Pit Boss Not Smoking – Top 5 Solutions to Fix
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Smoking food and meat is all about imparting them with unique and rich smoky flavors, which is achievable when there is no problem with smoke production.
People nowadays complain about Pit Boss not smoking or smoking less. It is a rare issue that can occur for multiple reasons, such as high heat, damp pellets, etc.
In this article, you will get all the information you need to resolve the issue of less or no smoke successfully. Let’s move forward and bring back that rich smoke to your smoking sessions.
Pit Boss Not Smoking – Key Findings
A Pit Boss smoker may not produce smoke if the temperature exceeds 260 °F or if you use damp wood pellets. Other significant reasons could be either the fan is not working properly, or its auger has jammed. To avoid this, make sure to use dry wood pellets and clean the smoker periodically.
Reasons Why Pit Boss Is Not Smoking
We have deeply researched the problem of Pit Boss not smoking and found a few other reasons as well that can potentially lead you toward this issue.
So, let’s move forward and highlight the most common causes of why you are unable to achieve smoke from your Pit Boss grill.
Using Wet Wood Pellets
You’ve been misguided if you are following the concept of soaking pellets in the water and burning them, which can generate more smoke.
The reason is that the wet wood pellets produce steam which can keep your food items moist but can’t provide you with enough smoke that you were looking for.
Moreover, there is also a possibility that damp pellets can get stuck in the auger and jam it, which can lead you toward a big technical issue.
So, we highly recommend using dry wood pellets, no matter if you are using pit boss or any other smoker, to get the right amount of smoke in your different kinds of meat and food.
Low-Quality Wood Pellets
It is a common reason behind this issue that many people overlook. Poor quality pellets can take longer to ignite, generate less smoke, and let the temperature swing.
We suggest not compromising the food’s taste or flavor profile and bringing a bag of quality hardwood pellets, such as Oak, Hickory, Maple, or Mesquite.
Most Pitmasters admire these pellets because of their ability to burn longer and provide more smoke consistently.
Cooking At A Higher Temperature
Smoking is a popular cooking method that demands a constant low and slow temperature because it cooks your food slowly and injects a unique smokey flavor into it.
When you set the smoker’s temperature to above 260 degrees Fahrenheit, the smoke building chances can decrease. The reason is that this temperature range will try cooking your food instantly without producing smoke.
As per our suggestion, you should keep the temperature between 180 °F to 250 °F if you want your Pit Boss pellet smoker to produce maximum smoke during the cooking process.
If you keep the temperature the same as we suggested but still don’t get enough smoke, read on to the next reasons or see the previous one to understand why you are facing this issue.
Auger Jam
Sometimes, the auger of your Pit Boss smoker can jam due to the usage of wet wood and stop feeding the pellets to the burn pot. In this case, the pellets neither burn nor generate smoke.
Auger jam is a bit of a technical issue, and you must know how to dismantle the auger and install it back correctly. Otherwise, you will need to seek help from a relevant person that can help you resolve this issue.
Once the auger starts working, you will get the smoke you sought.
Uncleaned Fire Pot
The fire pot is the place where pellets burn to produce heat and smoke.
The fresh pellets can struggle to ignite properly when this pot is dirty and covered with ash from previous cooking sessions. As a result, there will be less or no smoke generation.
The solution to this problem is pretty straightforward. You will have to clean the burn pot properly and free it from the useless ash around it. Moreover, try cleaning the pot after two to three smoking sessions to avoid this problem.
Unsuitable Weather Conditions
The outdoor temperature directly impacts your outdoor grilling activities. The weather should be suitable for what kind of cooking session you are going to hold.
For example, if you want to smoke meat and the sun is right above the smoker, it can lag in keeping the temperature low and slow, which is essential for smoke production.
Similarly, if you want to grill, which typically requires high heat, and it is raining outside or there is cold weather, your grill’s internal temperature may not stay consistent or higher.
To overcome this issue, we advise you to go through the weather reports first and then plan your outdoor smoking session.
