Is this normal from my Pitt Barrell Cooker?

[ajrettke]

So I pulled the cover off my PBC (didn't use it over the winter) and inside it looks like the paint is coming off and rusting?



Is this normal? I cook at low temps (never higher than 300) but it looks like the paint is peeling off and the barrel is rusting (I never poured water in it...I'm sure moisture got in it though)?

thanks

 

[mike243]

No paint in there, thats the seasoning from previous cooks, swipe with a wire brush then run you a small hot fire for a little bit. Normal

 

[Dunstablegrizzly]

If it wasn't porcelain coated then yeah that's normal. That happened to my smoker I built. Then after I would give it a thorough cleaning and spray oil all over it and give it a last burn in before putting it away. That works perfect everytime.

Moisture is in the air so all the oscillations of warming up and cooling off no matter how minute can get condensation to form on its surface. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just give it a good scrubbing and reseal with oil and burn in. It will be fine.

I believe the newer versions of PBC are now porcelain coated but I can be wrong. I dont own one. Been thinking about getting one but my mind has been thinking about a BGE ceramic cooker someone in here has mentioned to me. It has peaked my interest more than the BGE.

 

[ajrettke]

Hey, thanks all, appreciate the quick response and sanity check!

 

[JCAP]

As a PBC owner as well, I would just do what mike243 and Dunstablegrizzly suggested. Scrape it off as best you can, get a nice hot fire going, and then wipe it down with some oil. Or after your 'clean' burn, fire it up and cook something great!

 

[JWFokker]

If you want to get it well seasoned you need to run it hot, 400+ to get the oils to polymerize the way they do on cast iron cookware. The oil you apply to the cooker should smoke and turn dark brown.