# Costco Louisiana Grills Series 7 Pellet Vertical Smoker



## 90beater

Costco recently started selling a Louisiana Grills brand series 7 vertical smoker that seems to have the same specifications as the Pit Boss series 7. They sell it for $599 but now have a warehouse price of $449 if you can find it in stores. It includes two temperature probes and a cover. 

It took me three tries to find one but I did and got one home. There were many parts to get it finished but the instructions were easy to follow. I did the initial burn in today and plan on smoking a pork butt tomorrow to test it out.








It moves around easily with the large castors to store it when not in use. The cover has a zipper which makes it easy to install.







I will do my first cook tomorrow and report back on how well it smokes.


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## gmc2003

Congrats on the new smoker. It looks nice.

Chris


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## flatbroke

congrats, looks almost identical to the pitboss series 5 in features.


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## Preacher Man

I actually saw this deal and stood in Costco leaning on the box trying to research reviews on this forum about it. I didn't find any, so I look forward to your review. 

However, I reckon that last box is long gone by now.


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## 90beater

I am breaking it in now. I started with a cheaper cut of meat to test it out. A Pork Butt. I will add the Trout if it seems to be working OK.






I injected it and rubbed it last night.







I ran it at 150* for 45 minutes just to inject a lot of smoke then bumped it up to 225*.


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## jbellard

Looks like a lot of white smoke coming out of everywhere. Wonder how well those pellets are burning. Let us know how it works.


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## Steve4570

I just bought one yesterday. Haven’t burned it in yet. My work is interfering . I am new to pellet cooking. Have been using a big green egg & electric smoker for a number of years. Looking forward to the pellet smoker; also learning from this group.  Thanks 
Steve


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## 90beater

jbellard said:


> Looks like a lot of white smoke coming out of everywhere. Wonder how well those pellets are burning. Let us know how it works.



Just out of the chimney. It's windy today. I am using the Lowes Pit Boss competition pellets. Luckily at 225* it's not sucking them down as fast as the burn in did. 

The butt has stalled at 154 for the last two hours. It's making me hungry waiting for it.







So I put in the Steelhead Trout and Bison burgers so I can eat soon.


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## mike243

I don't worry about white smoke,I suspect its moisture,black smoke is BBAADDDDD lol


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## 90beater

The Bison Burgers turned out amazing. They could not have turned out better.







The Steelhead Trout also came out great.







But it is after 3AM and the pork butt is still not done. It is close though. It will be an almost 24 hour cook. It does look yummy.


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## 90beater

3:20am and it finally finished. I don't care because this is the best thing I have ever tasted. I keep going back for more.


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## gmc2003

Looks real good from here. congratulations on a successful smoke.

Point for sure
Chris


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## ross77

Food looks good.  Why do they put windows on smokers?


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## 90beater

So you can watch the first half of the cook close up and have something else to clean when you are done. 

I pulled it apart and added a great bbq sauce from a local place. It turned out great.


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## G_funk3

I saw this thing yesterday at Costco and was very intrigued. I came home and tried to research it but found very little info on it, found their website and it wasn’t even listed on there. 

It does look very very similar to the pit boss ones. That had me worried because I have seen many mixed reviews with the pit boss ones, from the hopper lid letting moisture into hopper and ruining pellets, goofy auger design that clogs easily, and people complaining that if you put a rack of chicken wings or anything too much in it, it freaks out. If this isn’t a clone or a rebranded version of the pit boss I’d be very interested. Otherwise I’ve been leaning towards the camp chef xxl cabinet smoker, my only issue with that one is that the temp doesn’t go all that high. 

Thoughts?


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## ross77

It’s Costco. Low risk due to their generous return policy.


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## RCAlan

G_funk3 said:


> I saw this thing yesterday at Costco and was very intrigued. I came home and tried to research it but found very little info on it, found their website and it wasn’t even listed on there.
> 
> It does look very very similar to the pit boss ones. That had me worried because I have seen many mixed reviews with the pit boss ones, from the hopper lid letting moisture into hopper and ruining pellets, goofy auger design that clogs easily, and people complaining that if you put a rack of chicken wings or anything too much in it, it freaks out. If this isn’t a clone or a rebranded version of the pit boss I’d be very interested. Otherwise I’ve been leaning towards the camp chef xxl cabinet smoker, my only issue with that one is that the temp doesn’t go all that high.
> 
> Thoughts?



G_funk3..  Great move to inquire when interested about a possible new $$$ investment..  I’ve always said, Pellet Grills are not for everyone, especially for people that find it hard to follow directions or who are lazy when it come to just reading the Owners Manual.  That said, Louisiana Grills and Pit Boss both put out quality products.  The Dansons Corp. produces both brands and I know the Pit Boss brands are backed by a 5 year warranty... Most others brands are from 1-3 years warranties.  If You’re interested in possibly getting the Louisiana Grills 7 Series Vertical Pellet Smoker or even the Pit Boss Copperhead 5 or 7 Series version, I would research here, Pit Boss Facebook, and all the good forum sites and pick the brains and ask the Owners that are happy with their Louisiana Grill/Pit Boss Pellet Grill experiences.  They’ll be about to tell you from first hand experience on what they did to keep their grills running trouble free and what not to do too avoid issues.  Often times, not always, but often times the first time Pellet Grills Owners that post about problems are the ones that didn’t follow the Owners Manual instructions and took short cuts.  I’m not here trying to promote any one brand, but I can say, I’m happy with my PB Austin XL.  And You know, when it comes to possibly putting out $500.00-$1000.00 plus dollars, You want to be sure you’re making the right move on that kind of investment.  Good luck..  smh...  I almost said P_funk3, but it’s G_funk3

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always...  Semper Fi


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## RCAlan

90beater said:


> So you can watch the first half of the cook close up and have something else to clean when you are done.
> 
> I pulled it apart and added a great bbq sauce from a local place. It turned out great.



90beater, all the pics of your bbqs looks Great!!  I wasn’t trying to highjack your thread, but just trying to help a poster with questions.  If possible, keep posting your experiences with your new Louisiana Grills 7 Series.  


PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always...  Semper Fi


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## G_funk3

ross77 said:


> It’s Costco. Low risk due to their generous return policy.


Sure they have a good return policy, but probably not returnable after a year if it starts having issues. I also wonder about getting replacement parts since I couldn’t even find the smoker on Louisiana’s own website.


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## G_funk3

RCAlan said:


> G_funk3..  Great move to inquire when interested about a possible new $$$ investment..  I’ve always said, Pellet Grills are not for everyone, especially for people that find it hard to follow directions or who are lazy when it come to just reading the Owners Manual.  That said, Louisiana Grills and Pit Boss both put out quality products.  The Dansons Corp. produces both brands and I know the Pit Boss brands are backed by a 5 year warranty... Most others brands are from 1-3 years warranties.  If You’re interested in possibly getting the Louisiana Grills 7 Series Vertical Pellet Smoker or even the Pit Boss Copperhead 5 or 7 Series version, I would research here, Pit Boss Facebook, and all the good forum sites and pick the brains and ask the Owners that are happy with their Louisiana Grill/Pit Boss Pellet Grill experiences.  They’ll be about to tell you from first hand experience on what they did to keep their grills running trouble free and what not to do too avoid issues.  Often times, not always, but often times the first time Pellet Grills Owners that post about problems are the ones that didn’t follow the Owners Manual instructions and took short cuts.  I’m not here trying to promote any one brand, but I can say, I’m happy with my PB Austin XL.  And You know, when it comes to possibly putting out $500.00-$1000.00 plus dollars, You want to be sure you’re making the right move on that kind of investment.  Good luck..  smh...  I almost said P_funk3, but it’s G_funk3
> 
> PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always...  Semper Fi


Thanks for the info, I agree. Even though it is a good deal it is still hard throwing out $500 if it ends up being a piece of junk. I currently have a small Traeger and I am looking to upgrade. I really like the cooking size of these newer cabinet looking pellet grills.


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## ross77

G_funk3 said:


> Sure they have a good return policy, but probably not returnable after a year if it starts having issues. I also wonder about getting replacement parts since I couldn’t even find the smoker on Louisiana’s own website.



I bet they would still take it back. They give the customer the benefit of the doubt unless you really abuse the return policy.


