A pellet grill smoker is always going to be used outside but is it suitable to get a cover and be left outside? (or just leave it outside without a cover?)
I have had a keen interest in pellet grill smokers for many years now, when it comes to set and forget smoking and also some useful grilling – decent pellet grills smoke can produce some amazing results.
Even when I compare to all the other smokers I have been using, for the pure a level of convenience, pellet grill smokers are exceptional for easy smoking.
There are a bunch of brands and of course variations, I’ve test-driven so many you start to see those similarities and a few differences (at the end the day they have all produced the goods – you just have to hit those internal meat temps). I’ve deep-dived into this and wanted to hopefully drop some useful tips too.
Can a Pellet Grill be Left Outside? Pellet Grill Smokers can be left outside in mild climates, however, in winter months they should be stored in a garage. Pellet Grill Smokers are not designed for exposed sun or rain. They should always be in a covered roof area.
That is the general principles agreed by most manufactures, but there are some points to about pellet storage, covers & winter blankets.
Of course, this is generalization but I reckon you will pick up a few tips regardless below on the way.
More Details on Outside Storage
Stainless Steel Better Protection from Outside
The protection and design of the pellet grill are going to have a big effect of course. Some pellet grills powder coated, and some are a higher grade of stainless steel.
But at the end of the day, pellet grills were designed to be exposed to the sun and the rain, and I believe the minimal protection you want to do is at least to have a roof over your pellet grill to keep the sun and the rain to prevent the obvious damage that could occur.
I really make a big difference between other types of smokers like charcoal/wood kettle or drum barrel smokers. Offset smokers as well, because these are just metal areas where you have fire and smoke, without any accessories they don’t really have any electrical technologies or for that matter moving parts. (auger screw to push the pellets into the firepot).
But when you think about the pellet grill, motherboards, moving parts and a fire pots for burning the pellets. These all areas of sensitivity when it comes to an outdoor environment.
And of course the old saying applies to any of these builds-
Good things aren’t cheap and cheap things are good
Neville – a guy I use to work with (actually still do!)
Sometimes it’s a bit sad we live in a throwaway society where people just feel they can just buy a new one, I tried consciously stay away from this kind of thinking as I got older.
Advice from the Campchef site:
If you live in a region with cold weather like snow and rain, the humidity can be rough on your outdoor cooking gear. Stainless steel … will resist rust better in such conditions than other materials. But if yours isn’t stainless steel, there’s still plenty you can do
Campchef Smoker Site – How to Protect Your Pellet Grill
If you looking at pellet grills, I did a comparison & rating of a bunch of decent pellet grills but ranked them for ‘build quality’ – check out the comparison buyers guide of a few goodies.
If Pellet Grill is Dry – Avoids Rust
If there isn’t as much Stainless Steel on your pellet grills, you need to
- Clean regularly
- Use a decent pellet grill cover
- Ideally store in Dry Area (Garage)
Not have direct rain or sun on the pellet grill.
It’s a little bit obvious but it seems a lot of people still make this mistake and wonder why the pellet grill shows signs of wear after one year of use or a couple of winter seasons.
I do have one high spec gas barbecue grill, which was an incredible investment, partially for commercial cooking. The five-burner beast is supposedly marine grade steel. It has had many days in the rain, even carelessly without a cover when I was a younger more silly ‘gentleman’.
Anyway, this $3000 plus gas grill has not yet rusted, but I would definitely say this is an outlying scenario and of a much higher build than a majority of pellet grills that are being produced (13 years old now?!).
I think the highest specification pellet grill I have come across in many years of research would probably be Mak Grills. They seemed the start around $2000, I just find them aesthetically displeasing for some reason.
But I do respect the commercial grade components and build.
Electronics and Binding Wood Pellets
Compared to Charcoal Smoking or Gas Grilling – there is technology like a motherboard.
