How To Cure A Pit Boss Electric Smoker

If you didn’t know, yes you need to season/cure your Pit Boss Electric Smoker before you start cooking with it. The first burn-off is important before cooking.

In this post, let me take you through the step-by-step process of how to cure a pit boss electric smoker or how you do the first burn-off.

Seasoning is making your smoker ready for cooking. So, it is crucial that you season pit boss electric smoker.

You need to cure pit boss smokers before making the cooking features as efficient as possible.

See, when grills and smokers are delivered, debris or residues are gathered while delivering the package.

This happens all the time and in all forms of delivery.

It does not only happen to grills or smokers but even smaller packages.

There would be dust, cardboard pieces, and the like getting stuck in the smoker.

Naturally, this debris and dirt will gather and form smoke when the smoker is lit up.

There would be some unavoidable smells and flavors that might mix with your food.

That is why it is important to cure or season your Pit Boss Smoker before you throw in some meat in there.

You will need to get rid of the debris and the dirt from the smoker.

Like any other grill and smoker company, Pit Boss usually brushes a coating of oil inside the grill.

This oil is what collects the debris and makes them stick inside the smoker.

This might be tricky to remove by hand, so you need to cure the smoker.

The oil’s purpose is to keep the interior from rusting during delivery, so it is necessary.

Seasoning a smoker will also bake the paint of the smoker and close all the pores in it.

Therefore making it ready for some cooking.

So here is how to cure your Pit Boss Electric Smoker:

Table of Contents

Disassemble the Smoker

At first, this might look unnecessary, but trust me, and it will be easier for you to cure your smoker if you disassemble it first.

Disassemble means removing the grill grates, the flame broiler plate, and the other easy-to-remove parts of the grill before the first burn-off. This can be challenging with vertical smokers.

Not literally unscrew all parts of the electric or Pit Boss vertical smoker.

Then, you can wash the grates and the broiler with soap and water.

Make sure to rinse the parts well after scrubbing them with soap to remove the smell of the soap.

This will remove the debris and dirt stuck in the spaces of the grates and the broiler that are hard to reach.

By using soap, you will be able to dismount the dirt out of the oily surface. When you have a vertical smoker, check the bottom part as it will be the area where there is most oil.

Once, you have done that, we start the curing process.

How to Cure your Pit Boss Electric Smoker

1. Assemble the Smoker

Yes, you will need to assemble the smoker after we have told you to disassemble it.

Do not worry, it will all be worth it, and in fact, it is not that hard to cure the smoker after that initial step.

So, you need to make sure that you assemble the smoker correctly and you will need to make sure that all screws and bolts are tight.

Some smokers come out of the box unassembled, so you would not need to do the initial disassembling if that is the case with your smoker.

If so, just make sure that the smoker is assembled and tightened to secure the parts in place and let it stand firmly on a flat surface.

2. Wipe It Down

Using a wet cloth, wipe the exterior of the smoker down. I usually use my mild detergent to make sure that you remove all the small dirt and debris.

You will also need to wipe the interior of the smoker down with the same solution. I use my soft sponge but make sure not to scratch the surface of the smoker.

Wash the smoker with water but do not splash it to prevent the water from getting into the electrical components of the smoker.

You can wash it down by using another cloth or sponge and wiping the areas you have wiped with the detergent.

This way, you will not leave any chemicals that might be harmful when burnt.

Then, leave the smoker open to air dry.

You can also help dry it with another dry cloth, but I recommend leaving it to air because the cloth might leave some residue.

3. Coat the Interior with Oil

Once the smoker has dried off, I usually use my brush to coat the smoker’s interior with oil. You can also use an oil spray to do this as long as the interior surface is coated.

You do not need to overdo this step. A light and a thin coating of oil will be enough for the smoker, and you shall see no drippings from the oil.

The oils recommended for coating the smoker are the ones that emit little to no smell and can withstand high temperatures for a long time.

Some oils used for this are coconut oil, canola, and peanut oil. Try avoiding olive oil as it gives off a strong smell that might not complement barbecue and other recipes.

4. Start Off the Smoker

After coating the interior of the smoker, you will need to turn on the smoker. If you are beginning a smoker for the first time, we have this guide and tips for you.

5. Plugin the smoker into an electrical socket.

Since the smoker needs electricity to start, you will need a nearby power outlet to start the smoker. Make sure that the electrical socket is safe and heavy-duty.

When I use my electric extension going to your backyard, I make sure that it has a thick electrical coating and is pinned down to the ground so you would not trip over it.

6. Add some wood pellets

Pit Boss produces wood pellets that are made perfectly for their smokers. Use some of those pellets and load the smoker in the proper pellet hopper before you turn on the smoker.

Put enough wood pellets for the smoker to last up to an hour. Turn up the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and let it sit at that temperature for at least 15 minutes.

If you have a smoker who can only reach lower temperatures, you can turn it up to 275 degrees Fahrenheit for three full hours.

7. Close the lid and open the vents

Once you get the Pit Boss Electric Smoker fired up, shut down the smoker’s lid and then let it smoke by opening the vents on top.

Make sure the vent is fully open so it can gather enough air to heat up and let the heat circulate the smoker’s interior.

Let the smoker cool down. After it has shut down and cooled, you can now clean up some of the ashes from the wood pellets and start cooking!

Maintaining the Pit Boss Electric Smoker

Once you have properly cured or seasoned the Pit Boss Electric Smoker, there is no need to do it again. Just occasionally clean the interior by wiping it and brushing the ashes off.

The perfect time for cleaning the smoker is every time you have finished cooking in it. Just wait for it to shut down and cool safely.

Let the smoker shut down and cool just enough for it to be safely touched without getting burned. This way, the residuals from food and the grease would still be loose.

Use a soft-bristled brush or a damp cloth to clean the grates and the other parts of the interior. You can then let it air dry or wipe it dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Do I need to Cure a Pit Boss Electric Smoker?

Curing or seasoning a smoker is important so that no contaminants or chemicals get in your food.

If you use it directly out of the box, some residues might release toxic smoke that will get into your food.

The manufacturing process of smokers includes so many chemicals that help in building, assembling, and finishing the smoker.

That is why you need to burn those chemicals off.

You can remove the smell after using the smoker for a long, the toxic elements such as glue and other synthetic chemicals might be too harmful.

The heat that the smoker produces in its initial fire up will burn away all the chemicals and strengthen the parts of the smoker.

It will also make the smoker more durable, making it resistant to rust and exposure to natural elements, especially since you set it up outside the house.

Conclusion

Pit Boss is a remarkable company that produces smokers with a high standard.

They have one of the most powerful smokers that can go up to amazing temperatures.

So it is not surprising that you get excited about using them once they arrive at your house.

But it is also important to note that there are things that need to be done before cooking.

Curing your Pit Boss Electric Smoker can be a little bit of a killjoy, but it is necessary to keep your food safe and to smell good all the time.

Once you have cured your smoker, you do not need to do it again, so keep a little bit of patience at the start, and you will be continuously cooking once you have one the curing part.

Just follow the quick and easy-to-do guide above, and your smoker will be ready in no time.

Let us know what you think about the step-by-step instructions above!

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How To Cure A Pit Boss Electric Smoker

Disassemble the Smoker