OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS PELLET SMOKER - YS 1500 (42”) VERSION 1.
YS 1500 Contents Dangers, Warnings and Cautions......................................................................................3 Yoder Components...........................................................................................................5 Smoker Assembly..............................................................................................................6 Smoker Arrival..............................................................................................................
YS 1500 Startup Procedure...........................................................................................................18 Shutting Down the Smoker........................................................................................20 Manual Startup................................................................................................................21 Getting the Most From Your Yoder: Direct & Indirect Grilling, Smoking & Baking..........23 Heat Up Times and Grate Temperatures......
YS 1500 Dangers, Warnings and Cautions Failure to follow the “Dangers, Warnings and Cautions” may result in serious bodily injury, death or in a fire. • Read this manual completely before using your Yoder for the first time. • Keep the grill a minimum of 12 inches away from combustible surfaces. • The cooking chamber door must remain closed during the cool-down cycle. Failure to do so can cause burn back in the hopper. • Do not modify the holes in the burn grate.
YS 1500 • When you are finished cooking, turn the power switch to the “off” position. The fan will continue to run for 18 minutes or until the temperature inside the cooking chamber falls below 125° F., whichever occurs first. During this period the cooking chamber door must remain closed. Failure to do so can cause burn back in the hopper. • Check the Yoder website (www.YoderSmokers.com) occasionally for updates and new product information for the Yoder.
YS 1500 Yoder Components SECOND SHELF COOKING GRATE COOKING GRATE SLIDING PLATE HEAT MANAGEMENT PLATE HOPPER CONTROLS IGNITER BURN GRATE SLIDING PLATE HANDLE FRONT SHELF GREASE BUCKET 5
YS 1500 Smoker Assembly Smoker Arrival Your Yoder Smoker will arrive on a pallet wrapped and held on with metal bands. Cut the bands and remove the plastic wrap and foam from the smoker. Remove the smoker from the pallet. It is recommended that two people remove the Yoder from the pallet due to its size and weight. Open the hopper lid and remove the grease bucket that contains the power cord and a spare fuse and set aside. Open the cooking chamber and remove all the wrapped components.
YS 1500 Place the cooking grates and second shelf inside the cooking chamber. See FIG 3. FIG 3 Attach the front shelf to the Yoder. See FIG 4. FIG 4 Use the side handle to assist in moving the Yoder into positon. It is recommended that two people move the Yoder due to its size and weight. Once in position, follow the setup instructions (Page 15) to prepare your new cooker for use.
YS 1500 Leveling the Smoker The smoker must be level front to back and side to side. Use a level to help you with this. If the smoker is not level there could be problems with grease running towards the burn grate which could result in a grease fire. Operating the Smoker Initial Burn Off Before cooking on your smoker/grill for the first time, burn off the grill to rid it of any foreign matter. Follow the instructions on Page 18 for initial start-up.
YS 1500 Yoder YS Series Control Panel ON INCREASE START DECREASE PRIME YODER SMOKERS COMPETITION GRADE BBQ PRODUCTS YS OFF WWW.YODERSMOKERS.COM 1. 2. 3. 4. Power Switch - turns the power to your Yoder on and off Increase - increase the temperature setting (in five degree increments). Decrease - decrease the temperature setting (in five degree increments). Start - activates the startup cycle. This also accesses the “heat up” modes (see below). 5.
YS 1500 Selecting the Heat Up Mode: • • • • • Initiate the startup procedure by pressing the start pad. Select desired cooking temperature. Press the start button, the display will flash H1. Use the increase/decrease buttons to select H2 or H3. Once the new mode is selected the controller will automatically run the selected mode. Selecting Fahrenheit or Celsius: Note: Only available on models outside the United States. • • • • • Initiate the startup procedure by pressing the start pad.
YS 1500 ON INCREASE START DECREASE PRIME INCREASE START DECREASE PRIME INCREASE START DECREASE PRIME YODER SMOKERS COMPETITION GRADE BBQ PRODUCTS YS OFF WWW.YODERSMOKERS.COM FIG 5 Heat Up ON YODER SMOKERS COMPETITION GRADE BBQ PRODUCTS YS OFF WWW.YODERSMOKERS.COM FIG 6 Maintenance ON YODER SMOKERS COMPETITION GRADE BBQ PRODUCTS YS OFF FIG 7 Cool Down 11 WWW.YODERSMOKERS.
YS 1500 The Controller… In-Depth This is an in-depth overview of the controller’s feature set. The controller has been designed to make it as hands-off and user-friendly as possible. At its most basic level, the cooker has three modes of operation: Heat up, Maintenance and Cool Down. Beyond these basic modes are the concepts of aggressiveness, anticipation and micromanagement that have been learned as the result of many thousands of hours of testing.
