Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) Appreciation Thread

[Kanco Connection]

Gorgeous bones Pedro

[GVDub]

Lesson learned from PBC cook #2 — if you're going to try and get a single 10 lb. shoulder to shreddable temperature, start earlier. Took 7 hours to get to 165 (took off the hooks and wrapped at 154, where it was stalled), with likely two more hours needed to hit 205, and the pit temp was starting to drop. Smaller pieces would likely have been no problem.

[Bob C Cue]

Originally Posted by Kanco Connection

Gorgeous bones Pedro

That's a big 10-4!

[GVDub]

For some reason (probably work firewall) I had to go to the tablet to see the photos. Totally agree, — gorgeous bones, Pedro.

[electron_si]

Originally Posted by AClarke44

Can't wait to welcome you to the club electron! You're gonna love the PBC when you get it. Make sure you order one with your military logo on it.
Until then, be safe brother!

Thanks for the welcome. I’ve been cruising through this thread the last couple weeks just seeing the different things people are doing with them. I use my traeger pretty regularly but it’s so easy that I’ve started to get bored. This will be a fun go to on the weekends for beef and pork ribs as well as some tomahawk ribeyes every now and then. It will be fun to get into the charcoal game as I’ve been using pellets for the last 2 years

[BigKing]

Originally Posted by GVDub

Lesson learned from PBC cook #2 — if you're going to try and get a single 10 lb. shoulder to shreddable temperature, start earlier. Took 7 hours to get to 165 (took off the hooks and wrapped at 154, where it was stalled), with likely two more hours needed to hit 205, and the pit temp was starting to drop. Smaller pieces would likely have been no problem.

That seems to be a low temp problem as it should not take 7 hours to hit 165 on a 10# shoulder.


Did you light 40 coals to begin with? I've had longer cook times when I've used fewer coals in the chimney to being with. The other thing that will lead to longer cook times is having multiple items in at the same time.


My last cook was a ~9# shoulder and an 13# packer. I think it took six hours to get to 165. The final push to ~205 goes pretty fast one it is wrapped. This was the largest amount of cuts I've had in at once since it was tough to fit it all on the rack once wrapped.


This is really one of my only concerns with the cooker: will I have enough juice to finish cooking everything I want to do.

[AClarke44]

Originally Posted by electron_si

Thanks for the welcome. I’ve been cruising through this thread the last couple weeks just seeing the different things people are doing with them. I use my traeger pretty regularly but it’s so easy that I’ve started to get bored. This will be a fun go to on the weekends for beef and pork ribs as well as some tomahawk ribeyes every now and then. It will be fun to get into the charcoal game as I’ve been using pellets for the last 2 years

Yeah I'll be curious to hear a comparison from you as I've thought about buying a Traeger a few times just for the simplicity. Not sure I'd actually buy one though. This site is bad on the wallet sometimes. All the amazing food you see cooked here makes you wanna buy every cooker available....lol

[GVDub]

Originally Posted by BigKing

That seems to be a low temp problem as it should not take 7 hours to hit 165 on a 10# shoulder.


Did you light 40 coals to begin with? I've had longer cook times when I've used fewer coals in the chimney to being with. The other thing that will lead to longer cook times is having multiple items in at the same time.

Short chimney full. Cooking chamber probe shoes 265–280 pretty consistently all the way through until hour 7, when it started to drop. Wrapping didn’t seem to really speed through the stall any, though I kinda had to patch it together, as I didn’t have any extra-wild foil. If dinner time hadn’t been imminent and the morning alarm not quite so early, I would have let it go however much longer it needed.

Don’t consider it a failure, though, by any means. Juicy, delicious, just the right amount of smoke. Wife quote: “I’ve been eating your cooking for 30 years, and it’s all been good, but this may be the best thing you’ve ever cooked.”

[Kanco Connection]

Originally Posted by AClarke44

Yeah I'll be curious to hear a comparison from you as I've thought about buying a Traeger a few times just for the simplicity. Not sure I'd actually buy one though. This site is bad on the wallet sometimes. All the amazing food you see cooked here makes you wanna buy every cooker available....lol

....not to mention I’ve gotta have every BBQ rub mentioned from the Brethren....geez...I should take a cheap hobby like collecting yachts

[electron_si]

This place is no joke for good ideas to buy things. Most of my run recommendations come from this site and I see new toys from thermoworks come out and pick those up too. It’s not a cheap hobby but there is always something new I have my eye on.

Even after the PBC purchase I’ll start looking at stick burners for the next project

[BigKing]

Originally Posted by GVDub

Short chimney full. Cooking chamber probe shoes 265–280 pretty consistently all the way through until hour 7, when it started to drop. Wrapping didn’t seem to really speed through the stall any, though I kinda had to patch it together, as I didn’t have any extra-wild foil. If dinner time hadn’t been imminent and the morning alarm not quite so early, I would have let it go however much longer it needed.

Don’t consider it a failure, though, by any means. Juicy, delicious, just the right amount of smoke. Wife quote: “I’ve been eating your cooking for 30 years, and it’s all been good, but this may be the best thing you’ve ever cooked.”

Interesting. Not surprising to see temp drop around hour 7 but that does seem a long time to get to 165. If the wife is happy though, nothing else matters!


I've been trimming the fat cap off of pork butts the last few times out and it has not hurt the product one bit. Actually get more edible bark when all is said and done. Not sure how much trimming would help in speeding up a larger butt, but maybe less weight would help?

[electron_si]

My neighbor has had issues getting his pork butts done before the fuel runs out. He is a lighter fluid starter guy and I told him he is probably getting inconsistent starting result because of that.

[PUNKem733]

Originally Posted by electron_si

My neighbor has had issues getting his pork butts done before the fuel runs out. He is a lighter fluid starter guy and I told him he is probably getting inconsistent starting result because of that.

I get the most consistent temps with fluid. Never any off tastes as I make sure not to soak them in it. Less then 30 secs go by and the coal is lit. Also I have never gotten anything less then 9.5-10 hours of steady temps. One cook got me 12 hours and some mins on a basket. I do pack it well though.

[bassmaster16]

I have about 8 cooks under my belt with the PBC Jr. I am having real issues with long cooks such as butt. I start off with 20 KBB coals is the chimney and then dump into the basket. Every time I cook a butt I have to add KBB. Its taking 8-10 hours to get to 205. Is it just the Jr? I'm kind of wishing I went with just a regular PBC.

[blkeight]

Anybody make brisket in a foil pan the entire time or on top of BP/foil? Looking to reduce the fog smoke as much as possible.