even that requires removing the grease can, then the defector plate, jamming a chunk or two in that slot, reseating the plate and the grease can, and then definitely vacuuming before cooking again, requiring a second removal of the plate. So, I don't do it often. Especially as I like the flavor I get from the pellets anyway.
I can testify to what Potkettleblack says - I've moved a brisket cook, once wrapped in foil, from the smoker to the oven, and my electric oven at 225F swings +/- 25 degrees, maybe more, based on monitoring it with the mobile app for my Smoke thermometer with the air temp probe clipped to an oven grate. It's just the way things work. In PID mode you will probably stay closer, but you won't get as much smoke on the Grill.
> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Anova sous vide circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
OK ... after re-reading, I think I understand what the OP is saying:
His grease catcher was too small (normally it's a soup can): You can buy a much larger (and inexpensive) grease bucket from Grilla Grills to solve that problem: https://store.grillagrills.com/products/grease-bucket
I think he's saying that, when removing the cover it caught on the pellet dump door and opened it, dumping pellets all over the place: To avoid that problem and removing the spring off the handle, I always lift the cover off my Grilla from the back first. Also (and this is important), check the pellet dump door latch position EVERY time you use the smoker.
I think he's saying that the tool hooks make it difficult to put the cover on the grill. In my case, it's not the tool hook but the corners of the side tables that hang up a bit. After a while, you'll figure out how to minimize that issue by putting the cover on the front first then over the back of the smoker (the reverse of removing it).
The smoke tube won't stay lit because the Grilla is a tight closed smoker and there just isn't enough extra oxygen in it to support combustion in the smoke tube in addition to what's going on in the burn pot. The suggestion by Potkettleblack to place wood chunks on the little burn pot shield under the deflector plate is a good one. Even better, find yourself some stronger smoking pellets to use (you didn't say what you're using). CandySueQ and a few others can definitely help with this.
If you have issues with the PID mode, I strongly suggest that you call (not email) customer service. In my experience, they are fantastically responsive.
1- I'm curious as to what he could possibly be cooking that would overflow a standard soup can in like the week that he's owned it. I fill maybe two in a March to December grilling season. I mean, the bucket replacement that I think Grilla sells is larger, but you have to clean manually empty it. I just chuck the can and use another. And that's with ribs, pork belly, brisket, a lot of chuckies, and a lot of vertical roast chicken, which drips a lot of fat.
2- Never had that happen, but also generally lift from the back. When I thought I was having some burn back last month, I opened that door for the first time. Required a bit of shop vac to get the last pellets (and some water logged and dried ones) out of there. So, I guess emptying might be suboptimal, but then again, I don't do it, really. The shape of the Grilla, with the shelves, pretty much dictates uncovering from the back. The ends of the shelves are the common stick point.
3- Tool hooks... I currently have 3 large grill brushes plus a set of tongs hanging on the right side of my Grilla, and never really have a problem. But, like you, it's find the Grilla logo on the cover, square that up on the front, align the top panel and put the back in place.
4- Use the best pellets is good advice for all pellet grill users. B&B/BBQer's Delight are the southern gold standard. Lumberjack/Cooking Pellets/Grilla (all the same) are the northern gold standard. I cannot drive anywhere in 100 miles to get BBQD/B&B, but I can drive out to the suburbs to get Lumberjack. Saving on shipping, both cost and GHG emissions is why I've moved to Lumberjack, even though I think BBQD/B&B is the better product.
> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Anova sous vide circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
4- Use the best pellets is good advice for all pellet grill users. B&B/BBQer's Delight are the southern gold standard. Lumberjack/Cooking Pellets/Grilla (all the same) are the northern gold standard. I cannot drive anywhere in 100 miles to get BBQD/B&B, but I can drive out to the suburbs to get Lumberjack. Saving on shipping, both cost and GHG emissions is why I've moved to Lumberjack, even though I think BBQD/B&B is the better product.
FWIW, I've been using Grilla Grills Competition Blend with good results. When needed, I order 3 bags (20# each) at $19.99 per bag and get the free shipping. I do keep a good selection of BBQr's Delight flavor pellets on hand also.
Potkettleblack - Don't know yet ... but I've got them if I need them. I believe that the process is to dump the hopper, put in flavor pellets so they'll get pulled into the auger first, then top with the pellets that were just dumped.
Ricorocks I would suggest you be slightly more descriptive going forward with your questions, as we have people guessing at what you are trying to say here.
If you use chips, make a foil "smoke bomb" by sealing them in foil ... then poke a few holes for smoke to escape (just a few small holes or the chips can go up in flames). Tuck the foil pouch/bomb into the space between the burn pot plate and the deflector plate.
Do NOT soak chips or chunks or you'll just be generating steam until they dry out.
Re black walnut: It is just a flavor pellet and you only use about 1/3 cup per cook or you risk bitter flavors.
No soak. Water and pellets is a bad mix. Water and electronics, bad mix. Baby fist sized chunk. Has to ideally sit on that plate. Or at least wedge in pretty tight.
I've seen this for sale: (Lumberjack Maple-Hickory-Cherry)
I've not seen this for: competition blend (Cherry + Pecan). What proportions? Is that all fuels in the mix?
I've tried Grilla competition blend on sausage Good, but liked the 2nd sausage MORE using BBQ delight Hickory fuel pellets.
I picke up to pkgs of sausage for that test.
Do people add the same "flavor" flavor pellets, to same flavor fuel pellets. example Hickory flavor pellets added to Hickory fuel pellets. Wouldn't that intensify, the hickory flavor?
Why 250 or 225, recommended smoking temps? My hickory sausages, i smoked at 185, took about 1.5 hrs to hit 165F.
Any other great pellet fuel blends (recipes for mix your own) to try?
I really can’t tell a difference in flavor of smoke between varieties of wood. I do think Hickory pellets give me the most smoke flavor. I have some pecan pellets left and will use those up and then just stick with Hickory. I use BBQ Delight pellets.
I've seen this for sale: (Lumberjack Maple-Hickory-Cherry)
Any other great pellet fuel blends (recipes for mix your own) to try?
Ricorocks I don't have me no pellet cooker, but will tell ya some wood flavour mixes I use...
Fer beef, I often use a mix of Hickory-Mesquite, bout 60/40
I enjoy usin Hickory-Apple a lot on pork, usually bout 50/50 mix
Taste is subjective, so feel free to experiment with th proprtions.
I'm burnin splits/logs in my offsets, chunks in my kettles, etc., so not sure how that transfers to pellets, but I'd think both are good startin points to work from.
Don’t have an alpha controller, so cannot speak to modes. 225 because competition mode swings and I have concerns about the low end of the swing putting the fire out if I set for 185.
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