{PITMAKER} Basic Maintenance and Operation of BBQ Safe or BBQ Vault Congratulations on the purchase of your new Pitmaker BBQ Vault or BBQ Safe! The following guide will show you the basics on how to use, care, and maintain your new Pitmaker smoker. Please read the entire guide, including safety guides below before operating your new pit. Seasoning Your Pit You can season the BBQ Vault/Safe just like any other smoker. The back and bottom of the cooking chamber are made of stainless steel and so do not require a layer of oil/grease. Begin by coating the sides and cooking grates with just about any high-temp cooking oil that you want. Some people use vegetable or peanut oil, or lard. We recommend spray Pam (100% canola oil) for its convenience in already being in a spray can, and its neutral taste. From here, fire up your pit to normal cooking temperature (250-300 degrees F) for an hour or so using the methods described below. The heat will cause the oil to bond to the steel. This helps with the preservation and life expectancy of you pit, similar to the process used on an iron skillet. The normal act of cooking will also help to season your BBQ Vault/Safe in time. Lighting Your BBQ Pit For Your BBQ Safe: We recommend loading 4 to 6 pounds of charcoal into the firegrate and lighting about 10% to 15% of the corner of the pile on the side of the air damper that you are planning to use. There are two main ways to accomplish this as described below: For Your BBQ Vault: We recommend loading 5 to 8 pounds of charcoal into the firegrate and lighting about 10% to 15% of the corner of the pile on the side of the air damper that you are planning to use. There are two main methods to accomplish this as described below: Lighting Method 1: Using a propane torch (ie. weed/cactus burner, or roofing torch): 1.) Build your charcoal fuel pile in a shallow L or "U" shape with one leg being against the back of the firegrate, and the other leg being on the side of the air damper in the firegrate. The width of this L pile (and therefore the amount of charcoal involved) will vary a bit depending on desired cooking temperature, and the amount of meat to be cooked in the BBQ Vault or Safe. The amounts listed above should be good for a BBQ Safe or Vault about half full of meat and cooking at 250 to 275 degrees for 8 to 12 hours. This will vary a little also depending on outside temperature and altitude. Have the grate with charcoal slid out all the way and ready to light. Be careful about sliding the firegrate all of the way out, where it will fall on the ground. Especially if it is full of lit charcoal!
{PITMAKER} 2.) Light the torch to a medium power and pre-heat the cooking chamber with it for 7 to 10 minutes (depending on how cold it is). Concentrate the flame on the side walls of the cooking chamber as this is where the metal is thickest (and has to soak up the most heat energy). Keep the torch moving, so as not to stress the metal and spend about a minute and half to two minutes of heating per section. Using each section of the cooking grate as a guideline for your torch. If you spend 90 to 120 seconds heating per section, then 45 seconds should be on the each side, with the remaining 30 seconds or so spread along the back and cooking grate. 3.) As soon as you are done pre-heating the cooking chamber, shut the door immediately and begin to light the initial part of your charcoal pile about 1 lbs, or 10% of the pile.
