The reason for the temperature difference in the lid to the LCD is that the LCD is actually set to an average temperature. They place probes in 5 spots inside the smoker and each one will be different based on where it's at inside the smoker. They then take those numbers and get an average temp. That is what the LCD is programmed to. The one on the hood is also at the top and since heat rises it is going to show hotter.
Lack of 275 degrees isn't a deal breaker. In use, there isn't much difference between 250 and 300. At one temp, you just cook a little longer, the other a little less. All experienced cooks know you cook your meat until it hits the "done" temp, regardless of the oven/grill/smoker temp. I've made great 'cue on other cheap, pitiful smokers that weren't able to maintain consistent temps the entire cook. If you use a meat thermometer, it's really a non-issue. I don't own a PB yet, but plan to in the near future.
I've had my pit boss austin xl for 3 months and have had nothing but problems with it. I had to replace the control panel after 1 use. I had to replace the igniter today, Nov 2, 2023. I love the way it cooks and smokes. Hopefully I will have no more problems.
Got my Austin XL a little more than a year ago. A few things I noticed about mine. The temp gauge on the hood does not match the digital temp at any level. Digit temp will say it's at 180 and hood gauge will say almost 250. I used two oven gauges to test. Found the left side of the smoker (hopper side) runs closer to digital temp and the right side (smoke stack side) is closer to the hood gauge. I noticed you didn't cover the P setting. This is something I've not seen on any other smoker and can be a handy tool once you learn to use it. I don't worry about the missing temps like 275. If a recipe requires 275, I'll set it to 250 or 300 and use the P setting to get it to 275.
As a professional culinarian I love the convenience and size of my XL. I can have great quality smoked food without any of the headache. And pit boss does sell a thermal blanket for their grills now.
I got the Austin XL for my birthday on August 10th it was on markdown at Walmart for 269.00. I am absolutely thrilled with the meals I have made. Until now my bbq experiences were on a Weber charcoal grill.
Going from a Weber to a pellet grill is quite a different cooking technique, but we love using both in our weekly cooking rotation. Glad you're loving your new purchase.
I used my Austin XL to cater my own wedding smoking about 15 pounds of chicken breast 2 pork shoulders and 100+ potatoes also a Thanksgiving turkey. Loved this thing for the price, the best investment I have made in my outdoor entertaining.
@@TravisBiggie yes... All the temperatures are a "smoke setting"... The actual smoke selection is for lighting/preheating the grill and you can adjust the P setting before turning it over to your cook temp, the higher the p setting the more it will smoke... With a higher p setting Temps will fluctuate more than they will on a lower p setting (because it's feeding fresh pellets into the fire pot more rapidly) but theoretically your food will get more of a smoke flavor
I have the camp chef dlx 24 smoke pro, three year warrenty, easy to deal with, in 2 years 2 months I've replaced electronic board and thermometer, they sent me a new auger motor but that wasn't the problem, after five months non use December to April, even though I have a cover, the pellets in auger got wet and swelled, just removed and clean, runs great again, I like pellet grill, now I've had a few flame outs when I close lid or spritzing the meat, he's right get a shop vacuum and keep cleaned out, that pellet dust is bad after a couple cooks, I've cooked in Texas in December when 30° out and it worked fine, mine cost $499 on Amazon
I have the same smoker and the burn-in steps were plain as day for mine. It was even on a bright yellow paper that said read this first. Had every step numbered and what to do for the burn-in.
Feeding a family of 6 the Austin XL was the smoker I chose. It has been a great addition to the patio. I have had it for two weeks and smoked a pork butt a few hours after the initial burn in. It was a success as everyone raved about the pulled pork this smoker made. I think the Pit Boss Austin XL is a great budget/beginner smoker. I would recommend it to anyone just learning to smoke meats.
I have a Austin XL, I've had it for several years now and have smoked tons of meat in it over the years. I've had many smokers but this is by far my favorite. Also I love the sear part, nothing like putting on some big Ribeye steaks and some jumbo baked potatoes.
Very informative review, great delivery. I had inconsistencies in temps across the grill on my PB1100 until I started bringing the grill up higher to 400 then turn it back to 250. After doing this I notice more even cooks. Also I have uneven exterior patio bricks so moving my grill from the screened in porch to outside was a chore until, I put new dolly wheels on an old garden cart. Now going over bumpy terrain is easy. PitBoss did a great job with these grills. 1 more thing with two rib racks I easily cooked 6 slabs of ribs at one time by cutting them in half.
I just bought a Pit Boss (700"?) and only cooked a turkey and then some ribs. Both times created beautiful smoke rings and amazing flavor! Yes, in the beginning of my 2nd smoke/grill the fire snuffed itself out. I had to take everything out, clean and prep. Very important I learned. Pit Boss sells an expensive grill blanket for cold regions. Some Traegers are insulated but you have to pay a lot more.
I really appreciate the real-world experience when using this grill. So far the Austin is one of my prime considerations, and frankly, here in western NY we have wind, we have cold, and we have driving rain and snow to consider when trying to cook off season outdoors. Setting up in a garage door works for the wind and precipitation, and I imagine this will still do better in the cold than the longer warming and recovery times for propane. Gave me some valuable insights, thanks!
Another tip at time stamp 9:59 you show, just like the pictures provided by the manufacturer, of the meat probes coming out of the meat and through the main opening of the lid to the temp gauge. There is a side hole that the manual suggests to put the meat probes through that way the lid doesn't have to sit on the probe wire when you close the lid.
Great review- I have the 820, my biggest complaint is there is no 275. Other complaint is the temp will swing up too high on a occasion. All in all, I really like this smoker. It was nice upgrade from the electric master built.
Look up smoke rings from a RecTec pellet grill. PID controller and superior design. After watching many pit boss videos....I will be ordering my 2nd RecTec for my girlfriend's house so I can have one at each end (my house and hers). Your video was done well and served me well. Thank you sir!