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## mneeley490

Like Preacher Man, I was also checking this out at Costco last weekend. But I'd have to check my health insurance to see if covers "Acts of Wife".


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## 90beater

Haha Lots of funny replies but it was actually my wife that pointed this deal out to me. She knew my electric smoker crapped out recently and suggested I buy it. After a little research I decided to give it a try. 

So far it's so good. I will be bringing in half the smoked Butt to work to get the real reviews. Yes free food for co-workers and see their opinions.


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## 90beater

mneeley490 said:


> Like Preacher Man, I was also checking this out at Costco last weekend. But I'd have to check my health insurance to see if covers "Acts of Wife".



Just put in something she really likes, fish, eggs, cheese or pretty much anything. When you have her taste it all will be forgiven.


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## skidog

It looks like the same controller as my Pit Boss 5 series. I'm pretty sure it's probably all the same parts as the Pit Boss units, just a different name plate. I made some venison and elk jerky on mine the other day and did have a flame out with it set at 150*. Ironically I had it set on smoke mode the other day with my Thermoworks probes inside and it never flamed out and was running between 85* and 120* roughly, ran it for an hour or so without issue.
As for the pellet lid letting water in comment. I've not heard of that problem, I have heard of the pellet dump door letting moisture in and swelling pellets and that is a legit concern if storing outside. I'll probably make a little shield or something. But it will mostly be in the garage. Do I wish it had a better controller? Yup. My Davy Crockett is a way better controller. That said I paid 345 for Davy whereas I paid 199 for the 5 series from Walmart on clearance. Plus the 5 year warranty I'm very happy with my purchase. Although It's going to take awhile for me to trust it for overnight cooks.


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## RCAlan

skidog said:


> It looks like the same controller as my Pit Boss 5 series. I'm pretty sure it's probably all the same parts as the Pit Boss units, just a different name plate. I made some venison and elk jerky on mine the other day and did have a flame out with it set at 150*. Ironically I had it set on smoke mode the other day with my Thermoworks probes inside and it never flamed out and was running between 85* and 120* roughly, ran it for an hour or so without issue.
> As for the pellet lid letting water in comment. I've not heard of that problem, I have heard of the pellet dump door letting moisture in and swelling pellets and that is a legit concern if storing outside. I'll probably make a little shield or something. But it will mostly be in the garage. Do I wish it had a better controller? Yup. My Davy Crockett is a way better controller. That said I paid 345 for Davy whereas I paid 199 for the 5 series from Walmart on clearance. Plus the 5 year warranty I'm very happy with my purchase. Although It's going to take awhile for me to trust it for overnight cooks.



FYI..  All readers, the Specs for the Louisiana Grills Series 7 Vertical Smoker and the PB Copperhead 5-7 Series are almost the same...  
Skidog, during the Flame Out you had with your PB Copperhead 5, what was the weather conditions/outdoor temps at that time? Also, how many cooks had You done on it so far?  Every brand and type Pellet Grill has their own unique start up procedures and some may require more maintenance then others.   I know the info in the Owners Manual says on page 18, is to clean/vacuum out the burn pot after every cook for your PB Copperhead 5...  Another Pellet Grill brand may recommend something different..  Also the Start up procedures and preheating must be done and followed the same way for every cook...  No Short Cuts...  Set it and Forget it, will not work on these Smokers...  Following the start up procedures will help prevent Flame Outs and help your Smoker maintain stable grill temps.  Low n Slow cooking temps for Your Smoker is from 150*-250* degrees...  150* degrees is the lowest temp your smoker should run at, any lower could cause a flame out.  If Your Smokers temps drops below 150* degrees, I would check it to insure everything is ok...  For overnight cooks, make sure the Pellets in the Hopper are flowing down smoothly and are not tunneling, which could create/cause a flame out to happen as well.  It’ll take a few cooks to get everything dialed in and to have a clear understanding of your PB Copperhead 5.  You got a very nice Pellet Smoker and for $199.00, that was a steal of a deal...  


PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always...  Semper Fi


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## skidog

I know all about the start up procedure with the Pit Boss. Yes I followed it. Weather was mid 40's and barely any wind. As far as cooks, I had only done the burn in and the little bit of testing it, so maybe a total of 6 or 7 hours. The pot having the minuscule amount of ash it had in it is not why it flamed out. All the pellet grill manufacturers recommend cleaning after every cook. I don't really care that it flamed out, I was just stating my experience. I never expected this unit to run tight temperatures, the controller just isn't good enough. I'm fine with that, I knew it before I bought it.
I know you love your Pit Boss unit and are trying to help people, I've seen your posts on a number of forums.
Since you seem to be knowledgeable about Pit Boss. What temp is it supposed to run at when set on smoke mode? If it's supposed to run at no less than 150* then whats the purpose of smoke mode?


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## RCAlan

skidog said:


> I know all about the start up procedure with the Pit Boss. Yes I followed it. Weather was mid 40's and barely any wind. As far as cooks, I had only done the burn in and the little bit of testing it, so maybe a total of 6 or 7 hours. The pot having the minuscule amount of ash it had in it is not why it flamed out. All the pellet grill manufacturers recommend cleaning after every cook. I don't really care that it flamed out, I was just stating my experience. I never expected this unit to run tight temperatures, the controller just isn't good enough. I'm fine with that, I knew it before I bought it.
> I know you love your Pit Boss unit and are trying to help people, I've seen your posts on a number of forums.
> Since you seem to be knowledgeable about Pit Boss. What temp is it supposed to run at when set on smoke mode? If it's supposed to run at no less than 150* then whats the purpose of smoke mode?



Smoke Mode Temps for the PB Copperhead 5&7 Series Smokers run from 125*-150* degrees as per PB/Louisiana Grills Customer Service.  That information is not found in the Owners Manual nor their website.  The Controller used in the Copperhead units are different then the ones used in the PB Pro Series Grills and the Austin XL Grill.  The Smoke Mode Temp range for those grills are from 175*-200* degrees.  I posted the prior info to try too help keep your Smokers temp above 150* degrees because I knew on My grill, I would get a warning of a possible flame out at that temp...  So on Smoke mode, the Louisiana Grills 7 Series and the PB Copperhead 5-7 Series Smokers should run safely at temps as low as 125* degrees while on Smoke Mode...  And note, I don’t love my PB unit..  It’s just a hobby I enjoy...


PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always...  Semper Fi


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## skidog

Sorry I was in a hurry when I responded earlier. Now that I read it it does sound like I was being a dink. Didn't mean to sound like that. 
Actually your other posts about this smoker is why I read about the start up procedure and follow it. So again I didn't mean to make it sound like your a fan boy for Pellet Boss.
Thanks for the info about smoke mode. I was sincerely interested in any info you might of had.


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## 90beater

RCAlan said:


> Smoke Mode Temps for the PB Copperhead 5&7 Series Smokers run from 125*-150* degrees as per PB/Louisiana Grills Customer Service.  That information is not found in the Owners Manual nor their website.  The Controller used in the Copperhead units are different then the ones used in the PB Pro Series Grills and the Austin XL Grill.  The Smoke Mode Temp range for those grills are from 175*-200* degrees.  I posted the prior info to try too help keep your Smokers temp above 150* degrees because I knew on My grill, I would get a warning of a possible flame out at that temp...  So on Smoke mode, the Louisiana Grills 7 Series and the PB Copperhead 5-7 Series Smokers should run safely at temps as low as 125* degrees while on Smoke Mode...  And note, I don’t love my PB unit..  It’s just a hobby I enjoy...
> 
> 
> PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always...  Semper Fi



Thank you for posting this information.


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## 90beater

I will give beef jerky a try on this thing tomorrow and see how it comes out.


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## 90beater

The LG series 7 gets another A+ for making jerky.

Two racks with 3 types of jerky started around 1pm.







5 hours in and it's looking like jerky.







Lower rack was 1/8" took 7 hours at 150*, upper rack was 1/4" took 7 1/2 hours. It all turned out excellent.


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## bigozzy86

Saw this deal last week at Costco as well.  I have had a masterbuilt propane box for last few years.  Looking to upgrade to a pellet smoker.  Seemed to be narrowed down to Camp Chef SG or new Traeger Pro 575 with wifi


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## 90beater

I have done a few more cooks on this pellet smoker and can say it is rock solid. 

