Pretty close to saying I am sorry I bought it.... FEPG500

Gator if you are seeing swings that is almost always caused from the LHT not being set high enough. Once the unit is at set point if the LHT is high enough it should never go back into the HHT which is what causes the swings. I would recommend leaving the HHT at the default and raise your LHT to 20. If you still get swings raise it a little more. I have attached a sheet that goes over the theory in out control system to help as well. give Cookshack a call if you need any assistance dialing it in.

Thanks for that I read that a few times before....  Here is the issue, with what is written, the hotter the grill the more pellets its gonna need to burn to hold a temperature hence raising the LHT.  based on temperature (also will need to raise HHT a bit as well to minimize undershoot) The other variable is not all woods or pellets are going to burn the same.  so its gonna need multiple LHT settings,if LHT is too high though its goint to overshoot high, and then it takes a long time for HHt to bring it back down so just cranking LHT isnt going to do it.

I can see winter being alot easier to go low and slow, but have you been able to dial in 170-180 for an extended period?

I have to say that I do get tired of hearing new owners become frustrated because they can't master their machine after a few tries.  If you want set-it-and-forget-it instant perfection, get a KitchenAid oven.  Otherwise, if you keep your machine, or get a Traeger if you must,  be patient and learn how to use your tool.  Much as people on this forum would like to help you, we cannot replicate your circumstances and tell you exactly what to do.  If you don't have the desire to take the time, experiment, and learn through experience the skill of using your pellet grill, save yourself the trouble and give up now.

People like you are exactly what is wrong with the world today, and I sure as heck would like to use stronger language.  So you are a genius and you figured out how to use the machine but you are too special,  to share your knowledge,  A simple post of saying, these settings work for me, and I have gotten it to hold 180+/- X for this many hours using the would have helped.   I have burned up over $100 of protein on this thing with very varying results over 10 cooks so far before posting. ....   So far I have found exactly ONE Post on this forum providing settings (and those were 30 75, far from low and slow).  Swings at 400 arent great but usually the food will survive it. 

A guy posted a link above trying to help, yep, I  found and read that link a few times before he posted and did my homework googling and I posted here for help.  But he tried to help.  All of these machines have the same controller, all of them quickly get black on the inside (seasoned), and wood pellets aren't ALL that different.   I will guarantee you that when and if I get past the problems with the grill, I will post the results here.  If I get to the point where its the grill simply doesn't work,  I will post that here as well, to save other folks 2200 bucks.  I am pretty much of the mindset that the machine is a brisket / high temp unit and isnt a real smoker, as advertised.  But we will see.

To think that this model has been around 5 plus years, and no one has posted a solution or the company hasn't posted a solution or changed the controller, says alot.  Every forum on the net says the thing has temperature swings, well in my dumbness I assumed that they could be overcome, and have spent hours researching to no result to find a solution.

Man, give it a rest guys! This forum isn't about that kind of vitriol.

"Electrotech" isn't "some guy." He is Cookshack Customer Service. Pay attention to him, he knows what he is doing.

No vitriol here.  I'm earnest.

Jay?  It's OK with you that this guy is dumping on Chinese products with American product names like Traegar?  Ever heard of iPhone?  Then goes on to trash Cookshack for its Fast Eddy?  I prefer to stand up for good companies like Cookshack who make products that make my life better.  You should too.

DDB -  Would it have been that hard to say how you got your grill to work?  I think not, but hey, its more fun for you to read posts about people burning up Q.  It is good to know that however that some folks do have good success with  Beyond Meat Products on the grill, while  watching CNN, and wearing Biden Tshirts.  Because no true American would get their Jollies by watching another one fail.

If Electrotech is Cookshack, then man o man, its way off  I have been doing combustion controls  (the engineer in Gator is for a reason) for over 35 years, and I can tell you that what cookshack as a manufacturer wrote is not even technically close.

Let me start with the very basics for you.  Wood has an energy content, a certain amount of wood releases a certain amount of heat, the more wood the more heat.   What I don't know with the cookshack is if the air supplied by the blower is held constant or changes with either Temperature or LHT.  In real combustion controls, Air Always leads fuel when the temperature is increased.  which means that there is always more air available than fuel to make sure you don't form CO.  Likewise when Temperature is decreased Fuel is removed before air is reduced. 