This is really something you have to think about especially if you’re moving from gas grilling or charcoal smoking. There is the electronic motherboard componentry and in some instances, Wi-Fi router-based technology built into these things.
So I would say it’s kind of like one of my trusty temperature probes, even though some are waterproof. I still would not think about leaving that type of technology out in the exposed rain.
Wood pellets are heated to bind them using the natural residue/sap.
Dry pellets are uber important.
The way they are made, they are heated up which releases some of the natural residues inside of them. And then pushed through a diecast pellet-shaped mold. And basically, once they are cool down the residues worked like glue binding it into that shape.
Either leaving wood pellets out in the sun or in a damp or humid environment, can potentially lead to deterioration.
I’ve also heard stories of fires on pellet grills or clogged up auger screws.
And quite often these have come back to people not looking after the pellets and not cleaning out hoppers! (I know it sounds silly but it’s true! Note these are rarities though)
Depends on the Climate
In the smoker community, they still say they don’t get issues leaving the pellet grill outside without a cover, but they are probably more of an anomaly and these guys may have had a good run but eventually, the lack of care will catch up with them.
Hot and Humid Extra Care with Pellet Grills
Any extreme environment and pellets don’t like it, too much sun and the residue that binds them can breakdown too.
What Happens to Damp Wood Pellets
Possible Issues:
- Clogging Auger that feeds the pellet from the hopper
- Doesn’t ignite
- Need to replace parts or maintenance anywhere along the auger or heat pot
Pitboss have some DOs and DONTs, here are the key ones I reckon:
Do: Store your pellets in a dry place
Do: Empty your hopper after using your grill
Do: Examine and test a few pellets before loading them into the hopper
Don’t: Leave your pellets in the original bag it came in
Wood Pellets Dos and Donts – Pitboss
Break pellets, snap 1 or 2 , if its dry it will snap easy. Easy way to check if there any good.
Store pellets in a dry sealable container NOT the hopper. The other tips were a little silly “don’t store pellet near something flammable?!” come on guys.
Yes, it’s too bad common sense isn’t taught at school. I know it’s a little bit harsh but it’s kind of true to I feel.
Burn Off – for Grease Build Up
Especially when you’re making those greasy ribs or fatty brisket, and let’s be honest just about all the meat they use for low and slow barbecue is packed full of fat and will get rendered off to a certain point, that’s why it comes with a grease bucket!
So doing a bit of a burnoff can make quite the difference, I think this applies to any gas grilling as well as pellet grills smoking I must have used.
Sure it’s going to use a few more wood pellets but it’s worth it in the long run.
Rodents like Mice and Cockroaches love a good feed of grease, especially for there young ones!
Cockroaches, wasps, or mice are all known to make their homes inside pellet grills. The cover is definitely going to help but doesn’t always solve the situation. If you have got room to wheel your pellet grill into a more enclosed area, I find this a good way of protecting it from the elements and creatures of the world.
Auto Shutdowns – Don’t Leave Pellets in the Auger Screw
I think just about all of the pellet grills I’ve used have some automatic shutdown burning system. But I’m sure there are those out there as well that need to be tweaked.
Of course, he should never have pellet grills sitting in a fire pot and ideally should be cleaning out the firepot after each smoking session when everything is cool.
But hey it doesn’t always happen especially if you had a few too many brews, but it’s just one of those things that you really do want to keep in mind and ideally get into good habits around.
Wasp Nests in Pellet Grill Smoker (Get a Cover)
It’s kind of funny but then it’s kind of sad when you hear now and then about selling getting smashed by a wasp’s nest after leaving their pellet grill out exposed under the elements for little bit too long.
Guess you could do a burn off to get those wasps moving, just depends on how much of a cowboy you want to be!
The other option is of course to get a decent cover and also keep pellet grill smoke away from the elements, your call.
I’ve done a lot of research when it comes to pellet grill covers, and also winter blankets.
If you’re going generic just remember to check whether the cover will fit your chimney design.