Leg of lamb came out perfect.







As did a couple of Salmon fillets.







I have also made more Bison burgers that came out better than on the grill but no pictures, The main thing is this pellet cooker works great and it well worth the price that Costco is selling it for.


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## mike243

Glad your liking it,son is liking the #5 we bought them for Christmas


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## jsaucey17

Bought this smoker (my first one) about a month ago and have done 5 smokes now and every time I have had a flame out with an error code Erl. I have followed startup procedures from the manual every time, and it seems random. Sometimes after a couple hours, and other times it will have gone 18 hours before it went out. I called support and they said to open the top vent all the way. Unfortunately that hasn't helped. Has anyone else had issues with this? Would appreciate any tips, as this smoke seems great, but this issue has been quite annoying.


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## 90beater

Sorry to hear you are having trouble but I have not had it happen once.


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## RCAlan

jsaucey17 said:


> Bought this smoker (my first one) about a month ago and have done 5 smokes now and every time I have had a flame out with an error code Erl. I have followed startup procedures from the manual every time, and it seems random. Sometimes after a couple hours, and other times it will have gone 18 hours before it went out. I called support and they said to open the top vent all the way. Unfortunately that hasn't helped. Has anyone else had issues with this? Would appreciate any tips, as this smoke seems great, but this issue has been quite annoying.




Error code Erl or ErL means the Temp is to low...  Here’s a link to a previous thread about the same problem...  Read the last few postings..  

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pit-boss-copperhead-erl-error-code.285513/

Give PB Customer Service a call for support to correct the issue.  Good luck.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always...  Semper Fi


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## mike243

My son had the same code 2 weeks ago,he ran low on pellets and the fire went out,you can get pellets that bridge and don't flow into the auger and cause that on any of the pellet smokers,might want to look into the hopper and the fire pot the next time that happens and see whats up


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## Jon Williams

I just bought the same smoker.  That 24 hour smoke on your pork butt is a LONG time.  The first thing I did on my smoker was to run my probe thermometer on it and placed the probe around the middle grate.  Temp is consistently 35 degrees lower than the unit registers.  Not surprising since the internal thermo probe is very close to the firebox.  Not a deal killer for me...but a poor design.  Once I account for this and set the temp accordingly it held really steady.  So if you think you're smoking at 225, your likely below 200.  that could account for your long smoke time.


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## 90beater

That could very well be. I picked up a 6 probe bluetooth thermometer so I can test it compared to the built in ones.


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## Jon Williams

90beater said:


> That could very well be. I picked up a 6 probe bluetooth thermometer so I can test it compared to the built in ones.


Nice.  I had a huge smoke this past weekend.  Had 5 full racks of spare ribs so I had 5 shelves going.  I couldn't get the internal temp over 200...even setting it to 300.  I realize that when you fill your smoker up with 40 degree meat, temps will go down, but after 45 minutes I was running out of patience.  I read in some other forums that others struggled with temps when there was a lot of meat in it, and the solution was to remove the water pan and just use a foil pan filled with water on the bottom rack.  I did that and temps shot up quickly and stayed within 15 degrees of target the entire smoke.  Toward the end it started running a little on the hotter side (as the meat was pretty much cooked).  So my guess is that the internal thermometer takes into account this stock water pan in calculating temps at the grate level...just a hunch.  When I used this smaller pan the next day for just one small item, the temps were running 20 degrees hotter....with stock water pan they were consistently 35 degrees cooler.  I think I'm going to cut an additional air vent or 2 in the stock water tray and see if that gets me somewhere in the middle.  At least I'm not getting huge swings during the cook.  Once I figure this thing out I'm pretty confident I can set it and forget it.


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## 90beater

I have read that as well with the Pit Boss series 7 brothers. I quickly replaced the drip pan with disposable aluminum pans from Costco. Easier cleanup and toss them after a few uses. They fit perfectly in this smoker.







Next up.


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## 90beater

I used an external 6 probe temperature gauge with bluetooth to compare the LG to another device to see it's accuracy. On the actual LG we will use Cook, Actual, Probe 1 - meat and probe 2 is hanging off the rack near the top. External 1-3 are in the meat. External 4 is hanging next to probe 2. I watched it for about 15 minutes and it seems to be pretty constant. The good thing is even though it reads low the swing isn't near as bad as it seems. All three external in the meat are the same so I will put them as the same.








There was a little variance like the actual would sometimes drop to 245 as the pellets started burning but would quickly jump back up to 250. A few times it also jumped up to 265 for a second but quickly dropped back to 260. The max I saw either hanging probe change was 3 degrees and as little 1 degree but usually 2 degrees. To me that's not much swing at all. Clearly not a 30 degree swing.


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## 90beater

I would like to add The temperature sensor (Actual) probably needs to be within the firebox because that small area does have a huge swing but the cooking area seems to be more even. Perhaps they should have included another sensor in the actual cooking area with cooking temp. I had filled up the foil tray about half way with water and there was only about 1/4" by the time it was done. That is supposed to stabilize the temperature and having about 4 times the capacity even half filled as the stock pan that might be what helped to keep the temp swings in check.


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## 90beater

What I cooked?

I made a couple of Bison burgers since I knew the brisket would be a long cook. They finish pretty fast but always come out amazing in this smoker and are fast to cook.







We are going to my parents house tomorrow for mothers day so along with the brisket I made some beans with bacon and red bell peppers. I have seen too many others make this so I had to try it. It came out great.







Sorry for the blurry pics, my phone just didn't want to cooperate tonight.

The main course was a 8.4 Lb brisket. I pre-seasoned it with mustard for stick, a Weber dry rub and the special ingredient is a OX roast from Sanoma Cheese Factory. I buy it by the pound, unfortunately they are closed right now due to family issues. I hope that is fixed soon. When close to done I pour apple juice on it then sprinkle brown sugar on top. I do this three times at the end so the brown sugar caramelizes without getting burned.

This is about 180* almost there. Sorry for all the probes but I was testing things out. See above.







The end result was nothing less than incredible. I have cooked a few briskets in my time but none have come anywhere close to how this one came out. This is better than any brisket I have even eaten in a steakhouse. From California to Texas. I sure hope Sanoma CF gets things figured out soon because I'm almost out of OX.


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## ISmellSmoke

Wow that is an incredible looking brisket. Did you remove the the water pan and replace it with the foil pan? I bought my Louisiana Grill a couple of months ago when Costco first had them on sale. I’m still tinkering with it if it would quit raining so much I could get in some more tinkering. I roasted some raw peanuts in it a couple weeks ago and they turned out great. Nice Job on the brisket.


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## 90beater

ISmellSmoke said:


> Wow that is an incredible looking brisket. Did you remove the the water pan and replace it with the foil pan?



Thanks, mom loved it, dad did too. Yes I replaced the original pan. It does give room for the smoke to breathe much. The foil pan has clearance all around and holds much more water to keep the temps stable.


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## 90beater

Another brisket, overnight smoke. No issues.


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## Jaimo

Does anyone know where I can find a manual for this smoker?


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## mike243

I wood start at the pitboss web site , not a real lot in the little 1 that came with my smoker.


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## cmpaula

I have misplaced the instructions for the Costco vertical smoker but I think I remember reading that it had to be prepped.  Can anyone confirm this?


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## RCAlan

cmpaula said:


> I have misplaced the instructions for the Costco vertical smoker but I think I remember reading that it had to be prepped.  Can anyone confirm this?



Cmpaula, if your pellet grill is the Louisiana Grills Vertical Smoker, give the PB Copperhead 7 Series Owners Manual a look..  It’s the exact same Smoker and made by the same company...  Here’s the link...  https://images.pitboss-grills.com/catalog/manuel/77700_20171016.pdf

Good luck and for best results with your grill, read the Owners Manual completely and don’t take any short cuts..

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always...  Semper Fi


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## cmpaula

Many thanks, my friend!


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## 90beater

3 1/2 months in and it hasn't let me down once. from today.

St Louis style ribs.







Bison ribeyes and Elk medallions smoked then seared on the SM pit.


