Hello all!
First and foremost, I love my PBC but that said I'm a total noob to preface this post.
Things I've noted is the lid isn't sealing properly anymore (had mine for roughly 6mths). Today (Jul4th started cooking at 8:45 - 7lbs butt) I had to put a brick on top of the lid to get a better seal. So at first the grill ran 340 degrees the first hour before I could turn the lid enough and then use the brick to apply pressure. So that leads to prob number two, most of the time the grill is too hot (300+) and I've messed with the swivel door a lot, but what I end up doing is shoving newspaper pieces to plug the remainder hole where the rebar goes throug. Typically one/two holes plugged yields 250-275 degrees. But today the coals were excessively hot in the beginning and once it settled to 275 it was steady for awhile but by 4pm coal temp was 199 and dropping so as of now I've cracked the lid and temp is rising. I just can't figure out how to get it consistant! Any advice for noobs would be very helpful!! Thank you in advance!
Kevin
Kevin - My high school football coach came in the locker room, after Homecoming Senior Year - and our team had just lost to our rival...by 113 points. I think it still stands as the worst defeat in Texas High School Football Records @ 113 -0 .... and said:
"Boys...( long, if not pregnant pause...) er...just remember...we learn nothing from life's victories - except.... we won. We learn everything from our defeats along the way. They will teach us how to win."
He was right. You are learning things even now that you may not recognize because you may feel overwhelmed.
So, if I can make some recommendations?
1. Tell us as much about where you live as you can ( elevation, weather - winds, etc...what is it like?)
2. Get a Maverick 732 or 733 with 6 foot probes. Use one as an "oven" thermometer at the grate level or at the lowest point of the hooks when you are hanging meats.and the other probe goes on the center of mass of the meat. It will help you learn the actual impact of any adjust cents you make, and in a real measurable manner.
3. Keep a notebook of each cook. As many details as possible. Time of day, weather observations, kind of charcoal, amount of time you allowed it to burn before loading meat into the PBC, ...anything. It may seem OCD, or petty - but you may be surprised what you can learn - and repeat...or learn to avoid by doing this.
4.Get back to basics. Watch a lot of Noah's videos on YouTube about using the PBC. Never underestimate
the value of simple technique - perfected. Details matter. And before you take any of our advice on modifying the PBC or its openings even if they are temporary mods that seem harmless - work at JUST running it as it came from PBC. Get that down pat. Catch some sales on charcoal that you will be using ( each brand and type can vary in burn temp and time...) and PRACTICE. No need to waste meat - just load the charcoal - and pretend you are cooking. TAKE NOTES - every time you make an adjustment or change - take note of it. Watch the Maverick for the temp influence of the change you made.
Now about your lid not fitting...It is possible that you have a warp of some kind. I have seen it happen if a barrel is dropped on its side, or if the lid falls - and hits the deck or grand in such a way that it could alter the lip where the barrel fits into it. It can happen. But, I would be remiss if I did not refer you to call Amber or Noah at PBC and ask for their advice - and perhaps they can help diagnose what you are experiencing.
Hope this helps!
T
