Let's Talk BBQ
FORUM SPONSORS => MAK Grills => Topic started by: Fullplate on February 15, 2019, 10:24:01 PM
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Went to mak website to put a list together with prices and it says out of stock stay tuned for newest 2 star. Wonder what there doing. I’d have thought maybe price increase but does anyone have an idea?
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I read they had a big sale on all the 2017-2018 stock and were coming out with a new version for 2019. I don't know what the price of the new 2 Star will be but they were discounting the older one $500.
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The 2018 models are still available. You need to call MAK directly or you can order through BPS. Lowest pricing I have ever seen on MAKs!
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I will wait for newest version. Maybe I can talk my wife in getting one earlier. Hmmm
Where did you guys hear they were coming out with new one? Just curious cause I checked website like a month ago and nothing.
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I will wait for newest version. Maybe I can talk my wife in getting one earlier. Hmmm
Where did you guys hear they were coming out with new one? Just curious cause I checked website like a month ago and nothing.
Spoke with Bob Tucker (owner) and it says it right on their website :)
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Happened to call Mak on Friday and was quickly briefed on the 2019 models. They are moving to generic (e.g., Thermoworks, etc.) K-Type probes which can be moved around inside the unit & are less expensive to replace. The probes will connect to an upgraded Pellet Boss providing better temperature control. Evidently, upgrade kits will be made available for older units. They are also adding two more top rack slots, one above and one below the existing position. (Sounded like this is mainly to accommodate jerky and such.) He also mentioned something about the hopper lid and a bracket being re-designed to help preclude pellet moisture contamination in high-humidity environments, but I didn't pay too much attention since that's not an issue around here. The price will increase $100.
If you don't think you'll need the additional racks and aren't concerned about pellet moisture contamination, at $600 less than a 2019, a 2018 model may very well suit your needs. Temp control on my 2017 is more than adequate and I use a Thermoworks Smoke to monitor grate & meat temps anyway. Might suggest checking in with Mak to better clarify the differences.
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Thanks for your post, Victor3atp! Just wanted to add a little bit of clarification. All MAK Grills have an industrial thermo-couple that measures the internal temperature of the grill; in the new models, this will be a roaming thermo-couple, meaning that it can be moved to any location inside the cooking chamber to get precise temp readings. The K-style meat probes, which will replace the M4 meat probes on the current models, measure the internal temperature of the meat you're cooking. There will be ports for three K-style probes on the Pellet Boss controller. Hope that helps!
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Kinda off subject, but does MAK use the same controllers at the Pit Boss Pellet grills? From what I have read before, MAK uses one of the best controllers out there.
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Kinda off subject, but does MAK use the same controllers at the Pit Boss Pellet grills? From what I have read before, MAK uses one of the best controllers out there.
Hi Cookie! The MAK controller is made in Scio, OR by a company called Innovative, exclusively for MAK Grills. The algorithm that governs the controller is developed in-house by MAK engineers and programmers. No other pellet grill on the market uses the same controller or logic found in a MAK Grills Pellet Boss controller.
Most pellet grill controllers run on a timed sequence, meaning that they maintain temperatures by running the auger for a set time, then shutting it off, then running it, etc. The MAK controller responds in real time to the thermocouple readings, so that the auger runs as needed and not on a set schedule.
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Yo' Pacman. You sure seem to know an awful lot about the upgraded units. Please offer as much clarification as possible, as I just got a quick briefing and certainly didn't intend to come off as an expert on the subject. I presume you must work for Mak? (Your being from Northwest Oregon might offer a clue, eh?) If so, any chance you can clarify all the 2019 upgrades and an upgrade path for older units? (e.g., will a Pellet Boss replacement be required to accommodate the new K-style probes?)
Dennis mentioned the new probes will provide "tighter" temp control, but the +/- 10° I see ain't too bad to start with, so how much tighter are we talking about? In my case, just wondering if the upgrade cost would be worth it...
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I did test the newer software with the roaming probe. The new software produces even more smoke then before. The roaming probe is just another cool feature for MAK. Plus it is easier to clean when you need to do that. The new temp probes will be a nice touch. I have been using a Fireboard with all my pits including the MAK. The new features will be nice. The temp probes are a nice improvement when using the Pellet Boss.
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Are there any other probes that will work with the pellet boss? I got one with my purchase but it only worked for a few months.
Would be nice to be able to replace with a more affordable option.
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Are there any other probes that will work with the pellet boss? I got one with my purchase but it only worked for a few months.
Would be nice to be able to replace with a more affordable option.