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## jmevox

My father bought the same smoker and I absolutely love it.  I think I'm going to buy one for myself but they are hard to find in stock now.  I have done several rib cooks, a ham and stuffed venison backstrap.  I need to test out a brisket and some venison jerky in the next few weeks.  I have had no issues at all and clean up is pretty simple.


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## dward51

I keep hoping they run them on sale again (either the Costco 7 model or the Walmart Copperhead 5).  I missed both the Walmart 2018 model clearance for $108 and the Costco sale earlier this year.  Bummer....


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## shamilton

Alright - I need help addressing two issues. I've tried to read a 1000 forums on this for the LG Vertical Smoker...and really haven't found much. 

*1)* Temperature swings - with the metal water pan (that came with it) at the bottom, closest to the firebox in, I see about 15-20 degrees consistently (without any meat). With a full 17 pound pork butt, swings between 40-50 degrees. *Using Thermapro thermometers)*

*Question:* Has the placement of the water pan affected anyone's temperatures in a positive way (less swings) --- i.e. moving it HIGHER up the racks?
*Question:* Has removing the metal water pan and replacing it with an aluminum one really made that big of a difference?
*Question:* How about not having the water pan at all? Results? Thoughts?

*2) *Packing Meat w/ Smoke - Smoked a pork butt last week. Wanted the smoker to stay at 250 degrees, had to switch the unit to 300 because of the 50 degree difference. Very little smoke flavor. *Used Pit Boss Pellets*

*Question:* Smoke mode...should I just keep it on smoke mode for 2-3 hours if this is the case?
*Question: *Any other thoughts about getting more smoke into it outside of using smoke mode?

*3)* Meat Placement & Temperature - I usually keep what I'm smoking on the top few racks (if I'm not doing that much).

*Question:* Any experience with where your smoker is the most accurate? Top, middle, bottom?


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## Jon Williams

shamilton said:


> Alright - I need help addressing two issues. I've tried to read a 1000 forums on this for the LG Vertical Smoker...and really haven't found much.
> 
> *1)* Temperature swings - with the metal water pan (that came with it) at the bottom, closest to the firebox in, I see about 15-20 degrees consistently (without any meat). With a full 17 pound pork butt, swings between 40-50 degrees. *Using Thermapro thermometers)*
> 
> *Question:* Has the placement of the water pan affected anyone's temperatures in a positive way (less swings) --- i.e. moving it HIGHER up the racks?
> *Question:* Has removing the metal water pan and replacing it with an aluminum one really made that big of a difference?
> *Question:* How about not having the water pan at all? Results? Thoughts?
> 
> *2) *Packing Meat w/ Smoke - Smoked a pork butt last week. Wanted the smoker to stay at 250 degrees, had to switch the unit to 300 because of the 50 degree difference. Very little smoke flavor. *Used Pit Boss Pellets*
> 
> *Question:* Smoke mode...should I just keep it on smoke mode for 2-3 hours if this is the case?
> *Question: *Any other thoughts about getting more smoke into it outside of using smoke mode?
> 
> *3)* Meat Placement & Temperature - I usually keep what I'm smoking on the top few racks (if I'm not doing that much).
> 
> *Question:* Any experience with where your smoker is the most accurate? Top, middle, bottom?



I’ve experienced similar:

1. Temp swings - I’m generally OK with small-medium amounts of meat. For that I leave in the stock water pan. For larger loads I’ve found it can’t quite keep up. In these cases I remove it and place an aluminum half pan on the bottom rack. Stays pretty steady after that. May run a little warmer so for 250 I may need to set at 225, but the swings are pretty small.

2.  Smoke flavor. You don’t get a lot of smoke flavor out of this. That’s ok. Easy fix. For fuel I load the unit up with Lowe’s Pit Boss Competition Blend pellets. They’re good and you’ll get the fuel to run the smoker and a little smoke flavor. For smoke...get one of those cold smoke tubes off Amazon. They’re only $12-$15. I’ll load that up with good quality pellets from Lumber Jack. A full tube will go 5 hours or so. Light it with a kitchen torch and let burn a few minutes and the flame will subside and you’ll get a light smolder. Place the tube on a low rack above the fan on far left or right of smoker.  The tube needs air. You’ll get a perfect thin blue smoke throughout the entire cook. Honestly without the smoke tube...I’d likely return this smoker. But I consider it with the smoke tube a perfect combo and get great results.


----------



## dward51

One thing to remember is these smokers do *NOT* have PID controllers.  They are analog controllers, so larger temp swings are not uncommon.  I don't think it matters one bit though.  The swing is more pronounced at lower temps and reported to be more stable at 250* and up smokes.  Also not all pellets are created equal.  Some burn easier and hotter than others so there are other variables at play here.

Some of the threads I've followed on other forums seem to recommend leaving the stock water pan in place and adding a disposable foil pan on the lowest rack setting, also with water.  Yes you loose a rack, but the original pan then serves as a heat baffle and the new pan becomes your water pan and also the drip pan.

Most people are reporting they switched to Lumber Jack Pellets, which are 100% flavor wood.  A lot of pellets are some base wood with flavor wood added in smaller amounts.  The base wood is often not really imparting much if any flavor to the smoke.  So if you have a pellet made from 75% base wood (say alder) and 25% flavor wood (say apple), you will not get as much apple smoke flavor from the same amount of pellets at the same temp and time as a pellet made from 100% apple.  Also if you are used to stick burner smoked food, pellet do no product the same strength flavor profile in general.  But they can still turn out some excellent smoked food.


----------



## 90beater

shamilton said:


> Alright - I need help addressing two issues. I've tried to read a 1000 forums on this for the LG Vertical Smoker...and really haven't found much.
> 
> *1)* Temperature swings - with the metal water pan (that came with it) at the bottom, closest to the firebox in, I see about 15-20 degrees consistently (without any meat). With a full 17 pound pork butt, swings between 40-50 degrees. *Using Thermapro thermometers)*
> 
> *Question:* Has the placement of the water pan affected anyone's temperatures in a positive way (less swings) --- i.e. moving it HIGHER up the racks?
> *Question:* Has removing the metal water pan and replacing it with an aluminum one really made that big of a difference?
> *Question:* How about not having the water pan at all? Results? Thoughts?
> 
> *2) *Packing Meat w/ Smoke - Smoked a pork butt last week. Wanted the smoker to stay at 250 degrees, had to switch the unit to 300 because of the 50 degree difference. Very little smoke flavor. *Used Pit Boss Pellets*
> 
> *Question:* Smoke mode...should I just keep it on smoke mode for 2-3 hours if this is the case?
> *Question: *Any other thoughts about getting more smoke into it outside of using smoke mode?
> 
> *3)* Meat Placement & Temperature - I usually keep what I'm smoking on the top few racks (if I'm not doing that much).
> 
> *Question:* Any experience with where your smoker is the most accurate? Top, middle, bottom?




Do yourself a favor and throw that original pan in the trash where it belongs.
1. It does not hold enough water.
2. It restricts the airflow too much.

I removed the original pan and replaced it with a double aluminum pan that can also be purchased at Costco in a multi pack. I double them so it doesn't fold in half when carrying the used water away to dump it. the fire box dampens the direct heat so there is no need to have the original pan in there. As for where to place the food when smoking I start on the top and add racks as needed working my way down.

I have done many cooks with it and it makes a huge difference. If you look at my posts above I only get a 10 degree swing below the water and only 1 to 3 degree change above.








The reason for the swing is the auger dumps in a bunch of pellets, they burn fast increasing the temp. When they burn out it cools fast. When it drops enough it will dump in more pellets and repeat.

The aluminum pan holds about 10 times the amount of water as the original pan. This is what stabilizes the temperature on the top part of the smoker. It also gives better air flow which helps when smoking larger cuts of meat.

The hotter you run these smokers the less smoke you will get.

I have had a couple smokers before (propane and electric) and this by far injects more smoke into the meat. I was at Walmart yesterday and noticed they now sell the Amazen smoke tube so I picked one up in case I want to do a fast smoke.


----------



## JWFokker

If you've only tried propane and electric, pellet smoke plus a tube to supplement is a big improvement. You should try a stick burner next. It'll blow you away. The bark alone is completely different with a proper wood fire because you're getting real pellicle formation.