I don't hear the grill blower changing sounds so its either fixed for a given temperature or completely fixed regardless of fuel.  if it is completely fixed that explains why ash is getting blown around and all over the food at low temps.....

Just like an oven (for DDBs) benefits the higher the temperature you want the more fuel, electricity, gas or in this case would you have to burn.  This means that you have to change HHT and LHT as temperature varies, if you don't change HHT then you are going to start overshooting low more and more as you cook hotter.  It isn't optional.  So with the current setup, you are going to have to adjust these depending on your temp.  If all you are doing is brisket, then it may be a set it and forget it unit.  If you want to hot smoke a salmon 170F, and then make a pizza 600F you are going to have some (a lot) fiddling around to do.  Because while there is a chance 10/30 might get you to 600 in a long enough time frame, it wont stay there for long

Some takeaways for Cookshack, if you want to take and make this machine into the best BBQ machine ever made you need to do the following:

1) Variable speed auger - as a minimum, variable speed auger (and a variable speed blower, even better), then its simple PID control.  If you do this and air doesn't change, then the food will get ashy at low temps.

2) Fix the  hopper, the angles are too shallow and pellets bridge.  Steeper angles is less metal.

If you don't want to do that at least fix your manual

Get a few brands of different pellets and put together a table for folks to set LHT and HHT.  It would go along way to have the vendor acknowledge the issues with the machine and tell folks how to fix em

Tell them that hoppers occasionally bridge and this should be the number 1 troubleshooting issue.  A bang on the side usually with fix this

Note one needs to be to always sift their pellets

ddb - I don't think Cookshack needs me to "stand up" for them by fighting with people on their Forum. I do that by buying and recommending their products. Just trying to plead for keeping things civil here. Too many good people have already left for other reasons. Peace.

Jay.  Suit yourself.

Gator: Would it have been too difficult for you to have made your initial post in a less blusterous manner?  Frankly, your attitude makes me suspect you of being a troll, and I composed my replies accordingly.

In the old days, Smokin' Okie would have cancelled this thread.

Jay, you continue to belabor this thread with your comments which do nothing more than provoke a continuation of posts.  I understand you don't agree with me.  You don't have to hammer it home by bringing up the dead (assuming he is) and speculating about what he MAY have thought.  I've had my say.  So if you have more to add to the conversation, get it out of your system and let me have it in full.  I certainly understand where your sympathies lie.

Rest assured: Smokin' Okie is alive and well!  

Call Cookshack and ask for Tony (electrotech).  He has NEVER let me down!  

If all you want to do is smoke, the FEPG (GRILL) is not the best option.

Thanks for the info, Joem.  Tony has helped me plenty, too.

Gator:

This is what Cookshack has to say about setting the LHT and HHT settings.  This video is done by Fast Eddy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbAUl5-7gts .

Realize this is an old thread but I am researching the FEPG500 as a replacement to my GMG Daniel Boone. I miss being able to truly grill on my GMG and like the direct fire portion of the FEPG. I have to agree with @Gatorengineer64 in the fact of speed controls on the fan and auger with PID controls would eliminate the need for LHT and HHT settings. This is one thing the GMG grill controllers do right. They have PID logic and the grill typically holds +/- 2 degrees.

I'm not bashing anyone here, but after running a pellet grill in all different ambient temps and with different manufacturers of pellets, I can give a huge thumbs up to PID logic with variable speed fans and augers.

Read as many posts in the PG as you can and ask all the questions you want. CS also has videos as does youtube. Welcome to the forum.

A year or so and Maybe 20 bags of pellets in.  The plusses and Minuses Minuses first 1) Temp control sucks, no other word for it.  +/- 20 is as good as you are going to get.  2)  Pellet Hopper Bridges and ratholes all the time no matter whose pellets 3).  Regular grill is horrible, way too wide of spacing and ultra cheaply made.  Been replaced shame on a 2k grill to replace a grill due to quality.  4) some temperature warping.  Pluses 1) will make the best steak and / or burger you have ever eaten.  2) at brisket temp the thing will generally cruise and only needs intervention to make sure the pellets are flowing 3) sear Grill is great and will give you pretty marks 4) does a nice job on Pizza and Bread.