If it is that new Mak will replace it I think
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Yo' Pacman. You sure seem to know an awful lot about the upgraded units. Please offer as much clarification as possible, as I just got a quick briefing and certainly didn't intend to come off as an expert on the subject. I presume you must work for Mak? (Your being from Northwest Oregon might offer a clue, eh?) If so, any chance you can clarify all the 2019 upgrades and an upgrade path for older units? (e.g., will a Pellet Boss replacement be required to accommodate the new K-style probes?)
Dennis mentioned the new probes will provide "tighter" temp control, but the +/- 10° I see ain't too bad to start with, so how much tighter are we talking about? In my case, just wondering if the upgrade cost would be worth it...
Hi Victor, I do indeed work for MAK. Also, I live about 60 miles from the original Animal House, so there's that. :) We will be rolling out a full change list on the new models within the next month or so. What I can say is that all the upgrades will be available for older models with the exception of the extra brackets for more upper racks on the 2-Star. You will need a new Pellet Boss to accommodate the K-style probes. As for the other upgrades, you did a great job listing them out! We've also updated the firmware on the controller, and added a few structural updates. If anyone wants more info, feel free to give us a call, we'd love to chat. We're in the office Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Very much appreciate the update Pac Man! Please keep 'em coming...
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Very much appreciate the update Pac Man! Please keep 'em coming...
You're welcome! We'll be rolling out more updates and info as we get nearer to the official launch. Stay tuned!
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I did test the newer software with the roaming probe. The new software produces even more smoke then before. The roaming probe is just another cool feature for MAK. Plus it is easier to clean when you need to do that. The new temp probes will be a nice touch. I have been using a Fireboard with all my pits including the MAK. The new features will be nice. The temp probes are a nice improvement when using the Pellet Boss.
I also have been testing the roaming probe and it is awesome, particularly if you are a geek about cooking temps where the food is being cooked. I do most of my MAK cooks on a 3/4 upper grate and had always noticed that the ambient temps were higher than the Pellet Boss setpoint. Using this new probe idea allows it to be placed on that upper grate so the PB is measuring from there, not the lower, back right. I did not get the new software (yet!), but I understand there are some other features to that as well as what PACMAN mentioned.
I think folks are gonna LOVE these new features. Once again, MAK has innovated while providing a path for "older" units to be upgraded if desired.
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I do most of my MAK cooks on a 3/4 upper grate and had always noticed that the ambient temps were higher than the Pellet Boss setpoint.
sschorr,
I also use the 3/4 upper grate and noticed about 25° higher temps there as measured with a Thermoworks Smoke. Always wondered if that was a good number. What are you seeing as the difference?
Thanks, Victor
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I do most of my MAK cooks on a 3/4 upper grate and had always noticed that the ambient temps were higher than the Pellet Boss setpoint.
sschorr,
I also use the 3/4 upper grate and noticed about 25° higher temps there as measured with a Thermoworks Smoke. Always wondered if that was a good number. What are you seeing as the difference?
Thanks, Victor
Victor,
20-25* higher heat is what I measured. I actually did quite a bit of testing when I first got my MAK. I measured with a my Fireboard and a Thermoworks IR gun with ambient K-probe, and a Maverick XR-50. All showed that variance between the temps at the main grate versus the upper grate.
The new roaming Thermo-Couple allows placing the MAK's TC on the upper grate. Now, when I set the Pellet Boss to a temp, my remote measuring probes reflect the same as the PB's setpoint - exactly what I hoped for!
Sam
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I do most of my MAK cooks on a 3/4 upper grate and had always noticed that the ambient temps were higher than the Pellet Boss setpoint.
sschorr,
I also use the 3/4 upper grate and noticed about 25° higher temps there as measured with a Thermoworks Smoke. Always wondered if that was a good number. What are you seeing as the difference?
Thanks, Victor
I do most of my MAK cooks on a 3/4 upper grate and had always noticed that the ambient temps were higher than the Pellet Boss setpoint.
sschorr,
I also use the 3/4 upper grate and noticed about 25° higher temps there as measured with a Thermoworks Smoke. Always wondered if that was a good number. What are you seeing as the difference?
Thanks, Victor
Victor,
20-25* higher heat is what I measured. I actually did quite a bit of testing when I first got my MAK. I measured with a my Fireboard and a Thermoworks IR gun with ambient K-probe, and a Maverick XR-50. All showed that variance between the temps at the main grate versus the upper grate.
The new roaming Thermo-Couple allows placing the MAK's TC on the upper grate. Now, when I set the Pellet Boss to a temp, my remote measuring probes reflect the same as the PB's setpoint - exactly what I hoped for!
