Pit Barrel Fail and fail and fail and fail

[cuddyk]

Hi. I'm using a Vauno digital thermometer with probe...great unit

 

[JckDanls 07]

Hi. I'm using a Vauno digital thermometer with probe...great unit

Curious if you have calibrated said thermometer in boiling water ?

 

[cuddyk]

Yep. right on the money. And works great on my SI3 and MB30.

 

[radioguy]

food is directly over the coals. The manufacturer says that convection keeps the ones closest to the fire from overcooking, but that hasn't been my experience. Using the IQ 110 is interesting. So...do you seal off all other air sources and let the 100 hold at 275?

The vent outlet are the holes used by the re-bar hangers. I put briquettes and wood chunks all throughout the basket. I use a 3" piece of pipe to keep a void for lighting. I try to pack the charcoal in tight. To light I'll put 4-5 lit coals in the pipe. I then set the basket in the barrel and remove the pipe with tongs. I usually cook at 265/275F. It will be up to temp in 15-30 minutes depending on wind. I bought an adjustable vent for the lid but did not need it. A full basket will last 6-7 hours. Ive only had to restack the fire once, as I had a brisket that needed 9 hours.

RG

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Here is what you need to do for great results.

1. Dont use lump, gets way too hot.
2. Burn your coals until all the dirty smoke is gone. This can take from 45 mins to an hour.
3. Do you have a heat deflector? If so use it.
4. Dont add new coals to the already hot coals, use a chimney to get coals going then add.
5. Are you using wood in the PB? If so use small chunks, not whole splits.
6. Dont rely on the dial temp, use a pit temp digital probe.
7. Vents. Not sure how the PB is vented but make sure if top vent that its full open. Bottom vents are for air flow adjust. On my OKJ Bronco i adjust the side vent, top open full.

 

[thirdeye]

The links provided from chopsaw , Marknmd and radioguy are good ones. I have only seen a Pit Barrel cooker in action a few times, and it was the earlier version. Most of the comments I've read about them have been positive. However, I have never cooked on one. But.... I've cooked on drums for over 15 years and they are super simple to use, and I really like the "Grandpa smells and flavor" as Danny Gaulden referred to it in his review of the original BDS. I have taller BDS's but the drum simplicity is all the same.

I'll be glad to toss out some ideas: First, I do not fully understand the "set the vent to your altitude" option of the Pit Barrel. I mean, it sounds very convenient if you are able to locate the sweet spot, and that design is one of the selling points of this cooker.... but from experience, drums are very responsive to small changes in lower vent settings. I live at 5400', so not too far off from your elevation at 6000'. Second, nobody I know starts their drums by using a charcoal chimney or counting briquettes . Rather we use a weed burner or a Map-Pro torch, then reach in and light a spot about the size of a grapefruit or softball dead center of the charcoal basket. I leave the lid ajar for a few minutes, then put it in place. I'll close down my lower vents then the pit temp reaches 50° or 60° below my target pit temp. Then make lower and upper vent adjustments to catch the pit temp I'm after.

I do use a wiggle rod if for some reason my bed of coals is not performing.

 

[Marknmd]

I was keeping this to myself, but I agree with thirdeye, I don't understand the "set the vent to your attitude" strategy either. That means you give up control and have no ability to cook higher or lower than ... what? 275 F? That is just weird to me. I did research the PBC when I was looking for a drum, and I deliberately chose the OKJ Bronco over the PBC for just that reason. I also had a friend looking at the PBC and pointed out the weirdness of giving up control and being forced to cook at their given temp.

When I light my Bronco, I deliberately load it up with more fuel than I need. I even have a 32-hour basket I can use if I want. It'll hold an entire Kingsford blue bag. Load it up with charcoal/lump and some wood chunks. I make a divot in the middle. I light ten (10) kingsford charcoal briquets in a chimney and then carefully place them dead center in the divot in the charcoal basket. That's just my method. I almost always use the heat deflector. Sometimes I'll use a water pan over the charcoal/lump/chunks, sometimes not. Add food. Add temp probes. Close lid. Chimney wide open. Wait. As temp rises, narrow intake opening. Adjust as necessary during the cook to whatever temp or temps I choose. Very stable. And it's tight. There are no leaks anywhere. Cooks like a dream. When I'm done, food is tender and moist. Close it down. My unburned charcoal and chunks are there in the basket ready to go next time.

I know the above isn't very helpful but I keep thinking there must be something fundamentally wrong - either with the process or with the unit itself. Is it possible there is a leak somewhere down low that's sucking oxygen in and you don't know it? Is there a cracked weld somewhere? What about the intake control plate? Is it loose?

Here is a popular youtuber cooking ribs on his PBC for the first time. He says he's done ribs on at least half a dozen different smokers and "these are the best ribs" he's cooked.



