Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) Appreciation Thread

[AClarke44]

First cook on my PBC tonight. I hung 8 hindquarters. It took about 1.75 hours. The chicken was moist and tasted good, though I think I pulled it a little early (it read 175 on my therm).

When I lit it, it got up to 280 really quickly (in about 8 minutes). I probably loaded the cooker too early, but when I did the temp shot down to the low 200s and I had to crack the lid to get it back up to 250.

I expected it to cook hot. Is that just because I put food on too early?

If the breasts read 175° then you actually over cooked. Only need to go to 160-165°. But if it tasted good and was still moist then you did it "right".

You may have put the meat in a little early. I usually wait at least 15-20 min. However I believe Noah says you can cook right away. I've always had better luck waiting though plus it gives me time to prep the meat. Having said that, don't worry about the temp spiking up shortly after you pour the lit coals in. Mine usually shoots up to over 300° in the first 5-10 min. But it usually settles in the 275-285° range after about 15-20 min. Another reason I like to wait.

However even if you do all that, sometimes your temps will drop like you experienced. Just crack the lid like you did to get it back up. Wind is one of the biggest reasons this happens. Another reason could be humidity getting to your coals. Sounds like your cook turned out good so I'd call it a success...

By the way, I grew up in Shreveport. Went to Woodlawn HS. Class of 88. :thumb:

 

[AClarke44]

Pharp brings up a good point too. How many coals you light in the beginning will make a difference too. I usually do about 38 in a chimney until glowing hot.

 

[johnnylightnin]

Pharp brings up a good point too. How many coals you light in the beginning will make a difference too. I usually do about 38 in a chimney until glowing hot.

It's a small world!

I was getting 175 in the thickest part of the leg as I was just cooking the hindquarters.

I counted out 40 briquettes and lit them in a chimney and let them go for 15 minutes. I was pretty by the book except the starting too early thing. I also used a few wood chips.

I only monitored the temps so I would have an idea of where my cooker settles. I imagine that if I had only run the meat probe, I probably wouldn't have thought anything about it.

The hindquarters weren't markedly better than what I can get with my kettle, but they certainly seemed to need less baby sitting. I was shocked at how juicy everything was.

I'm feeling pretty good about my purchase!

Thanks for the advice. This will be a fun project to figure out how to improve from what's already pretty good!

 

[Kanco Connection]

Welcome aboard, johnny! You’re in the right place to hone your PBC skills. Lookin forward to your cooks.

 

[hs106]

When i first bought the PBC, I tried 36 coals and I ended up with nuclear fusion! Runaway temps. I learned that ambient temps make a difference and that 14 coals gets me 225 (for smoking fish) and 24 coals gets me about 275. I use a sheet magnet rather than the the round vent cover that comes with the cooker. Easier to make small temp adjustments, as I've found that cracking the lid without paying attention gets you temps that--once up, don't come down. I saw somebody a few hundred posts back made a ss sliding vent cover, which I wish Noah would offer as an option.

 

[Kanco Connection]

Fellas, I started reading this whole thread back in April last year. I’m on page 363 and have slowed to a crawl—not sure I’m gonna make it home. Please, somebody say something inspiring to get me to the finish line.
I hear there’s a trophy or something if you make it to the end. (Don’t tell me if that’s a lie.)

 

[ssv3]

Fellas, I started reading this whole thread back in April last year. I’m on page 363 and have slowed to a crawl—not sure I’m gonna make it home. Please, somebody say something inspiring to get me to the finish line.
I hear there’s a trophy or something if you make it to the end. (Don’t tell me if that’s a lie.)

You read the whole thread and I'll mail you a nice BBQ care package including a brand spanking new PBC cover. :nod:

 

[Kanco Connection]

Ha! Now, there’s some inspiration!
“The Sako Care Package now includes his famous pork bell burnt ends and his award-winning flavorlicious brisket! Order now, and we’ll throw in a set of those crazy skewers everyone keeps asking him about! Call NOW!”

 

[ssv3]

It looks like Amazing Ribs agrees with Sako that the PBJ is a heckuva cooker as they gave it a gold medal! Full review here with some nice side by side shots with the PBC for comparison:
https://amazingribs.com/smoker-tailgater/pit-barrel-junior

Not surprised DD. It's an awesome cooker. Especially after it nailed six racks of baby back on the beach and some guys closer to the coast have draft issues. A++ and my new tailgating/road trip rig.

