I’m looking to get a pellet smoker for what seems like the unbeatable convenience. I’ve been looking at the camp chef woodwind, Grilla, or green mountain not even close to deciding which one I’ll settle on or if it even matters they all seem to be loved by the folks who havem! Do pellet smokers need to be covered when not in use? If it rains could it ruin pellets? Would it ruin electric components? I have a kettle and a cheap gasser which I remember to cover 1/5th the time so I’m not expecting to get into getting into any good habits any time soon. What do you say??
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if it will live outdoors year round I vote to cover. If pellets get moist they could solidify and lock up feeder and electronics outdoors "could" be a problem. I say better safe than sorry.
I guess it depends on your location to, Arizona would be different than the humid Gulf coast...Last edited by smokenoob; April 9, 2020, 03:26 PM.
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I have the Grilla Silverbac, and 99% of the time it's not covered. (I have a cover for it, I am just a little bit lazy and also wanted to test its weather resistance for review purposes). And things work fine. Can't speak to other makers. But, I still recommend a cover. I had an issue this past winter where the pellets had swelled up due to humidity, then froze, and the auger was badly jammed up. It took hours of my time to heat it up and free it. Not fun. So if you leave it uncovered, I recommend clearing all pellets first at the very least, including the ones in the auger. I do recommend a cover with anything that has moving parts and electronics though, for best results.
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Yep, I cover mine as soon as it cools after every use. Bought a cheap aftermarket cover. OEM covers are ridiculously overpriced IMHO.
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Unless your smoker is 100% quality SS or aluminized steel or even some of the better coatings, then yes, cover it. If you live in a rainy environment, regardless of material it's made of.. cover it. Most pellet grills are pretty good at keeping moisture from the pellets in average rain, but wind and all that can do some funky stuff and get water where it shouldn't be. Wet pellets turn into a nightmare for your hopper/auger regardless of brand. Having said that, there are plenty of times when I don't cover mine, especially if I'm doing multiple cooks in a short period. Friday-Sunday mine is almost never covered regardless of weather.Last edited by ItsAllGoneToTheDogs; April 10, 2020, 05:14 AM.
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I cover almost all of my rigs and just recently moved 2 out from under the overhang on my back porch.
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Simple answer: YES!!!
Moisture is the natural enemy of pellets and electronics. Cover it already ...
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I live by the ocean so I cover my smokers and grills. But you need to be mindful of moisture being trapped under the covers too. Occasionally remove the covers and open up the lids on bright sunny days and let the Sun dry out any trapped moisture that may have accumulated. If I’m not going to be cooking for several weeks I use a bucket top vacuum to suck the pellets out of the bin and into a 5 gallon bucket for drier storage.
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I also live near the ocean and strongly agree with all those above who said to cover. Actually, I cover my gasser and flat top as well. One thing to consider with a pellet pooper is getting one with a pellet "dump" feature. This allows you to very easily empty the pellet hopper, which I do after every cook. I can speak only to Camp Chef and MAK directly, both of which have pellet dump features and work very well.
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I've got a Broil King Pellet 500 and bought the cover to go with it. As someone who works with outdoor fabrics often; it's shockingly well made. I'd say it's well worth the 85 Swiss Francs we paid for it. I've only had the new grill since last weekend but as easy as it is to put on the new cover, I see no reason I won't use it as soon as it cools.... everytime. Oh, in the instruction manual, Broil King advises you to use a cover all the time.
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