----------



## 90beater

Thanks. The pellet is more for convenience. When I want to cook with wood I use <---------<< the pit.


----------



## jmevox

Just used my series 7 again on Sunday to make ribs.  Gotta say I think I perfected my recipe.


----------



## 90beater

jmevox said:


> Just used my series 7 again on Sunday to make ribs.  Gotta say I think I perfected my recipe.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 400170



Heck yeah! If I could grab a few off my screen I would eat them now. It looks tasty.


----------



## jmevox

They were damn good.  I've been tinkering around with a lot of rubs and sauces (killer hogs/Oakridge).  Think I finally found my rub combo.  I like to change up the sauces a lot but blue hogs seems like a favorite in my family.


----------



## 90beater

I had my smoker packed up and was going to make a salad for dinner. When I started pulling things out of the fridge plans changed. I ended up with a nice bacon bomb. It was not the prettiest one ever made but it tasted amazing.


----------



## 90beater

1 LB Bison burger seasoned. 2 Jalapeno peppers shell only. Green onions long strewn about. Big handful of cilantro. A good amount of Feta Cheese. Multiple seasoned Mozzarella cheese balls. Wrapped in 1 LB of bacon.

Smoked with Hickory pellets. 275* for 4 hours.


----------



## thebattman

flatbroke said:


> congrats, looks almost identical to the pitboss series 5 in features.


Louisiana Grills & Pit Boss are the same company - and are the same smokers, just with different badging and colors. (It's pretty much like GMC and Chevrolet use to be - (those two have a few more differences now).


----------



## jmevox

Made my first Brisket ever yesterday.  Came out awesome.


----------



## Shaker00

Brand new to smokers; bought this Lou Grill Vert Pellet smoker at Costco. Have read and followed instructions in detail. Worked one time and now just smokes when I try to use it again, no flame at start up. Can’t hear fan so wondering if that is issue, if fan problem? After 10 mins, shuts with error code saying check electronics... not real helpful. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong at start up before I return, I’ll take them. Jealous of all the good eating, I want to get to that part. Thanks


----------



## JWFokker

Sounds like you identified the problem. I'd exchange it.


----------



## jmevox

Yeah I would give Louisana Grills a call and see if they have any solutions but you definitely have a problem.  As soon as you turn the Smoker on you should hear the fan working.


----------



## JimboHold

90beater said:


> Do yourself a favor and throw that original pan in the trash where it belongs.
> 1. It does not hold enough water.
> 2. It restricts the airflow too much.
> 
> I removed the original pan and replaced it with a double aluminum pan that can also be purchased at Costco in a multi pack. I double them so it doesn't fold in half when carrying the used water away to dump it. the fire box dampens the direct heat so there is no need to have the original pan in there. As for where to place the food when smoking I start on the top and add racks as needed working my way down.
> 
> I have done many cooks with it and it makes a huge difference. If you look at my posts above I only get a 10 degree swing below the water and only 1 to 3 degree change above.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The reason for the swing is the auger dumps in a bunch of pellets, they burn fast increasing the temp. When they burn out it cools fast. When it drops enough it will dump in more pellets and repeat.
> 
> The aluminum pan holds about 10 times the amount of water as the original pan. This is what stabilizes the temperature on the top part of the smoker. It also gives better air flow which helps when smoking larger cuts of meat.
> 
> The hotter you run these smokers the less smoke you will get.
> 
> I have had a couple smokers before (propane and electric) and this by far injects more smoke into the meat. I was at Walmart yesterday and noticed they now sell the Amazen smoke tube so I picked one up in case I want to do a fast smoke.


I followed your advice and replaced the drip pan with the large aluminum pans.  It worked great.  Found temperatures to be consistent with setting and small swings.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I got my LG series 7 from Costco back in May and we use it every weekend.  I also own a Pit Boss Austin XL that we also use and love so much we gave away our gas grill.


----------



## 90beater

I have been using it that way since almost new. It completely changes the way it smokes.


----------



## jmevox

Wondering if anyone is having a similar issue.  Seems like an issue with the probe or controller or both.  

When i initially heat my smoker and bring it to temp it's perfect.  Within 1-2 degrees of my thermopro.  As soon as I open the door and hit a drop in temperature the controller/probes don't recognize the drop.  The only way I can get it back up to 250 is turning the dial to 350 or 400.  The heat will come back up to 250 and then I dialing the controller back to 350.  I still need to leave it on 350 to keep the temperature at 250. It's driving me crazy.  I have to play with the controller so much I might as well just use an offset smoker it's the same amount of work.


----------



## shamilton

Ya that's sadly pretty normal. The placement of the internal thermometer is less than idea. What I do is keep a thermometer in the meat and one right below it (ambient temp) and set the smoker temperature to WHATEVER would get me to 250 that you're talking about. Who really cares what the actual temp you have to set the smoker to. It usually holds that temp well once you figure it out. 

Definitely do what other people said and get a big aluminum tin from costco and use that for your water holder. It keeps water for 10+ hours vs that small goofy one. 

Good luck.


----------



## jmevox

shamilton said:


> Ya that's sadly pretty normal. The placement of the internal thermometer is less than idea. What I do is keep a thermometer in the meat and one right below it (ambient temp) and set the smoker temperature to WHATEVER would get me to 250 that you're talking about. Who really cares what the actual temp you have to set the smoker to. It usually holds that temp well once you figure it out.
> 
> Definitely do what other people said and get a big aluminum tin from costco and use that for your water holder. It keeps water for 10+ hours vs that small goofy one.
> 
> Good luck.


Thanks.  I did replace the water pan with a much larger aluminum pan and temps are still all over the place.  I'm so sick of this smoker that I'm probably going to have 1 more cook with it tomorrow and order myself a Rec-tec for next summer.  I was planning on doing a turkey for thanksgiving but can't trust this smoker especially once it gets colder out


----------



## 90beater

jmevox said:


> Thanks.  I did replace the water pan with a much larger aluminum pan and temps are still all over the place.  I'm so sick of this smoker that I'm probably going to have 1 more cook with it tomorrow and order myself a Rec-tec for next summer.  I was planning on doing a turkey for thanksgiving but can't trust this smoker especially once it gets colder out



Make sure you are measuring the temperature above the water pan and not below it. The firebox area will surge greatly as more pellets are added and burning.  Use an external temp gauge or place one of the built in probes on a rack higher up.

You can also listen to your smoker. It should add more pellets every few minutes. You should hear the auger turning when it adds more pellets. 

In a five minute cycle. Auger turns and adds pellets, they burn and temp goes up, they finish burning and temp goes down, temp drops and the auger adds more pellets. Rinse and repeat.


----------



## JimboHold

jmevox said:


> Thanks.  I did replace the water pan with a much larger aluminum pan and temps are still all over the place.  I'm so sick of this smoker that I'm probably going to have 1 more cook with it tomorrow and order myself a Rec-tec for next summer.  I was planning on doing a turkey for thanksgiving but can't trust this smoker especially once it gets colder out


I had a similar issue and found most of it was due to a bad thermometer.  I found a replacement on amazon for around 10 bucks as there was a 2 week delay getting warranty item from LG.   I fell I love all over again with this smoker between the new probe, ensuring I kept vent open at least half way and the water pan.  Added tip, as there are no electronics on right side of fire box, I place a chunk of wood for added smoke about an inch out from the right side, you can even add another chunk later.   I will try smoke tube next instead.


----------



## dward51

Also, after removing the stock water pan, in my PB5 I get good results by using one of the grates to hold the disposable foil pan, but move it up to the 3rd set of holes from the bottom.  This gives a little more air volume for the fire pot to heat and seems to hold the swings down a little bit more.  Should work for the LG7 as well.

Just remember the display pit temp is the area under the water/foil pan, not the cooking chamber temps.  So where the food is, you are not going to see those swings.  The swing is due to the inrush of heat from burning pellets and the fall is from where the auger stops, but the result is fairly smooth temps in the food cooking area.

I also took my logo off the glass door and inserted a Tel Tru thermometer. That and remote pit temp probes on the various racks confirm the swing is much less (almost none at some temps) in the food chamber.


