Thanks for having me.  I'm Rob, a total newbie to the world of smoking.  My kids bought me a Pit Boss series 5 Copperhead vertical for Father's Day.    4 easy cooks in and learned the benefit of screening the pellets.  LOL.  took me 2 days to remove the auger jam.

Welcome from Manhattan, Kansas.

Welcome from Texas!  Keep your pellets dry.

  A super welcome Rob!   That's quite an indoctrination to pellet cooking.

  Screening pellets you say. I can't imagine what might have been your problem. Dust (fines) usually don't usually pose problems unless they get damp or wet. The fines flash/don't burn.

 If water got into your pellets, there would be  swelling of the pellets that ends up a SOLID mass, just like a wood. That would bind the auger solidly and possibly end up burning out the auger motor.

 Why did you have to sift the pellets?

 What part of Long Island are you located? It has been a few years since I was in NY.

Welcome to Pellet Fan.  The fun is just beginning.  You'll become even more of a pellet fan as time passes.

I'm looking forward to seeing the food that comes out of that Pit Boss Copperhead.  Please post your favorite recipes along with a lot of photographs.

I think Bentley reviewed the Copperhead in this thread.

Take a look at the thread titled Chili For Hot Dogs.  Tell us about Coney Islands.

Welcome Rob, from Central NJ.  You will love this site.  Lots of very good and eager to help folks here.  Enjoy your Copperhead.