Pit Boss Champion PBV24CB - Charcoal Barrel Smoker Manual

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE MANUAL BEFORE INSTALLATION AND USE OF THIS APPLIANCE. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS COULD RESULT IN PROPERTY DAMAGE, BODILY INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. CONTACT LOCAL BUILDING OR FIRE OFFICIALS ABOUT RESTRICTIONS AND INSTALLATION INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS IN YOUR AREA.

UNDERSTANDING AIRFLOW

The heart of your smoker lies in the relationship between the Air Intake Pipes and the Chimney dampers. Opening the dampers allows more air to flow through the body of the smoker, allowing the charcoal to burn very hot and create fiery embers. To cook at lower temperatures, keep the Air Intake Pipes and the Chimney dampers open only a small distance, allowing for minimal airflow and maximum heat retention in the Barrel Body of the smoker.

To ensure the smoker performs correctly, proper maintenance and cleanout of the Charcoal Basket are essential. If the smoker is not achieving the desired temperature, check to ensure that there is proper airflow from the Air Intake Pipes and that the Chimney is not blocked.

TIP: The smoker can run efficiently over extended periods of time as long as there is dry and sufficient fuel, proper airflow, and the cooking components are clean.

FIRST USE – BURN-OFF

Before using your smoker for the first time with food, it is important to complete a burn-off. Starting the smoker and operating at a minimum of 177°C / 350°F with the lid closed for 30 to 40 minutes will burn-off the unit and rid it of any foreign matter.

LIGHTING PROCEDURE

Ensure the smoker is positioned on a permanent, flat, level, heat-resistant non-flammable surface, away from flammable items. Position the smoker with a minimum of 2 m / 78 in overhead clearance and at least 2 m / 78 in clearance from combustible constructions.

1. Open the Lid of the Barrel Body.
2. Unlatch the Door Buckles and open the Charcoal Refill Door. Place some lighter cubes or solid firelighters into the Charcoal Basket and then load two or three handfuls of lump charcoal - filling the Charcoal Basket approximately 2/3 full.
   
   Do not use gasoline, spirit, lighter fluid, alcohol or other similar chemicals for lighting or relighting the fire.
3. Light the lighter cubes or solid firelighters using a long-nosed lighter or safety matches. Once it has caught, slowly and carefully close the Charcoal Refill Door (using the Door Handle) and keep the Lid of the Barrel Body open for about 10 minutes to build a small bed of hot embers. Also, open the Air Intake Pipe dampers completely to encourage airflow.
   
   Do not cook before the fuel has a coating of ash. It is recommended that you do not stoke or turn the coals once they are alight. This allows the charcoals to burn more uniformly and efficiently.
4. Allow the charcoal to heat up and adjust the Chimney and Air Intake Pipe dampers to reach your desired temperature.

REFUELING PROCEDURE

With the Chimney closed, the smoker will stay at a high temperature for several hours. If you require a longer cooking time (e.g.when roasting a whole cut or slow-smoking), it may be necessary to add more charcoal.

1. Unlatch the Door Buckles and open the Charcoal Refill Door using heat-resistant gloves.
2. Carefully, add additional lump charcoal to the Charcoal Basket.
3. Close the Charcoal Refill Door and latch the Door Buckles to seal.

Do not use spirit, petrol, gasoline, lighter-fluid or kerosene for lighting or refreshing a fire in your smoker. Also, do not attempt to add more fire starter into a fire that is already burning or into a hot Charcoal Basket. This may cause injury.

USING WOOD PELLETS FOR FLAVORING

Combining the use of charcoal and barbecue hardwood pellets in your smoker will add smoky flavoring to your foods. Hardwood pellets are known as the easiest fuel to use and come in a variety of different flavors - enhancing your smoking and cooking experience by using flavors like mesquite, hickory, and apple. Using hardwood pellets in your charcoal smoker will provide immense flavor without needing to closely monitor the air to fuel ratio like with wood chips or chunks.
Pit Boss hardwood pellets produce less than 1% of ash, an entire 40 lb (18 kg) bag of pellets will only turn into half a cup of ash, which makes clean up a breeze. Pit Boss® hardwood pellets are made from 100% all-natural hardwood that is dried and ground into saw dust. The dust is then pressurized at extreme heat to create the compact pellets that are coated and held together with the wood's natural lighting.