Faulty Control Board
When the control board of your Pit Boss grill is not working properly, it can create several issues, like applying incorrect temperature, showing inaccurate cooking stats, etc.
Now, if you have set the right smoking temperature (180 to 250), but the control panel is faulty, the smoker may not maintain the proper heat inside the smoking chamber.
Consequently, the smoke can take longer to produce and may not be consistent. Therefore, inspect the control panel of your smoker deeply to confirm that it’s functioning correctly.
Top Tip by FaveGrills
There are a few components in Pit Boss pellet grills that you should clean regularly or after two to three cooking sessions. These parts include a burn pot, RTD temperature probe, and grates in the cooking chamber.
Cleaning these parts regularly will save your Pit Boss pellet grill and smoker from the problems like overheating and not smoking.
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You may encounter issues like overheating if you have a Pit Boss pellet smoker. In that case, we recommend you check out our guide.
Tips To Increase The Smoke Output Of Your Pit Boss Grill
By following our expert tips, we believe you will achieve the required amount of smoke every time you go for a smoking session.
Smoke At Lower Temperatures
The outcome will be satisfying if you keep the temperature low and slow for smoking. Many people use temperatures above 260 °F, which is unsuitable for smoking meats like brisket, ribs, turkey, etc.
Regardless of the meat type, if you want it to provide extraordinary smoking results, ensure to keep the temperature between 180 to 250 °F. The pellets burn more efficiently in this temperature range to generate more smoke.
Use Quality and Dry Pellets
As discussed earlier, you should always fill your hopper with dry and high quality wood pellets. They don’t only produce more smoke but also burn efficiently and help the smoker’s temperature to be consistent.
Moreover, when you are done smoking, ensure to store the pellets bag in a dry and shaded area because, in sunlight or moist conditions, they can become wet and lose quality.
Pit Boss P Setting
If you are an old Pit Boss user, you must be aware of its P setting, which is helpful in temperature maintenance. But our previous research found that this setting can also help you achieve more smoke.
Firstly, you must ensure that your Pit Boss grill is on the default setting of P 4, which is good for constant heat and reasonable smoke.
If you want more smoke to come out of the smoker, you can try increasing the P setting to 5, 6, or 7. Our recommendation here is not to set the P 7 setting because it can cause intense flare-ups.
Smoke Tube
Using a smoke tube in a pellet grill is a decent way of achieving more smoke from your Pit Boss wood pellet grills. It becomes handy when you’ve tried everything but still not getting enough smoke.
A smoke tube is a small piece of metal with many holes in which you place pellets, ignite them, and then place the tube inside the smoking chamber. It generates a good amount of smoke as well as benefits your food items getting cooked.
Keep your Pellet smoker clean
One of the most beneficial ways to get the desired BBQ outcome is regularly cleaning your Pit Boss grill and smoker. Some key components in a smoker can either enhance or ruin your food smoking experience.
We suggest you clean the auger, fire pot, RTD temperature probe, grill grates, heat circulation fan, and heat deflector. As a result, your smoking sessions will be smooth and hassle-free, and smoke production problems will be minimized.
If you’ve recently purchased a Pit Boss pellet smoker or a grill, we highly recommend reading their user manual before use. Doing so can help you avoid potential issues and ensure that you’re using your smoker correctly for optimal performance.
Final Thoughts
Many people can face the challenge of Pit Boss not producing smoke for several reasons, with wet pellets and higher temperatures being the most prominent.
There are a few other causes as well behind the no-smoke production that we have highlighted in this article. So, make sure to follow our tips and enjoy a perfect smoking session.
Your Opinion Is Valuable To Us
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will Pit Boss smoke on the 225 settings?
Yes, 200 °F and 225 °F are the most suitable settings for smoke production. When you cook between this temperature range, the smoker produces more smoke if you look after other things closely.
How long does it take for Pit Boss to start smoking?
Typically, Pit Boss requires around 10 to 15 minutes to reach 225 degrees Fahrenheit and to start producing smoke, but it also depends on other factors, such as weather outside, type of pellets, etc.
