Seeing and reading about how easy it was smoke with a pellet grill was making me jealous. I struggle with a weber kettle keeping temperatures right (mainly getting low), right amount of charcoal, and having to check it. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on another grill that takes up space. Plus I love to be able to sear with hot charcoal. I decided to order a pitmaster IQ for $140 which controls temperature with a variable speed fan. It held 250 for two hours without touching a thing. I lit a bit of old charcoal with some new, added it to an unlit pile, and it was at temperature in 10 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, I raised to temperature another 50 degrees. It only took 8 minutes to get there. So with my 60 Craigslist weber and 140 pitmaster IQ, I am in it for $200.
I drilled a hole to attach the manifold. When not smoking, I will plug the hole with foil. The hole placement does not interfere with the ash collectors.
The pitmaster iq is hooked up.
Added lit charcoal to unlit charcoal and wood chunks. I used way to much wood this go around, wings were to smokey. The hole for the air is underneath the foil.
Letting the pitmaster do its thing. Had a good rainstorm come through and didn't have to worry about adjusting anything with the humidity or temperature change.
Almost done.
I drilled a hole to attach the manifold. When not smoking, I will plug the hole with foil. The hole placement does not interfere with the ash collectors.
The pitmaster iq is hooked up.
Added lit charcoal to unlit charcoal and wood chunks. I used way to much wood this go around, wings were to smokey. The hole for the air is underneath the foil.
Letting the pitmaster do its thing. Had a good rainstorm come through and didn't have to worry about adjusting anything with the humidity or temperature change.
Almost done.
