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Learn how to clean out the pellets from your Pit Boss hopper and auger.

It's important to empty your Pit Boss hopper to keep your pellets fresh and prevent jamming the auger!

When you are finished cooking food on your Pit Boss pellet grill, it is likely that you have pellets left in the hopper.

Because pellets can absorb moisture from the air, we highly recommend you empty the pellets from the Pit Boss hopper after each cook.

Pellets that have been exposed to humidity do not smoke as well as dry pellets, and they can clog the auger of your pellet grill.

In order to fully clean out the leftover pellets from your Pit Boss hopper and auger, you will follow a 3-step process:

Remove the bulk of the pellets to an airtight pellet bucket for storage.
Burn up the pellets remaining in the auger.
Empty the ashes.

We will show you exactly how to do this!

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Rather WATCH than read?

Check out this video from our YouTube Channel on How to Empty the Pellets from a Pit Boss Hopper!

Step 1: Empty the Hopper of Unused Pellets

First make sure that your Pit Boss is off and unplugged.

On the back of your Pit Boss, locate the trap door that blocks pellets from falling down into the hopper chute, as well as the plug for the hopper.

The trap door is held in place with a screw. Unscrew the screw by rotating it.

Then, remove the screw and set it aside.

Slide out the trap door.

At this point, have your pellet bucket ready and placed underneath the hopper plug because as soon as the plug is removed, the pellets will begin pouring out.

Remove the plug and allow the pellets to fall into the bucket.

Use a wooden paint stick to push more pellets down into the chute until the hopper is empty of pellets, except for the pellets that have already fallen down into the auger.

You can use the paint stick to force some pellets out of the auger in order to save as many pellets as possible.

The pellets left in the auger will be burned up in the next step.

Once you have removed as many pellets as possible, replace the plug on the back of the hopper.

Slide the trap door back into place.

Replace the screw in the trap door and tighten.

Next, proceed to burn the pellets remaining in the auger.

Step 2: Burn Through the Pellets Still in the Auger

The pellets that are already in the auger need to be burned up in order to prevent them from absorbing moisture from the air and jamming the auger.

First, plug in the Pit Boss, open the lid, and set it to the "Smoke" setting (the control panel will display an "S").

For a step-by-step review on how to start up the Pit Boss, please see our article How to Start a Pit Boss Pellet Grill.

Hold down the "Prime" button to encourage the auger to keep turning and feeding pellets to the firepot.

Wait a little bit, then repeat this process of holding down the "prime" button as needed to speed up the burning of the pellets.

You do want to take breaks in between so as not to overload the firepot with pellets.

On Pit Boss models with direct heat, like our Pit Boss 1150 Pro, you can open the flame broiler plate and make sure the fire is going in the firepot, indicating that the pellets are being burned up.

You can also watch the auger at the bottom of the hopper turning the pellets.

Keep an eye on the fire in the firepot. When the Pit Boss has burned through all of the pellets, the fire will go out.

The control panel will be flashing the error code "ErL" to indicate that there are no more pellets in the auger.

You can also check the auger by looking down into the hopper to make sure you don't see pellets.

This whole process will take about 20-25 minutes, depending on how many pellets were in the auger.

If you choose not to press "Prime" repeatedly, it will take a little longer.

Finally, turn off the Pit Boss by pressing the "Power" button, then allow the grill to go through its Shutdown Cycle.

The fan will run for about 10 more minutes.

Step 3: Remove the Ashes from the Firepot

Allow the Pit Boss to completely shut down, then unplug it.

Let it cool down for a while.

Because the Pit Boss will still be hot, make sure to wear heat proof gloves for this step. We like these gloves that go up 1472°F!

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Locate the firepot release handle on the outside of the firepot underneath the Pit Boss, if your Pit Boss model has one.

There is a latch to the left of it.

If your model does not have an easy release, you will need to use a mini shop vac to vacuum out the ashes in the firepot from the top of the grill.

You will need to remove the grates to access the firepot.

For models with the easy release handle, have an empty metal bucket ready for dumping the ashes into, especially if they are still hot/warm from the burn.

