Pit Boss P Settings Chart: Fewer Pellet Pauses, More Heat!

Pit Boss grills are awesome because they have cool features. They have a Flame Broiler Lever. It lets you cook with direct or indirect heat. There’s also a Digital Control Board. It makes setting the temperature easy with just a button. 

But there’s more! The P setting is super special. It lets you control how much smoke you get. You can change how often the grill feeds pellets. This means your food gets just the right smoke flavor. 

Please master the P setting in today’s post. It helps make your food taste amazing, whether it’s a juicy smoked brisket or perfect steak.

WHAT IS THE P SETTING ON PIT BOSS PELLET GRILLS?

“P” in the P setting means “Pause.” It sets the amount of time that goes by between pellet auger cycles. Basically, the P setting adjusts how long the auger waits before it starts putting pellets into the fire again. 

For Pit Boss grills, the “P setting” is what makes them different from other pellet grill types. The temperature on the grill can be controlled by this setting. P setting that lets you change the smoke and temperature controls so directly and by hand. 

A lot of modern pellet grills use digital controls to keep the temperature just right. These systems are easy to use and accurate, but the P setting on a Pit Boss grill gives you more control over the cooking process. 

WHEN TO USE P SETTING ON PIT BOSS?

The basic function of the temperature sensors in Pit Boss are used to keep an eye on the temperature inside the grill. 

Automatic sensors can change the speed of the auger to keep the temperature steady, but they don’t directly measure things in the surroundings. 

They use a set cycle for giving pellets that is based on normal conditions. When we use the P setting, we can change how their food cooks based on our needs and tastes. Here are some of the best application of the P settings on Pit Boss. 

P Setting to Deal With Heat Loss 

The P setting is particularly useful in adapting to external temperatures. But I think the “P setting” is more helpful to manage the grill during cooler weather. 

In colder weather, the ambient temperature can cause the grill to lose heat more quickly than it would in warmer conditions. The P setting adjusts the pellet feed rate to compensate for this loss. The lower P setting to decrease the pause time make the grill feed pellets into the firepot more consistently, to maintain a steadier temperature inside the grill. 

Increasing the stop time (higher P setting) can keep the grill from getting too hot when it’s warmer outside, but when it’s hotter outside, the grill naturally keeps heat in better and may not need to be adjusted as often to stay at the right temperature. 

One scenario of using the p setting is when you set the grill to its lowest setting to smoke a pork butt, it may lose heat due to 30 degrees and wind. Instead of using the temperature dial to raise the grill’s temperature and damage the meat, you decrease the P Setting to P3, which turns the auger on for 18 seconds and off for 100 seconds, unlike P4, which does it for 155 seconds.

P Setting for More Smoke Flavor

You can change how much smoke flavor is added to the food by changing the P setting. As the P level goes up, there is more time between pellet feeds. This ways, your Pit Boss grill makes more smoke and the smoke tastes betterl. We’ll explain this more in the next part of this post. 

PIT BOSS P SETTINGS CHART

This is the ultimate chart for the P Settings of Pit Boss Grills, showing the level indicated, the time the auger feeds pellets (On), and the duration it pauses feeding (Off). Additionally, we provide recommendations on the conditions under which each setting should be used.

WHEN DO THE P SETTINGS GO WRONG ON PIT BOSS?

The P setting on a Pit Boss grill affects temperature control and smoke generation. But setting it wrong can cause several frequent problems. Here are some possible P setup failures and their associated outcomes:

Too High P Level in Warmer Weather

When the P setting is set too high during warmer weather, it means there’s an extended pause time between pellet feeds. This can cause:

• Low Temperature Issues: The grill may have trouble getting to or staying at the right temperature for cooking. This can cause food to be raw or take a lot longer to cook than planned.
• Inconsistent Smoke Production: You may want more smoke for taste, but if you set the P setting too high, it can make it hard to get a consistent smoke flavor.
• Temperature Fluctuations: The temperature on the grill might fluctuate more than you’d like because the pellets aren’t fed very often, so the heat may not be recovered properly during the long breaks.

