Pit Barrel Cooker Conundrum

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Batts

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So this is my first post here and it's a pretty important one. Recently I bought a PBC and have been trying to figure this seemingly simple thing out. So far I've only done baby back ribs. The first time I followed instructions closely and took into account my location(Boston, so extremely close to sea level). I fired the cooker up and cooked my ribs for about 3 hours as recommended. Needless to say they were extremely disappointing. They were very tough. Painfully tough.

I did some research and figured maybe I had pulled them too quickly and next time let them go for about 4.5 hours. Once again they were very tough and my coals had mostly burnt out so cooking any longer was not possible. What the heck am I missing here? I've read through old PBC threads but couldn't really find a solution for my issue. My old method of cooking ribs involved a grill and I've never had this problem so frankly I'm not sure how to proceed.
 
Tough as in jerky?

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Are you cooking just by time? We recommend the probe with a toothpick between the bones test or the bend test.

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If you are using a full basket and lighting it per the instructions, you should be getting much more burn time than 4.5 hours. I'm guessing that your temps are too high.

It is important to not check in too often and take the lid off as it will ramp the temp up pretty quickly. Perhaps you are leaving the lid off for too long when you first fill the basket?

How many coals you put in the chimney will change things as well. The PBC folks provide great customer service. I'd suggest calling them and talking through your issue. I called prior to my first cook and, since they knew about where I lived, they told me to leave the coals in the chimney for 12 minutes instead of 15 and where I should set the intake at.
 
Also what kind of Fuel were you using briquettes, lump etc. A full basket of Kingsford/Royal Oak should last about way longer than 3. I just did some baby backs that took about 3.5-4ish hrs including pulling them and saucing.
 
You should be cooking by doneness and not by time. The toothpick or bend test works very well. I have a PBC and live in MO and my BB ribs have pretty much always taken around 4- 4 1/2 hours to be done.
 
Also, not that you can't post in the main forum...but you should try reading and posting in this thread here.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=210239

This whole thread is dedicated to the PBC. The guys and gals who regularly read and respond in there have put lots of people on the right track on how to best use the PBC and put out great food.
 
I used Kingsford Blue as recommended and made sure I didn't open the lid of the cooker so as not to increase the temp. When I say it was tough I mean I had issue cutting the meatiest section with a knife. I did email PBC and they felt I was letting my coals burn to long in the chimney. This might explain the second cook where the coals had burnt out pretty fast. It does not explain the first cook. I have read many posts saying only put a dozen coals in the chimney so i will try that next session. Thanks for the tips and links you guys provided.
 
i don't know about the coals burning too long in the chimney. i've let mine go extra long and still got good results. i've done mine without wrapping and with wrapping. both methods have taken 4-5hrs for me. and a full load kingsford blue should go 8-12hrs no problem.
 
Howdy, neighbor! I don't have a PBC but did recently do a rib cook with my WSM using my new hanger setup.

picture.php


The ribs (smallish BB's) came off just about perfect around the 4 1/2 hour mark. The smoker was running around 275 for pretty much the entire cook with no intervention. The basket was filled a bit more than half way with KBB and initially lit using just a tumbleweed starter right in the basket (takes a good bit to get to temp this way, but I wasn't in a hurry and it helps me to really dial things in). I'm thinking, as others have noted, that you started off with too many lit coals and/or your pit temp was running too hot.
 
upStomp said:
Howdy, neighbor! I don't have a PBC but did recently do a rib cook with my WSM using my new hanger setup.

picture.php


The ribs (smallish BB's) came off just about perfect around the 4 1/2 hour mark. The smoker was running around 275 for pretty much the entire cook with no intervention. The basket was filled a bit more than half way with KBB and initially lit using just a tumbleweed starter right in the basket (takes a good bit to get to temp this way, but I wasn't in a hurry and it helps me to really dial things in). I'm thinking, as others have noted, that you started off with too many lit coals and/or your pit temp was running too hot.
Click to expand...

Stomp, that is a sweet looking set up for hanging! What brand is it? A friend of mine got a Gateway set up, and Man, that set up cooks really well. We did 2 bone-in turkey breasts this past weekend, and they were FINE1
 
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