Its stainless, not much else out there in this price range, so I would buy it again, just wish the company was run by folks who grill, cause all of these problems should have been fixed year 1.

@SmokyRich posted:

Realize this is an old thread but I am researching the FEPG500 as a replacement to my GMG Daniel Boone. I miss being able to truly grill on my GMG and like the direct fire portion of the FEPG. I have to agree with @Gatorengineer64 in the fact of speed controls on the fan and auger with PID controls would eliminate the need for LHT and HHT settings. This is one thing the GMG grill controllers do right. They have PID logic and the grill typically holds +/- 2 degrees.

I'm not bashing anyone here, but after running a pellet grill in all different ambient temps and with different manufacturers of pellets, I can give a huge thumbs up to PID logic with variable speed fans and augers.

SmokeyRich - Try this link for info on the PG 500.  It should prove helpful.https://forum.cookshack.com/se...p;queryString=PG+500

And one user video showing flame and smoke:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87fdSOTUqE4

@oldsarge posted:

And one user video showing flame and smoke:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87fdSOTUqE4

I've watched a few of his videos. They are about the only ones showing the grill in use past ay one unboxings and burn-ins.

@Gatorengineer64 posted:

A year or so and Maybe 20 bags of pellets in.  The plusses and Minuses Minuses ...

Its stainless, not much else out there in this price range, so I would buy it again, just wish the company was run by folks who grill, cause all of these problems should have been fixed year 1.

@Gatorengineer64 - thanks for the reply. I have to agree with some replies I have been getting over in the Round Up post about no one appliance is going to be great at everything. Seems like the consensus is electric smokers are easier to control and give a better overall result and charcoal or gas is better for grilling. Pellet grill/smokers just try to walk that fine line.

When I had a large patio, I used by GMG pellet grill mainly for smoking and a propane grill for, well, grilling. Now that I have less space on a deck, I was hoping to get a unit that would do both well. $2k+ is a still bill to pay and then look at replacing the grates (I agree the spacing is very wide and I see a lot of folks using frog mats or additional grates) and deal with the feed settings to deal with temp swings.

My reason for looking at an all SS unit is my GMG started rusting almost immediately. I have a feeling that is mainly do to the cheap powder coating used. I didn't do my research when I bought it and thought it was USA made because GMG is a CA company. Nope... and it really showed in the build quality. I've gotten about 10 yeas our of it with multiple times with the wire brush and stove paint. The one thing I did like about it is the "set it and forget it' cooking. No babysitting needed. Sounds like that may not be the case with the PG500 from your experience.

SmokyRich - I would not worry too much about 1 or two posts that discuss problems with this unit, or any brand electric BBQ smoker.  There are many posts discussing issues and how to fix as well as out of the box successes up to and including food results. I belong to many forums on bbq (and some woodworking) and I see a lot of posts asking questions and that is good.  I see posts where someone says they ordered, got it and set it up, and then disappear forever. I also see those posts that show off all their smoking/grilling/flat top successes. Truly a mixed bag.  But the best posts are those where someone had a problem and the members chimed in to help and all went well. The worst are those where someone chimed in only to regurgitate an already posted probe.. That is forum life.

If you can handle the programming of the PG 500 you should be OK.  Someone else had an issue with their PG 1000 (same unit but insulated) and it turned out to be the board. Friends and CS took care of the problem.  These units are expensive which is why I do not have one. I too would like a smoker that has a charbroiled/or grill option. Just not in the cards.

Gatoeengineer64's post from AUG 2021 with suggestions is good.  Most folks are aware that with the fan blowing, some ash does blow around.  I get that on a windy day awith my Weber Kettle! Not a big deal!!  Youtube videos show this so it should  not come as  surprise to anyone doing their research.  However it would not be a bad idea for CS to let folks know that it is an occasional issue albeit a minor one, in their description. His recommendation for a variable speed auger is a swell idea. I am sure it is feasible but cost prohibitive as well. Any and all  well written, helpful suggestions need to be sent to Cook Shack; posting on the forum goes nowhere. While I am admin, I have no connection with the company except that I have the Amerique and buy my wood from them. I do contact Stuart from time to time regarding forum issues and/or owner problems.