Too Low P Level in Cooler Weather

In cold weather, setting P too low causes the auger to feed pellets too regularly, which might cause:

• Overheating: The grill can become too hot, then it can burn food or cook it too quickly. Some dishes require slow cooking, which this can damage.
• Wasteful Pellet Consumption: Feeding pellets into the fire too often might waste pellets and make grilling less efficient and more costly.
• Reduced Smoke Flavor: Although more pellets being burned can produce more heat, it may not necessarily create more smoke. In fact, if the temperature is too high, the pellets might not burn completely, which means there will be less smoke taste in your food.

Error Codes

You might then wonder if error codes are also caused by a bad P setting. This is how it works: 

Sometimes the p setting can cause an error code, and other times it’s because the grill actually failed. 

The P setting affects temperature control and smoke production. On the other hand, error codes are usually caused by problems with gear or sensors. But making huge mistakes with the P setting could cause problems (like temperatures that are too high) that could indirectly cause error codes like the Pit Boss ErH Code (this code usually means that the grill has gone over its safest temperature, which happens when you set the P value too low in cold weather and the grill feeds pellets too often, raising the temperature too much). 

This type of error code, like the Err Code, usually means there is a problem with the grill’s temperature monitors. It has nothing to do with the P setting.

PIT BOSS P SETTING: THE LEARNING CURVE OF CORRECT “P”

The P setting on Pit Boss grills lets you control how often it feeds pellets. But, it’s not perfect and needs you to step in for the best grilling. Using the P setting right takes some practice. If you don’t get it just right, the grill might get too hot or cold, make too much smoke, or waste pellets. 

To find the perfect P setting, you’ll need to try things out. Start small with changes and wait a bit before you tweak more. The P setting changes are big steps, not tiny tweaks.

How well you use the P setting depends a lot on how good you are at checking the weather. It’s all about your grilling skills and learning as you go.

Here we have a step by step guide on learning how to choose the correct P setting.

Step 1: Check the weather and outside events.

Check the weather app or outside clock. If it’s cold, drop the P setting to reduce pauses. Hot? Turn it up for more breaks.

Look at the wind. Windy conditions may speed up grill cooling, so modify the P setting. Stop the wind if possible.

Check air moisture with a weather app. Humidity may require lowering your grill’s P setting.

Step 2: Check the Pit Boss Grill location 

Your grill may heat up in the sun. It may be cooler in shade. Change P based on grill location.

Step 3: Start in the middle P 

Start using the grill’s P setting. Check if your grill stays hot.

Adjust P slightly if needed. Change again after 10–15 minutes. Increase if too hot or want more smoke. Lower it if it’s too cold.

Step 4: Check the smoke

Stay alert for smoke and cooking smells. A foul smell or too much smoke may indicate a high P setting. Without smoke, it may be too low. Check the light’s accuracy.

Step 5: Gain experience

Note what worked and didn’t for next time. Record the weather and P setting. Grilling more lets you choose the right P setting.

USING THE P SETTING FOR MORE SMOKE

To improve meal flavor, pitmasters use the Pit Boss grill’s P setting to produce additional smoke. The P setting controls grill smoke by altering pellet feeding intervals. To make additional smoke, use the P setting:

• Temperature vs. Smoke: Increased smoke through a higher P setting frequently lowers temperatures. It works best for slow-cooking dishes, so make sure your method matches it.
• Type of Pellets: The type of wood pellets you use affects smoke quantity and flavor. Try different woods to find your favorite flavor.
• Food monitoring: Cooking with more smoke needs close monitoring of the meal, especially when the internal grill temperature may be lower than in regular grilling.

CONCLUSION

Modern grills, including some newer Pit Boss models, may incorporate more advanced technology to automate temperature adjustments more effectively, reducing the need for manual P setting adjustments. 

However, for enthusiasts who enjoy the hands-on approach to grilling, the P setting on Pit Boss provides an additional layer of control that can enhance the grilling experience, despite its limitations.