Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) Appreciation Thread

[ssv3]

Originally Posted by Rib Rub

Here is another question. Would anybody buy the pit barrel AP rub after using the sample? I have my tried and true rubs, so not sure about using the PBC rub. I mean is it any good? I imagine it is ok. All the videos I see, everybody with a PBC is using it. Must have to do with the free barrel they sent out for review!

AP is good but Beef and Game is better. Beef and Game used to be even better in the early days as I've mentioned before. The formula changed a little it seems but great rub nonetheless.

[Kanco Connection]

I like both but haven’t purchased more since the initial. Found others I like a bit better.

[Twisted T's Q]

Originally Posted by Kanco Connection

I have a question for any PBC'rs willing to chime in. How long do you trust your PBC to run on its own without checking it? As in, if you have to run errands, how long are you OK leaving the house, trusting that it will keep a reasonable temp? I say about 2 hours and not more than 3.

i have went 6 hours numerous times with out any problems and probably 8 hours a few times with no problems , now i will say there is no danger of me catching anything on fire or danger as far as that goes , only thing would be if the pit goes out witch never has ....

[Rib Rub]

Doing my Butt today. So far so good. Temps holding better than last time. Just pulled it and wrapped it. So far looks pretty good!

[Rib Rub]

Little different news to report. The cooker seemed to be dying out temps dropped to 212. Butt has been on since 11am and still is not done. Internal temp is 180. Now I looked in and the coals are almost gone. I gave them a stir and temps are only getting to about 170, I mean I don’t think I am going to have enough to finish this thing. I mean WTF, why am I am having such a hard time with this thing? The coals seem to only burn in the middle and the outside coals are never touched. I filled the whole basket to the top?? This thing is going in the trash.

[ssv3]

Originally Posted by Rib Rub

Little different news to report. The cooker seemed to be dying out temps dropped to 212. Butt has been on since 11am and still is not done. Internal temp is 180. Now I looked in and the coals are almost gone. I gave them a stir and temps are only getting to about 170, I mean I don’t think I am going to have enough to finish this thing. I mean WTF, why am I am having such a hard time with this thing? The coals seem to only burn in the middle and the outside coals are never touched. I filled the whole basket to the top??

At this point, I'd remove it and finish in the oven to pull. At 180 it's perfect for slicing if you wish. You've got enough smoke and flavor so you just need to bring to finish temps/probe tender.

You're only at 6 1/2 hours in judging from you posting time. You need a minimum of 6 hrs to finish a butt in the PBC. That's minimum.

[Av8er]

Originally Posted by Rib Rub

Little different news to report. The cooker seemed to be dying out temps dropped to 212. Butt has been on since 11am and still is not done. Internal temp is 180. Now I looked in and the coals are almost gone. I gave them a stir and temps are only getting to about 170, I mean I don’t think I am going to have enough to finish this thing. I mean WTF, why am I am having such a hard time with this thing? The coals seem to only burn in the middle and the outside coals are never touched. I filled the whole basket to the top?? This thing is going in the trash.

I have never had mine die out so quick! Are you using a full bag of kingsford?

[Rib Rub]

Originally Posted by Av8er

I have never had mine die out so quick! Are you using a full bag of kingsford?

Yeah, I filled the basket to the top, pulled 40 coals, did that thing and off it went. Cooked great till I wrapped it and then it just seemed to die out at the 5 or so hour mark. This is the second time now this has happened. I only lifted the lid twice. I watched a video with T Roy cooks on his Boston Butt cook and he had the same problem, temps just died off around 5 or 6 hours. I am finishing this thing off in the pellet grill now. I have no choice.

[Stlsportster]

So, to be clear, the fire died but there are unburnt coals still? Or fire died because the coals were totally gone?

[TheGDCQ]

I've had my PBC for a couple of years now and it is has become my go to cooker for chicken and ribs. I normally do my bigger cuts on my BGE or my WSM, but I had a brisket to cook for my nephew's birthday and I was just too tired to do an overnight cook last night. I also slept through my 5 am alarm and woke up later than I needed too to pull this cook off. PBC to the rescue! I hung that brisket in the can and I was stunned at the results. Some of the best brisket I've ever cooked and in way less time. It's like I've found a new feature in an old toy. Love my PBC!

