Author Topic: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?  (Read 66464 times)

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Offline Paul Hart

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Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #-1 on: January 14, 2015, 05:18:36 PM »
Just finished looking into these tube smokers, they seem like a cool product/idea. I'm all about fruit wood smoke.  My idea would be to cold smoke whatever I'm cooking in the PBC for about an hour or two before actually firing the coals up. Any thoughts, recommendations, warnings?  I bet it would smoke pretty well with the bars in. I doubt if it would be ideal directly on or around the coals. I also wonder if this idea is any better or worse than just using a chunk of wood during the cook.
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Offline drholly

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« on: January 14, 2015, 05:21:59 PM »
I understand your love of fruit wood for smoking. Me, I really like pecan. I use it in my "mystery" electric smoker. I have never used wood in my PBC, and never tried a cold smoke - I enjoy the flavor it imparts by itself. Would be interesting to hear your experience. I am sure some of the PBC experts will chime in.
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Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2015, 06:39:37 PM »
The drippings from the meat would probably extinguish the smoldering  pellets/chips in the tube...unless the meat is hung opposite the tube smoker. You would probably have to move your charcoal over to the opposite side of the charcoal basket because if the tube was set on top of the charcoal it would burn way to fast.

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Offline drholly

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2015, 06:47:22 PM »
The drippings from the meat would probably extinguish the smoldering  pellets/chips in the tube...unless the meat is hung opposite the tube smoker. You would probably have to move your charcoal over to the opposite side of the charcoal basket because if the tube was set on top of the charcoal it would burn way to fast.

All good points!
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Offline hikerman

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2015, 07:25:07 PM »
I have not tried it,  but I would think the PBC would be a good cold-smoker. Get your tube going good and place in the empty basket and then hang some meat for a few hours. Even a rack of cheese.

Offline ronman451

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2015, 01:02:52 PM »
Hi Paul,

I just posted almost this identical question over in the PBC forum! I'm thinking of cold-smoking my ribs inside my gas grill with a tube smoker for about an hour before hanging them in the PBC.

I've also thought of somehow hanging the tube smoker alongside the meat in the PBC during the cook...

Have you tried the tube in your PBC yet??
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Offline TentHunteR

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2015, 01:44:20 PM »
Quote from: ronman451
My idea would be to cold smoke whatever I'm cooking in the PBC for about an hour or two before actually firing the coals up.

As far as I'm concerned THAT would be a big NO WAY!!!  That is just WAY too risky to try and cold smoke uncured meat for that long!

You have to remember that an enclosed smoky environment is an oxygen-deprived environment, which is the perfect breeding ground for any type of anaerobic bacteria, the worst of these being C. Botulinum. 

Cold-Smoking is intended for cured meat ONLY!!!  The basic rule is if it's not cured, then don't smoke it below temps of 165°

Now, if it's a really cool day, and you keep the pit in the shade, you could get by cold smoking for maybe 15 - 30 minutes TOPS!  Anything longer is just too risky.



If I knew you had cold-smoked ribs or any other uncured meat for 1 - 2 hours...  I wouldn't eat it.  Botulism is not something to toy with.



I posted a similar comment about this over in the other thread you posted, but not as long. 
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Offline drholly

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2015, 02:02:58 PM »
Several years ago, I was hit by this (from a restaurant) it was one of the worst experiences in my life. Do NOT mess with it - it is NOT worth the risk.
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Offline ronman451

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2015, 02:08:19 PM »
Quote from: ronman451
My idea would be to cold smoke whatever I'm cooking in the PBC for about an hour or two before actually firing the coals up.

As far as I'm concerned THAT would be a big NO WAY!!!  That is just WAY too risky to try and cold smoke uncured meat for that long!

You have to remember that an enclosed smoky environment is an oxygen-deprived environment, which is the perfect breeding ground for any type of anaerobic bacteria, the worst of these being C. Botulinum. 

Cold-Smoking is intended for cured meat ONLY!!!  The basic rule is if it's not cured, then don't smoke it below temps of 165°

Now, if it's a really cool day, and you keep the pit in the shade, you could get by cold smoking for maybe 15 - 30 minutes TOPS!  Anything longer is just too risky.



If I knew you had cold-smoked ribs or any other uncured meat for 1 - 2 hours...  I wouldn't eat it.  Botulism is not something to toy with.



I posted a similar comment about this over in the other thread you posted, but not as long.

Thanks for the advice TentHunteR. I hear you loud and clear. No cold-smoking uncured meat. Bad idea.

On to "plan B",  hanging a tube smoker inside the hot PBC alongside the meat.
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Offline sliding_billy

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2015, 02:36:38 PM »
The tube smoker needs a fair amount of oxygen to stay burning.  I don't have a PBC, but based on my experience with UDSs the pellet flame is going to smolder and die.
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Offline teesquare

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2015, 08:36:19 PM »
Amazen Tubes really do not need to "flame" to do the job....they will initially, when you light them. The flame should go out in about 5 minutes or so - then the pellets should just smolder until the entire tube is used up. I find they work in my pellets grills, which probably have similar air intake volume as a PBC. But, someone needs to try it - and see how it works for sure.
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Offline okie52

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2015, 05:11:02 PM »
I've been very happy with my 18" tube smoker  that I use in my Texas Grill.  I do always position it in the far back left corner as I believe the air flow is greatest there.

I do try to make sure that I torch the pellets for about 2 minutes and then try to get at least a 10 minute fire burn from them before it goes out.  I've done about it 6 times now and have never had a flame out.  In fact I've never even had a remnant of a pellet...all totally consumed during the smoke duration. 
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Offline steve0617

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2015, 05:57:24 PM »
The tube smoker needs a fair amount of oxygen to stay burning.  I don't have a PBC, but based on my experience with UDSs the pellet flame is going to smolder and die.

I used my 6" one and it died out long before the pellets burned up. Maybe it's a no go for our PBC's.
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Offline Ka Honu

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2015, 06:04:19 PM »
I find the best way to add smoke to a PBC cook is to light the coals in a chimney, put one or two wood chunks in the basket, and pour the coals over the chunks once they're going.
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Offline okie52

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Re: Tube smoker with Pit Barrel cooker?
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2015, 07:02:16 PM »
Quote from: ronman451
My idea would be to cold smoke whatever I'm cooking in the PBC for about an hour or two before actually firing the coals up.

As far as I'm concerned THAT would be a big NO WAY!!!  That is just WAY too risky to try and cold smoke uncured meat for that long!

You have to remember that an enclosed smoky environment is an oxygen-deprived environment, which is the perfect breeding ground for any type of anaerobic bacteria, the worst of these being C. Botulinum. 

Cold-Smoking is intended for cured meat ONLY!!!  The basic rule is if it's not cured, then don't smoke it below temps of 165°

Now, if it's a really cool day, and you keep the pit in the shade, you could get by cold smoking for maybe 15 - 30 minutes TOPS!  Anything longer is just too risky.



If I knew you had cold-smoked ribs or any other uncured meat for 1 - 2 hours...  I wouldn't eat it.  Botulism is not something to toy with.



I posted a similar comment about this over in the other thread you posted, but not as long.

By cured meats are you including a dry cured salmon that was cured for about 4 hours? 

I generally don't cold smoke as I prefer to low heat smoke at 170.
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