What’s the deal with these huge pits on wheels?

[mcdeadstein]

My perspective on it is more maybe scientific. Larger woodburning pits have more mass (usually) so once they are at temp they remain more stable and are less finicky . Also they allow you to keep a larger base of coals. A larger and therefore hotter coalbed allows the fire to burn cleaner, move more air, start splits faster, load bigger splits less often, and can be more forgiving if your splits are maybe not ideal moisture content wise.

I have cooked on smaller OK Joe pits up to 500gal pits. A 500gal pit would be too big for me as a backyard cook but it was the easiest to run. The OK Joe i was burning tiny splits and having to add wood every maybe 20 min. Compare that to the 500gal where it could go 45min+ without touching it.

 

[AWilliams]

Bragging rights...

 

[rovster]

My perspective on it is more maybe scientific. Larger woodburning pits have more mass (usually) so once they are at temp they remain more stable and are less finicky . Also they allow you to keep a larger base of coals. A larger and therefore hotter coalbed allows the fire to burn cleaner, move more air, start splits faster, load bigger splits less often, and can be more forgiving if your splits are maybe not ideal moisture content wise.

I have cooked on smaller OK Joe pits up to 500gal pits. A 500gal pit would be too big for me as a backyard cook but it was the easiest to run. The OK Joe i was burning tiny splits and having to add wood every maybe 20 min. Compare that to the 500gal where it could go 45min+ without touching it.

Same principle applies to fish tanks....the bigger the tank the more stable and hands off it is!

 

[mike243]

I have a 250 gal pit, never know when a neighbors cow or pig might break a leg lol

 

[IamMadMan]

A little late to the party here...

Pardon my ignorance I am just a home cook but I’ve been wondering what all you with these huge pots are doing with them. I see many huge pits on trailers and monster pits out there. Are these being used for personal use, competition, catering? I can understand a trailered pit being easy to trailer for comps but the capacity on these things is unreal and as far as I understood you’re not cooking a dozen briskets at a competition. I guess catering I can understand.

Just curious here at what niche these large cookers are filling. I do know of one guy that flies back home to the Carolinas and he cooks an ungodly amount of cue for his family gatherings a couple times a year, is that what these are used for? Again, pardon my ignorance I’m from South Florida and that kind of stuff just isn’t part of the culture down here like I imagine it is in other parts.

Curiously yours:shock:

Keep in mind that some people who compete are also vendors at a sanctioned competition event. This helps them to recover the fees and travel expenses and make a profit.


My friend has three trailers, each with two smokers and two holding ovens. The smokers can hold 1500 racks of ribs each, thus a total of 3,000 racks of ribs. Or 1500 racks in one, and a whole lot of pork butts and briskets in the other smoker. He also stores one of the smokers out west, so when he competes there, he doesn't have to pull everything behind him.


He also does large scale catering, State Police picnics, corporate events, ect.