1. Follow the lighting procedure like you normally would. Allow the charcoal to heat up and create the burning bed of hot embers to indicate the fire is hot.
2. Unlatch the Door Buckles and open the Charcoal Refill Door using heat-resistant gloves.
3. Carefully, add a blanket layer of hardwood pellets to the to the top of the burning coals of the Charcoal Basket.
   
   Do not add too many pellets as this will prevent proper airflow in the Charcoal Basket, causing the fire to burn out from lack of oxygen.
4. Close the Charcoal Refill Door and latch the Door Buckles to seal.
5. Open the Chimney and Air Intake Pipe dampers to increase airflow until the pellets begin to smoke. Adjust the dampers to halfway open to allow the smoke to infuse the food inside the smoker.

TIP: As a portion guide, half a cup of pellets should provide 30-40 minutes of smoke.

HOW TO USE THE HANGING RACK

Maximize space inside the smoker by using the Hanging Rack. Easily hang multiple racks of ribs, sausages, or any other meats using sturdy meat and/or sausage hooks. This allows the heat and infusing smoke to encircle the meat.

1. Remove the Cooking Grids and place the Hanging Rack on the highest position inside the Barrel Body.

NOTE: Ensure the Heat Diffuser Plate remains inside the Barrel Body. It is used to disperse the direct heat from the Charcoal Basket, creating a more even heat distribution throughout the Barrel Body.

2. Follow the lighting procedure like you normally would. Allow the charcoal to heat up and create the burning bed of hot embers to indicate the fire is hot. If hardwood pellets are desired for flavoring, add them at this time as well.
3. Prepare your meats for hanging:
   • Ribs - Find the large end of your rack (or slab) of ribs. On the big end, insert the meat hook directly center between the first and second bone, into the meat.
   • Sausages - Pierce the sausage link directly with the meat hook, or hang on smaller S-hooks by the casing or a tied string.
   • Whole Hens or Chickens - Truss or net your bird well to hang in a secure manner. The bird will start to get tender and bones will move during cooking. Hook through the next cavity into the breast, into the backbone or under the wishbone.
4. Adjust the dampers to be minimally open to allow the heat to stay inside the smoker. Open the Lid of the Barrel Body and place the hooked meats onto the Hanging Rack. Spread them out to allow for even airflow. Close the Lid of the Barrel Body as soon as all hooks are in place.
5. Allow the temperature to stabilize inside the smoker, and add fuel as needed.

NOTE: Open the Lid of the Barrel Body and rotate the Hanging Rack every 20 minutes.

EXTINGUISHING THE UNIT

1. When finished cooking and extinguishing the smoker, simply stop adding fuel. Close the Chimney and Air Intake Pipe dampers to allow the fire to die naturally by lack of oxygen.

Do not use water to extinguish the charcoal as this could damage the Charcoal Basket.

CARE & MAINTENANCE

Any Pit Boss unit will give you many years of flavorful service with minimum cleaning. Follow these cleaning and maintenance tips to service your smoker:

1. CHARCOAL COMPONENTS
   • Clean out the Charcoal Basket and Charcoal Tray when a build-up of ash is found. Ensure that there are no signs of blockage of the holes of the Charcoal Basket.
   • Clean out the Charcoal Refill Door and entry way to ensure it can open and close smoothly.
2. INSIDE SURFACES
   • Using a grill cleaning brush, remove any food or build-up from the cooking grids. Best practice is to do this while they are still warm from a previous cook. Grease fires are caused by too much fallen debris on the cooking components of the smoker. Clean the inside of your Barrel Body on a consistent basis. In the event you experience a grease fire, keep the Lid of the Barrel Body closed to choke out the fire. If the fire does not go out quickly, carefully remove the food, and close all dampers until the fire is completely out. Lightly sprinkle baking soda, if available.
   • Thoroughly clean the inner Barrel Body to remove any splatter or build-up of grease. Carefully remove all cooking components and turn the smoker on its side. Use a shop-vac to remove all ash and residue, then wash the inside walls and bottom using hot soapy water. Leave the smoker to dry completely before replacing cooking components.
3. OUTSIDE SURFACES
   • Wipe down your smoker after each use. Use warm soapy water to cut the grease. Do not use oven cleaner, abrasive cleansers or abrasive cleaning pads on the outside surfaces as it may damage the paint finish. All painted surfaces are not covered under warranty, but rather are part of general maintenance and upkeep. For paint scratches, wearing, or flaking of the finish, all painted surfaces can be touched up using high heat BBQ paint.
   • Use a cover to give your smoker complete protection! A cover is your best protection against weather and outside pollutants. When it is not in use or for long-term storage, keep the unit under a cover in a garage or shed.

