I'm glad I watched to the end! Good tips Zack!

This is a great video for the vertical smoker.

I have been looking at this exact smoker. The reviews are mixed, but finding this video just sold it. I now know that a lot of people who give these vertical pellet grills bad reviews just do not know how to truly use them like you just explained. 🤙

After watching a lot of your videos and my own personal experience with my new(ish) pellet smoker (which is identical to yours) here are my top hacks and tips. Some of these aren't different from yours, they're just a list of my favorite discoveries. Yours if by far my favorite pellet smoker channel. (1) After the cook is over and while the smoker is still warm, I remove the cooking grids, grease tray, and water pan and put them in a water bath with a squirt of diswashing liquid and let them soak. Clean up is a breeze. (2) I removed the "safety grid" from the top of the pellet bin (I asked you about this). It's probably there because of their lawyers. I like access for mixing pellets, grabbing a handful for priming the flame pot, and possibly in the future for vacuuming out older pellets. (3) Use 0000 fine steel wool for cleaning the glass front. This is better than any plastic scrubber out there. I found this idea on KZfaq for cleaning soap scum off of glass shower enclosures. I remove the door and lay it flat. Just a little bit of water, blue dishwashing soap, and 0000 grade steel wool (no, it does not scratch the glass) and the smoky, greasy residue comes off easily and quickly. (4) Priming the flame pot with a handful of pellets. (5) Remember that the handle on the back of the smoker is attached to thin sheet metal so don't use it to lift the wheels of the smoker over the lip of your garage floor, don't ask me now I know. It's designed to pull/push your unit over smooth flat surfaces only. (6) I use Meater Block wireless probes to measure the internal temperature of food and the ambient temperature at the cooking grid and only use the temperature on the control panel as a guide. (7) I preheat the water going into the water pan. (8) I make custom blend pellet mixes. Like I said, for example 50% oak and 50% charcoal pellets. (9) I screen sift pellets to remove as much dust and small pellet pieces as possible. (10) And for my last and most important tip, I did not tell wifey what I paid for the smoker until I made her favorite planked smoked salmon and sent her into a swoon. I can do no wrong now and she wishes I bought the thing a long time ago.

Thanks for checking out this video! If you want to support the channel, make sure to Like and Subscribe. Hit the notification bell as well, that way you know when new content hits the channel. I publish new content weekly. If you are food enthusiast like me, and enjoy sharing your cooks with or getting/sharing some tips from like minded people, you should come over to American Smoke Carnivores on Facebook. This is my group and I'm in there everyday. I'll see you in there! Smoke on!!!

Get magnetic hooks and you can hang you're grates you're not using on the side of it as well as a place to drape you're factory probe. I also have a magnetic paper towel holder on the pellet lid and the pitboss emblem replaced with a temp gauge.

Love the smoke tube tip

preloading the burn pot is a great tip, thanks! makes you not forget to clean it too!!!

Amazing sharing 👍 Love from India 🇮🇳

First smoke today and it turned out fantastic. Thanks for all your advice!

Very useful. Love your style of explaining. I just watched half dozen of your vids and learned a ton....thanks Zach

Nice video. Helpful tips for sure.

Good advise here. I didn't know you could put pellets in the burn pot to get a quicker heat up, though I don't have much trouble with that, because I'm usually using a smoke tube. I'll think about charcoal pellets, don't know what they are, but if they aren't expensive, I'll give them a try.

Great video man!

We heat with a pellet stove. The handful at start up is a must.

Hack 2 is awesome thanks for making this video!

Another great video! Smoke on!!

Awesome vid, thanks legend!

Great video! Thanks man 👍

GREAT videos

Nice updates 👍

I just bought this exact smoker. The kid and i are going to do 3-2-1 ribs and a tenderloin tomorrow. Eventually will do some brisket and some other stuff. In this video you talked about using S mode as a keep warm. But how would you use it on 3-2-1 or a brisket? I know meat doesnt absorb smoke the entire time, so is the theory that when you start the cook, S mode will take you throigh 130 or so, and by that time it has absorbed as much smoke as it is going to?