The presets work well on the pitboss. If I want 275 I'll set the preset to 1. But mine is the 820 pro series. The Austin xl is a different beast. But it dose work really well. My dad as one and we cooked great tri tip, prim rib, and while chickens on it and came out extremely juicey
I've had my AustinXl for over 2yrs..It's a work horse..Especially when I'm too tired to fire up one of my offsets .I use it more then any other cooker I own
Keith Bevington we find ourselves doing the same thing. On the days after work when I don’t have time to fire up an offset, the pellet grill is our go to.
Throw a couple of blankets over the thing to keep heat in and reduce pellet use. I operate mine in snow and rain like that. No special blankets or towels needed. You can't rally burn yourself at 250 degrees and a blanket would have to get way hotter than that to consider burning.
I have the pitboss pro 850 that I got from Lowe’s. It has been absolutely solid I am so happy with this smoker I got it for $549. Temperature wise Smoke setting will go from 180-225, then I have set temp from 190-300 in 10 degree increments from 300-400 it’s 25 degree increments, then I have 450 and 500. I am in Utah and have smoked tri-tip, whole packet brisket, ribeye, and more in anywhere from 16 degree to 35 degree weather. It’s 30 feels like 23 and I have two two- tip and a picanha going right now. I agree I bought a welding blanket from Amazon and just throw it over the top while smoking since I have been doing it during the winter. I do t have 275 so I would either go 270 or 280 have had no problems 5 degrees either way won’t hurt a thing.
This will be my 3rd year with my Austin XL.. Love it, Still goin strong and we use it a few times a week during the summer months.. The 1 and only thing I wish it had is the slider for easier clean out of the pellet ash. My dad has a green mountain and my buddy has a camp chef and both their grills can be quick cleaned in literally 15 seconds without having to completely disassembling the entire grill.
absolutely the best review of this smoker on you tube!!!!!! i am in the market to get one for xmas and this review just sold me on it!! i'm also subscribing and hitting the bell to your channel!! thank you for sharing!!
Had my PitBoss for only three months when it started acting up. You see something that is not mention about pellet gills is that they can have issues with their igniters and other parts of the gill's electronics. Like in my case too much power is being drawn from the gill and causing my GIF to shut my power off. Check the many UA-cam video addressing this very issue. Personally, I cleaned my gill every two to three cooks. So, cleaning isn't the issue. Now I have to go though the hassle of contacting PitBoss to see if they can walk me though a repair. From what Iv'e seen on some troubleshooting, requires that you unplug and replug, unplug and replug again and again different ares in an attempt to find if it's not the ignitor. For the money I spent I should not have to deal with this so early in my purchase. If it turns out to be a part I need to repair myself, that's just going to be even more troublesom. I don't know the first thing about taking apart and putting back to gather these things. Maybe I should have stuck to my old faithful Webber and just hasted with he charcoal.
You're not the only one with igniter problems, I've personally had two 4 in 1 Pit boss grills not even last a year and a half. Do the research, tons and tons of issues with their products!
Yup. My display went out. And since I bought on 2/18. They won't warranty it. They started offering a 5 year warranty on 9/18 to Austin XL owners. Wtf. Why not extend that to all Austin XL owners? They know something was wrong with them. I went to Costco and bought a Traeger. Pit boss will never get more of my money.
Pro tip if you are in a windy environment and the temp will not get to what you want, do like you did and try to block the wind but you can also turn up the temp 50 to 100F above what you want to help the grill get to your desired temp.
Thank you for talking about the thermostat differences. Just used my XL for the first time today and it was bugging the hell out of me but the slow cooked reverse seared steaks turned out fantastic. Im a fan so far.
Yea I have the classic and it went out in 4 weeks and I had to wait 4 months to get one because of back ordered. I wont ever buy a pitboss brand again.
My wife and I were at Walmart a month ago and I saw one of these on display . I have a charcoal smoker and when I saw this pitboss at Walmart my wife said I could get one for the house
P setting is the ratio of time delay for the pellet feed rate. P0 is almost no delay (more pellets, more smoke) and P7 is longest delay (fewest pellets). Yes, you can also use this to help regulate temps in adverse conditions (super hot, super cold). Ultimately the controller regulates how much is fed to hold the set temperature.
this whole controversy over pellet smokers not giving a good smoke ring, is ridiculous, smoke is smoke, so long as its clean. pellet smokers produce much more smoke than stick burners due largely to surface area on pellets being much greater. this entire argument is loyal stick burners refusing to accept that pellet smokers do the same thing and are largely idiot proof. i was a stick burner my entire grilling career, until i bought a pellet grill to try. im hooked and will never go back. the pellet grill being pretty much a Ronco type device, allows me to focus on other things than just tending a fire. to me thats the heart of bbq, not the tending of a fire but the entire experience and the finished product. anything that improves the quality of the product or the experience is a winner in my book
picked mine up a few days ago for $350 on clearance! Did the burn off last night and have some baby backs on there to test it out. Usually do Spares but thats all Wally had that wasnt frozen. One rack with grill mates Texas BBQ Rich and Smoky and the other rack is Texas style with just 50/50 salt and pepper! Cant wait to try them out.
I used a small cordless impact gun and had no problems the only thing that I don’t get yet is the feeding of the pellets, not sure if is not feeding enough or just want a more smoky flavored.
Burn in instructions are in the supplied book included in your grill on page 15 under heading: FIRST USE BURN OFF How could you have missed that? Unless you didn’t get the book with your grill ?
This was an excellent review. I really appreciate the personal anecdotes about both things that did and did not go well for you. I would love to see more equipment reviews like this.
I have a Classic 700 PB. It is great. To achieve 275 degrees F set the temp control to 300 using Competition grade PB pellets and you will get an average of 275. It works the same way for 375. Pellet cooking is similar to electric cooking, your either feeding pellets to create a larger fire, or you are not. The only problem I have has with my PB is over temp error which was HEr, a Traeger error ??? Instead of the over temp error in the PB book, ErH. Tech support at PB could not explain that one to me. They said they would send me a new barrel temperature prob which I received an email confirming shipment 2 weeks ago but have not received the prob. I removed the bottom from the hopper, untangled the wiring, unplugged and re plugged the prob connector and still received the error. I had already been through all the trouble shooting processes to no avail. Started the unit and gave the prob a couple of light whacks with the spatula and all is good!