----------



## sstahmer

Do these vertical pellet smokers give you the option of “turning off” or bypassing the smoke so you have control and the ability to continue cooking but cutting off the smoke? Love the idea of the design but would like the ability to cook without smoking as well.


----------



## shamilton

sstahmer said:


> Do these vertical pellet smokers give you the option of “turning off” or bypassing the smoke so you have control and the ability to continue cooking but cutting off the smoke? Love the idea of the design but would like the ability to cook without smoking as well.


Honestly, you could get a mild pellet and turn it up to a highertemperature where almost none of that super smokey smoke is produced.


----------



## sstahmer

shamilton said:


> Honestly, you could get a mild pellet and turn it up to a highertemperature where almost none of that super smokey smoke is produced.


Thanks! Any suggestion on the most mild pellet to use?  Thanks for helping the newbie.


----------



## shamilton

sstahmer said:


> Thanks! Any suggestion on the most mild pellet to use?  Thanks for helping the newbie.


Walmart has PitBoss pellets - competition blend- for dirt cheap. I personally hate these pellets bc they give you almost no smoke. I'm sure others would disagree - but that's what you're looking for.


----------



## mneeley490

sstahmer said:


> Thanks! Any suggestion on the most mild pellet to use?  Thanks for helping the newbie.


Alder pellets are very mild. Pear would be as well, if you could find them.


----------



## meskc

Just picked up this smoker at costco tonight. Upgraded from a MES 40 gen 2.5.  Can't wait until this weekend to fire it up.


----------



## JimboHold

Just put some wood chips in a small loaf pan on the black heat deflector, really like the results.  Used with aluminum foil water pan instead of the provided drip pan makes this smoker awesome.


----------



## FlipFlop425

How much of or any difference does it make that the Copperhead 7 is 60,000 btu and the LG7 is 40,000?


----------



## meskc

FlipFlop425 said:


> How much of or any difference does it make that the Copperhead 7 is 60,000 btu and the LG7 is 40,000?


Don't know if it makes a difference.  I have been happy with my LG7 so far. Did a brisket, chicken thighs and smoked some cheese.  Still getting  use to it but really like it.


----------



## shamilton

FlipFlop425 said:


> How much of or any difference does it make that the Copperhead 7 is 60,000 btu and the LG7 is 40,000?


Unless you need to cook above the 425-450 max the smoker goes to, pointless.


----------



## ilikepellets

FlipFlop425 said:


> How much of or any difference does it make that the Copperhead 7 is 60,000 btu and the LG7 is 40,000?


They are no different.  Dansons make both brands. The pitboss website has all kinds of wrong/(misleading?) information regarding btu and cooking sq.in.  Take the 5-series at 20,700 btu and the Copperhead 5 (Walmart only) at 40,000 btu. They are exactly the same smoker.
The 7 series is the same as the 5 but is 4 " taller and has one more rack.


----------



## ilikepellets

BTW, I really like this smoker.  Tip - I have never used the included water pan, but I put an aluminum pan on a rack that is just above the temp probe.  It holds more water, can be thrown out/replaced when really dirty, and works as well if not better.


----------



## meskc

ilikepellets said:


> BTW, I really like this smoker.  Tip - I have never used the included water pan, but I put an aluminum pan on a rack that is just above the temp probe.  It holds more water, can be thrown out/replaced when really dirty, and works as well if not better.


Are you using a half steam pan soze or a full size one?


----------



## chazzypete

Hey Guys!  Just picked this smoker up this weekend  Coming from a Masterbuilt Electric.  Quick question, do you keep the hopper filled with pellets even when not in use?  Thanks in advance!


----------



## shamilton

chazzypete said:


> Hey Guys!  Just picked this smoker up this weekend  Coming from a Masterbuilt Electric.  Quick question, do you keep the hopper filled with pellets even when not in use?  Thanks in advance!


1. Yes if you can keep it dry. 
2. Yes if you dont switch your pellets out ever for different woods


----------



## meskc

I just got this smoker a month ago.. I have not been leaving them in as I store it outside.. Being new to pellet grills I just don't want them to get too much  moisture.  I have been putting in as much as I think will be used but watch it to make sure  it is enough.  Part of my process of putting it up after it cools  is to dump the extra out. I also clean the glass and temp probe. Takes about 10 min to do all that.


----------



## ilikepellets

meskc said:


> Are you using a half steam pan soze or a full size one?


I am using a large pan that has 1-2" clearance all around.  it works well and being larger still allows plenty of smoke while catching more drips/grease.  I use a pan about 10 times then trash it. For a couple of bucks I dont clean it, I just empty the water and let the residue burn off a bit on the shut off cycle


----------



## ilikepellets

meskc said:


> I just got this smoker a month ago.. I have not been leaving them in as I store it outside.. Being new to pellet grills I just don't want them to get too much  moisture.  I have been putting in as much as I think will be used but watch it to make sure  it is enough.  Part of my process of putting it up after it cools  is to dump the extra out. I also clean the glass and temp probe. Takes about 10 min to do all that.


If the smoker is not in a covered area, I would keep the pellets to a minimum and *always *put the cover on.  I also added some waterproof gorilla tape around the dump door to make sure no water can get in.  Did I say I always put the cover on once it's cooled down ;-).

For pit boss owners you can get a nice cover on Amazon for ~ $22 https://amzn.com/B07H85ZZGG

I've had a lot of rain around here and have not had a single problem with mositure.

BTW I also sift my Pitboss pellets into a 5 gallon pail to keep sawdust to a minimum (I just use a steel colander from the kitchen) - although the PB pellets are very clean. (The sawdust can make the auger work harder and potentially jam-up, so a quick 5 minute sieve on a 40lb bag is preventative medicine)


----------



## ilikepellets

Another trick I learned is that you need to have the chimney 'gap' about 2 fingers width.  PB does not give enough detail in the manual, but what can happen at low/smoke temperatures is the excess smoke can suffocate the fire resulting in an error - pellets are pouring in but the temp is not going up due to no flame, and the controller gets screwed up (controller reads low temp, keeps pouring in pellets, temp doesn't rise due to no flame, hmm > add more pellets).  

This type of thing can also happen if you keep adjusting the temp too often.  If you get the ErL - just unplug and restart with the door open.  I had this happen to me once because I had the top screwed down too far.  On high temps you can have the gap smaller since there is less smoke, but I just leave mine at 2 fingers width.


----------



## chazzypete

Wow, thanks for the all advice and tips.  I think I'll plan on keeping it empty or as empty as possible when not in use.  I'll for sure cover it as it'll be exposed out on the deck.  Since I got it at Costco, I picked up the Traeger pellets they had.  You guys have experience with those?  I assume they're decent.  I do like the idea of sifting out the sawdust.  Can't hurt, only help.


----------



## meskc

I have not used traeger pellets.  I have used Lumberjack and been very happy with them.  Been using 100% hickory or a 50/50 blend of hickory and char hickory mix.


----------



## shamilton

chazzypete said:


> Wow, thanks for the all advice and tips.  I think I'll plan on keeping it empty or as empty as possible when not in use.  I'll for sure cover it as it'll be exposed out on the deck.  Since I got it at Costco, I picked up the Traeger pellets they had.  You guys have experience with those?  I assume they're decent.  I do like the idea of sifting out the sawdust.  Can't hurt, only help.


Ya definitely spend future money not on trager pellets. Marketing scheme. Not 100% hardwood pellets. Not.worth the $$$


----------



## ilikepellets

chazzypete said:


> Wow, thanks for the all advice and tips.  I think I'll plan on keeping it empty or as empty as possible when not in use.  I'll for sure cover it as it'll be exposed out on the deck.  Since I got it at Costco, I picked up the Traeger pellets they had.  You guys have experience with those?  I assume they're decent.  I do like the idea of sifting out the sawdust.  Can't hurt, only help.



So today I was busy and did not follow my own tips; D'oh!  You really need to vacuum the ashes out the burn pot every 1-2 times or about 6-8 hours use. Very simple to do, but I was busy and got lazy today.

So what happened?  I was smoking sausages at 150 and when the fire went down and possibly out. The igniter was called into action by the controller but could not ignite the incoming pellets since it was covered by ashes - it was just smoldering.  BTW, I could see all of this happening from my kitchen as smoke was billowing out, so I moved the ashes away from the igniter with a poker and the unit continued on.  (When I moved the ashes I could see it glowing red under the pile).

