Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) Appreciation Thread

[AClarke44]

I like Stubb's and will use that again - although I don't think I got the fire hot enough - both times I used it as I struggled to keep temps up and had to crack the lid a lot.

I really want to try Royal Oak lump for ribs and chicken...what do you guys think? I've seen a couple youtube videos where guys were able to hold steady temps - one swears by loading meat on right after dropping charcoal and was able to keep temps steady at 275. Thoughts?

Royal Oak may run hotter than 275° buy try it and see what happens.

When you lite your PBC, how many coals are you lighting? Also I'd let it burn for about a minute after dumping the hot coals in before putting the lid on if you are struggling with temps.

You can cook right away after dumping the hot coals in, but I've found I've had better luck waiting about 15-20 minutes before cooking anything.

 

[SS13]

Last Friday. Bacon wrapped pork loin with apple (pie filling) stuffing (next time I'll do more stuffing) and a shredded chuck roast (cooked to 160, then a sheet pan with onions, carrots, and beef stock bath up to 200).

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Bob C Cue]

That's some mighty fine looking food there SS13! Gourmet quality for sure!

 

[Bob C Cue]

Had some buddies over yesterday for a BBQ and did 4 racks of St. Louis ribs. Decided to have some fun and use a different rub on each and conduct a taste test. Here are the contenders:

So all 6 of us did a blind taste test and were asked to determine which rack had the best flavor. The Pit Barrel All Purpose Rub was chosen #1 by 5 testers and #2 by one. There was no really consensuses on the other rubs, they all scored about the same.

Note that for the PBC rub I re-purposed a Yardbird shaker so you may notice the Yardbird name on the PBC container.

In order for me to remember which rack was which, I put 3 toothpicks in 1 rack, 2 in another, 1 in another and none in the last.

Not a scientific test but it is interesting that the PBC rub was the hands-down choice for best flavor.

 

[Stlsportster]

If all the testers were blind, then why did you need to hide which one was which with toothpicks?

 

[Bob C Cue]

If all the testers were blind, then why did you need to hide which one was which with toothpicks?

I used the toothpicks so I could easily know which ribs had which rubs when I pulled them off the PBC.

 

[Tannhauser42]

I wonder, did you add any salt to the other rubs? The PBC rub already has a good bit of salt in compared to most others.

 

[Bob C Cue]

I wonder, did you add any salt to the other rubs? The PBC rub already has a good bit of salt in compared to most others.

No I used them all as is. I have been thinking along the same lines today that the fact that the All Purpose rub had quite a bit of salt may have contributed to the results. I have never found the PBC rub to be too salty but I've read that some folks do.

 

[LloydQ]

Did you find the Uncle Bob's has an off taste? I had some and was told to use it as a base coat and Heath Riles pecan rub as a top coat. When I tried it that way I was not pleased at all. Just something off-putting about it. When I smell it I get a strong whiff of cumin. I tried my next batch of ribs with a salt and pepper base and the Heath Riles and they were much better. I wound up using the Uncle Bob's this weekend on some butts.

 

[Bob C Cue]

Did you find the Uncle Bob's has an off taste? I had some and was told to use it as a base coat and Heath Riles pecan rub as a top coat. When I tried it that way I was not pleased at all. Just something off-putting about it. When I smell it I get a strong whiff of cumin. I tried my next batch of ribs with a salt and pepper base and the Heath Riles and they were much better. I wound up using the Uncle Bob's this weekend on some butts.

I don't remember that anyone noticed any off taste with any of the ribs/rubs, but there were libations, sensations that stagger the mind involved!

 

[qposner]

I’ve had my PBC a few years now and wonder if it might be a good idea to burn out all the grease that has accumulated on the walls. Is there a rule of thumb for this?

 

[Kanco Connection]

The PBCAT has been too quiet and slipped to page 7. I'll post a cook. Costco prime brisket that I was very happy with:

13 pounds

Black Ops + a small amount of Montreal Steak

Cooked on the PBC at about 300* to about 160, then wrapped. Took 4-5 hours

Tenderlicious!

Not crumbly, not dry, just right

 

[Deebo]

Did you hang it or grate it?

 

[Kanco Connection]

Hook and hang til wrap

 

[brimclau]

Looks amazing!

Also, what sort of charcoal did you use? Any wood chunks? 1st brisket I did on the PBC came out a bit too smokey for my taste but dead-on for tenderness, following a similar method (hang, then wrap)

I used Kingsford Comp briquettes and a few chunks of oak - thanks

 

[Kanco Connection]

Looks amazing!

Also, what sort of charcoal did you use? Any wood chunks? 1st brisket I did on the PBC came out a bit too smokey for my taste but dead-on for tenderness, following a similar method (hang, then wrap)

I used Kingsford Comp briquettes and a few chunks of oak - thanks

Combo of KBB + lump (Western lump) — 50/50. 3 med-size chunks of hickory. Good flavor for sure. I’ve had much more success with my 10-15 briskets on the PBC than I’ve had on my 5-10 on the kettle.

 

[Deebo]

Do you find that the tip of the flat that's closest to the heat ends up drying out? After experiencing that a few times, I started putting briskets on the grate for the entire cook with the fat side facing the heat and that made a world of difference to me.

 

[Kanco Connection]

Yeah, I trimmed off an inch from the end that got a little crispy. That always happens for me with med-large briskets. I’m fine with that for the result.

 

[Bob C Cue]

That's a beauty Kanco!

 

[LloydQ]

Really looks great Kanco!