Creosote problem or not in PBC ??

[jjjonz]

Having a problem and thought I would run it by you folks before I called Noah. I have had my PBC for a couple of months now and thought I had it down pretty good. It is about the only thing I have cooked on since I got it. I cooked 2 large butts on it last week that turned out great. Today I was going to cook some chicken halves ....did everything a usual...full basket of Kingsford blue and lite with fluid...let burn for 25 minutes and put lid on ....let it burn for 30 minutes before I hung the chicken.....checked temp before I opened the lid to hang chicken,325 degrees.....I opened the lid and it was wet with brown grease and smelled like creosote.....I wiped it down and cooked the chicken, it was delicious. After I ate and the PBC cooled down....I wiped my finger across the bottom of the lid and it had the brown grease on again with a slight creosote smell....not quite as bad as before. It could have been going on the whole time...just didn't notice.

[1Bigg_ER]

Leave the lid slightly cracked open after a cooking session. Let it burn out. I call it the PBC self cleaning cycle.

[jjjonz]

Thanks....I was just wondering if that is normal on the PBC.

[teesquare]

I have not experienced that....But, like Biggs - I usually leave the lid cracked, and even pull the re-bar out, and it will runt the temp. up  for a while - until the charcoal  is expended.

[jjjonz]

Could be the problem...been pulling the rebar and closing the holes....saving charcoal. Saving charcoal you know.

[drholly]

I've never had the problem, but like T, I tend to either crack the lid or leave it off to burn off the leftover charcoal. I guess I've never tried to save the charcoal figuring it was pretty much spent and would not behave the same way as fresh for the next cook. Also makes clean up a lot easier.

I do try to cook as much as I can each time to maximize the value of the full basket of charcoal. So, generally there is not a lot left.

I have to wonder if when closing everything down to smother the fire, if this doesn't create a different type of smoke as the coals die...

[jjjonz]

You would thing it would be a drier smoke since the meat is not inside to make moisture,but who knows.I will keep experimenting and maybe find out something.

[1Bigg_ER]

Could be the problem...been pulling the rebar and closing the holes....saving charcoal. Saving charcoal you know.

You can do that but you starve the coals of oxygen and creating nasty smoke that's trapped in there.
Maybe save some but make it a point to burn it every now and then.

[teesquare]

You would thing it would be a drier smoke since the meat is not inside to make moisture,but who knows.I will keep experimenting and maybe find out something.

I can think of 3 possibilities for the moisture you are seeing:

1.the moisture is actually the fats ( grease fog) that are steamed off the coals and grate, walls, etc. and collect at the top because heat rises, and the temperature is waning.

2.If you have some very high humidity, as the fire is dying down, the air drawn in is not heated enough to completely evaporate any latent moisture in the air. So it steams up the interior of the lid.

3. A combination of #1 and #2...?

[smokeasaurus]

Another good thing to do when the PBC is cool. Wad up a pc of HD foil and wipe off the inside of the lid. It will keep little flakes of build up from falling on your grub.....

[Hub]

I've never had the problem, but like T, I tend to either crack the lid or leave it off to burn off the leftover charcoal. I guess I've never tried to save the charcoal figuring it was pretty much spent and would not behave the same way as fresh for the next cook. Also makes clean up a lot easier.

I do try to cook as much as I can each time to maximize the value of the full basket of charcoal. So, generally there is not a lot left.

I have to wonder if when closing everything down to smother the fire, if this doesn't create a different type of smoke as the coals die...

I'm going along with this theory, too. 

Hub

[jjjonz]

You would thing it would be a drier smoke since the meat is not inside to make moisture,but who knows.I will keep experimenting and maybe find out something.

I can think of 3 possibilities for the moisture you are seeing:

1.the moisture is actually the fats ( grease fog) that are steamed off the coals and grate, walls, etc. and collect at the top because heat rises, and the temperature is waning.

2.If you have some very high humidity, as the fire is dying down, the air drawn in is not heated enough to completely evaporate any latent moisture in the air. So it steams up the interior of the lid.

3. A combination of #1 and #2...?

I think you hit it on the head...I had cooked 32 lbs of butt before the next cook and here in south Alabama the humidity wa about 95 % . Butt do have a lot of fat and moisture for sure plus the high humidity. Next time like the others said,I will have some hamburgers or something to finish uo burning the coals. Thanks all.