When all else fails, give it a whack, lol! I know that most grill companies are having difficulties sourcing parts because of the Covid 19 shutdown, but I hear that things are starting to ship. I had a replacement part that just arrived earlier this week for a grill, so there's hope for parts on the horizon. Glad to hear that you have it working again Shawn!
Time Stamp 3:50 seconds you say Pit Boss didn't give much info on the first "burn in" before using the pit to cook. Maybe the manual has changes as I just bought the Pit Boss Austin XL 1000sq inch pellet grill about a week ago on (10/23/20) and in the manual it say before doing your first cook to prime the auger and do a "burn off". It says to do the auger prime process then auto on process then put the temp to over 350F with the lid closed for 30-40 mins to burn off all foreign matter.
Amazingly well done review. Seems straight forward and unbiased. Lots of good information. I am looking at this pellet grill and appreciate your review.
Really Good Review, thanks for the issues you discussed. My PB manual did contain Burn-In instructions. I have used a 30" Master Built Electric Smoker for about 9 years and it was time to replace it. I did my homework and got a PB 820D2 from the local Academy. I found the major difference between the Master Built smoker and Pellet smoker is the wood pellets actually create the heat in the unit not a 1,200 watt heating element. This burning pellet method makes my GFCI outdoor outlet much happier since not as much current is drawn during cooking sessions. I learned a long time ago to use my own temp probes to verify actual pit temp and meat temp and do it remotely. Also if I want more smoke I can use a 12" A-maze-n-pellet-smoker to increase the smoke volume. Even along the Texas Coast I have noticed the non insulated PB 820D2 smoker is affected by the cooler temps so I have already purchased a welders blanket from Amazon. I am really liking my Pit Boss 820D2, I am amazed that within 3-4 minutes of turning it on smoke starts pouring out of every seam.
I had a Pit Boss, then I traded it for a Louisiana Grill which I’ve had a bunch of problems with. Ima return the Louisiana Grill and the Austin XXL lol
Got mine a year ago, will never go back to standard grill. Spot on with the smoke ring, i get a great flavor but don't get the depth that an offset gives but the flavor is there and we love it!
I understand that the pit boss had problems keeping the temperature a 300 degrees. Did they get that fixed. Wish they would make a pellet grill as heavy as a off set smoker.
My guess is that the cost to make a pellet grill that heavy is what keeps more from making them. I know Lone Star Grillz just released their super heavy pellet grill, so you might check that one out. They’re 3-4x the cost of this one, but it’s super heavy duty.
I definitely needed that review. I also had problems with the leg assembly and the ignitor didn't work. I must call Dansons. I now have to learn how to regulate the temperature. Great clip 👍🏼
it got mine on sale and 3 weeks later the control panel went out. after back and forth with the company i just returned it back and just paid more for a kamado.
i was considering this grill especially since its 100 bucks cheaper now but there are SOOOO MANY 1 star reviews all over online complaining about the same things and the poor customer service. I'm looking at US made ones as well. What US made pellet grill do you recommend for a beginner.
Pro Tip: buy dolly tires (big rubber tires) and swap them out for the hard plastic wheels the Pit Boss comes with. You can move it across your lawn without ruining it.
It’s just there to keep fingers out of the auger I think. Is there a mechanical downside, not really. (Unless you’re planning on sticking things that don’t belong down in the pellet box while the grill is running.)
I thought the manual said the P setting is used to set the auger to have more time or less time in between auger on and off cycles. Don't you use the temp knob to set the temp?
I had the same issue with the grill loading the pot with unlit pellets until it ran out during an overnight cook. Happened after about an hour like you. Only my grill was spotless inside. No idea what happened and it hasnt happened again. That was one time in 5 years of ownership
Im thinking with a heat defuser that it would get pretty nasty. Build up of grease and ash . Can you just brush these off or is cleaning more difficult ?
We find that cleaning the inside of the grill just needs to happen every 3-5 cooks to make sure we don't have a buildup of ash inside the fire cup. Cleaning off the drip tray is the hardest thing to clean on the unit, and using aluminum foil to cover the tray, it's a super simple cleanup. We don't find the cleaning of this grill to take any longer than any of our other pellet grills that we have here at the Lab.
Just make sure you get to know your smoker before the warranty is up. I've had mine for a little over a year now and it's been nothing but a headache. They'll send parts, (I'm waiting on a new control board now) but I hadn't planned to work so much for this company. I appreciate the parts, don't get me wrong, but the amount of food and pellets that have been wasted because of misdiagnosed symptoms is truly a shame.
As a beginner in smoking, how exactly am I supposed to handle just not having 275°? I'm pretty set on this smoker as it seems amazing for the price I can get it at $400. I just don't know how to deal with the temperature missing.
That's the way I felt when I got my first pellet grill. Missing 275 was a big problem for me, but in reality, just setting it to 250 and allowing a bit more time is what I ended up doing. It just means probably an hour longer cook on something like a pork butt, so it's not a deal breaker for me. I find that the more I cook, the less I choose 275. I'll go 250 or 225 way more than 275 now. That's what was the deal for me.
I just found your Chanel and I'm learning a lot. I was thinking of getting a Tranger but I'm leaning more towards the pit boss. So the big question witch model dose one have a better temperature controller or are they all the same is one model better built then others I want to spend 759 to 1000 witch model would you recommend. I really don't need a big grill but temperature control is important and wi fi . I would like to smoke fish so if there is a model that would give me more smoke then others and still keep the temperature low that would be great. Thanks for any information that might help me decide. Tom.
Absolutely spot-on review I agree about the temperature settings and I've had one flame out because I didn't clean it before I started the cook great review
What you said about the offset smoker simply isn't true. Sure if you use wood, but you can use long lasting charcoal (which is also more environmentally friendly to boot) which will last for around 6 - 8 hours. Also pellets are a lot more expensive to buy than charcoal.
Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Your video was SPOT ON 🎯. I just purchased my PB Pro Series 1100 the other day and immediately I noticed a 75-100 degree temp differential and didn’t understand why. I posted the situation on a Pit Boss Owners Forum in which no one never experienced this before. My question now is do you know of any modification that can be done to level the temp in the cook chamber? Can you remove the baffle and just keep the flame broil cover on? Reason I ask is because although the hood thermometer isn’t significant, I ran the smoker yesterday at 300 with a probe near the smoke stack and the temps ranged from 305 (digital temp), 325 (hood temp), and 362 (probe near stack). It’s almost like I’m getting 3 temp zones of low, medium, and high...which is not desirable. Any help you can provide is appreciated, so thanks in advance!
Do an initial warm up of the grill crank up higher temperature to heat up the grill then crank down to desired temperature make sure your smoke stack is wide open also...... but you will still get some heat swings but the grill will get a more even cooking temperature that way I usually crank it up to around 400..... and then back down to 250....... works pretty well for me
@@trevorbraden5448 Thanks!! I’m good now. Since making my initial post, my temps have come together really well. I’ve actually noticed the temps are better around the 225-250 range like you said. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. ~Each one Teach one 😎👍🏾
Last year. My wife bought me a el cheapo smoker from Walmart and the first cook didn't go so well. I've be smoking, grilling, cooking for a min now, And that smoker was hell, looking into something that's a lil bit more pricey. I kinda know what I like and what I want, but she mis fired on the $109 grill. I was gonna keep it another year, but I dnt think I can. This caught my eye, I still have weber kettle that I rather use over the budget smoker my wife got. Just spent $1000 on mother's day, so $500 on fathers day is fair right? 😆
If I’m not smoking much, is a pellet grill worth it? Most of the people happy with the pellet grills seems to be people that are set on smoking it 90% of the time. Recommendations?
I think what happens to many people who buy a pellet grill is they learn how easy it is to use and all of the various things you can use it for. We cut our kitchen oven use by 60% or more, and those dishes that we used to bake in the oven now go on the pellet grill. It's the extra added flavor of a little bit of smoke and the fact that we don't have to warm up the kitchen when we don't want to that keeps us choosing the pellet over the oven.
@@davidgafford6013 Do you have a video or can you go a little more in depth on the first initial "Cook" on this grill? New to smoking things and want to do it right.
In regards to thing metals not being for winter or windy conditions, would a Traegar hold up any better? Or is this just an issue for all pellet smokers?
It's really an issue for any pellet smokers that aren't made of thick metal. Pretty much any pellet smoker you find for under $1,000 is made of thinner metal, and the door isn't sealed with any kind of gasket. This is where the problems lies for me. There's some out there like Smokin Brothers and Memphis that are more expensive, but they have wrap around doors that are sealed against wind and they're made with much thicker metal for the cooking chamber. In my opinion, it's all about hitting a price point for big box stores for the most part. They want a smoker at a certain price, and things must be done to hit those goals.
so what is your recommended pellet grille that wont break the bank? something in the $500 and below range. this was a great video but i felt i heard more cons than pros so I would love to know what other options are out there
Hi Carlos, we have a review coming out on the 1150 Pro from Pit Boss in the next week, and I think that would be worth a watch for you. We're working on our best of 2021 roundup, and we'll have that in the future as well. The Austin XL is a really good pellet smoker for the price.
Gabriel B I’m on the market for a Grill and I’m drying to decide between this one, rec tec 700, and the Ozark Bison. What’s your honest opinion on your RecTec?
@@Ratbiker48 I've only had it about a month and don't have any bad things to say about the grill. I will say the only thing, the wifi has to be on a 2.4Ghz bandwidth and the app is a bit wonky. I do love the hopper size, I love the wifi feature, the grill keeps the temps I set perfectly. it will sometimes vary by 1 or 2 degrees that's about it. it goes from 180 (high smoke) to 600 F. I honestly recommend it, you won't regret it. this thing has made me look like a pitmaster with my family lmao.
Great video! Love my Austin XL.
The reason for the temperature difference in the lid to the LCD is that the LCD is actually set to an average temperature. They place probes in 5 spots inside the smoker and each one will be different based on where it's at inside the smoker. They then take those numbers and get an average temp. That is what the LCD is programmed to. The one on the hood is also at the top and since heat rises it is going to show hotter.
I wish all youtube videos were like this.. short and sweet and right to the point. Well spoken, sir.
Excellent review. You are so well spoken and articulate. It's very easy to listen to such an informative review. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the kind words! All the best.
Lack of 275 degrees isn't a deal breaker. In use, there isn't much difference between 250 and 300. At one temp, you just cook a little longer, the other a little less. All experienced cooks know you cook your meat until it hits the "done" temp, regardless of the oven/grill/smoker temp. I've made great 'cue on other cheap, pitiful smokers that weren't able to maintain consistent temps the entire cook. If you use a meat thermometer, it's really a non-issue. I don't own a PB yet, but plan to in the near future.
I've had my pit boss austin xl for 3 months and have had nothing but problems with it. I had to replace the control panel after 1 use. I had to replace the igniter today, Nov 2, 2023. I love the way it cooks and smokes. Hopefully I will have no more problems.
I just bought this grill for my husband and he loves it so far! Thanks for the review.
Hope you enjoy it!
Got my Austin XL a little more than a year ago. A few things I noticed about mine.
The temp gauge on the hood does not match the digital temp at any level. Digit temp will say it's at 180 and hood gauge will say almost 250. I used two oven gauges to test. Found the left side of the smoker (hopper side) runs closer to digital temp and the right side (smoke stack side) is closer to the hood gauge.
I noticed you didn't cover the P setting. This is something I've not seen on any other smoker and can be a handy tool once you learn to use it.
I don't worry about the missing temps like 275. If a recipe requires 275, I'll set it to 250 or 300 and use the P setting to get it to 275.
It's funny people think the p setting work outside of smoking......it does not it only adjust temps on the smoke setting
As a professional culinarian I love the convenience and size of my XL. I can have great quality smoked food without any of the headache. And pit boss does sell a thermal blanket for their grills now.
I’ve used mine down to -5c in Canada, 23f.
I got the Austin XL for my birthday on August 10th it was on markdown at Walmart for 269.00. I am absolutely thrilled with the meals I have made. Until now my bbq experiences were on a Weber charcoal grill.
Going from a Weber to a pellet grill is quite a different cooking technique, but we love using both in our weekly cooking rotation. Glad you're loving your new purchase.