CLEANING FREQUENCY TIME TABLE (NORMAL USE)

TIPS & TECHNIQUES

Follow these helpful tips and techniques, passed on from Pit Boss® owners, our staff, and customers just like you, to become more familiar with your smoker:

1. FOOD SAFETY
   • Keep everything in the kitchen and cooking area clean. Use different platters and utensils for the cooked meat than the ones you used to prepare or transport the raw meat out to the smoker. This will prevent cross contamination of bacteria. Each marinade or basting sauce should have its own utensil.
   • Keep hot foods hot (above 60ºC / 140ºF), and keep cold foods cold (below 3ºC / 37ºF).
   • A marinade should never be saved to use at a later time. If you are going to use it to serve with your meat, be sure to bring it to a boil before serving.
   • Cooked foods should not be left out in the heat for more than an hour. Do not leave hot foods out of refrigeration for more than two hours.
   • Defrost and marinade meats by refrigeration. Do not thaw meat at room temperature or on a counter top. Bacteria can grow and multiply rapidly in warm, moist foods. Wash hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before starting any meal preparation and after handling fresh meat, fish, and poultry.
2. COOKING PREPARATION
   • Be prepared, or Mise en Place. This refers to preparing the cooking recipe, fuel, accessories, utensils, and all ingredients you require at smoker side before you start cooking. Also, read the entire recipe, start to finish, before lighting the smoker.
   • A BBQ floor mat is very useful. Due to food handling accidents and cooking spatter, a BBQ floor mat would protect a deck, patio, or stone platform from the possibility of grease stains or accidental spills.
3. SMOKING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
   • To infuse more smoke flavor into your meats, cook longer and at lower temperatures (also known as low and slow). Meat will close its fibers after it reaches an internal temperature of 49ºC / 120ºF. Misting, or mopping, are great ways to keep meat from drying out.
   • While searing your meats, cook with the lid down. Always use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of the foods you are cooking. Smoking foods can turn meats and poultry pink. The band of pink (after cooking) is referred to as a smoke ring and is highly prized by outdoor chefs.
   • Sugar-based sauces are best applied near the end of cooking to prevent burning and flare-ups.
   • Leave open space between the foods for proper heat flow. Food in a crowded smoker will require more cooking time.
   • Use a set of long-handled tongs for turning meats, and a spatula for turning burgers and fish. Using a piercing utensil, such as a fork, will prick the meat and allow the juices to escape.
   • Foods in deep casserole dishes will require more time to cook than a shallow baking pan.
   • It's a good idea to put cooked food onto a heated platter, keeping the food warm. Red meats, such as steak and roasts, benefit from resting for several minutes before serving. It allows the juices that were driven to the surface by heat to ease back to the center of the meat, adding more flavor.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Proper cleaning and maintenance will prevent common operational problems. When your smoker is operating poorly, or on a less frequent basis, the following troubleshooting tips may be helpful. For FAQ, please visit www.pitboss-grills.com. You may also contact your local dealer or Customer Care for assistance.

Ensure the smoker is completely cooled prior to any inspection, cleaning, maintenance or service work. Failure to comply may result in serious injury or damage to your unit.

REPLACEMENT PARTS

NOTE: Due to ongoing product development, parts are subject to change without notice.

Documents / Resources

References

• Home | Pit Boss® Grills

Download manual

Here you can download full pdf version of manual, it may contain additional safety instructions, warranty information, FCC rules, etc.

Download Pit Boss Champion PBV24CB - Charcoal Barrel Smoker Manual