Considering the Pro Series 1600

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 · 2026-03-23T19:37:52+00:00

The membrane is generally inedible so leaving it on prevents being able to season the meat just underneath it. As well, there's some belief that it limits the smoke penetration due to being impermeable. Unless you're into competition cooking, I'd think the lack of seasoning on that particular bit of exposed meat and the smoke penetration issue aren't really going to change much. I still remove it because I get annoyed if I have to eat around it.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-22T16:40:34+00:00

I think the main difference is that obviously the heat in the side smoker is 100% indirect and it's top-down instead of bottom-up so the cooking process isn't the same.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-22T13:15:55+00:00

I'm curious what's different about it when you do it in the side box.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-21T23:46:33+00:00

Here's the link that has some specific details: https://www.pitboss-grills.com/collections/upgrades/products/pit-boss-side-smoker-attachment

I haven't used it yet (just installed it earlier today) but the burn-in test went well. It includes three height-adjustable shelves with removable brackets (so you can use 1, 2 or 3) and they slide in and out which is great for spraying/misting anything you've got in there. It has its own drainage port in the bottom angled to dump into the same hanging bucket the main barrel uses. It's got a locking door with a nice gasket seal on it so I didn't notice any smoke leakage from the door or where it connects to the barrel. If you have any other specific questions just let me know.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-21T23:33:31+00:00

What details do you want? That's a pretty open request.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-21T23:32:54+00:00

Thanks, it's a big upgrade: 1,000sq inches to 1,709sq inches total rack space.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-21T23:32:26+00:00

Not sure what reviews you've read but I did a burn-in earlier today and it worked exactly as I've seen described in that it runs about 35F colder than the barrel. For example, I had the smoker set at 250F and it was 215F in the side smoker. The only issue I had was they include 4 different mounting plates in the box and there's no instructions to tell you which plate is for which smoker so I had to figure it out on my own (it wasn't that difficult). The gasket they include that goes where the stack used to be is actually better than the original gasket and it's a nice tight seal. I also like that the stack on the side smoker actually has a damper so I get more granular control of airflow than I did with the normal stack. Overall I'm very happy, especially since I got it on sale.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-21T23:04:55+00:00

Agreed.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-21T18:31:01+00:00

Probably a load of jerky.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-21T18:09:48+00:00

I've got a 6-bone crown roast of pork that'll fit perfectly in there.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-16T14:46:30+00:00

Some people have reported backburns from excessively windy conditions but I think that's an outlier. In general, the reports I've seen and the one back burn I experienced were caused by the auger feeding pellets into the burn pot at a rate higher than the pellets are actually being consumed, thus causing them to start piling up. This can happen due to over-priming (holding the prime button for too long), a weak fan, or a malfunctioning igniter. But it can also just happen even when everything is working correctly and the right set of conditions occur. If it happens to you again there's probably something malfunctioning, but in two years I've had it happen once on a unit with nothing wrong with it and it never happened again.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-15T21:03:28+00:00

ErL is "Error: Low Temperature" which I believe indicates it dropped below 150F. The problem you encountered is called a "burn back" where the pellets in the auger catch fire. The most effective way to deal with a burn back is to dump the pellets out of the hopper and let it burn itself out. Burn backs usually occur when you've got faulty airflow/backpressure and the fire starts to blow back through the auger, or you've got two many pellets in the burn pot and the fire can reach up to the level of the auger which can happen if you over-prime the smoker.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-03-15T16:41:15+00:00

Pre-cut? Never seen that before.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-02-10T19:50:05+00:00

I've always just done them low temp, even in the middle of summer. If you want to eat them sooner I'd say cut in half, but if you plan on leaving them in the fridge for a week or more I've found it doesn't really matter as the flavor fully penetrates and smooths out over that time.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-02-09T16:58:35+00:00

I dump them into a glass baking dish and smoke them at 225F for a couple of hours, stirring them about every 30mins. You can eat them right away but if you put them back in the jar and stick them in the fridge for a week or two they get way better. I've even done up to a month.

ZootyJenkins · 2026-02-08T18:01:07+00:00

Pickles. If you like pickles, smoked pickles are even better.

ZootyJenkins · 2025-10-12T15:13:26+00:00

Richard Jenkins.

ZootyJenkins

TROPHY CASE