Being in Florida our smokers and bbq stuff never goes on sale.
I used my Austin XL to cater my own wedding smoking about 15 pounds of chicken breast 2 pork shoulders and 100+ potatoes also a Thanksgiving turkey. Loved this thing for the price, the best investment I have made in my outdoor entertaining.
Yeah, that's beast mode right there!
I've had zero issues with my pit boss Austin XL I bought mine December 27th 2019 absolutely love it
when you set it to 250f, is it still technically in a smoke setting?
@@TravisBiggie yes... All the temperatures are a "smoke setting"... The actual smoke selection is for lighting/preheating the grill and you can adjust the P setting before turning it over to your cook temp, the higher the p setting the more it will smoke... With a higher p setting Temps will fluctuate more than they will on a lower p setting (because it's feeding fresh pellets into the fire pot more rapidly) but theoretically your food will get more of a smoke flavor
I love my Austin XL so much, Got mine in the winter at clearance for $124 WOW unreal best deal ever. Best two years of BBQ smoking I've ever had
where at??😀
@@reydelagarza2953 Oh that was at Walmart end of winter clearance , two years ago
I have the camp chef dlx 24 smoke pro, three year warrenty, easy to deal with, in 2 years 2 months I've replaced electronic board and thermometer, they sent me a new auger motor but that wasn't the problem, after five months non use December to April, even though I have a cover, the pellets in auger got wet and swelled, just removed and clean, runs great again, I like pellet grill, now I've had a few flame outs when I close lid or spritzing the meat, he's right get a shop vacuum and keep cleaned out, that pellet dust is bad after a couple cooks, I've cooked in Texas in December when 30° out and it worked fine, mine cost $499 on Amazon
Just bought mine in box for $154. From walmart love it
I have the same smoker and the burn-in steps were plain as day for mine. It was even on a bright yellow paper that said read this first. Had every step numbered and what to do for the burn-in.
The main fuel for that grill is NOT the pellets. It’s electric. Offset grills the logs are the fuel I.E HEAT
@@ilovehumvee not true it has an electric heating element to fire up the pellets once they catch fire it shuts off
Feeding a family of 6 the Austin XL was the smoker I chose. It has been a great addition to the patio. I have had it for two weeks and smoked a pork butt a few hours after the initial burn in. It was a success as everyone raved about the pulled pork this smoker made. I think the Pit Boss Austin XL is a great budget/beginner smoker. I would recommend it to anyone just learning to smoke meats.
Totally agree James.
I have a Austin XL, I've had it for several years now and have smoked tons of meat in it over the years. I've had many smokers but this is by far my favorite. Also I love the sear part, nothing like putting on some big Ribeye steaks and some jumbo baked potatoes.
I own the Austin XL. I'm very satisfied with it.
Very informative review, great delivery. I had inconsistencies in temps across the grill on my PB1100 until I started bringing the grill up higher to 400 then turn it back to 250. After doing this I notice more even cooks. Also I have uneven exterior patio bricks so moving my grill from the screened in porch to outside was a chore until, I put new dolly wheels on an old garden cart. Now going over bumpy terrain is easy. PitBoss did a great job with these grills.
1 more thing with two rib racks I easily cooked 6 slabs of ribs at one time by cutting them in half.
I just bought a Pit Boss (700"?) and only cooked a turkey and then some ribs. Both times created beautiful smoke rings and amazing flavor!
Yes, in the beginning of my 2nd smoke/grill the fire snuffed itself out. I had to take everything out, clean and prep. Very important I learned.
Pit Boss sells an expensive grill blanket for cold regions. Some Traegers are insulated but you have to pay a lot more.
I really appreciate the real-world experience when using this grill. So far the Austin is one of my prime considerations, and frankly, here in western NY we have wind, we have cold, and we have driving rain and snow to consider when trying to cook off season outdoors. Setting up in a garage door works for the wind and precipitation, and I imagine this will still do better in the cold than the longer warming and recovery times for propane. Gave me some valuable insights, thanks!
Another tip at time stamp 9:59 you show, just like the pictures provided by the manufacturer, of the meat probes coming out of the meat and through the main opening of the lid to the temp gauge. There is a side hole that the manual suggests to put the meat probes through that way the lid doesn't have to sit on the probe wire when you close the lid.
Great review- I have the 820, my biggest complaint is there is no 275. Other complaint is the temp will swing up too high on a occasion. All in all, I really like this smoker. It was nice upgrade from the electric master built.
Look up smoke rings from a RecTec pellet grill. PID controller and superior design. After watching many pit boss videos....I will be ordering my 2nd RecTec for my girlfriend's house so I can have one at each end (my house and hers). Your video was done well and served me well. Thank you sir!
People are putting rec tec controls on pit boss 1100 smokers for a little better controller
The presets work well on the pitboss. If I want 275 I'll set the preset to 1. But mine is the 820 pro series. The Austin xl is a different beast. But it dose work really well. My dad as one and we cooked great tri tip, prim rib, and while chickens on it and came out extremely juicey
I've had my AustinXl for over 2yrs..It's a work horse..Especially when I'm too tired to fire up one of my offsets .I use it more then any other cooker I own
Keith Bevington we find ourselves doing the same thing. On the days after work when I don’t have time to fire up an offset, the pellet grill is our go to.
Throw a couple of blankets over the thing to keep heat in and reduce pellet use. I operate mine in snow and rain like that. No special blankets or towels needed. You can't rally burn yourself at 250 degrees and a blanket would have to get way hotter than that to consider burning.
I've had my Austin XL 4 years they replaced my castor wheels the first year it's been fine since.
I have the pitboss pro 850 that I got from Lowe’s. It has been absolutely solid I am so happy with this smoker I got it for $549. Temperature wise Smoke setting will go from 180-225, then I have set temp from 190-300 in 10 degree increments from 300-400 it’s 25 degree increments, then I have 450 and 500.
I am in Utah and have smoked tri-tip, whole packet brisket, ribeye, and more in anywhere from 16 degree to 35 degree weather. It’s 30 feels like 23 and I have two two- tip and a picanha going right now. I agree I bought a welding blanket from Amazon and just throw it over the top while smoking since I have been doing it during the winter. I do t have 275 so I would either go 270 or 280 have had no problems 5 degrees either way won’t hurt a thing.