{PITMAKER} 4.) After this portion is lit, place your initial load of several (2 4) fist sized chunks of wood (or a small log or two) for smoke and flavor. This should give you 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours of smoke, or longer depending on how you distribute the wood chunks throughout the charcoal pile, and how large the wood pieces are. You can add more wood chunks later for more continuous smoke flavor. Be careful of adding too much wood initially, as this may cause a temperature spike if it all catches on fire early. 5.) Slide the firegrate all the way to back of the firebox and you are ready to cook! Utilizing this Torch method of lighting your BBQ Vault or Safe, you should be up to cooking temperature (250 degrees or higher) within 10 to 12 minutes or so depending on how cold it is outside. Leave the firebox air damper and the smoke stack damper open all the way until you are within about 35 to 50 degrees under your target cooking temperature. From there you should start turning your firebox damper down to less than half. Usually, to maintain a normal cooking temperature of 250 degrees or so, the firebox air damper should be about 60 to 70% closed. This depends some on exact amount of fuel and wood added (and lit). The top smokestack damper is used primarily to adjust or maintain temperature from due to cross breeze and wind. Lighting Method 2: Using a charcoal chimney: 1.) When using a charcoal chimney you can build your L shaped charcoal pile just as you would if you going to use the torch, but minus the amount 1 to 2 lbs of charcoal you initially would light with the torch. From there light about 1 to 1.5 lbs for the BBQ Safe, and about a 1.5 to 2 lbs for the BBQ Vault to your chimney and light normally. 2.) Pour the lit coals into the corner of the pile of coals on the firegrate. Where you would normally light your charcoal pile. When starting with a charcoal chimney one to two extra pounds of lit charcoal or so can be added to the initial beginning lit portion that will be spent in getting the smoker up to temperature. 3.) Using the Charcoal Chimney method will take a lot longer to get your pit up to cooking temp 20 to 30 minutes, depending on outside temperature and exact technique. Lighting this initial load of fuel using this either of the above methods should give you an 8 to 10 eight hour burn time at 225 to 300 degrees. Again, longer burn times can be achieved by changing the shape of the charcoal pile and starting with different amounts of charcoal See Points and Tips below:
{PITMAKER} Lighting and Maintaining Temperature Points and Tips: You can use either charcoal briquettes, or the all natural lump charcoal. Never use match light or any charcoal with lighting fuel additives in your smoker. We recommend Kingsford Original (blue bag) charcoal for its consistency and great flavor. Consistent, longer burn times can be achieved by shaping the charcoal pile into an elongated shapes, or even using charcoal divider plates to build S piles. Consistent burn times of 18 hours or more are possible. Remember, both the BBQ Safe and BBQ Vault are extremely insulated and efficient. It takes very little lit fuel to maintain cooking temperature and smoke once the desired cooking temperature is reached. Air and fuel management are key here. Shaping your initial charcoal pile and adding fuel correctly, are just as important as keeping your air dampers adjusted. Use both your intake air firebox damper, and the outtake smoke stack damper for ultimate control. The number one mistake people make with cooking with the BBQ Vault and Safe, is they overload with fuel and or light too much fuel at once, therefore spiking the temperature too high. The BBQ Vault and Safe are extremely efficient similar to a cambro or Yeti cooler in how they hold temperature. We have done tests before where we have taken the firegrate and lit fuel of a BBQ Vault at 250 degrees, completely out of the firebox and saw that the pit with no fuel inside only lost about 15 degrees an hour or so in temperature. Keeping that in mind, tells you how little lit fuel the BBQ Vault or Safe actually needs in order to maintain temperature. If the temperature in your BBQ Vault or Safe continues to rise (and/or too much of the charcoal pile becomes lit in the firebox), the easiest way to stabilize and drop the temperature (besides cutting the oxygen flow) is to pour a gallon or two of water directly into the cooking chamber. The 212 degree steam particles will come up and mix with the smoke/exhaust from the firebox and immediately stabilizes the temp to the 225 to 265 degree range. Some people prefer to cook with water and/or liquid in the water reservoir at all times, because of the extra moisture, and possible flavor it brings to the environment and food. Be sure your cooking chamber is well seasoned prior to using this technique however. If you DO plan to cook with water or other liquid in your drip pan/water reservoir during your cook, NEVER TRY LIGHTING YOUR PIT WITH LIQUID INSIDE. The liquid will act as a thermal ballast and prevent your pit in coming up to cooking temperature in a timely manner. Always light your pit dry first, and then add the liquid once you are up to (or a little past) the cooking temperature that you want to cook at, if you want to use liquid in your smoker while cooking. Cooking Tips You can place foil or a catch pan either at the bottom unused cooking grate or on the drip pan in order to catch drippings and make clean up much easier just as you would a gas grill. If you want to achieve a dryer cooking environment, you can use pans to catch the drippings so that they are not turned into steam.