After that I turned the temp up to 250 for ribs and it went without a hitch. (I think that the fire is unlikely to go out/reignite anyway at the higher temps).

In the future, I will definitely take the 2 minutes to vacuum out the pot... Lesson learned.


----------



## JimboHold

meskc said:


> I have not used traeger pellets.  I have used Lumberjack and been very happy with them.  Been using 100% hickory or a 50/50 blend of hickory and char hickory mix.


I have used lumberjack a few times and thought they were pretty good as well.


----------



## mneeley490

Saw my local Costco had this again when I went in last week. Augh! So tempted! But I think I'd have to get rid of 3 of my other smokers before my wife would let me bring this home. (I have 5 currently, including a GMG Daniel Boone pellet smoker which I like, but certainly could be better, even temp-wise.)


----------



## HerrMojo

Jaimo said:


> Does anyone know where I can find a manual for this smoker?


I called their support and they emailed it to me.


----------



## jmevox

Would anyone with 20+ smokes on this smoker buy it again?  I have to play with the dial so much to get my smoker to the right temp that it's as much work as an offset smoker.  

Meanwhile my friend's rectec you turn on from your phone and it holds the exact temperature all day long in 20 degree weather.


----------



## ilikepellets

People have installed wifi controllers in pit boss. For me I like the vertical form factor of the Series 5 and the price.  The LG pit with a rectec controller would still be a decent price.


----------



## jmevox

Thanks I'll have to look into that.


----------



## ilikepellets

Do you mean the 2 temp probes in the controller?  I've never used them.  I have a wireless thermometer (https://amzn.com/B01GE77QT0) which has 2 probes. I put one in the meat and clip the other to the same rack I am cooking on.  If need be, I adjust the controller that gives the temp I want at the rack.

The nice thing with it is probe 2 has a BBQ monitor function where you can set an alarm for low/high temps. So on a 250F cook I might set an alarm for < 200F and >300F.  Lets me know if the fire/pellets are out, or it is burning too hot.


----------



## HerrMojo

ilikepellets said:


> People have installed wifi controllers in pit boss. For me I like the vertical form factor of the Series 5 and the price.  The LG pit with a rectec controller would still be a decent price.





I'm going to look into this. I bet I could make a temp sensor that would auto adjust ...


----------



## jmevox

ilikepellets said:


> Do you mean the 2 temp probes in the controller?  I've never used them.  I have a wireless thermometer (https://amzn.com/B01GE77QT0) which has 2 probes. I put one in the meat and clip the other to the same rack I am cooking on.  If need be, I adjust the controller that gives the temp I want at the rack.
> 
> The nice thing with it is probe 2 has a BBQ monitor function where you can set an alarm for low/high temps. So on a 250F cook I might set an alarm for < 200F and >300F.  Lets me know if the fire/pellets are out, or it is burning too hot.


Yeah I have the exact same thing the wireless thermometer.  It's the best thing I've bought for bbq.  That's how I realized just how off my controller on my smoker was.  

I was wondering if you install the rec tec controller, can you replace the probes that are actually in the smoker that connect to the stock controller.  Obviously those probes are off because my controller will read actual temperature at 250 and my wireless thermometer will tell me its around 170.  It's way off.


----------



## meskc

mine runn really steady. At 350 my temp range is 352-360.  At 225 it runs a little hotter at 232-241. Here are some screen shots showing temp across three racks.  I am ok with these Temps and the amount of swing. This is also with an empty smoker and with the water pan.


----------



## jmevox

^Mine will initially get to the correct temp dead on.  As soon as I open the door to put food in, it will never come back up to the correct temp without me playing with the dial and going up hotter.  Usually 350 gets me to 275 but its still not consistent.  Will jump 10-20 degrees


----------



## ilikepellets

jmevox said:


> Obviously those probes are off because my controller will read actual temperature at 250 and my wireless thermometer will tell me its around 170.  It's way off.



Keep in mind the position of the PB RTC sensor. It's at the back under the water pan area. I use a large aluminum pan so maybe that traps heat, giving an erroneous reading.  BTW I have never used the OEM pan, maybe I should try it?

Having said that I would be surprised if the top rack temp was the same as the RTC sensor temp.

Also I have read users have bought a new RTC sensor from Amazon and that solved issues for them.


----------



## meskc

There is going to be a cool down when you open it and put in a large cold piece of meat. It will take a while to recover from that.  I don't worry about the cool down. I set my temp and let it do its thing.  As long as I am not getting a crazy spike in temp for a long period or one that is to low I don't sweat it.


----------



## jmevox

meskc said:


> There is going to be a cool down when you open it and put in a large cold piece of meat. It will take a while to recover from that.  I don't worry about the cool down. I set my temp and let it do its thing.  As long as I am not getting a crazy spike in temp for a long period or one that is to low I don't sweat it.


It never recovers. Ive waited a long long time. Always need to turn up the heat


----------



## ilikepellets

What gap are you using on your chimney cap?


----------



## jmevox

ilikepellets said:


> What gap are you using on your chimney cap?


I've adjusted it to open it up a lot to allow more air.  I've closed it up as tight as it goes.  Doesn't seem to make a big difference.


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## bill1

I have a Masterbuilt Vertical pellet smoker, so I'm certainly not opposed to these types of pellet smokers but keep in mind they are really only intended for _smoking_.  Most pellet _grills _have some method of approximating searing or reverse searing.  So if you have limited space, or a spouse questioning your sanity, a pellet grill is a bit more flexible than a vertical pellet smoker.  OTOH this vertical layout gives a lot of grill space without a lot of floor space.  (And makes great food.)   

Another minor advantage of the traditional pellet grill is it puts everything at a workbench height.  Cleaning out these vertical machines is harder on the back!


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## shamilton

meskc said:


> There is going to be a cool down when you open it and put in a large cold piece of meat. It will take a while to recover from that.  I don't worry about the cool down. I set my temp and let it do its thing.  As long as I am not getting a crazy spike in temp for a long period or one that is to low I don't sweat it.



Put the full water aluminum pan in. Pre-heat to 350, let it stay there for 10 minutes. Turn it down to 225 or whatever you want. Open the door, put the meat in, close the door. Within 1 hour it will be within 25 degrees or less. Within 2 hours, it'll be 15 or less.


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## jmevox

shamilton said:


> Put the full water aluminum pan in. Pre-heat to 350, let it stay there for 10 minutes. Turn it down to 225 or whatever you want. Open the door, put the meat in, close the door. Within 1 hour it will be within 25 degrees or less. Within 2 hours, it'll be 15 or less.


Thank you. This seems to be working real well. Have a pork butt in right now. Scared to spritz it cause the temp is holding right now lol


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## shamilton

jmevox said:


> Thank you. This seems to be working real well. Have a pork butt in right now. Scared to spritz it cause the temp is holding right now lol


DO NOT SPRITZ IT!!!!!!!


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## jmevox

shamilton said:


> DO NOT SPRITZ IT!!!!!!!



haha that’s debatable what people like to do with pork butt.


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## shamilton

jmevox said:


> haha that’s debatable what people like to do with pork butt.


If you're using those aluminum pans from costco - you have 2.5 gallons of liquid slowly evaporating in the chamber + a beautiful fatty pork butt!!! No need.


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## jmevox

shamilton said:


> If you're using those aluminum pans from costco - you have 2.5 gallons of liquid slowly evaporating in the chamber + a beautiful fatty pork butt!!! No need.


Hmmm okay you have been right thus far. Ill post a pic of the final product


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## meskc

How did it turn out?


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## jmevox

meskc said:


> How did it turn out?


Pretty awesome.


