Information on excessive amounts of ash.
NORMAL AMOUNT OF ASH
Ash is normal in pellet grills because you are burning wood pellets. You should be able to go about 20 hours of run time between cleaning sessions, which includes vacuuming out the ash from the grill. By that time, you will see a thin layer of ash within the grill barrel as well as in the firepot.
A properly maintained grill should not have more than a thin layer of ash built up between sessions.
COMMON CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE ASH
POOR PELLET QUALITY
Ash is unburned fuel (e.g. pellets): the better the fuel burns, the less ash there will be. You may find excessive ash after a cook if your hopper has a lot of sawdust in it or if your pellets have absorbed moisture or are old. Pellets that are no longer good will not burn as efficiently, thus causing more ash than normal.
UNCLEAN GRILL
We recommend cleaning out your grill at the very least every 20 hours of cook time. While some ash during a cook is normal, it can build up if you are not properly maintaining your grill and cleaning it regularly. Make sure that your cleaning routine also includes emptying your hopper and vacuuming out any residual sawdust.
For an in-depth guide on cleaning your grill, see Maintaining & Cleaning Your Grill.