YS 1500 Faster Startup in Cold Weather or For High Temperature Cooking Even though the heat up mode is automatically selected, the cook can benefit from starting the pit in “H2” when the outside temperature is below 50° F., this will provide a more aggressive start over the first eight minutes. Secondly, if the target temperature is greater than 350° F. starting the pit in “H3” will get the pit to temperature much quicker. Examples Ambient temperature of 70° F. and a set point of 350° F.
YS 1500 Door Open Function When the cooker has been in maintenance for more than 10 minutes and the cooker loses more than 15 degrees, the program interpretes this as the cooking chamber door has been opened. When this happens there is a specific piece of programming that is executed to help to quickly recover and get back to the set point. Prime Button The prime button overrides the program altogether and turns the auger continuously, feeding pellets as long as the button is depressed.
YS 1500 Pre-Grill Checklist/Routine Maintenance Perform the following services when the grill is cool 1. Open the cooking chamber door and remove the second shelf and cooking grates. FIG 8 2. Remove the heat management plate.
YS 1500 3. Remove the burn grate from the firebox. Inspect and clean thoroughly. Make certain that the combustion holes in the burn grate and the igniter tube in the firebox are free of debris or ash build up. Visually inspect the air way between the combustion fan and the firebox to be certain that it is free and clear of ash and debris. (A shop vacuum works well for ash and debris removal.) FIREBOX BURN GRATE FIG 10 4. Inspect for and remove any grease build up on the bottom of the cooking chamber. 5.
YS 1500 7. Reinstall the heat management plate. There are two brackets in the right side of the cooking chamber, two in the center and an auger shield. This is what the heat management plate sits on. Take the right side heat management plate and line the bolts up with the right side and center mounting brackets within the chamber and set in place. See FIG 12. Take the left heat management plate and line up the bolts with the middle mounting brackets and the left side will sit on the auger shield.
YS 1500 Startup Procedure (When using the Yoder with the heat management plate in position, it is best to start your grill 20 to 30 minutes prior to cooking. This allows the grill and cooking grates to heat completely improving heat retention and recovery when opening the cover during cooking.) 1. Confirm the power switch is in the “off” position. 2. Plug the female end of the cord in the receptacle on the back of the pellet hopper. Plug the male end into a 120 volt 15-amp GFI-protected outlet.
YS 1500 7. Check to see that the burn grate is properly seated in the firebox. FIREBOX BURN GRATE FIG 15 8. Place 1/8 cup (about a palm full) of pellets on the burn grate. NOTE: This step is only necessary when the unit is first put into service or if it runs out of pellets. 9. Reinstall the heat management plate and cooking grates (See FIG 14). 10. Turn the power switch “on.” This starts the combustion air fan and illuminates the power light.
YS 1500 11. Flames should be visible on the burn grate within three to four minutes. (The igniter is active for two minutes. When you hit “start” the auger turns continuously for 45 seconds to prime the burn grate, at 46 seconds the igniter is powered, within two minutes the heat from the igniter and the combustion air from the fans will have a small smoldering fire started.
YS 1500 Manual Start Up Here are the steps to manually light the grill in the event that the igniter fails. (Steps 2 & 3 only apply if the igniter has developed a dead short and is tripping the GFI or blowing the fuse.) 1) Remove the cooking grates, second shelf, heat management plate plates and the burn grate.
YS 1500 2) Reach into the hopper cavity on the left side of the igniter tube and pull the igniter wires into the firebox. 3) Unplug the igniter’s weather tight connection and then push the wires back into the hopper cavity. TO IGNITER IN COOKING CHAMBER TO CONTROL BOX FIG 19 4) Reinstall the burn grate and place a small handful of pellets onto the grate. 5) Light the pellets with a torch, starter gel or starter stick.
YS 1500 Getting the Most From Your Yoder: Direct & Indirect Grilling, Smoking & Baking Heat Up Times and Grate Temperatures The question is regularly asked: “How long does it take from the time I press “start” until I am ready to cook?” When the cooker is setup traditionally (diffuser plate installed) the heat up time is 20 to 30 minutes. When the cooker is setup for direct and indirect grilling (diffuser plate out) the heat up time is about 15 minutes.
YS 1500 SLIDING DOOR FIG 20 Setup #2: Moderate temperature grilling such as wings and boneless chicken breasts (grate temperatures up to 350°F): Heat with the diffuser plate in place and a set of Grill Grates installed on the left side of the cooker. The “Direct Grilling Kit” consists of three custom-made aluminum panels and replaces one standard cooking grate (see FIG 21). Option: Two sets of grill grates for extended direct grilling surface.
YS 1500 Setup #3: Direct grilling with searing capability: Open the sliding door on the heat management plate and install the Grill Grates on the left side of the cooker. When setup direct, (heat management plate out, one set of Grill Grates and one standard cooking grate installed) the Yoder creates a true direct/indirect cooking environment. With a second set of Grill Grates installed on the right side of the Yoder, temperatures are fairly even across the entire cooking surface.
