First Pit Barrel

[jetsknicks1]

Hey all, been a member for a few years but haven’t posted in a while. Just ordered my first Pit Barrell cooker and am really looking forward to trying it out this weekend. I’ve always been an Oklahoma Joe vertical guy but one of my buddies, who does some competitions loves his. As an offset guy, the thought of getting it going and then just leaving it alone seems……weird lol. Any tricks or tips I should know going in? Thanks in advance and I’d love to keep you updated and probably ask questions along the way.

 

[mr_whipple]

I just posted about my Bronco. I first saw the drum thing with the PBC and wanted one but never pulled the trigger. Briefly considered building a UDS... I don't do any competition cooking but I'm doing ok best I can tell by my taste buds.
What I have yet to do is hang anything. Watched a lot of videos of ribs hanging but I just can't wrap my head around it. I have no tips or tricks yet, but keep us up on your cooks when you do them, and I will do the same. We love pics here, or so I'm told ;-)

 

[thirdeye]

Any (Pit Barrel) tricks or tips I should know going in? Thanks in advance and I’d love to keep you updated and probably ask questions along the way.

I don't own a Pit Barrel, but I've cooked on drums for 15 years or so, and love the ease of fire management and the overall flavor of the finished product. I think the PB instructions and numerous videos on the website cover all the bases. I would follow them exactly for 2 or 3 cooks and keep careful notes. From a non-experienced PB owner's point of view.... I would be mindful of the 'universal' intake setting for your altitude, it may require a little tweaking.

 

[jetsknicks1]

I don't own a Pit Barrel, but I've cooked on drums for 15 years or so, and love the ease of fire management and the overall flavor of the finished product. I think the PB instructions and numerous videos on the website cover all the bases. I would follow them exactly for 2 or 3 cooks and keep careful notes. From a non-experienced PB owner's point of view.... I would be mindful of the 'universal' intake setting for your altitude, it may require a little tweaking.

I’ve done three cooks on it so far and am absolutely loving it. The fact that it cooks faster than the OKJ took a bit of getting used to but the flavors are awesome.

 

[radioguy]

I own a Pit Barrel Jr and really like it. I take it with me when we go camping. The only thing I dislike is that it is too small to do large cuts like brisket. I went to modifying it right away. I added a second set of grate supports lower in the barrel so I could cook something tall, like a large bird or turkey breast. Be careful of the finish it is ceramic coated so it chips easily especially the lid.
Here is the inaugural cook on my PBJr.

Enjoy

RG

New Pit Barrel Smoker PBC

I was looking for a new smoker / cooker that I could easily take with me on camping trips. I did my research and bought a Pit Barrel Junior. This is a smaller version that would be perfect for the wife and I while traveling. I wanted to include a Pitmaster IQ 110 temp controller. I have used...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[thirdeye]

The fact that it cooks faster than the OKJ took a bit of getting used to but the flavors are awesome.

When drums were becoming popular there were a lot of comments about them cooking faster, but I think part of that was that different home made designs might have different heat flow. But the biggest thing was that thermometers were mounted on the side and pit temps on the side might be 40° cooler than pit temps at the center of the grate.

 

[apn73]

When drums were becoming popular there were a lot of comments about them cooking faster, but I think part of that was that different home made designs might have different heat flow. But the biggest thing was that thermometers were mounted on the side and pit temps on the side might be 40° cooler than pit temps at the center of the grate.

What thirdeye said. I've been cooking UDS for the last 14 years and you're going to want put a thermometer somewhere near the middle of the drum, and preferably something electronic. I don't know the Pit Barrel very well, but I finally added diffuser to mine and that completely changed the quality of my finished products. But that also changed thermometer placement, I now have the probe mounted on the grill grate, about an inch away from the food and that is working very well. Not having to refuel is awesome, but the temperature on my old UDS had a tendency to float around, so I had to watch it like a hawk. However, PID control and a fan will totally change the game for you....