Winter Grilling Tips

Comments

Anthony Hewitt - February 12, 2026

I probably shouldn’t have, but I fired my Smoker up during literally the coldest week of the year in Iowa. -27 real feel. This baby did work. Super impressed. I will say don’t slam the lid because at -27 it shuts the computer off lol. But what do you expect from these machines at that temp. Truly a bad to the bone pellet grill. I bought this pellet grill from Menards with some cash and some rebate. I’ll be a lifelong customer after using this machine.

Klium - February 10, 2026

Much informative.

Jim DuPay - February 7, 2026

Just setup my 1250 pit boss, bout ready to load it up with some spare ribs, will let you all know how they turn out.

Ken Fox - January 28, 2026

I’m sorry I bought this smoker now my wife won’t cook I have to smoke everything thanks pit boss. I have had several different brands of smokers the pit Boss wins hands down less hassle the easiest to clean and maintain Love it

Ashley Willis - January 25, 2026

I have bought a standing smoker for husband for Christmas as an early present and we cooked our thanksgiving turkey in it, and it has worked perfectly. We have not had any issues with this smoker. My husband likes his smoker just make sure before you start cooking set it to a high temp to burn out anything not wanted in your cooker. It is also very convenient having an app that can control the temperature from inside. We are cooking in the freezing cold in this storm (1/25/2026) and it’s still working like a champ! If something ever happens to this smoker I will definitely spend the money again and get a new one. Thank you Pit Boss for an awesome smoker.

Danny - January 19, 2026

Also plan on using more pellets in colder climates.

Jeffrey Wilkins - January 18, 2026

I received a new pit boss from my kids for my birthday on 11/1125. I wanted to thank them by smoking a brisket for them.I had to stay up all night because it kept shutting off showing an error message for igniter. The company sent me a new igniter I installed it and same thing happened. If I knew this pit boss was like that I never would have asked my kids and wife for it . I really don’t want to tell them it works like that because of the money they spent on it. I’m not impressed with the product at all and wish I would’ve known better before I asked for one.

Larry Mitchell - January 17, 2026

Hello all,

I purchased my PitBoss 2 years ago and have fortunately never had a issue. I would like to share a few tips I learned in hopes it helps anyone else.

1. Thermocycle before its maiden voyage:
Before you use the grill you HAVE to turn it on and bake the powdercoat to the metal at 500 degrees. This gets rid of oil from shipping and seats the paint to the metal permanently. You learn this when you read the Manuel which most just avoid.
2. I leave the pellets in the hopper:
When doing a cook, I judge what I will need for pellets and pout an extra 15 percent. When the machine is done it cools and gets covered. The next time I cook, I burn the leftover pellets as startup fuel and pour fresh in aftwr its gone. I dont remove the pellets completely.
3. Do not clean the grates:
You are losing tons of flavor if you try to be a clean freak. The grates are ceramic coated and as long as the grease run is clean and there are no chunks hanging around, run it!
Use the grill app:
This is key because it let’s you watch football and keep an eye on the meal you brag about. In cold weather months this is prime because who likes freezing outside. PRO TIP: if you are cooking in cold temps, crank it to 500 so the grates are blazing then place your meat and drop the temp where you need it. This ensures the grates are clean, the temp is safe and you get pretty burn lines in the food. The last part is just my extra.lol I hope this helps someone.

Jud Davis - January 15, 2026

Recently purchased a pit boss Lexington. The second time using it the “ p” button stopped working

Chris - January 11, 2026

I use my PB Pro Series year round, on the coast of South Carolina. After each cook, once cooled, I vacuum the pellet cup and the entire cooking area. Cover for next time. It’s been 3 years and I’ve never had a negative smoke. The gas grill side works like a charm as well. I especially love the app controls. Saves a lot of trips outside. As a suggestion, never leave excess pellets in the hopper or in the auger. Once dampness sets in, the pellets break down into saw dust and can jamb the auger. This was learned from experience on a previous PB smoker. Smoke on America, enjoy the journey!