Good luck

 

[thirdeye]

I was keeping this to myself, but I agree with thirdeye, I don't understand the "set the vent to your attitude" strategy either. That means you give up control and have no ability to cook higher or lower than ... what? 275 F? That is just weird to me.

Well, this is a manufacturer designed convenience in order to shorten the learning curve for the cook. I do cook a lot of things in the 275° range (+/- 25°) so that is an okay temp. I guess the bottom line is matching a cooker to your likes and skill level, but drums are pretty easy to master.

That's just my method. I almost always use the heat deflector. Sometimes I'll use a water pan over the charcoal/lump/chunks, sometimes not.

I sometimes use a water pan on the cooking grate, either a tin can, or a narrow but deep foil pan. I don't have a heat deflector, but Hunsaker drums have a snazzy vortex for their charcoal basket, and an adjustable rack system. Personally I really like the flavor bombs of fat dripping on the coals, like old school open pit BBQ. But, I will use a deep dish pizza pan for a drip pan when smoking 6 or 8 fatties. This can prevent a grease fire, which is always a bad deal in a drum.

 

[Marknmd]

I don't have a heat deflector, but Hunsaker drums have a snazzy vortex for their charcoal basket, and an adjustable rack system.

Vortex for the charcoal basket? I will have to look into that. I actually use adjustable stainless steel cake mold rings which I install at staggered heights and diameters in the drum basket. Works sort of like the snake method but vertical and in concentric rings which keeps the lit coals from bleeding to the side too quickly. I do have a vortex, but I use it with my Weber.

 

[Floriduh]

I gave up and bought a komado. Hope you get the thing figured out.

 

[JCAP]

Tons of great advice here already so I don't have much to add. I used to have the 18'' PBC which I liked, but the instructions about vent settings and lighting are way off. I tried all kinds of things to monitor and control temps but eventually decided not to care too much and just let everything cook at the preferred temp. I lit 10 briqs and added them to the middle of the charcoal. This kept me around 285-300 usually and if things were really getting hot, I'd foil one or two of the rebar holes. I never really was much into the hanging portion of the PBC.

It's a fun cooker but it really is just set and forget. Let it cruise at the temp it gets to and be prepared for the food to be done much sooner. It's magic for chicken.

 

[cuddyk]

SUCCESS! Well, cook-wise. Following the advice in this thread (especially from noboundaries ), I put some hickory chunks on the bottom of the basket, then filled with briquettes. I put 12 in the chimney and let em get good and hot, then spread them opposite the lower vent, which I closed to half the recommended setting for my altitude (6K). I let the PBC come up to temp and it stabilized between 245-255. Two racks of STL ribs went on and 4.5 hours later they were done. Juicy, tender, no petrification of the rub. See pics. That's the great news. Now for the rub (see what I did there?). I didn't like the taste. Way more charcoal-y than smoky. My daughter didn't care for it either, though my wife liked it. Now, if anyone has suggestions for how to up the smokiness, I'm all ears...but I suspect the very design of suspending the meat over the briquettes means that drippings will create a "charcoal steam bath". So...I may still be selling this for pennies on the dollar after all ;)

 

[912smoker]

Glad you got the fire issues under control and they look good to me.
Can you just put them on the grate instead of hanging?

Keith

 

[noboundaries]

I didn't like the taste. Way more charcoal-y than smoky. My daughter didn't care for it either, though my wife liked it.

What charcoal briquette brand did you use? If it started with a K, that's an easy fix.

 

[cuddyk]

Yep. Plain ole kingsford blue. Didn’t taste any of my hickory chunks at all…though I did smell them and see TBS during the cook. As the cook progressed, the “charcoal smoke” which is thicker and smelled different, seemed to overtake the TBS. I guess the next experiment will be hardwood lump…

 

[thirdeye]

As the cook progressed, the “charcoal smoke” which is thicker and smelled different, seemed to overtake the TBS.

With drums, you will see TBS before you put your meat on, in fact that's the signal to put the meat on. However, the flavor bombs of fat dripping into the coals create white smoke. It won't be super heavy, but it will not be as light as smoke from other cookers. Here is an example.

You can mix some chips or pellets into your charcoal, this will make for a gentle smoke during the cook.

 

[noboundaries]

Yep. Plain ole kingsford blue.

I have tested charcoal pre-pandemic. The acrid smell of K-blue adds a flavor element many like and associate with charcoal cooking. Many others do not like it.

I have not bought any charcoal in more than two years due to the supply of Royal Oak briquettes I had on hand. I've heard and read rumors that RO's pandemic/post pandemic charcoal has changed due to wood supply issues. I cannot confirm that as fact.

The only briquette brand I'd personally trust right now is B&B. It is available at Ace Hardware.