Bob C Cue
Quintessential Chatty Farker
If you like the color you can wrap in foil or butcher paper. But don't pull it off until thickest part of flat is probe tender. Good luck.
Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter AClarke44
- Start date
If you like the color you can wrap in foil or butcher paper. But don't pull it off until thickest part of flat is probe tender. Good luck.
TealStBBQKing
Full Fledged Farker
I had initially wrapped it in butcher paper but I think I used to much and unwrapped it. Then after your advice I wrapped again using much less and it's climbing fast in temperature. I'll post pron for sure
Coat
is one Smokin' Farker
those of y'all w the PBC and PBJ, do you still light the PBJ according to instructions? i just started mine with about a third of a chimney of lump lit and then poured over the rest of the basket of unlit to make a full basket. i have a feeling it's still gonna run cool. at least it feels like it. it's been running cool pretty consistently. i'm still getting good food but i don't think the barrel is running like it's designed to run. thoughts?
Edit: intake is adjusted properly according to instructions. FYI
Edit: intake is adjusted properly according to instructions. FYI
Last edited:
FGabs68
Found some matches.
I have both and have found that when using the JR I have to crack the lid for 15-20 minutes to get the barrel over 275. Once I get it to temp, it runs fine for the rest of the cook.
rs242
Is lookin for wood to cook with.
Is it just me or does pbc not have that nice white smoke coming from it, I find it always looks like dirty smoke (like the kind we are told not to cook with)? Is it because of the constant burning fat?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Stlsportster
Babbling Farker
Sometimes throughout the cook the PBC does generate more smoke than my stickburner. I think its a combination of the burning fat, and the fact that you are causing the charcoal/wood to smolder at a lower temp. As long as its not billowing smoke, or a dark grey color you should be fine.
Also, the PBC seems to like to run between 275-325. Let it. If you force it to run lower, that's another cause for heavy smoke.
FGabs68
Found some matches.
Hey Coat, cooking with the JR again tonight. Filled basket, lit 25 coals in the chimney and poured onto coals. Hit 275 in 8 minutes without cracking the lid. Hung 2 tenderloins temp dropped to 266. It's 65 degrees in NJ today with no humidity. Cracked the lid for 5 minutes, temp went up to 290. Steady 283-287 for the rest of the cook. I never used a thermometer until I started reading this thread. I tinker with the lid now but my cooks are better. I used to cook at lower temps too...I think.
BigKing
Full Fledged Farker
The amount of coals in the chimney will impact the temp as well as how long you wait until pouring them in.
For awhile there, I was doing 35-36 coals for 12 minutes and was definitely getting lower temps.
I've been back to 40 coals for 12-13 minutes for the past couple of months and been much happier. Also been pouring the majority of the lit coals in the back end of the basket furthest away from the intake as to reduce the unevenness of the burn. Still got good results when doing fewer coals, but it doesn't really matter except for stretching out your cooking time. PBC was designed to run where it likes to run so let her do her thing.
It should be noted that the 12 minute in the chimney time was recommended to me by PBC Company when I called them prior to my first cook since they knew my location.
For awhile there, I was doing 35-36 coals for 12 minutes and was definitely getting lower temps.
I've been back to 40 coals for 12-13 minutes for the past couple of months and been much happier. Also been pouring the majority of the lit coals in the back end of the basket furthest away from the intake as to reduce the unevenness of the burn. Still got good results when doing fewer coals, but it doesn't really matter except for stretching out your cooking time. PBC was designed to run where it likes to run so let her do her thing.
It should be noted that the 12 minute in the chimney time was recommended to me by PBC Company when I called them prior to my first cook since they knew my location.
FGabs68
Found some matches.
I agree, I also light the coals for 12 minutes. 40 for the PBC and 25 for the PB JR.
NKSmoke
Knows what a fatty is.
I stared reading this thread a few weeks ago and have about 350 pages read......still trying to make it all the way through. Phew its long!! You all had me convinced on about page 5 so I started dropping hints to my wife on how much better our lives would be if I had a PBC. After much eye rolling and general negativity about “too many cookers on the patio already” a PBC showed up at the door 2 days after Valentines Day. She does love me!! :-D
Anyway I am excited to do my first cook this weekend and appreciate all the knowledge shared by the brethren!
Couple questions for you all though. After unpacking it I noticed a small rust spot and flaking paint at round the rim of the barrel about a 4th of the way around. It’s really not much but wondered if it is normal from the factory. I realize it might get that way over time anyway but wondered if anyone else had that happen on a new one. I also noticed a little flaking on the inside of the lid as well and a blemish on the outside. Other than that it looks great. Not trying to be picky here and....maybe this is normal??
Pics below.
Lid...might be slightly bent on the rim too.
Anyway I am excited to do my first cook this weekend and appreciate all the knowledge shared by the brethren!
Couple questions for you all though. After unpacking it I noticed a small rust spot and flaking paint at round the rim of the barrel about a 4th of the way around. It’s really not much but wondered if it is normal from the factory. I realize it might get that way over time anyway but wondered if anyone else had that happen on a new one. I also noticed a little flaking on the inside of the lid as well and a blemish on the outside. Other than that it looks great. Not trying to be picky here and....maybe this is normal??
Pics below.
Lid...might be slightly bent on the rim too.
Kanco Connection
is Blowin Smoke!