{PITMAKER} Owner s Manual-Rev 03/03/13 Pitmaker recommends placing larger cuts of meat such as brisket and pork butt at the top two cooking greats, medium cuts such as ribs and pork tenderloin in the middle grates, and chicken in the bottom two grates. It just seems to turn out better that way. Also, you avoid potential cross-contamination by placing the chicken on the bottom grates. When cooking a high volume of fatty meat (more than 8 briskets/pork butts per at one time), it is recommended to either periodically drain the drip pan/water reservoir and/or to cook with water in the reservoir to prevent possible grease fires. Operation Things to Remember: The doors of the BBQ Vault and Safe are made to be slammed. You want to make sure and shut the doors firmly. The design of the stainless latch clamp on the door is made to catch deeper and compress the gasket more, causing a positive seal the more firmly the door is shut. If there is play in the door handle, then it is not shut firmly. You can adjust the tension on the catch latch of the door with a heavy duty screwdriver. This may be necessary over time as the gasket seats or conforms to the door frame. It should be set to the correct tension from the factory. You want to keep a rag or paper towel handy at all times when sliding the cooking grates in or out of your BBQ Safe/Vault. When sliding the cooking grates in and out, you want to always give a quick swipe or two on the bottom stainless steel door frame. This will help keep the bottom portion of your gasket clean and increase its longevity (as well as being more sanitary). If you notice a slight wisp of smoke or leak in your cooking chamber door, try fluffing and shaping the gasket with your fingers, as you would a pillow to stop the leak. Sometimes the gasket can get dented or misshapen. If a leak is still in place, then you can take a nut driver and loosen one of the stainless screw in the area or two and pull the gasket out a little and re-tighten the screws. This will give more gasket into the area to compress and cause a positive seal again.
{PITMAKER} Owner s Manual-Rev 03/03/13 Maintenance Key Areas: 1.) As mentioned previously, keep a wiping rag/towel handy every time you slide the cooking grates in and out of your BBQ Safe or BBQ Vault. This will greatly increase the gasket life of the door. Also, this will decrease the necessary labor for cleaning your BBQ Safe/Vault at the end of a cook. 2.) Keep the ashes out of your firebox! Ashes mix with moisture (even humidity in the air), and creates extra corrosion. Keeping the ashes out of your firebox will greatly increase the longevity of your BBQ Vault/Safe. An optional ash pan may be purchased in order to save a little labor during this process. 3.) Keep the stainless steel drip pan in the bottom of your cooking chamber clean. Failing to do so may result in a grease fire. In between every cook, or every other cook, you want to take a stainless putty knife or spatula and scrape any built up residue off of this pan. You can also open up the drain valve and rinse out any grease build up while the pit is still warm. Again, some people line this area with aluminum foil just like the drip pan in a gas grill to reduce the labor of keeping this area clean. 4.) Keep your gasket on your doors clean and dry. With proper care and maintenance, the gasket on the cooking chamber doors is designed for years of use. However, if the time should come, Pitmaker will have available any needed gasket replacement for your BBQ Vault or Safe, along with instructions if and when the time comes. 5.) We recommend storing your BBQ Vault or BBQ Safe in a dry covered area. Open your air dampers and smoke stack dampers to let the smoker breath and to not trap moisture. 6.) We recommend after every cook, cleaning any food particles off of your cooking grates and out of your cooking chamber. On the grates, this is most easily accomplished while the pit is still warm, but below 150 degrees or so. You can take a stiff bristle plastic brush and scrub off the particles, starting at the top cooking grate and working your way down, or you can scrape off the cooking grate with a stiff plastic spatula following the same method. After this, you can scrape/or wipe off the particles that have accumulated in the cooking chamber and wipe off the door frame and front shelf. 7.) If you clean your smoker down to naked steel, metal, removing the layer of protective carbon and oil, be sure to repeat the Seasoning process described in the beginning of this manual. 8.) If the smoker has been unused for over 6 weeks or so, it is recommended to repeat the Seasoning process described in the beginning of this manual, depending on weather conditions. 9.) When storing your smoker for long periods, it is recommended to open the cooking chamber doors to allow the humidity to evaporate periodically. Both the BBQ Vault and BBQ Safe seal extremely well and so can trap moisture.
