You’re standing in the middle of a big-box hardware store, staring at a wall of black steel. One costs three grand. The other, a Pit Boss XL smoker, is sitting there looking beefy for less than half that price. It’s tempting to think the cheaper one is a toy. Honestly? That’s exactly what the luxury brands want you to believe. But after you've burned through a few hundred pounds of hickory pellets and cleaned out the ash pot in the freezing rain, you realize that the fancy paint job on those boutique smokers doesn't actually make the brisket taste better.
Size matters. It really does.
The "XL" designation in the Pit Boss world usually points toward the Pro Series or the older Austin XL models. We're talking about a massive 1,000+ square inches of cooking space. That is enough room to cook food for a literal neighborhood block party, or just enough space to finally smoke three full briskets without them touching. It's huge.
The Heat Retention Reality Check
Most people think thin steel is a dealbreaker. It’s not. While a Yoder or a Lone Star Grillz uses quarter-inch pipe steel that could stop a bullet, the Pit Boss XL smoker uses a lighter gauge. Is it less efficient? Sure, a little. But here is the thing: unless you are smoking in a blizzard in North Dakota, the PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller handles the temp swings just fine.
The PID controller is the brain. It’s the difference between a smoker that "hunts" for a temperature and one that locks in. Older Pit Boss models used a P-setting system that was, frankly, a pain in the neck to dial in. You had to manually adjust the timing of the auger. It was a chore. The newer XL units have largely moved to the digital PID systems that talk to your phone via the Smoke IT app. It’s not perfect—the app can be glitchy if your Wi-Fi is weak—but it’s a massive leap forward.
What Actually Happens Inside the Drum
Pellet grills are basically outdoor convection ovens. The auger pushes wood pellets into a small fire pot. A fan blows the heat around. In a unit as big as the Pit Boss XL smoker, you run into the "hot spot" problem.
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The fire pot is in the center. Logic says the center is hottest. On these big rigs, the right side near the chimney often runs hotter because of the airflow pull. You learn to use this. Put your thick brisket flat toward the heat and the delicate point away from it. It’s about learning the personality of the machine.
One feature Pit Boss fans scream about is the Flame Broiler Slide. Most pellet grills are indirect heat only. You can't sear a steak. Pit Boss added a sliding plate over the fire pot. Slide it open, and you have open-flame access at $1,000°F$. It’s awesome for finishing reverse-seared ribeyes, though it does make a mess of your grease tray if you aren't careful.
Clean it. Please.
If you don't vacuum out the ash every two or three bags of pellets, you’re asking for a flame-out. Or worse, a backburn where the fire travels up the auger tube into the hopper. That’s a bad day. The XL units have a larger hopper—usually 20 to 30 pounds—so you can go all night without refilling, but that just means more ash is accumulating at the bottom.
Does the Porcelain Coating Actually Help?
The grates are heavy-duty porcelain-coated cast iron. They hold heat like crazy. Unlike stainless steel wire racks that feel flimsy, these things give you those thick, dark sear marks. They are heavy, though. Taking them out to deep-clean the bottom of the barrel is a workout.
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The "XL" footprint is another beast entirely. You need a dedicated spot on the patio. This isn't something you tuck away in the corner of a balcony. With the side shelves and the front folding shelf—which is a godsend for holding your butcher paper and beer—it takes up real estate.
Comparing the Pro Series 1150 vs. The Austin XL
If you're looking at the Pit Boss XL smoker options, you’ll likely see the Austin XL at Walmart and the Pro Series 1150 at Lowe's. They look similar. They aren't.
The Austin XL is the classic. It’s got that copper-colored lid and the older-style controller. It’s a workhorse, but it feels a bit dated. The Pro Series 1150 is the "refined" big brother. It has better legs (wider stance), the updated PID controller, and a much easier ash clean-out system. If the price difference is less than a hundred bucks, get the Pro. Your back will thank you when you don't have to disassemble the whole grill just to get the ash out.
The Pellet Myth
You don't have to use Pit Boss brand pellets. People will tell you the warranty is void if you don't. That’s mostly scare tactics. However, Pit Boss pellets are actually pretty good for the price. They are a hardwood blend, usually including alder as a base. If you want more "smoke," look for 100% Hickory or Mesquite pellets from brands like Bear Mountain or Lumber Jack.
Because the Pit Boss XL smoker burns through pellets faster (it's a big volume to heat up), buying in bulk is the only way to go. You'll go through a 20-pound bag on a 12-hour brisket cook easily.
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Real Talk: The Nuance of Build Quality
Is the lid gasket perfect? No. You’ll see smoke leaking out the sides. It drives some people crazy. They go out and buy Lavalock felt tape to seal it up. You can do that, but honestly, it doesn't change the flavor of the meat. It just makes the grill look "tighter."
The grease management is "bucket-style." A slanted tray inside catches the drippings and funnels them to a bucket on the side. If the grill isn't level, the grease pools. If the grease pools and you open that flame broiler, you get a grease fire. Level your grill. It's a five-minute task that prevents a catastrophic $600$ degree inferno.
Common Misconceptions About Smoke Flavor
A lot of "stick burner" purists hate on the Pit Boss XL smoker. They say it doesn't give enough smoke flavor. They aren't entirely wrong. Pellet grills burn very cleanly. To get that deep, Texas-style bark, you need to use the "S" (Smoke) setting or keep the temp low ($200°F$ to $225°F$) for the first few hours.
Once the internal temp of the meat hits $145°F$, it doesn't take on much more smoke flavor anyway. The XL's size actually helps here because there's more air volume for the smoke to circulate before it exits the chimney.
Actionable Next Steps for New Owners
If you just hauled one of these home, don't just throw a brisket on it. You'll regret it.
- The Burn-Off: Run the grill at $400°F$ for at least 40 minutes. This gets rid of the shipping oils and the "factory smell."
- The Biscuit Test: Buy two tubes of cheap refrigerated biscuits. Spread them out across the entire grate surface and cook them at $350°F$. The ones that burn first tell you exactly where your hot spots are. Take a photo. Remember it.
- Buy a Real Thermometer: The probe that comes with the Pit Boss is okay, but it’s often off by $5$ to $10$ degrees. Get a Thermapen or a dedicated multi-probe setup like a FireBoard or Inkbird. Trust the meat, not the grill’s screen.
- Bucket Liners: Buy the foil liners for the grease bucket. Cleaning a grease bucket without a liner is a soul-crushing experience.
- Hopper Management: Don't leave pellets in the hopper if you live in a humid climate. They absorb moisture, swell up, and turn into "wood concrete" that will snap your auger motor.
The Pit Boss XL smoker is a tool. It's not a status symbol. It’s built for the person who wants to feed the whole extended family without spending five grand on a hand-welded rig from a boutique shop. It has quirks. The paint might peel on the firebox after a year. The app might disconnect. But at the end of the day, when you pull a jiggling, bark-covered brisket off those cast iron grates, nobody eating it is going to care about the brand name on the lid.