[pharp]

Originally Posted by Rib Rub

Little different news to report. The cooker seemed to be dying out temps dropped to 212. Butt has been on since 11am and still is not done. Internal temp is 180. Now I looked in and the coals are almost gone. I gave them a stir and temps are only getting to about 170, I mean I don’t think I am going to have enough to finish this thing. I mean WTF, why am I am having such a hard time with this thing? The coals seem to only burn in the middle and the outside coals are never touched. I filled the whole basket to the top?? This thing is going in the trash.

Sorry your not having the results you want.

Is the charcoal you are using all from the same batch? I know it is not probably from the same bag but is it from bags you bought at the same time? If so I would go get a new bag of charcoal.

I light mine by filling the basket as full as I can without going above the grab handle. Then I pour half of a large webber chimney in on top, half on each side of the handle, leaving a spot for my hand. I have gotten well over 10 hours on the PBC and I am always running 300+.

I get your frustration that you feel like it is not performing as advertised. I think you are in your own head now. It will put out awesome food and will run a long time on a load of charcoal.

[Kanco Connection]

Originally Posted by Rib Rub

Little different news to report. The cooker seemed to be dying out temps dropped to 212. Butt has been on since 11am and still is not done. Internal temp is 180. Now I looked in and the coals are almost gone. I gave them a stir and temps are only getting to about 170, I mean I don’t think I am going to have enough to finish this thing. I mean WTF, why am I am having such a hard time with this thing? The coals seem to only burn in the middle and the outside coals are never touched. I filled the whole basket to the top?? This thing is going in the trash.

Man, this does sound baffling. Never had anything remotely like what you’re describing. You’ve got a few experts on the case here. Before discarding the thing you might want to give Noah a call—he’d help you. And of course immense knowledge right here if you want to walk through it on the PBCAT—lots of advice and experience at your fingertips happy to give you assistance.

[Twisted T's Q]

@ Rib Rub man i think you must have some bad coal or something , i routinely throw a pork butt on let it run for an hour or 2 then go to bed come back 6 or so hours later to find the pbc purring along , seriously i have done this at least a hundred times probably more , probably a lot more , then wrap or pull or make any adjustments i need to make , and sometimes that means running an additional hour or 2 , so yeah i am thinking bad coal

[Duey]

@Rib Rub- That's really bizarre. I've hung 5 butts, just under 40 pounds of meat, for 7.5 hours and still had @270* when they were done. (Made the local high school football team pretty happy). It was raining pork fat in the barrel and it never stumbled. I use Stubb's instead of KBB, but I doubt that it made that big of a difference. I wouldn't trash it yet. Chalk it up to "learning curve",
get a new bag of charcoal, grab an adult beverage, relax, and hit it again. All will be fine.

[Rib Rub]

Thanks for the replies guys! I was bent out of shape last night as one could expect. The grill was working great and doing its thing and then when it hit 163 I wrapped and came out an hour later and the temps dropped to 200 and were falling as I watched. I winded up pulling it off when it hit 170 as the pork internal was also falling from 180 to 165 as I pulled it out to do a little recon as to why I was losing temps.

Like I said all the coals were burnt in the middle and the outside coals were all around untouched. This is almost the same scenario as last time as it died out on me doing ribs. The only thing I can think of is that the vent needs to close a bit more. I am at sea level and I am wondering because I know I am below sea level as I have seen the elevation on my GPS. I am like -10 below. I don’t know if this has anything to do with it and I should just shut the vent to a sliver?

I have watched a hundred videos now, I have watched all the trouble shooting videos and I am stumped? Maybe I just need to add more coals?

I am using a brand new bag of Kingsford. Nothing mixed all the same bag.

With all that, the Butt turned out horrible! I managed to get a bit trimmed off to do a few sammiches, but man it was like slicing through leather. I gotta say I really liked the flavor. I am starting to dig the smokey flavor.

Anyway, just a bummer, I did allot research before I picked up this cooker, I mean I looked a 20 grills and smokers and with all the raving and simplicity with the PBC, I thought I was going to be cooking some great food, but it really is not going to well. Just sucks when the wife and family is counting on great BBQ and you bring this to the table. I mean if this keeps up, the wife is going to leave me for the guy up the street with the WSM!!!