If the ashes are cool, you can dump them into a bag for disposal.

To remove the firepot, undo the latch on the left underneath the Pit Boss.

Using the handle, slide this piece to the RIGHT and then pull straight down.

You should see ashes in the firepot.

Dump the ashes into the metal bucket to dispose of later once they have cooled.

The firepot is now empty. Use a paper towel to wipe the inside to remove all of the ash residue.

To replace the firepot, hold the release handle with the firepot pointing up and the latch to the left.

Lift the firepot straight up into the bottom of the Pit Boss.

Then slide the firepot to the LEFT and replace the latch to secure it into place.

Now your Pit Boss is free of pellets and ready for longer term storage!

Make sure to protect your pellet grill from the elements by placing a cover on top once it has completely cooled down.

This will extend the life of your grill.

Looking for more Pit Boss resources?

Check out these other articles and the accompanying videos:

pellets coming out of the hopper of a pit boss into a bucket

How to Empty the Hopper and Auger on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill

Exposing pellets to heat and humidity by leaving them in your Pit Boss hopper and auger can cause the pellets to perform poorly with smoke production and can jam the auger. This step-by-step guide shows you how to clean out the pellets from your hopper, burn through the pellets in your auger, and empty the ashes from your firepot.

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Active Time 40

Total Time 40

Ingredients

wooden paint stick
airtight pellet bucket
metal bucket
paper towels

Instructions

Before beginning, make sure your Pit Boss is off, unplugged, and cool before attempting to empty the pellets.

Step 1: Empty Pellets from the Hopper

On the back of the Pit Boss, locate the screw that holds the trap door in place. Unscrew the screw and remove it.
Pull the trap door out to allow pellets to fall down into the chute. Keep the hopper stopper in place at this time.
Open the pellet hopper lid. Using a wooden paint stick, brush the pellets down into the chute.
Have a pellet storage bucket ready. Place the bucket underneath the stopper on the back of the Pit Boss.
Remove the stopper and allow the pellets to fall into the bucket.
Use the wooden paint stick to push more pellets from the hopper into the chute so they continue to fall into the bucket. You can use the paint stick to flip pellets out of the auger to maximize the amount of pellets you save. Any pellets left in the hopper and auger will be burned up in the next step.
Replace the stopper.
Slide the trap door back into the hopper. Replace and tighten the screw.

Step 2: Burn through Pellets in the Auger

Plug in the Pit Boss and turn it on. Set the dial to "Smoke" and hold down the "prime" button to get the auger to start turning. Make sure the "AUGER" light is illuminated. Leave the lid open during this process.
Wait a little bit, then hold down the "Prime" button again to get the auger to turn more. Repeat this step as needed to encourage the pellets to churn through the auger faster.
On Pit Boss models with direct heat, you can open the flame broiler and make sure the fire is going in the firepot. This indicates that the pellets are being burned up.
Keep an eye on the fire. When the Pit Boss is out of pellets, the fire will go out and the control panel will flash the error code "ErL" to indicate that it is out of pellets.
Check to make sure the auger at the bottom of the hopper is empty of pellets. This whole process will take about 20-25 minutes depending on how many pellets were in the auger.
On the control panel, press the "power" button to shut down the Pit Boss. The fan will run for about 10 minutes as the Pit Boss runs through the shutdown cycle.

Step 3: Empty the Ashes from the Firepot

Once the Pit Boss has shutdown completely and cooled a bit, put on a pair of heat resistant gloves. The Pit Boss will likely still be hot to the touch.
Locate the firepot release handle and latch on the bottom of the Pit Boss, if your model of Pit Boss has one.
Undo the latch. Using the handle, slide the handle to the right and then pull down to remove it from the Pit Boss.
Dump the ashes into a metal bucket if they are still warm. If they are cool, you can dump them into a bag for disposal.
Use a paper towel to wipe out the firepot of the remaining ash.
Replace the firepot by holding it by the handle, firepot pointed up and latch on the left side. Push it straight up into the Pit Boss, then slide it to the left to secure. Replace the latch.