I don’t think that’s normal. Customer service is A+. Give them a call.
Twisted T's Q
is one Smokin' Farker
was not normal when they wee being built here in the USA may be normal now that they are being built abroad ( china )
NKSmoke
Knows what a fatty is.
Thanks for the advice. I emailed them and had a response within 5 minutes! They satisfied my concerns and am happy with their service. I don't think I have ever had faster customer service.
Sorry about the pics in the previous post. Not sure what happened, it was my first time trying to post a pic.
I'm going to fire it up this weekend for the first time. Hope it all goes smooth!
Sorry about the pics in the previous post. Not sure what happened, it was my first time trying to post a pic.
I'm going to fire it up this weekend for the first time. Hope it all goes smooth!
Stlsportster
Babbling Farker
Yeah, dont use PhotoSuckit. They changed their policies a while ago and now wont let you link photos to a forum like this.
I use imgur and it works great and still free.....
I use imgur and it works great and still free.....
Kanco Connection
is Blowin Smoke!
This post isn’t really for the regulars (Andrew, Sako, Bob, Sportster, etc.--you guys can move along) who have a PBC and cook with it regularly. It’s actually for the lurkers and worriers. I’m in the process of reading the entire thread (almost completely done), and there are a lot of posts that raise 2 concerns:
1. Seems like newbies to the PBC get worried over moderately elevated temps at the start of the cook
2. Seems like newbies to the PBC have serious doubts about the PBC’s ability to hold steady temps even over short periods of time.
So here’s a shot from my igrill during yesterday's cook on the PBC. Weather was a bit windy and temps in the 20s, so a bit challenging but no biggie. It was just a humble cook of chicken quarters, so nothing fun or fancy there. That’s not the point. The point is to try to give reassurance to the 2 concerns above.
You’ll see that after initial lighting the temp did run a little hot—about 290. But don’t sweat it. In the first place, the PBC can do just fine in that range if that’s really where it settles, so who cares? In the second place, notice the reduction in temp after putting the chickens on. That happens for me on just about every cook. Runs hot at first, meat cools it off. So, if it’s running hotter than you want after lighting but prior to putting the meat on, don’t freak out. Put the meat on and watch it come down a bit. It’ll be fine.
Also, how about the steady temp? Once it got dialed in, it stayed between 253 and 256 the whole time. Granted, this is a very short timeframe, and I don’t trust it enough to ignore it for more than a couple hours, but not too shabby, eh?! (It usually runs in the 270s for me, which is great, but weather was pretty tough so I figured it would run a little cooler, which it did, and that’s fine too. I cracked the lid for the last 25 minutes to crisp the skin--forgot to screenshot the entire cook temp so that's not shown.)
Final note on the temp control: notice the dip at 3:38. I took the lid off for a couple minutes to mess with the chicken and snap a photo. See how nicely the PBC comes right back to temp? So, yeah, assuming you’ve done the right things during your lighting procedure you can trust the black beauty to hold a temp.
And yes, I know that part of the appeal and purpose of the PBC is to NOT be obsessive about temps, but I’m trying to address what I think are some fairly common concerns.
*Oh, and the chicken? Spectacular.
1. Seems like newbies to the PBC get worried over moderately elevated temps at the start of the cook
2. Seems like newbies to the PBC have serious doubts about the PBC’s ability to hold steady temps even over short periods of time.
So here’s a shot from my igrill during yesterday's cook on the PBC. Weather was a bit windy and temps in the 20s, so a bit challenging but no biggie. It was just a humble cook of chicken quarters, so nothing fun or fancy there. That’s not the point. The point is to try to give reassurance to the 2 concerns above.
You’ll see that after initial lighting the temp did run a little hot—about 290. But don’t sweat it. In the first place, the PBC can do just fine in that range if that’s really where it settles, so who cares? In the second place, notice the reduction in temp after putting the chickens on. That happens for me on just about every cook. Runs hot at first, meat cools it off. So, if it’s running hotter than you want after lighting but prior to putting the meat on, don’t freak out. Put the meat on and watch it come down a bit. It’ll be fine.
Also, how about the steady temp? Once it got dialed in, it stayed between 253 and 256 the whole time. Granted, this is a very short timeframe, and I don’t trust it enough to ignore it for more than a couple hours, but not too shabby, eh?! (It usually runs in the 270s for me, which is great, but weather was pretty tough so I figured it would run a little cooler, which it did, and that’s fine too. I cracked the lid for the last 25 minutes to crisp the skin--forgot to screenshot the entire cook temp so that's not shown.)
Final note on the temp control: notice the dip at 3:38. I took the lid off for a couple minutes to mess with the chicken and snap a photo. See how nicely the PBC comes right back to temp? So, yeah, assuming you’ve done the right things during your lighting procedure you can trust the black beauty to hold a temp.
And yes, I know that part of the appeal and purpose of the PBC is to NOT be obsessive about temps, but I’m trying to address what I think are some fairly common concerns.
*Oh, and the chicken? Spectacular.
NKSmoke
Knows what a fatty is.
Thanks for this! I was looking for something else to try and will give imgur a try!
LloydQ
is One Chatty Farker
Kanco, that was a thoughtful and well reasoned post...so why are you on this site?:razz:
Kanco Connection
is Blowin Smoke!
Appreciate the kudos, fellas. So much good stuff on this thread. Just trying to add to the wisdom.