Very much appreciate your time on this video. Definitely buying this model. Now on sale at Walmart for $447!!
This will be my 3rd year with my Austin XL..
Love it, Still goin strong and we use it a few times a week during the summer months.. The 1 and only thing I wish it had is the slider for easier clean out of the pellet ash. My dad has a green mountain and my buddy has a camp chef and both their grills can be quick cleaned in literally 15 seconds without having to completely disassembling the entire grill.
absolutely the best review of this smoker on you tube!!!!!! i am in the market to get one for xmas and this review just sold me on it!! i'm also subscribing and hitting the bell to your channel!! thank you for sharing!!
Glad the review was helpful and welcome aboard!
Had my PitBoss for only three months when it started acting up. You see something that is not mention about pellet gills is that they can have issues with their igniters and other parts of the gill's electronics. Like in my case too much power is being drawn from the gill and causing my GIF to shut my power off. Check the many UA-cam video addressing this very issue. Personally, I cleaned my gill every two to three cooks. So, cleaning isn't the issue. Now I have to go though the hassle of contacting PitBoss to see if they can walk me though a repair. From what Iv'e seen on some troubleshooting, requires that you unplug and replug, unplug and replug again and again different ares in an attempt to find if it's not the ignitor. For the money I spent I should not have to deal with this so early in my purchase. If it turns out to be a part I need to repair myself, that's just going to be even more troublesom. I don't know the first thing about taking apart and putting back to gather these things. Maybe I should have stuck to my old faithful Webber and just hasted with he charcoal.
You're not the only one with igniter problems, I've personally had two 4 in 1 Pit boss grills not even last a year and a half. Do the research, tons and tons of issues with their products!
Yup. My display went out. And since I bought on 2/18. They won't warranty it. They started offering a 5 year warranty on 9/18 to Austin XL owners. Wtf. Why not extend that to all Austin XL owners? They know something was wrong with them. I went to Costco and bought a Traeger. Pit boss will never get more of my money.
Pro tip if you are in a windy environment and the temp will not get to what you want, do like you did and try to block the wind but you can also turn up the temp 50 to 100F above what you want to help the grill get to your desired temp.
Thank you for talking about the thermostat differences. Just used my XL for the first time today and it was bugging the hell out of me but the slow cooked reverse seared steaks turned out fantastic. Im a fan so far.
I have the pb340 small pellet grill and already had to replace the control board after only owning it for 3 weeks.
Yea I have the classic and it went out in 4 weeks and I had to wait 4 months to get one because of back ordered. I wont ever buy a pitboss brand again.
My wife and I were at Walmart a month ago and I saw one of these on display . I have a charcoal smoker and when I saw this pitboss at Walmart my wife said I could get one for the house
Congrats!
I have a Austin Xl and I get good smoke ring. I raise the P setting like around P6. Higher the P setting the lower the heat lower P setting more heat.
P setting is the ratio of time delay for the pellet feed rate. P0 is almost no delay (more pellets, more smoke) and P7 is longest delay (fewest pellets). Yes, you can also use this to help regulate temps in adverse conditions (super hot, super cold). Ultimately the controller regulates how much is fed to hold the set temperature.
this whole controversy over pellet smokers not giving a good smoke ring, is ridiculous, smoke is smoke, so long as its clean. pellet smokers produce much more smoke than stick burners due largely to surface area on pellets being much greater. this entire argument is loyal stick burners refusing to accept that pellet smokers do the same thing and are largely idiot proof. i was a stick burner my entire grilling career, until i bought a pellet grill to try. im hooked and will never go back. the pellet grill being pretty much a Ronco type device, allows me to focus on other things than just tending a fire. to me thats the heart of bbq, not the tending of a fire but the entire experience and the finished product. anything that improves the quality of the product or the experience is a winner in my book
fantastic review. Just got mine and the temp settings are really my only complaint so far.
picked mine up a few days ago for $350 on clearance! Did the burn off last night and have some baby backs on there to test it out. Usually do Spares but thats all Wally had that wasnt frozen. One rack with grill mates Texas BBQ Rich and Smoky and the other rack is Texas style with just 50/50 salt and pepper! Cant wait to try them out.
Enjoy your new grill! May the smoke be with you.
I used a small cordless impact gun and had no problems the only thing that I don’t get yet is the feeding of the pellets, not sure if is not feeding enough or just want a more smoky flavored.
Burn in instructions are in the supplied book included in your grill on page 15 under heading: FIRST USE BURN OFF
How could you have missed that? Unless you didn’t get the book with your grill ?
Lay sliced bread throughout the grill to get idea of where the hot spots are after 8 to 10 mins of burn on about 240 temperature.
This was an excellent review. I really appreciate the personal anecdotes about both things that did and did not go well for you. I would love to see more equipment reviews like this.
I have a Classic 700 PB. It is great. To achieve 275 degrees F set the temp control to 300 using Competition grade PB pellets and you will get an average of 275. It works the same way for 375. Pellet cooking is similar to electric cooking, your either feeding pellets to create a larger fire, or you are not. The only problem I have has with my PB is over temp error which was HEr, a Traeger error ??? Instead of the over temp error in the PB book, ErH. Tech support at PB could not explain that one to me. They said they would send me a new barrel temperature prob which I received an email confirming shipment 2 weeks ago but have not received the prob. I removed the bottom from the hopper, untangled the wiring, unplugged and re plugged the prob connector and still received the error. I had already been through all the trouble shooting processes to no avail. Started the unit and gave the prob a couple of light whacks with the spatula and all is good!
When all else fails, give it a whack, lol! I know that most grill companies are having difficulties sourcing parts because of the Covid 19 shutdown, but I hear that things are starting to ship. I had a replacement part that just arrived earlier this week for a grill, so there's hope for parts on the horizon. Glad to hear that you have it working again Shawn!
