Let's Talk BBQ
FORUM SPONSORS => Pit Barrel Cooker Co. => Topic started by: eghamilton3 on December 05, 2017, 11:13:12 AM
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I've been using my PBC for a year and a half and I've had a couple occasions where there has been ash on my food. Most recently, I hung a turkey and discovered late in the process that there was gray ash all over the bird. I quickly whipped up a mop with turkey stock to kinda "wash" the bird off at around 150 degrees. I cracked the lid for the remaining time and I pulled it off around 160 and it seemed fine. I didn't eat the skin - I found it pretty dry - and there was no ash taste or anything. It came out great. but I've had this happen a couple times. I clean my PBC thoroughly, even shop vac'ing any remaining ash.
I've also had to clean up grease puddles in the bottom from time to time. I'm just outside of Boston and found that I have to crack the vent a bit more than 1/4 or grease drippings will put out some of the coals. And I have to crack the lid late to get the turkey to finish up.
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I have learned when opening the lid on any vertical drum smoker to "burp the lid" before completely taking off the lid. If just lifting the lid quickly off you will create a vacumn and suck the ashes up onto the food.
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I have learned when opening the lid on any vertical drum smoker to "burp the lid" before completely taking off the lid. If just lifting the lid quickly off you will create a vacumn and suck the ashes up onto the food.
x2
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Ash happens. How it happens often depends on the type of cooker you're using, how, and the environment around it.
The PBC will "spit" ash up into the barrel when meats that are extremely fatty are cooked and I've had only one problem with a Turkey, one time, easily fixed. Make sure you trim all the big, "flappy" extra skin off the bird. That skin is mostly fat and will do enough sizzling over the coals to cause embers and ash. I trim off everything that isn't actually touching meat. No ash. Great tasting skin.
Stick burners and charcoal smokers will ash up the groceries occasionally in a very windy environment. A "whoosh" in just the place around and into a vent or stack will puff a poof of ash into some place it shouldn't go. Only cure is to either don't cook in the wind or put something up to block it. My old Yoder stick burner hated the wind and would reward me with lots of temperature problems and ash if I didn't shield it some way or another.
Pellet cookers will ash up more often than not when the fire pot is getting full but the cook has been too lazy to clean it out before firing it up. My Memphis doesn't even like to light with any ash already in the pot so it sort of takes care of the problem itself. My Traeger will blow soot at around 300 degrees (roasting temperature) if I haven't scooped it lately.
Barring some motivation (breezes, sizzling grease, or a dirty fire pot) ash will give in to gravity :)
Hub
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Please feel free to contact our office with questions or concerns at 502.228.1222. We are always happy to help.
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Thanks all. I'll be more careful pulling the lid (though I do "burp" it). One other thing I'll do is make sure the bottom vent is downwind. I'll make sure it's facing my house instead of upwind.
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Barring some motivation (breezes, sizzling grease, or a dirty fire pot) ash will give in to gravity...
Sounds like my entire body these days (including my "ash"). Just sayin'...
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Barring some motivation (breezes, sizzling grease, or a dirty fire pot) ash will give in to gravity...
Sounds like my entire body these days (including my "ash"). Just sayin'...
YOu always were kind of a "big ash" guy..... 8) ;) :D