I thought I sent this a couple of days ago...but I'm obviously technologically challenged. That that was the first brisket I have done. Maybe next time I will not use oil at all. Should I not spritz it as frequently? Because it seems that the parts that did not get spritzed developed bark. Thank you so much for helping me analyze my problem. I hate to waste a good cut of meat. Especially since my meat comes from my own cows.

I bought my Pit Boss at Lowe's and I think it's identical to yours. I believe you removed the pellet hopper screen/grid at the top of the hopper and I intend to do the same thing. It's held in place by six screws. I want to have the ability to add different types of pellets and stir them in the hopper.

Hey man, first time commenter here! Have you ever done any videos about issues with the igniter?

I have the same exact smoker as you the pit boss pro series vertical smoker and I have 2 questions for you. The manual says to clean off you fan blades. How do you do this and how do you get all of your pellets out of the stove when you know you’re not gonna use it for awhile. I got out the majority of them thru the back door but there are some still left in it. Email me answers if you can. I’ve been watching your videos and they have been a great help. Thank you for all you do and happy smoking 👍

Great tips! Thanks mate. I’m lazy so I chuck everything in the dishwasher except the door 😂 even the water pan! LOL🤘😎🤘

I always take out the grates that I don't use for that cook

I need a hack to put bars (or something similar) in the top to hang sausage links vertically from top to bottom for smoking homemade sausages. It's easy in other models that have movable rack supports to put bars across, but this one is different.

Just make sure when you foil the heat shield the fats and oils still run to the back

Through and through Weber guy here never owned a pellet not even Weber’s. But this guy really just sold me on getting a Pitboss🔥

What pellet brand do you use in your smoker ? I tried bear mountain and had to much ash for longer burns.

If the is a big difference between what the built in probe is reading and what the probe you have next to your protein, do just your set temp to bring the temperature up where you need it?

You have a good teaching style which makes your videos very helpful. Also the American flag back drop is great! In a short amount of time you give a lot of information that is helpful. The only fault I find is that stupid Yeti hat, please dont promote way over priced coolers.

How do we spritz the meat if we're not meant to open the door?

I have 2 major issues with mine. 1. Smoke seeps out the top of the door seal. Is there an adjustment I can make? 2. Temp seems very inconsistent compared to my Inkbird.

I can't get my chamber to heat over 130 f

I mix with charcoal as well....How the hell you reach your hand in there? Now I have to see if the grill is removable on mines when I get home.

So you put wood chips in the tube not pellets?

Love your hints and easy to follow hacks. I've had my PB vertical smoker for a couple of months now and have cooked quite a few items. The chicken, pork, ribs have all turned out great, but my problem--BRISKET. I've followed every hint I found online (including using a smoke tube), but my brisket only ends up with bark on the BOTTOM--where the fat side is. There is usually a little area without fat on the underside. I also get a light bark on the backside where the brisket doesn't get spritzed (only about every 2 hours with apple cider vinegar). The meat has a beautiful smoke ring and stays moist, but just no bark. Any ideas? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Buddy… I’m on the fence between this and the Laredo… driving me nuts…

What's the model of this smoker?

“Ideal” wrapped brisket rest is at 150 - 170°. Why not just set the smoker at 150°?

what do you use to clean the inside glass?

Can i just remove my rain cap all the way off?

Im selling mine it smells like burning a trash barrel. going to stick with my off set cooker.

I hate my pellet smoker

Your first tip is a terrible tip! Meat probes are not meant for ambient temp readings and are never going to give you a correct reading

I have not found any verticle smoker videos that talk about the water tray. I am going to be using my smoker for the first time today with salmon. Could you please tell me do you use water all the time or just with certain foods? Maybe include this info in your next video? Thanks.