Time Stamp 3:50 seconds you say Pit Boss didn't give much info on the first "burn in" before using the pit to cook. Maybe the manual has changes as I just bought the Pit Boss Austin XL 1000sq inch pellet grill about a week ago on (10/23/20) and in the manual it say before doing your first cook to prime the auger and do a "burn off". It says to do the auger prime process then auto on process then put the temp to over 350F with the lid closed for 30-40 mins to burn off all foreign matter.
I love my Austin XL I've had it over a year.
Awesome. Smoke on Chad!
Amazingly well done review. Seems straight forward and unbiased. Lots of good information. I am looking at this pellet grill and appreciate your review.
Glad the video was helpful Lloyd! Best wishes in your pursuit of a new smoker.
Really Good Review, thanks for the issues you discussed.
My PB manual did contain Burn-In instructions.
I have used a 30" Master Built Electric Smoker for about 9 years and it was time to replace it. I did my homework and got a PB 820D2 from the local Academy. I found the major difference between the Master Built smoker and Pellet smoker is the wood pellets actually create the heat in the unit not a 1,200 watt heating element. This burning pellet method makes my GFCI outdoor outlet much happier since not as much current is drawn during cooking sessions.
I learned a long time ago to use my own temp probes to verify actual pit temp and meat temp and do it remotely.
Also if I want more smoke I can use a 12" A-maze-n-pellet-smoker to increase the smoke volume.
Even along the Texas Coast I have noticed the non insulated PB 820D2 smoker is affected by the cooler temps so I have already purchased a welders blanket from Amazon.
I am really liking my Pit Boss 820D2, I am amazed that within 3-4 minutes of turning it on smoke starts pouring out of every seam.
That's good. Sounds like the 700 classic or 820 would be good.
Well one thermometer is up high in the grill and the probe is well on the bottom if you just set it in there. So yes there will be a temp difference.
Great video thank you. Just bought one assembled at my local Walmart for $350.
I had a Pit Boss, then I traded it for a Louisiana Grill which I’ve had a bunch of problems with. Ima return the Louisiana Grill and the Austin XXL lol
You can get upgrade thermostatic control panels for 50.00 that have 275 and are more versitile.
Got mine a year ago, will never go back to standard grill. Spot on with the smoke ring, i get a great flavor but don't get the depth that an offset gives but the flavor is there and we love it!
Get an amazing smoke tube to supplement smoke
Great review Dave
I purchased the pitboss Memphis ultimate. So far i love it. It four grills in one.
An echo hood blanket for the Pit Boss the thick insulating blanket to help you cold weather
I understand that the pit boss had problems keeping the temperature a 300 degrees. Did they get that fixed. Wish they would make a pellet grill as heavy as a off set smoker.
My guess is that the cost to make a pellet grill that heavy is what keeps more from making them. I know Lone Star Grillz just released their super heavy pellet grill, so you might check that one out. They’re 3-4x the cost of this one, but it’s super heavy duty.
@@TheBarbecueLab did they fix the glitch with the temperature not working under 300
Does it come with a cover?
I definitely needed that review. I also had problems with the leg assembly and the ignitor didn't work. I must call Dansons. I now have to learn how to regulate the temperature. Great clip 👍🏼
it got mine on sale and 3 weeks later the control panel went out. after back and forth with the company i just returned it back and just paid more for a kamado.
Astonishingly individual friendly content . Great details offered on few clicks on.
i was considering this grill especially since its 100 bucks cheaper now but there are SOOOO MANY 1 star reviews all over online complaining about the same things and the poor customer service. I'm looking at US made ones as well. What US made pellet grill do you recommend for a beginner.
Pro Tip: buy dolly tires (big rubber tires) and swap them out for the hard plastic wheels the Pit Boss comes with. You can move it across your lawn without ruining it.
Is there any downside to removing the grate from the top of the hopper box?
It’s just there to keep fingers out of the auger I think. Is there a mechanical downside, not really. (Unless you’re planning on sticking things that don’t belong down in the pellet box while the grill is running.)
I have an Austin XL for about a year now and I love it the only problem I have is I would like it to have the greats as the pro series does
Just go on line and find some stainless grates that will fit it. I did and love it now.
You can use the P settings to adjust the temp to 275
I thought the manual said the P setting is used to set the auger to have more time or less time in between auger on and off cycles. Don't you use the temp knob to set the temp?
I'm thinking about buying this grill
I had the same issue with the grill loading the pot with unlit pellets until it ran out during an overnight cook. Happened after about an hour like you. Only my grill was spotless inside. No idea what happened and it hasnt happened again. That was one time in 5 years of ownership
I have put together many of those never had that problem and I used an impact
Im thinking with a heat defuser that it would get pretty nasty. Build up of grease and ash . Can you just brush these off or is cleaning more difficult ?
We find that cleaning the inside of the grill just needs to happen every 3-5 cooks to make sure we don't have a buildup of ash inside the fire cup. Cleaning off the drip tray is the hardest thing to clean on the unit, and using aluminum foil to cover the tray, it's a super simple cleanup. We don't find the cleaning of this grill to take any longer than any of our other pellet grills that we have here at the Lab.
Just make sure you get to know your smoker before the warranty is up. I've had mine for a little over a year now and it's been nothing but a headache. They'll send parts, (I'm waiting on a new control board now) but I hadn't planned to work so much for this company. I appreciate the parts, don't get me wrong, but the amount of food and pellets that have been wasted because of misdiagnosed symptoms is truly a shame.
As a beginner in smoking, how exactly am I supposed to handle just not having 275°? I'm pretty set on this smoker as it seems amazing for the price I can get it at $400. I just don't know how to deal with the temperature missing.
That's the way I felt when I got my first pellet grill. Missing 275 was a big problem for me, but in reality, just setting it to 250 and allowing a bit more time is what I ended up doing. It just means probably an hour longer cook on something like a pork butt, so it's not a deal breaker for me. I find that the more I cook, the less I choose 275. I'll go 250 or 225 way more than 275 now. That's what was the deal for me.
I just found your Chanel and I'm learning a lot. I was thinking of getting a Tranger but I'm leaning more towards the pit boss. So the big question witch model dose one have a better temperature controller or are they all the same is one model better built then others I want to spend 759 to 1000 witch model would you recommend. I really don't need a big grill but temperature control is important and wi fi . I would like to smoke fish so if there is a model that would give me more smoke then others and still keep the temperature low that would be great.