YS 1500 Grill Maintenance Preparing the Grill for the Season Begin with a thorough inspection of the entire grill correcting any issues you find. Follow the steps found in the Pre-Grill checklist (Page 15). Painted Surfaces Yoder smokers are painted with high heat silicone paint. When cleaning the smoker, surfaces should be washed down with warm soapy water using a neutral detergent and rinsed with clean water.
YS 1500 Firebox and Burn Grate Assembly Maintenance It is recommended that the firebox assembly is regularly inspected to be certain that it remains free of ash and debris which will insure proper performance. The firebox is a fully welded structure that carries the burn grate and channels the combustion air. The firebox is bolted to the cooking chamber floor and the seams on the hopper wall and the floor of the cooking chamber are sealed with a high temperature silicone.
YS 1500 If the gap is greater than 3/16” the below steps should be followed. 1. Start by removing the burn grate from the firebox and placing it on its top. 2. Next, step on the burn grate and apply enough pressure to bend it back to its original shape. DO NOT apply too much pressure or you will overcorrect the burn grate and it will not fit back into the firebox. FIG 24 3. Place the burn grate back into the firebox and check the gap between the back wall and the burn grate to insure a proper fit.
YS 1500 Igniter When inspecting the firebox assembly, confirm that the igniter assembly, tube and igniter rod are free of ash or other debris. Periodically check the four set screws that secure the igniter rod into the tube. (See FIG 26). Verify that the igniter rod is centered in the tube and that the tip of the igniter rod is extended approximately 1/8” out from the igniter tube. Extending 1/8” out of igniter tube.
YS 1500 FIG 27 Grease Management Area and Bucket Always be sure the grease catch area is clean and free of debris and empty the grease bucket regularly. Additional Maintenance: In addition to regular cleaning, perform the following procedures every 30 days: 1. Use a stiff brush to remove any build-up on the inside walls of your grill. Inspect and clean the inside of the lid, the heat management plate and the inside walls of the cooking chamber. 2.
YS 1500 FIG 28 Storing Your Grill Cover your Yoder Smoker to protect it from the weather and to keep the pellets dry. If storing your cooker inside, be sure the smoker is cool to the touch before moving it inside. Inspect the hopper and cooking chamber for any remaining embers before storing the unit.
1500 COOKING COMPONENTS 02 01 04 07 06 03 05 04 07 14 08 10 09 12 11 13 04 32 14
1500 COOKING COMPONENTS ITEM # PART # DESCRIPTION QTY.
05 07 01 06 13 02 01 09 08 03 02 17 34 14 16 04 11 12 15 1500 IGNITER AND THERMOCOUPLER COMPONENTS
1500 IGNITER AND THERMOCOUPLER COMPONENTS ITEM # PART # DESCRIPTION QTY.
1500 HOPPER/COMP CART INSTALLATION 01 02 03 05 04 06 08 07 ITEM # PART # DESCRIPTION QTY.
1500 TEMP GAUGES AND DOOR PIN 01 03 02 04 01 05 ITEM # PART # DESCRIPTION QTY.
1500 COMP CART 13 11 11 09 10 12 14 09 15 08 07 06 08 03 03 02 04 14 01 38 05
1500 COMP CART ITEM # PART # DESCRIPTION QTY.
12 32 22 12 21 19 03 11 40 30 29 22 10 28 23 23 31 28 24 09 11 18 04 20 05 06 13 08 27 16 14 15 26 07 25 34 17 33 35 02 01 12 12 12 HOPPER ASSEMBLY
HOPPER ASSEMBLY ITEM # PART # DESCRIPTION QTY. 1 90101 BODY, FRONT, FEED COMPARTMENT 2 90102 BULKHEAD, MOUNT, HOPPER 1 3 90106 COVER, END, FEED COMPARTMENT 1 4 W90791 HOPPER, PELLET SMOKER 1 5 90022 BUSHING, AUGER 1 6 90023 BUSHING, AUGER 1 7 W90019 AUGER 1 8 90027 PLATE, ANTI-TORQUE 1 9 90899 MOTOR, PELLET AUGER 1 10 90060 OUTER FAN, 68CMF 1 11 1420X12SHCS SOCKET HEAD CAP SCREW, 1/4-20 X 0.
YS 1500 Warranty Information Your Yoder YS1500 is fully backed by our exceptional customer support and warranties. The igniter is warrantied for one year; the 10-gauge cooking body for 10 years and the control system for three years. Firmware updates are offered to users through our dealer network and by inquiry to our website. We will send a handheld programmer on loan and instructions for completing a firmware upgrade. For product support contact: service@yodersmokers.com.
