Your last cook is over. Which part of your Pit Boss is due for cleaning before the next one?
This guide walks through ash, grates, grease areas, and the hopper, with each step tied to the manual for your exact model. Keep grease and fat buildup off grates and trays below, as NFPA advises, and choose foil or nylon over a wire brush, as CPSC recommends.
The Pellet Grills: The Complete Guide explains how the hopper, auger, and fire pot work. Here, we show how Pit Boss's FAQ and PB850DX manual fit together without treating one model's chart as universal.
Before You Clean, Check Your Model's Instructions
Use the manual for the model you own. The PB850DX manual gives its own part-by-part intervals. Do not transfer those counts to another Pit Boss grill. If your manual names another component or interval, follow it rather than converting schedules between models.
The separate schedules are a reminder that a pellet grill has more than one surface to clean. Pit Boss's cleaning guidance names ash, grates, grease surfaces, and the bucket separately. Our Pit Boss 850 DX review covers that model, and our pellet grill guide maps the main components.
How Often Should You Clean a Pit Boss Pellet Grill?
If your grill is a PB850DX, use the rows below as a cleanup checklist. The Pit Boss FAQ gives one broad reminder after 40-60 pounds of pellets; the manual shows which parts are due after a session or at a longer interval:
- Cooking grates: after each grill session. The manual says to burn off excess and brush.
- Burn pot: every 2-3 grill sessions. The manual says to scoop out and wet/dry vacuum excess debris.
- Flame broiler: every 5-6 grill sessions. The manual says to scrape its main plate with the slider and not wash it clean.
- Bottom of main grill: every 5-6 grill sessions. The manual says to scoop out and wet/dry vacuum excess debris.
- Grease bucket: after each grill session. The manual lists a cloth and soapy water.
When you clean a PB850DX, use the rows above as a checklist and mark each part as you finish it. Treat the FAQ's pellet amount as a broad reminder; it does not say which part is due, and its grease-bucket interval is only "regularly."
The PB850DX chart also reaches beyond the cooking surfaces. It lists an air-intake vent (every 5-6 sessions; dust, cloth, and soapy water), an auger-feed system (when the pellet bag is empty; allow the auger to push out sawdust and leave the hopper empty), a grill probe and shield (every 2-3 sessions; cloth and soapy water), hopper electrical components (once a year; dust the interior and wipe fan blades), plus shelves and cart (after each session; cloth and soapy water). These are PB850DX instructions. Before cleaning areas beyond the five rows above, find the part in the chart and follow its listed method.
Cleaning the PB850DX Exterior, Hopper, and Probe
The PB850DX manual also covers parts beyond the cooking chamber. It says to wipe the exterior after each use with warm soapy water. Avoid oven cleaner, abrasive cleansers, and abrasive pads on the outside surfaces. This is separate from the FAQ's light-degreaser guidance; use the exact-model manual for the surface you are cleaning.
If the PB850DX hopper cleanout is due, place a clean, empty pail under its drop-chute cover. Remove the cover, unscrew the plate, and slide it outward so the pellets empty into the pail. The manual then says to use a long-handled brush or wet-dry vacuum to clear excess pellets, sawdust, and debris through the hopper screen. Check your exact model's manual before applying these steps to a different Pit Boss hopper.
Keep the PB850DX meat probe separate from the grill probe and shield listed in the chart. The manual says to wipe the meat probe after each use and store its wire in a large, loose coil. The chart's soapy-water method is listed for the grill probe and shield, so check which probe you are cleaning before choosing a method.
How to Clean Ash, Grates, and Grease Areas
The Pit Boss FAQ's cleaning instructions cover ash, grease, wiping the grill, and the grease bucket. Keep those surfaces distinct as you work: ash removal does not clear grease from the grates or lower tray.
The PB850DX manual says to disconnect its electrical cord and let the grill cool completely before opening it. Follow the power-off and cooling instructions in the manual for your model. Then use its instructions for each part:
Remove ash from the fire pot and grill bottom. Pit Boss says a vacuum can remove ash from those areas. The PB850DX manual lists a scoop and wet/dry vacuum for excess debris in its burn pot and grill-bottom entries. Follow the component names and method in your own model's manual.
Clear grease from the flame broiler and lower surfaces. The FAQ says to scrape grease from the flame broiler. The PB850DX chart says to scrape the flame-broiler plate with its slider and not wash it clean. NFPA's grill safety guidance also advises removing grease or fat buildup from grates and trays below the grill, so include the lower tray in your routine. A clean-looking grate does not tell you whether the tray below needs attention.
Clean the cooking grates. For the PB850DX, the manual lists grate cleaning after each session and names a brass wire brush. CPSC recommends aluminum foil or a nylon brush instead of a wire grill brush. Use one of those alternatives when cleaning the grates.
Wipe the grill and empty the grease bucket. Pit Boss says to wipe down the grill with a light degreaser and empty the grease bucket regularly. The FAQ does not give a numbered bucket interval. For the PB850DX, the manual says to clean the bucket after each session with a cloth and soapy water; use the matching manual for another model.