 

[ssv3]

Ha! Now, there’s some inspiration!
“The Sako Care Package now includes his famous pork bell burnt ends and his award-winning flavorlicious brisket! Order now, and we’ll throw in a set of those crazy skewers everyone keeps asking him about! Call NOW!”

:idea: Belly and brisket aside skewers are also doable. :mrgreen:

 

[ssv3]

On a serious note (I'm dead serious about the care package) there is a ton of amazing info, technique, knowledge on this thread from a bunch of us. Sometimes I find myself coming back here for reference on my old cooks, etc. There's literally an answer to any questions that keep coming up. I just google and find it.

 

[Kanco Connection]

Thanks Sako. It’s so true. This thread informed me about what the PBC is (and isn’t). It inspired me to pull the trigger on the purchase. Then it taught me the basics of its use. And now it continues to teach and inspire. Plus, it’s just a good fun read!

Somewhere in the thread somebody (maybe Sportster?) called this thread the “PBC Master Class”. Very appropriate.

 

[Blue Kettle]

I should probably just accept the fact it works with so many people raving about, but I can't escape wishing we knew more about the science behind why it works. Some grad student looking for a thesis topic in thermodynamics please write a thesis on this. Would be especially cool to have some hard science on why it performs the way it does versus the similarly sized 18.5" WSM. Is it literally just the whole, 'pointing your finger at a fire transfers less heat to your hand than holding your palm up to the same fire' explanation? If so, wouldn't that mean stuff cooked on the PBC grate doesn't benefit in the slightest from the PBC design versus a WSM with no water pan?

 

[Duey]

There is a pretty detailed explanation on Amazingribs.com, if I remember right. in fact, a doctor of something laid it out pretty clearly.

 

[Stlsportster]

Yeah, this is the amazingribs explanation. Still a bit weak on real details.

https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...d-firing/amazing-pit-barrel-cooker-setup-tips

 

[Stlsportster]

Thanks Sako. It’s so true. This thread informed me about what the PBC is (and isn’t). It inspired me to pull the trigger on the purchase. Then it taught me the basics of its use. And now it continues to teach and inspire. Plus, it’s just a good fun read!

Somewhere in the thread somebody (maybe Sportster?) called this thread the “PBC Master Class”. Very appropriate.

I don't think it was me...I've never said anything that profound.

 

[Blue Kettle]

Yeah, this is the amazingribs explanation. Still a bit weak on real details.

https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...d-firing/amazing-pit-barrel-cooker-setup-tips

Right. That reads like informed speculation to me (albeit from someone who is credentialed). I would like to see actual hard data to describe the phenomenon of what is actually happening to the meat inside the PBC versus a traditional smoker.

 

[D&D BBQ]

It’s all in that explanation, and as a licensed engineer, it makes sense to me (though it’s been over 20 years since my thermodynamics class). More from Dr. Blonder after the hand analogy:
“Meanwhile, dripping juices baste and cool the bottom of the meat. And remember, heat rises, so you have a hot fire at the bottom, and hot air rises to the top evening out the temperature so it is more or less constant in the area where the food hangs. Imagine a really wide barrel. Hot air would rise, bump into the cooler lid, cool off and sink, forming a rotating convection cell that lowers air temp at the lid and creates unpredictable turbulence. But as you narrow the diameter of the cooker, it becomes harder and harder for air to make the turn and descend. Sounds like 30 gallons is the dividing line between stable and unstable flow."

This falls in line with Noah’s experience trying out over 20+ prototypes and he found that 30 gallons was the optimal barrel size. In the same vein, the PBJ is just a smaller version whereas the typical 55 gallon UDS is going to have more unstable airflow because of that larger diameter. I love my Gateway clone UDS but the temps do fluctuate more, however, I’ve heard Gateway and Hunsaker owners say once they get the temp dialed in and the vents set, they are steady as they are built tighter than my UDS. Now if you mean a “traditional smoker” as an offset smoker, that’s a whole different beast.

Now, as far as PBC vs. WSM, I’ve heard very good comparisons and results from those that hang in a WSM with no water pan. They are about the same size so why not? You just have to fiddle with the vents on the WSM which allows you a wider range of cooking temperatures. It’s just not the way the WSM was intended to cook but many people get great results with adding a hanging rack to the WSM. I’m trying to convince one of teammates who has the 18” and 22” WSM to join the meat hanging revolution.

 

[Kanco Connection]

Thanks D&D. Using your engineering skills to analyze BBQ/cookers—attaboy.

 

[el luchador]

question for all owners- how pronounced is the smoke from the fat drippings?