Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) Appreciation Thread

[AClarke44]

Originally Posted by Jackson Boys BBQ

Here is my coffee can setup. Hot coals go in, the can slides out. I give credit to Cooking With Ry on Youtube for this one. It has really helped my coals burn more evenly.

I tried this technique once and got wild temp swings. I'm a temp monitor PBCer.
Let me know how this works for you.

[Goose52]

Originally Posted by hs106

How did you get the Fred Flintstone t-bone home without your car tipping over??

well i had to counter balance my truck with some rocks from the quarry (mr. slate was pissed btw!)- a pain but the real issue was the stop signs on the way home- feet really took a beating with all the extra weight.

[hs106]

Mr. Slate probably boils his ribs! Yabba Dabba BBQ

[Goose52]

Originally Posted by hs106

Mr. Slate probably boils his ribs! Yabba Dabba BBQ

if memory serves (and it usually doesn't) mr. slate was always pissed, but with employees like fred & barney who can blame him. yabba dabba bbq might be a good name for a bbq food truck specializing in beef ribs or steaks for 2. hs106=genius.

[Goose52]

Putting 6 baby back racks (3 with sauce, 3 with maple glaze), 2 half chickens, and 1 brined turkey breast on the pbc today. do you think this much meat will increase the cooking time?

[AClarke44]

Originally Posted by Goose52

Putting 6 baby back racks (3 with sauce, 3 with maple glaze), 2 half chickens, and 1 brined turkey breast on the pbc today. do you think thismuch meat will increase the cooking time?

Man you're makin that PBC work today!
I think it'll increase your cook time a little but not a lot. I'd figure 5 hrs for all that. Just a guess though.

Good luck!

[Goose52]

Originally Posted by AClarke44

Man you're makin that PBC work today!
I think it'll increase your cook time a little but not a lot. I'd figure 5 hrs for all that. Just a guess though.

Good luck!

appreciate the heads up

[Bacchus2b]

Originally Posted by thirdeye

I've read a lot of posts in this thread because I've been a drummer for about 12 or 13 years. I saw my first PB up close in April. Realistically, I think I have read about 150 or less of the 700 posts here, and now I'm thinking of buying one.

Would you PB gals and guys tell me your top two (2) pros, and cons?

Pros - Large Amount of Food in a very Small Footprint (8 Chicken Halves/Eight Racks of Ribs). Great flavor profile from the drippings on charcoal. Inexpensive for the versatility, and I love drilling a hole in the bone and hanging Tomahawk Ribeye's. People freak out when they see that, or a 5 pound beef tenderloin hanging.

Cons - IMO pretty much useless for high heat grilling/searing compared to my Weber or PK Grill. Charcoal basket bottom can warp over time with high heat, and you need to monitor this as a sagging bottom really affects your air flow. Ash pan is sold separately and is a must-have for easy cleanup.

They regularly pop up on Craigslist in my area for $150 to $200 range. I like mine so much I bought one for a friend.

[gwlee7]

Hello fellow PBCers,

Haven’t posted in a while but thought I would drop by and say that I wanted to fix some pulled pork as one choice for a get together tomorrow night. I needed to also complete some yard work today to get ready. So, I set everything up and fired the PBC up and put a butt on at 8:30 this morning. Set the temp alert on the FireBoard for 205* and got to working in the yard. Got the yard work done rested for about an hour and then got the beep around 2:45ish. Wrapped in foil and the bone pulled clean about 2hrs later. Love this cooker.

Hope everyone is well!!

[Thingfish]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

Hello fellow PBCers,

Haven’t posted in a while but thought I would drop by and say that I wanted to fix some pulled pork as one choice for a get together tomorrow night. I needed to also complete some yard work today to get ready. So, I set everything up and fired the PBC up and put a butt on at 8:30 this morning. Set the temp alert on the FireBoard for 205* and got to working in the yard. Got the yard work done rested for about an hour and then got the beep around 2:45ish. Wrapped in foil and the bone pulled clean about 2hrs later. Love this cooker.

Hope everyone is well!!

That's why we love the PBC! It's almost like cheating!

[Goose52]

Found some petite sirloins in the bottom of the freezer (my go to for beef stews in the winter) so i hung them in the PBC after they got needled & a 24 hour bath in Sweet Baby Ray's Teriyaki marinade. Turned out much better than on a kettle where the marinade burns so easily on the meat. I didn't season beyond that but will SPOG next time. Found some venison steaks as well. Has anyone here made jerky on their PBC? Time for me to try i'm thinking.

[Tbro]

Hello, I’m thinking of buy a PBC. I have two questions.
If cooking ribs it looks like the lower half of the ribs would get done sooner or even maybe burn being so close to the coals? I’ve watched video and it doesn’t seem to happen, but I cant see how it wouldn’t.
Also, I don’t suppose you can smoke for long periods of time in a cold climate because these units aren’t insulated very well?
Thanks

[Kanco Connection]

Originally Posted by Tbro

Hello, I’m thinking of buy a PBC. I have two questions.
If cooking ribs it looks like the lower half of the ribs would get done sooner or even maybe burn being so close to the coals? I’ve watched video and it doesn’t seem to happen, but I cant see how it wouldn’t.
Also, I don’t suppose you can smoke for long periods of time in a cold climate because these units aren’t insulated very well?
Thanks

-Depends on the length. If the end of the ribs aren’t at least a couple inches from hot coals, mine get a little toasty if they hang the entire time. Sometimes I’ll hook it an extra bone “up” to avoid that problem. It’s no biggie usually.

-I smoke all the time in cold. Still get 6+ hours easy. Way back in the early pages of this thread FWI has pics of a product from Home Depot he wraps his PBC in to insulate it. I always thought that was interesting but never did it. Mine goes fine without.

[pharp]

Originally Posted by Tbro

Hello, I’m thinking of buy a PBC. I have two questions.
If cooking ribs it looks like the lower half of the ribs would get done sooner or even maybe burn being so close to the coals? I’ve watched video and it doesn’t seem to happen, but I cant see how it wouldn’t.
Also, I don’t suppose you can smoke for long periods of time in a cold climate because these units aren’t insulated very well?
Thanks

I don't experience the temps you probably do, but I don't notice a difference in performance if it is 100 degrees or 20 degrees.

As for the ribs, sometimes the fat cascading down the ribs will burn and create some burnt fat icicles. At worst you lose the last bone. Being able to do 8 racks with so little fuel in so little space makes up for this for me.

[Goose52]

Before i try to insert some pics, i have to ask brethren veterans- are fatty's considered gateway q?

Anyway, last thursday i rolled a fatty and found a small pork loin in the freezer.

IMG_0064 by Mark Tate, on Flickr

IMG_0065 by Mark Tate, on Flickr

Then i moved the PBC to the cool side of the house

IMG_0067 by Mark Tate, on Flickr

started it up and put in the meat. Blended 2 different fastbreak sausages and made 2 patties to compare taste and to get fatty to 1.5#.

IMG_0066 by Mark Tate, on Flickr

IMG_0068 by Mark Tate, on Flickr

The cherry loin was excellent if a lil overdone; the fatty was good. Next time i will have a lil hotter fire and start the maple glaze sooner.