First PBC cook - Ribs/Tri-Tip - LIVE!

[Bush438]

Great stuff! Congrats on some excellent looking cooks! Loved that smoke ring. I'm going to try mine out for the first time this weekend. Your post will be a reference for sure.

I'm going to try a chicken and a rack of ribs.

I'm going to use a chimney starter but it does look like the PBC videos say the cover stays off while it gets to temperature, both with a chimney starter or lighter fluid. You guys suggest covering?

 

[AClarke44]

Great stuff! Congrats on some excellent looking cooks! Loved that smoke ring. I'm going to try mine out for the first time this weekend. Your post will be a reference for sure.

I'm going to try a chicken and a rack of ribs.

I'm going to use a chimney starter but it does look like the PBC videos say the cover stays off while it gets to temperature, both with a chimney starter or lighter fluid. You guys suggest covering?

Thanks for the comments! I can't wait to cook up some chicken !

As far as starting it up with the lid off, I'd probably do it again. The videos said to wait 15 minutes though. I waited 12. I will probably go no longer than 10. Plus I will probably not light as much coal. I lit 34 briqs but next time I'd probably only do 26-28. My Temps did settle down to the mid 260s but partially because I closed my intake a little (which I left alone after and will leave at that mark now). It only jumped up when I left the lid off top long. Be careful of that. It doesn't take much time to get Temps roaring in there. Have a plan. Next time if I wanna take pics I will take the meat completely out close the lid and take pics on a counter or table.

Good luck with your initial run. Looking forward to seeing your pics!

 

[Thingfish]

If you are using _lighter fluid_, PBC says leave the lid off for 15 minutes (sea level to 2000 feet), 20 minutes for higher altitude. If you are using a _chimney_ the chimney time is 15 or 20 minutes. Once the chimney is dumped into the coal basket (in the cooker) the lid goes on. If you leave the lid off after dumping the chimney the temps will spike.

Andrew - the cook time for halved rib racks is the same as for whole. If the temps are normal (275 for example) having the meat 2 inches from the coals is no problem unless you have thin, untrimmed racks.

 

[AClarke44]

If you are using _lighter fluid_, PBC says leave the lid off for 15 minutes (sea level to 2000 feet), 20 minutes for higher altitude. If you are using a _chimney_ the chimney time is 15 or 20 minutes. Once the chimney is dumped into the coal basket (in the cooker) the lid goes on. If you leave the lid off after dumping the chimney the temps will spike.

Andrew - the cook time for halved rib racks is the same as for whole. If the temps are normal (275 for example) having the meat 2 inches from the coals is no problem unless you have thin, untrimmed racks.

Ah hah! You just clarified it for me. Yeah, I had the lid off for about 12 minutes AFTER I dumped in the chimney. I misunderstood the directions. Definitely will change that next time. Thanks!

I think I'll cut the ribs in half on future cooks. Mine were trimmed but maybe not one bone less than it should have been. But I think halving them would be best especially if I get some big ones.

Thanks for the information!

 

[Bob C Cue]

Great stuff! Congrats on some excellent looking cooks! Loved that smoke ring. I'm going to try mine out for the first time this weekend. Your post will be a reference for sure.

I'm going to try a chicken and a rack of ribs.

I'm going to use a chimney starter but it does look like the PBC videos say the cover stays off while it gets to temperature, both with a chimney starter or lighter fluid. You guys suggest covering?

According to Noah if you are using the chimney method, let the coals go for 15 -20 minutes in the chimney. Then dump them in the basket that is 3/4 full and that you already placed in the PBC. Then add your food and close the lid. Alternately if your food is not ready to go on, close the lid until you are ready to cook. You are free to use your own method but this way works well for most folks.

 

[AClarke44]

According to Noah if you are using the chimney method, let the coals go for 15 -20 minutes in the chimney. Then dump them in the basket that is 3/4 full and that you already placed in the PBC. Then add your food and close the lid. Alternately if your food is not ready to go on, close the lid until you are ready to cook. You are free to use your own method but this way works well for most folks.

Yeah the 15-20 minutes letting the coals get hot IN the chimney is what got me. I light mine over a propane burner so it lights way faster than 15 minutes. Somehow I translated that to mean leave lid off PBC for 15 minutes after putting in hot coals from chimney. Lol. :crazy:

 

[Pitmaster T]

Again... please... Stop. The PBC is overated. It is also a smaller version of the UDS. Honestly, you will never find me stooping so low as to think of using a PBC.

Nice looking grub... so what did you use to cook it?

Ok boys and girls I'm giving my PBC its initial run. I'm cooking ribs and Tri-Tip. Its live so you'll see if I make it or fail miserably. Ribs St.Louis style with my own rub (Shhh maybe a shot of HDD too :tape2, and Tri-Tips with Yardbird and some extra garlic, salt and pepper. I usually like Oak Ridge Santa Maria on the tips but I'm out (Expect an order soon Oak Ridge!)
I set the PBC up like the instructions say. And YES, I even used KBB for the first run. Before any of you Stubbs guys throw a hissy fit (jbounds...lol :becky I did this to set a base line and compare, everyone says the PBC cooks great with KBB, I wanna see how it compares. I will be using Stubbs from now on as I like it better but I wanted to do it the first time just like I was supposed to. I also wanna see if Stubbs does anything different with the temperature on the next cook. I filled the coal grate 3/4 full, lit about 34 briqs put 3 chunks of apple in the coal basket and poured the lit KBB over the unlit in the PBC. Waited about 12 min (when smoke was pretty much gone) put the meat in and shut the lid. Pics coming as soon as I get photobucket going.

 

[AClarke44]

Again... please... Stop. The PBC is overated. It is also a smaller version of the UDS. Honestly, you will never find me stooping so low as to think of using a PBC.

Nice looking grub... so what did you use to cook it?

Hah! I've seen your videos of your PBC. I saw the UDS being pushed away....I know the truth! :biggrin1:

 

[Bob C Cue]

It sure sounds like you would have hit the proper temps if your lid timing was a bit better. It may have helped keep the thin end of your rib rack from overcooking. And remember that you can hang a half-rack as easy as a whole if you have concerns about how close to the coals the meat is.

I also like a reverse sear on my tri-tip. I have considered fabbing a small grate on legs to set into the PBC fire basket for just such a use!

I made a chuck on the PBC today, finished it by 3pm and set it to rest in the cooler until dinner time. My wife wanted to try a new recipe for grilled romaine and asked if it would work on the PBC. This was about 5 pm and there was still plenty of heat coming from the cooker. I thought about just putting it on the grate but realized it probably would not be hot enough to get grill marks. So remembering your idea of a grate on legs, I decided to see what would happen if I tried to set the grate on the fire basket. Long story short I wound up turning the grate upside down and was able to wedge it in place so it was stable enough to hold the lettuce. Turned out well and got me to thinking what I could use in the future to make it stable enough for heavier items. Perhaps some empty beer cans or maybe something a little more sophisticated like bolting on some brackets. I am sure the UDS builders out there have implemented some great designs.

 

[AClarke44]

I've made grilled romaine on the kettle and it is always great!

 

[AClarke44]

Idea! What using the coal grate from your 22.5 weber kettle and placing it where the cooking grate goes in the PBC. Then sit the coal basket on that and use the grill grate upside down like you did. That way you don't have to reach way down in there......wonder if that'd work?

 

[Bob C Cue]

Idea! What using the coal grate from your 22.5 weber kettle and placing it where the cooking grate goes in the PBC. Then sit the coal basket on that and use the grill grate upside down like you did. That way you don't have to reach way down in there......wonder if that'd work?

That's just crazy enough that it might work.:-D