Temperature Problems

How The Grill Works

The S1 grill heats using a wood pellet fire, an electric element, or a combination of both, depending on the selected cooking mode.

AUTO Mode – Low Temp

• At target temperatures of 110℃ / 230℉ and below, only the wood pellet fire is used.
• For example, if set to 90℃ (194℉), wood pellets are fed to the fire in batches once every 20 to 100 seconds. The rest period between batches adjusts automatically based on how much heat is needed to reach and maintain the target temperature.
• When starting from cold, a larger fire is needed to heat up quickly; as the target temperature is reached, a smaller fire (fewer pellets) maintains it.

AUTO Mode – High Temp

• At target temperatures above 110℃ (230℉), the electric heating element also contributes heat.
• The element turns on and off in a set cycle to provide a base level of heat, while the wood pellet feed fluctuates using PID control logic (explained below).
• For example, at 200℃ (392℉) with HIGH smoke setting, the element will run 36 seconds on, 24 seconds off, delivering about 1200 watts of base heat.
• The wood pellets provide the remaining heat needed to reach and hold the target temperature.

PID Control Logic

• The controller uses PID logic to find the best on/off pellet feed ratio for stable temperature control. It adjusts this ratio every 1 to 2 minutes.
  • If the temperature is rapidly approaching the target temperature or is already above it, the off period will be lengthened.
  • If the temperature is dropping, or below the target temperature, the off period will be shortened.
• This logic has been refined through thousands of hours of testing to:
  • Reach the set temperature quickly, without excessive overshoot.
  • Hold the temperature as steadily as possible.
  • Respond to temperature changes, in particular when the lid is opened.
• If the temperature drops, the controller shortens the “off” time so more pellets are delivered. If it exceeds the target, it increases the “off” time to reduce heat.

Temperature Swings

• The adjustments in the wood pellet delivery batches naturally cause small swings above and below the target temperature.
• Each time the lid is opened, heat escapes, and the controller ramps up pellet feed to recover. It usually takes 5 – 10 minutes for the temperature to stabilise again.
• Swings of about ±15% during heat-up, and ±10% when stable, are normal.
• The grill’s temperature reading is based on hot air blowing past the sensor and exiting through the rear vents. This air measurement shows more variation than the actual heat at the grill rack, where food receives a more even blend of convective (airflow) and radiant (from metal surfaces) heat.

Temperature Spikes

• At low target temperature operation (70 to 100℃ / 158 to 212℉), the grill operates with a very small fire, using only about 200grams (half a cup) of wood pellets per hour.
• With such a small fire, it can sometimes go out. Once the temperature drops the controller turns the pellet ignitor back on to relight the fire – resulting in a temperature spike back up as the accumulated pellets burn and release a larger batch of heat.
• If this happens repeatedly (more than twice an hour), consider setting a higher temperature setting.
• Ensure short, clean, fresh wood pellets are used. If many of the pellet are longer than (>25mm), it result in a very uneven delivery of pellets each cycle – and much greater likelihood of the fire going out.

Slow Temperature Increase

• When changing the target temperature by a small amount (e.g. 80 → 100℃ / 176 → 212℉), the grill may take 10–15 minutes to reach the new setting. This is because the controller makes gradual pellet feed changes to avoid overshooting.
• For large changes (e.g. 80 → 200℃), the grill will increase pellet feed more aggressively and can reach the new target in a similar 10 – 15 minute timeframe.

Slow Temperature Decrease

• When lowering the target from a high to a low temperature, the drop can be slow because the fire is still producing heat and the grill’s insulation retains it well.
• To speed this up:

1. Shut down the grill — this stops pellet feeding and increases fan speed to allow the fire to burn out, and cool the grill down.
2. Once near the new target temperature, open the lid for at least 1 minutes so the temperature reading can drop a bit further, fire up the grill again, and then immediately close the lid.

Grill Running Too Hot

• The lowest target temperature the grill can be set to is 70 to 100℃ / 158 to 194℉, dependent on the current ambient temperature, as in hotter weather the smallest fire will still achieve 100℃ or higher.
• If the weather is very hot and the grill is in full sun (also add heat) the grill may not be able to sit at the target temperature, so move into the shade.
• Aussie hardwood pellets have about 20% more heat per kilogram and oak based pellets, to using a mix of pellet can also help to bring the temperature down too.

Grill Running Too Cool

• If the grill is struggling to reach the target temperature, the most likely cause is poor-quality or damp pellets, which burn inefficiently.
• Try swapping out the pellets with fresh, dry ones first. If still having issues, please contact us.