Thanks for any information that might help me decide.
Tom.
This is the best review on a smoker i be seen. thanks.
Thanks! We want to provide as much information as possible to help everyone make good buying decisions. Smoke on!
The hood is always going to register hotter because of the heat rising
And its directly above the fire pot.
Thank you for your review and insights.
Glad it was helpful Guy. Thanks for your comment.
I just bought the Austin XL. Were you ever able to figure out the cryptic "P" settings?
Good thing I waited to to purchase until now. I feel like they fixed a lot of the issues
Anyone experience that the holes in the locking caster leg's were too small for bolt
"A"?
Absolutely spot-on review I agree about the temperature settings and I've had one flame out because I didn't clean it before I started the cook great review
I heard if you set the temperature to 300 and set the meat to the left side of the grill.. you'll get 275.
What you said about the offset smoker simply isn't true. Sure if you use wood, but you can use long lasting charcoal (which is also more environmentally friendly to boot) which will last for around 6 - 8 hours. Also pellets are a lot more expensive to buy than charcoal.
Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!
Your video was SPOT ON 🎯. I just purchased my PB Pro Series 1100 the other day and immediately I noticed a 75-100 degree temp differential and didn’t understand why. I posted the situation on a Pit Boss Owners Forum in which no one never experienced this before. My question now is do you know of any modification that can be done to level the temp in the cook chamber? Can you remove the baffle and just keep the flame broil cover on? Reason I ask is because although the hood thermometer isn’t significant, I ran the smoker yesterday at 300 with a probe near the smoke stack and the temps ranged from 305 (digital temp), 325 (hood temp), and 362 (probe near stack). It’s almost like I’m getting 3 temp zones of low, medium, and high...which is not desirable. Any help you can provide is appreciated, so thanks in advance!
Same here
Do an initial warm up of the grill crank up higher temperature to heat up the grill then crank down to desired temperature make sure your smoke stack is wide open also...... but you will still get some heat swings but the grill will get a more even cooking temperature that way I usually crank it up to around 400..... and then back down to 250....... works pretty well for me
@@trevorbraden5448 Thanks!! I’m good now. Since making my initial post, my temps have come together really well. I’ve actually noticed the temps are better around the 225-250 range like you said. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. ~Each one Teach one 😎👍🏾
I just bought a pitboss and it included a first time burn
Last year. My wife bought me a el cheapo smoker from Walmart and the first cook didn't go so well. I've be smoking, grilling, cooking for a min now,
And that smoker was hell, looking into something that's a lil bit more pricey. I kinda know what I like and what I want, but she mis fired on the $109 grill. I was gonna keep it another year, but I dnt think I can. This caught my eye, I still have weber kettle that I rather use over the budget smoker my wife got. Just spent $1000 on mother's day, so $500 on fathers day is fair right? 😆
Seems completely logical to me!
Good honest review. Would love to see one on a gmg prime by this guy.
If I’m not smoking much, is a pellet grill worth it? Most of the people happy with the pellet grills seems to be people that are set on smoking it 90% of the time. Recommendations?
I think what happens to many people who buy a pellet grill is they learn how easy it is to use and all of the various things you can use it for. We cut our kitchen oven use by 60% or more, and those dishes that we used to bake in the oven now go on the pellet grill. It's the extra added flavor of a little bit of smoke and the fact that we don't have to warm up the kitchen when we don't want to that keeps us choosing the pellet over the oven.
Just bought one ! Awesome grill/smoker.
you never heard of an easy out?
On the dial, could you go between the 250, and the 300 degrees, or will it not allow you to stop in the middle to reach a temperature in between?
There isn't a way to stop in between 250 and 300 on the Austin XL. That being said, it's still easily one of my favorite pellet smokers under $500.
@@davidgafford6013 Do you have a video or can you go a little more in depth on the first initial "Cook" on this grill? New to smoking things and want to do it right.
Great presentation.
In regards to thing metals not being for winter or windy conditions, would a Traegar hold up any better? Or is this just an issue for all pellet smokers?
It's really an issue for any pellet smokers that aren't made of thick metal. Pretty much any pellet smoker you find for under $1,000 is made of thinner metal, and the door isn't sealed with any kind of gasket. This is where the problems lies for me. There's some out there like Smokin Brothers and Memphis that are more expensive, but they have wrap around doors that are sealed against wind and they're made with much thicker metal for the cooking chamber. In my opinion, it's all about hitting a price point for big box stores for the most part. They want a smoker at a certain price, and things must be done to hit those goals.
Great Video. well done, good review and comments, fair and well rounded. thanks for it.
Thanks Bruce. Smoke on!
so what is your recommended pellet grille that wont break the bank? something in the $500 and below range. this was a great video but i felt i heard more cons than pros so I would love to know what other options are out there
Hi Carlos, we have a review coming out on the 1150 Pro from Pit Boss in the next week, and I think that would be worth a watch for you. We're working on our best of 2021 roundup, and we'll have that in the future as well. The Austin XL is a really good pellet smoker for the price.
not looking for a pellet grill cause I already have Rec Tec 700 but I enjoy your reviews
Thanks for stopping by Gabriel!
Gabriel B I’m on the market for a Grill and I’m drying to decide between this one, rec tec 700, and the Ozark Bison. What’s your honest opinion on your RecTec?
@@Ratbiker48 I've only had it about a month and don't have any bad things to say about the grill. I will say the only thing, the wifi has to be on a 2.4Ghz bandwidth and the app is a bit wonky. I do love the hopper size, I love the wifi feature, the grill keeps the temps I set perfectly. it will sometimes vary by 1 or 2 degrees that's about it. it goes from 180 (high smoke) to 600 F. I honestly recommend it, you won't regret it. this thing has made me look like a pitmaster with my family lmao.
thanks, great video. I am getting one tomorrow.
To get 275 if you’re smoking set it in smoke mode at p0 or p1
nice video, I have a question - where is the serial number located at?
I think it's under the lid of the pellet hopper. I don't have the grill with me to check, anyone want to confirm?