Sam
I have also been testing the new roaming probe for MAK, and yes, it is a very nice improvement that puts the cook fully in charge of creating a desired temp anywhere in the cooker by simply placing the probe in or near that area of the cooking chamber. It works!
That said, and prior to me having the roaming probe, I actually came to love the temp differential between the top/bottom grate. Here’s why... Unless I am doing a large cook, all of my low n slow cooks are done on the top grate. Knowing that the top grate runs about 20-25° warmer than the bottom grate means that I can set the Pellet Boss controller to a lower temp than I really want (205°) and actually be cooking at my desired temp of 225-230° on the upper grate. I see two advantages here 1) lower temps on the controller means more smoke production 2) lower temps on the controller means fewer pellets burned.
So, even though I have the roaming probe, I do not see myself moving it often during low n slow cooks for the reasons mentioned. Now if I have the cooker loaded down (top/bottom) I would most likely place it on the upper grate to create a more even (top/bottom) temp.
It really does put you in control :)
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lower temps on the controller means fewer pellets burned.
Robb,
You are truly a man after my own heart. My employees accuse me of being cheap, but I tell them I'm just frugal. (Though they never seem to complain when I cook for them.) Saving a few pellets to achieve the same results has got to be the ultimate in "frugality" though :). Please allow me to offer another use for the temperature variance. We occasionally do large, mixed cooks for family gatherings. Typically, it consists of beef short and back ribs, plus pork St. Louis ribs on the MAK (plus a couple other things on the Weber). Obviously, anything on the Weber are "fast cook" items, so the real challenge is getting the different style ribs on the MAK done at close to the same time since they are "slow cook". In order to accommodate mis-calculation in cooking times, I put them in shallow, racked steam table pans and swap them from top to bottom to slow or accelerate the cook times as needed.
Of course, it never seems to time out just right, meaning the warming box on the 2-Star helps out a lot too, but being able to vary the cooking temp has turned out to be an advantage in getting things to come out at least close to the same time.
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lower temps on the controller means fewer pellets burned.
Robb,
You are truly a man after my own heart. My employees accuse me of being cheap, but I tell them I'm just frugal. (Though they never seem to complain when I cook for them.) Saving a few pellets to achieve the same results has got to be the ultimate in "frugality" though :). Please allow me to offer another use for the temperature variance. We occasionally do large, mixed cooks for family gatherings. Typically, it consists of beef short and back ribs, plus pork St. Louis ribs on the MAK (plus a couple other things on the Weber). Obviously, anything on the Weber are "fast cook" items, so the real challenge is getting the different style ribs on the MAK done at close to the same time since they are "slow cook". In order to accommodate mis-calculation in cooking times, I put them in shallow, racked steam table pans and swap them from top to bottom to slow or accelerate the cook times as needed.
Of course, it never seems to time out just right, meaning the warming box on the 2-Star helps out a lot too, but being able to vary the cooking temp has turned out to be an advantage in getting things to come out at least close to the same time.
Great point! Just goes to show that the temp differential “weakness” that so many freak out about, can actually be a strength. Just gotta learn how to work it to your advantage which it sounds like you’ve done :)
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Folks,
I just wish to point out that the roaming TC does NOT eliminate the temp variance between the main grates and upper grates. It just means the Pellet Boss will work to keep the temp where the TC is placed at the setpoint. If you place the roaming TC on the main grate, or leave it in its holder bracket that is close the current, fixed placement, the Pellet Boss will measure at that location and work to keep it at the setpoint. So, setting 250* while the TC is on the main grate will still result with temps higher at the upper grates. Of course, I am assuming MAK has not changed other aspects of how the Pellet Boss maintains the setpoint that would mitigate this.
Again, for me, I like the capability of having the TC where my food is being cooked - most of my cooks do not use both main and upper capacity.
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Folks,
I just wish to point out that the roaming TC does NOT eliminate the temp variance between the main grates and upper grates. It just means the Pellet Boss will work to keep the temp where the TC is placed at the setpoint. If you place the roaming TC on the main grate, or leave it in its holder bracket that is close the current, fixed placement, the Pellet Boss will measure at that location and work to keep it at the setpoint. So, setting 250* while the TC is on the main grate will still result with temps higher at the upper grates. Of course, I am assuming MAK has not changed other aspects of how the Pellet Boss maintains the setpoint that would mitigate this.
Again, for me, I like the capability of having the TC where my food is being cooked - most of my cooks do not use both main and upper capacity.
Very valid points! I really think this new roaming thermocouple will give tremendous flexibility to MAK owners. From giving the cook the ability to control temps in a way that works best for him/her to easier cleaning being the probe comes to you vs you go to it... :)