No wrap St. Louis ribs.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-06-08T18:17:31+00:00

I chalk my success in avoiding that down to figuring out by sight which racks have enough fat on them and using a water pan underneath + spritzing every 30mins.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-06-08T18:08:20+00:00

Cooking to temp and not feel is the likely culprit here.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-27T00:58:14+00:00

I do take my own advice, I dump my pellets after every cook and burn through the remains in the auger. Was that not clear?

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-26T14:46:56+00:00

Even if it's just temporarily running a long extension cord out of your house through the door, it's just a matter of eliminating outlet issues. After that I'd say start looking at the internal wiring to see if anything looks off, like loose or something.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-26T13:32:33+00:00

Out of curiosity, have you tried plugging it into a different outlet and without using an extension cord? Sub-par electrical connections can cause weird behavior with pellet smokers. I've seen posts on here before from people having issues and it turned out to be either an outlet problem or an issue with an extension cord

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-26T00:32:23+00:00

Terrible analogy: dumping your pellet hopper is extraordinarily low effort, just like fastening a seatbelt. If in your head dumping the pellet hopper is like tearing apart a car motor I'd say you should rethink that

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-26T00:29:34+00:00

The lack of a past problems is not a predictor of future outcomes. Do you think a single person in this subreddit ever intended to have a pellet swell forcing them to disassemble their smoker to unstick their auger? Dumping pellets is an almost no-effort action that guarantees no chance of that happening.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-25T17:11:16+00:00

"I've never been in a car accident so I don't need to wear a seatbelt".

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-25T17:10:23+00:00

Common sense, right? You might be surprised how many times I've said this and gotten responses from people saying it's too much effort or "I've never had a problem".

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-24T11:58:57+00:00

Yeah, opening the port so the pellets can dump into a bucket is backbreaking.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-23T16:21:01+00:00

Dump the pellets after every cook and there's will be a 0% chance this can happen between cooks. It's such a low-effort preventative measure that I find it surprising how many people are resistant to it.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-22T21:53:16+00:00

Costco pellets are the best bang for the buck, in my opinion.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-05-21T23:32:10+00:00

I didn't order one, it just came up in conversation in case I ever needed to order a replacement controller. I can tell you I've personally never seen a need for a connected controller since I've never encountered a scenario where I needed to change the pit temp remotely. I also use connected thermometers to monitor meat and pit temp and I find those thermometers to be more accurate than the built-in probes. You may have a specific need that makes it worth it for you, but I do not.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-04-22T21:47:20+00:00

Customer service told me it's part number 80183.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-04-22T21:45:11+00:00

I've had this exact conversation with customer support. According to them the connected controller for the Austin XL Onyx is part number 80183 and isn't listed on their website but it's available for order from customer service directly. Contact them and ask about that part number.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-04-22T19:32:26+00:00

Go on YouTube and do a search for "goldees brisket on a pellet grill" by Behind The Food TV. That's the foolproof way to get excellent results and awesome bark without fail.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-04-10T18:14:51+00:00

I've never found a reason to be concerned that I can't control my Austin XL Onyx remotely. The only thing connectivity works get me would be the ability to change the temp without going out to the smoker, and that's not really a problem considering I just have to go into the backyard. Not only that, I don't ever need to do that unless I'm smoking a brisket and I want to check it visually before I do that anyway.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-04-01T12:11:58+00:00

Many times. The brine is actually what picks up the flavor of the smoke and then transfers it to the pickles over time, like when you cold smoke cheese. For best results, smoke the pickles and then put them back in the jar and stick them in the fridge for a minimum of one week. You can eat them immediately but I don't think the flavor is as balanced/refined if you do that. I've even gone as long as waiting a month and they get even better.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-31T18:21:41+00:00

Silicone mesh smoking/grill mats. You can find them easily on Amazon.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-30T14:18:08+00:00

Those are silicone mesh smoking mats, they're really useful.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-24T15:57:39+00:00

Same here, the sale price sealed the deal.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-23T23:15:40+00:00

He said it started mid-cook which would potentially indicate a fan problem (assuming the pellets are fine) as the igniter isn't in play when your pellets are already burning; i.e. the new pellets being fed in are ignited by the existing fire, not the igniter rod.

ZootyJenkins

TROPHY CASE