I hope this ramble helps.  PM me if you have questions you would like to keep off the forum.

David

Thanks for the reply David. There is a lot of good info there. I'm still heavy into the research on pellet smokers. A lot has changed in the last 10 years I've had my GMG. Knowing how I use my smoker/grill and in what conditions, I have a feeling I would get frustrated needing to adjust the settings in the controller. Not that is is difficult, but my wife would not be willing to deal with that.

Good luck on you research. Since pellet grills/smokers seem to all have a peculiar quirk or two, I would go with an all stainless model.  At least you would not have to worry about losing paint and rust.

@SmokyRich posted:

Realize this is an old thread but I am researching the FEPG500 as a replacement to my GMG Daniel Boone. I miss being able to truly grill on my GMG and like the direct fire portion of the FEPG. I have to agree with @Gatorengineer64 in the fact of speed controls on the fan and auger with PID controls would eliminate the need for LHT and HHT settings. This is one thing the GMG grill controllers do right. They have PID logic and the grill typically holds +/- 2 degrees.

I'm not bashing anyone here, but after running a pellet grill in all different ambient temps and with different manufacturers of pellets, I can give a huge thumbs up to PID logic with variable speed fans and augers.

@idahomike posted:

Gator:

This is what Cookshack has to say about setting the LHT and HHT settings.  This video is done by Fast Eddy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbAUl5-7gts .

Thank you, the video helped so much.

about 3 years and probably 500 cooks later, Love the grill for grilling and hot smoking, still not optimal for cold smoking but thats a very small number of cooks.  Nothing seems to help bridging but as long as I open up the hopper and move pellets around before each cook.

I have had my PG500 since they started manufacturing them. Use BBQers Delight or Bear Mountain pellets. I run 15-75 settings, you need to prop the pellet box door open 3” or so. This will keep the heat from building up in the hopper and causing them to delaminate causing dust in the bottom of the hopper. The warming drawer is for cold smoking, if you do cheese, just use a third size pan with ice and a small rack on it.

Hope this helps a little!

My greatest hope is they come out with a controller that I can set the LHt and the HHt quicker. Some days I have a heck of a time getting it right. I read on another site they are working on one. Does anyone have any info? I would be so grateful when this happens. I love my PG500. My only concern is this way of setting.

I'm not aware of any changes so you are better off contacting CS directly.

The new Fast Eddy's PG1000i is running a Fire board controller.  I contacted Cookshack about the new unit since there is very little information on it.  They did say that they have the Fire Board controller conversion for my PG1000.  I just looked around and can't see how the Fire Board unit deals with LHT and HHT controls.  The regular PG500 and PG1000 use the same controller for both units, so the new Fire Board unit should work with both of them.

I can't seem to figure out how to get the edit feature to work.  I just sent an email to Cookshack about the new Fire Board conversion unit and how it deals with the LHT HHT settings.  Can you smoke at a lower temperature or cook at a higher temperature using this controller, what all comes with the conversion unit.  How difficult making the conversion is and the cost of the unit.  I will report back when I get a reply.

Thank you. I am super curious. I would use my PG500 much more and especially in the fall/winter/spring. I get a little agitated when I have to set the LHt and HHt.

We have not tested the Fireboard on the PG500 yet, but sure that we can get it tuned in once we get the parts we need.

Pit Boss pellets are the worst pellets on the market, so I would stay away from them.

Pellets bridging is usually caused by getting some heat back up into the hopper. Try protecting the flue and see if that doesn't resolve the issue.

If you have issues keeping low temperatures lower the LHT setting until the unit flames out and then increase by one...

Thanks for the word on Pit Boss pellets, Stuart. I only use them in my tube smoker, but man, they're hard to keep lit. Definitely going to try something else.

Speaking of pellets. Who makes pellets for Costco Kirkland brand. Please do not say Pit Boss! If so I will return the bag I just purchased!

usj:  Smoking Meat forum says that Kirkland brand pellets are made by Pit Boss.  I have been running Bear Mountain pellets in my PG1000, and have noticed that they run a little hotter than the Cookshack pellets with a little more ash left behind, but not bad.