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[pmillen]

Every now and then I hear of a pellet pit hopper fire or grease fire.  So I've always thought that if my pit isn't well-away from flammables I should take a look at it every once in a while (5-10 minutes or so).  I've always thought that Set It and Forget It referred to the temperature and not the pit.

But many pellet pit manufacturers are promoting Internet monitoring.  I can only assume that a lot of users are now "watching" their unattended pits from distant points.

Is that a safe practice?

[riverrat49]

I just can't leave a pit unattended, too many things can happen

[Bentley]

Tell me where your pit is located and show  me a picture of what is around it...I know you will not take me literally!  And I will tell you if it is safe!

Grease fire is a function of cleanliness in my book...I guess you could be cooking a shoulder @ 400 for several hoyrs or chicken as same temperatures...but you aint leaving chicken cooking at that temp and getting in the car...if you are, forget my invite!

[Jcorwin818]

Not in my book.  When I cook I like to be around my cooker monitoring the various functions plus You can tell a lot on how the cook is going by smell, visual and touch.

I saw on the news last night they have an App for selecting a baby sitter for your children which I don't understand how anyone would do that.  My mantra in life is KISS!

[Kristin Meredith]

At home, we go inside and don't go out and check long haul stuff for hours. And it sits on the covered patio very close to the house. At competitions, Bent has left briskets and pork butts cooking and come back to the hotel room for hours.  Not had anything catch on fire yet.

The only time that I can think of a grease fire is when the pit has had some real greasy cooks done (several in a row), we have not cleaned it out, and then we have fired the pit up on a high heat.  To me, that is user error and not the pit's fault.

[Kristin Meredith]

I saw on the news last night they have an App for selecting a baby sitter for your children which I don't understand how anyone would do that.  My mantra in life is KISS!

With "helicopter parenting" these days, I think that is for the 16-18 year olds that parents want watched

[pmillen]

The only time that I can think of a grease fire is when the pit has had some real greasy cooks done (several in a row), we have not cleaned it out, and then we have fired the pit up on a high heat.  To me, that is user error and not the pit's fault.

Ummm, yeah.  Most fires are human error.  But that's really why I'm asking.  Since there's a possibility of human error with even the brightest, most experienced people (Kristin & Bentley), is it safe?

BTW, I agree w/Bentley it depends largely on the surroundings.  I guess a pit blazing away in the open is safe-ish.

[Bar-B-Lew]

The only time that I can think of a grease fire is when the pit has had some real greasy cooks done (several in a row), we have not cleaned it out, and then we have fired the pit up on a high heat.  To me, that is user error and not the pit's fault.

I have done that a few times.  You would think I would learn my lesson.  Now that I have a few other grills going, I use them for different things and avoid this rookie mistake.

I also leave my grill alone for hours when I am cooking at low temps.  When making the jerky or ribs, I usually don't look at it until 2-3 hours into the cook.  Once I have a few more of these remote device, I don't foresee looking at the pit unless the food is ready or there is a problem.

[Trooper]

The remote device on my Thermapen SMOKE is supposed to be around 300 feet,
I can't imagine wanting to get any further away from what I'm cookin/smokin than that.

Usually, the closer I am to the pit, the better I like things.

[Bar-B-Lew]

The remote device on my Thermapen SMOKE is supposed to be around 300 feet,
I can't imagine wanting to get any further away from what I'm cookin/smokin than that.

Usually, the closer I am to the pit, the better I like things.

I remember the pics of you sitting on the chair right next to the pit.

[Bentley]

Did he have a donut or Slider?

[Kristin Meredith]

The only time that I can think of a grease fire is when the pit has had some real greasy cooks done (several in a row), we have not cleaned it out, and then we have fired the pit up on a high heat.  To me, that is user error and not the pit's fault.

Ummm, yeah.  Most fires are human error.  But that's really why I'm asking.  Since there's a possibility of human error with even the brightest, most experienced people (Kristin & Bentley), is it safe?

BTW, I agree w/Bentley it depends largely on the surroundings.  I guess a pit blazing away in the open is safe-ish.

Yeah,back 10 plus years ago saw an FE 100 with a bad fire go up at a cook for the troops.  Too much fatty chicken being cooked at once.  But it was definitely out in the open so no risk to anyone or anything. That was when I learned that you bought 10 lb bags of baking soda to have to dump on your pit to stop the fire.

p.s. I am the bright one and Bent is the experienced one

[Bobitis]

For the most part I trust my Maverick. I've tried 2 overnighters and both came with flame outs. So much for that idea...

Most of the time I'm no more than 30 ft away if you count zig sagging down the hall and such. I also have a 5 lb fire extinguisher 3 ft from the pit.
I trust the Maverick to keep me informed. No problems yet.

[LowSlowJoe]

Probably shouldn't... but I have on many occasions now left my pit alone, while I was off site.  Sure, anything could go wrong, however in 5 years, never once cooking bellow 300F has any of my pellet grills had grease fire.   I have had one or two smoldering auger tube fires, but haven't had one of those in at least a year.

  Now, not all pellet grills are created equal.... Fast Eddy PG500, for example... and probably even to a greater extent a PG1000. These pits would be really hard to have a grease fire while cooking on the indirect side.   Virtually impossible really , to have a grease fire in one while cooking indirect side.    I suppose anything is technically possible, but it really would be hard to imagine exactly how it would start.   On the indirect side... well I wouldn't cook something over there unattended.

 Meanwhile...  So, those of you who who really do have concerns... Do you get much sleep at night when you cook overnight? or don't you do overnight cooks.   One of the main reasons most of us buy a pellet grills is so we don't have to babysit them on those long overnight cooks.

[DB]

My pellet grill is mostly boring  and works well by its self , but,   twice now it has  flooded with pellets.  Wild smoking and burning up all the extra pellets is making me nervous.I caught it and shut it off so I dont know what it may have done.  Thinking about one of those grill gazebo things moved out in the yard a little more.