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## SCDrJ

90beater said:


> Do yourself a favor and throw that original pan in the trash where it belongs.
> 1. It does not hold enough water.
> 2. It restricts the airflow too much.
> 
> I removed the original pan and replaced it with a double aluminum pan that can also be purchased at Costco in a multi pack. I double them so it doesn't fold in half when carrying the used water away to dump it. the fire box dampens the direct heat so there is no need to have the original pan in there. As for where to place the food when smoking I start on the top and add racks as needed working my way down.
> 
> I have done many cooks with it and it makes a huge difference. If you look at my posts above I only get a 10 degree swing below the water and only 1 to 3 degree change above.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The reason for the swing is the auger dumps in a bunch of pellets, they burn fast increasing the temp. When they burn out it cools fast. When it drops enough it will dump in more pellets and repeat.
> 
> The aluminum pan holds about 10 times the amount of water as the original pan. This is what stabilizes the temperature on the top part of the smoker. It also gives better air flow which helps when smoking larger cuts of meat.
> 
> The hotter you run these smokers the less smoke you will get.
> 
> I have had a couple smokers before (propane and electric) and this by far injects more smoke into the meat. I was at Walmart yesterday and noticed they now sell the Amazen smoke tube so I picked one up in case I want to do a fast smoke.



Thanks for these tips.  Wish I had seen these before my last smoke as mine got torched.

Got this smoker for Christmas from the wife, and have done a handful of cooks with it.  Have had similar temperature control issues with it from the beginning, which were more obvious after I got the Thermoworks Signals and have been monitoring the temperature at the meat racks.   I suffered from both a large differential from set point (50 degrees in some cases) and large temp swings (30-50 degrees wide), making cooking harder than needed. I know it's an analog controller, but this seems a little much.

All that said, the worst part came during the last cook, which was a 19lb brisket, my third brisket in this cooker.  Cooked along fine albeit with the temp dial tweaking that is often needed...  Got to the stall, wrapped, etc. and we were about 190-195 probe temps and about to decide to pull it when the signals read the pit temp at over 500 degrees.

I was able to safely enough open the door and yank out the meat, at which point I saw that a grease fire has started.  The grease from a small tear in the wrap allowed a stream of grease to fall onto edge where the metal vents on the grease pan are, and down into the firebox itself where it ignited.  I quickly closed the door and turned off the smoker.  Realizing the cool-down procedure was still pumping air into the box, I unplugged it and allowed it to burn out, which it did over a few minutes.  Thankfully nobody got hurt.

I think the grease pan and grease management of this smoker is a faulty design.  The racks allow food to be placed in areas that aren't set up to catch the grease.  I have put hours into trying to clean this thing out and it still smells.  Have had to go the oven/grill cleaner route and bascially sand off the char with steel wool as none of my normal citrus-based cleaning stuff would touch it.

Dansons is replacing the RTD probe to try to help with the temp swings and sending me a new flame tamer as the paint on the old one burnt up in the grease, but I am a little concerned about the way this design works overall.  Perhaps the full aluminum pan with water will give more coverage.  If others have thoughts I'd love to hear them.


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## meskc

I used the stock pan the first two cooks. I did not like it. Did not hold much water and hard to clean. I switched to the larger pans I like them much better.  I just double them up for strength.  They hold more water and catches most if not all the grease from the meat. After the cook I dump it out and spray it out to get any grease residue off then put it back in waiting for the next cook.  When they get really bad I just toss and get two more.


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## shamilton

SCDrJ said:


> Thanks for these tips.  Wish I had seen these before my last smoke as mine got torched.
> 
> Got this smoker for Christmas from the wife, and have done a handful of cooks with it.  Have had similar temperature control issues with it from the beginning, which were more obvious after I got the Thermoworks Signals and have been monitoring the temperature at the meat racks.   I suffered from both a large differential from set point (50 degrees in some cases) and large temp swings (30-50 degrees wide), making cooking harder than needed. I know it's an analog controller, but this seems a little much.
> 
> All that said, the worst part came during the last cook, which was a 19lb brisket, my third brisket in this cooker.  Cooked along fine albeit with the temp dial tweaking that is often needed...  Got to the stall, wrapped, etc. and we were about 190-195 probe temps and about to decide to pull it when the signals read the pit temp at over 500 degrees.
> 
> I was able to safely enough open the door and yank out the meat, at which point I saw that a grease fire has started.  The grease from a small tear in the brisket allowed a stream of grease to fall onto edge where the metal vents on the grease pan are, and down into the firebox itself where it ignited.  I quickly closed the door and turned off the smoker.  Realizing the cool-down procedure was still pumping air into the box, I unplugged it and allowed it to burn out, which it did over a few minutes.  Thankfully nobody got hurt.
> 
> I think the grease pan and grease management of this smoker is a faulty design.  The racks allow food to be placed in areas that aren't set up to catch the grease.  I have put hours into trying to clean this thing out and it still smells.  Have had to go the oven/grill cleaner route and bascially sand off the char with steel wool as none of my normal citrus-based cleaning stuff would touch it.
> 
> Dansons is replacing the RTD probe to try to help with the temp swings and sending me a new flame tamer as the paint on the old one burnt up in the grease, but I am a little concerned about the way this design works overall.  Perhaps the full aluminum pan with water will give more coverage.  If others have thoughts I'd love to hear them.


Full aluminum pan. Catches it all. Sorry about that mess :(. Glad you and the home were safe. Costco for those plans btw.


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## MauleGuy

Jon Williams said:


> I just bought the same smoker.  That 24 hour smoke on your pork butt is a LONG time.  The first thing I did on my smoker was to run my probe thermometer on it and placed the probe around the middle grate.  Temp is consistently 35 degrees lower than the unit registers.  Not surprising since the internal thermo probe is very close to the firebox.  Not a deal killer for me...but a poor design.  Once I account for this and set the temp accordingly it held really steady.  So if you think you're smoking at 225, your likely below 200.  that could account for your long smoke time.


I have a Louisiana Grills L900 and from my experience (> 1 yr) and many conversations w/ Pit Boss/LG customer service my conclusion is the controller and airflow in their products needs some work. "Actual Temperature" indicated on L900 never varies once the unit reaches the "Set Temp" while the measured temp a the cooking area is swinging +/- 25F-30F.  225F indicated can be 190F-260F.  

I would expect the temperature to vary somewhat in a vertical smoker as the racks are farther from the burn pot.  I can live with a constant temp at a given level, but I am betting that is not the case.


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## SCDrJ

Here is the last graph I got from my ThermoWorks.  Set point was 300.


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## bill1

Looks to me like it's regulating well at 368F plus/minus 9deg with a cycling periodicity of about 5 minutes.  That range and period all sounds pretty normal for a pellet grill.  
If you're concerned about the 368 vs the 300 set point, I suspect that's a difference in thermometers.  I assume the iPhone-coupled one is easily removed....what does it read at room temperature?  How about in a pot of (212F) boiling water?  If its accuracy appears to be far better than 68 degrees, it probably says the _smoker's _thermometer (that the setpoint is working for) has the accuracy issue.  Is it clean?  (It should be shiny.)  How are the connections leading into controller...those might be worth checking for cleanliness and shininess.  You could try replacing it with a factory original...or just live with it.  I suspect if your set point was at 240 this would be reading 300 plus/minus 9deg with a cycling periodicity of about 5 minutes.  Could that approach work?


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## SCDrJ

Thanks for the replies folks.  Was inspired by some enterprising folks on YouTube and my favorable impression of the controller on my RecTec RT700 at another location that I bought the controller and finally got around to hacking it in yesterday!

Initial impressions are that it heats up quick and overshoots just a hair and then settles down pretty rock solid from there.  Had some older pellets in there to burn off so let it run for couple hours and so far so good.


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## 90beater

Wow! I guess I was away from here longer than I thought. After about three years the original controller screen went out so I upgraded it to a PID controller. It took me a while just to find this old thread.


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## 90beater

I installed it in the hopper with a plastic box and clear silicone to seal it in.


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## Poppo

90beater said:


> Costco recently started selling a Louisiana Grills brand series 7 vertical smoker that seems to have the same specifications as the Pit Boss series 7. They sell it for $599 but now have a warehouse price of $449 if you can find it in stores. It includes two temperature probes and a cover.
> 
> It took me three tries to find one but I did and got one home. There were many parts to get it finished but the instructions were easy to follow. I did the initial burn in today and plan on smoking a pork butt tomorrow to test it out.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It moves around easily with the large castors to store it when not in use. The cover has a zipper which makes it easy to install.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I will do my first cook tomorrow and report back on how well it smokes.


Congrats on the new smoker. Enjoy it


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