{PITMAKER} Owner s Manual-Rev 03/03/13 Safety Instructions Remember to clean and/or drain the drip pan after every use. Do not let grease build up there, as this can cause a grease fire and the smoker not to function properly when lighting, as in the case with solidified grease. We repeat the last one because of its importance. Keep your stainless steel drip pan/water reservoir clean. Failing to do so may result in a grease fire. Always remember to firmly shut both the cooking chamber and firebox doors. If there is any play to the handle of the door, the door is not shut firmly and a good seal is not made. This can result in damage to the smoker, and possible unsafe high temperature spikes and/or fire. Be careful of wearing any flammable and/or loose clothing when using your smoker. Children should never be left alone or unattended in the area where the smoker is being used. Use sturdy, insulated gloves when carrying containers or items in and out of your BBQ Smoker. Items in you smoker may be greasy and extra slippery, as well as hot. Extra care should be taken at all times. Be careful of the Drain Valve for the drip pan/liquid reservoir during operation. It may contain hot liquid and/or grease. If you wish to drain the pan during operation of the smoker, be sure to have a suitable high temperature resistant bucket or other suitable container in position to catch the drainage and open the valve very slowly. Before placing any type of container into the BBQ Safe or BBQ Vault, make sure it is able to withstand the maximum internal temperature your smoker may reach (500 degrees F). Also, never place an airtight sealed container into your BBQ Safe or BBQ Vault. Do not operate your smoker in the vicinity where any flammable liquids are stored. Do not overload your smoker with food and/or food containers. There should be space around every item of food or meat to allow for proper smoke/air flowage and functioning of the smoker. Always operate your BBQ Vault or BBQ Safe on a level surface. Operating your BBQ Vault or BBQ Safe on a floor with more than a 5 degree deviation from horizontal true can result in possible unsafe tilting conditions and functioning. Wood smoke is a curing agent. The acting of properly lighting your smoker and keeping the temperature above 225 degrees for 20 minutes or more actually sanitizes the pit.
{PITMAKER} Owner s Manual-Rev 03/03/13 One Year Full Warranty The BBQ Vault and the BBQ Safe and all of their components and accessories, except as detailed below*, are warranted to be free from defective materials or workmanship in normal use for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of original purchase. Pitmaker, warrantor, agrees to repair or replace, at its option, any part which fails or is found to be defective during the warranty period. *Painted and decorative items are warranted to be free from defective materials or workmanship for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of original retail purchase. ANY DEFECTS MUST BE REPORTED WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM DATE OF ORIGINAL PRODUCT RECEIPT. Pitmaker LLC uses the most up-to-date processes and best materials available to produce all color finishes. However, slight color variation may be noticed because of the inherent differences in painted parts, as well as differences in kitchen lighting, product locations, and other factors. Disclaimer Pitmaker is not responsible for the misuse or abuse of our products. If user error/abuse is determined in the investigation into a warranty claim, all warranty replacement/repair service is void. Pitmaker also refuses the right to warranty any product to any third party purchaser. Pitmaker is also not responsible for damages caused by any third parties. Thank you very much for your purchase of our products. Pitmaker is here to support you. If you have any further questions, or requests for information about operation or maintenance of your new Pitmaker Smoker, please feel free to call us or email us at the contact information below. {PITMAKER} \ Ph. (281) 359-7487 T.F. (800) 299-9005 sales@pitmaker.com