How long should coals last?

[Stratmeister]

New PBC owner here. I've cooked one chicken and some ribs, two different cooks so far, both by the instructions. The 2 hour chicken was good, dark meat could have used another 5-10 degrees internal, and the 3.5 hour ribs were good, a bit tougher than I expected.

Anyway I use KBB and fill the basket, use a chimney to start about 40 of the briquettes. Obviously that is more coal than I need. Barrel temp around 270 with lid on and rebar in.

If I wanted to try a butt or brisket how long should I expect the coals to last? Do I ever need to add more coals during the cook?

[smokeasaurus]

Depending on elevation, you should get an hour a lb out of original KBB. You should have plenty of time to do a brisket or a butt since the PBC runs so hot unlike a traditional UDS...............

[muebe]

The Smoke is right with his analysis.

Also remember although not the ideal way you can finish the butt in your oven if you do run out of coals toward the end of the cook.

But more than likely it will finish before the coals are spent anyways.

[Chief Mac]

I just did 2 Pork Butts about 17 Lbs of pork and it took me about 5 1/2 hours to completely finish the pork shoulders and then tossed on 2 steaks and four hamburgers and still had charcoal and the charcoal was still not burned out. I was using a full basket of Kingsford Original which I also started with a chimney. I have cooked a brisket close to 7 hours and still had plenty of heat remaining to do a few burgers and hot dogs.      My cooks of the brisket and pork butts and most of anything I hang to cook has both rebar in. If I use the grate during those cooks ( crutch ) I leave one rebar installed.
CM

[Aclarke44]

You'll have plenty of coal to do pretty much anything you want.   I've cooked for 8 hrs on mine and had at least an hour or two of coal left.  Because of the convection aspect, the PBC will cook faster than other cookers at the same temperature.   And remember your coals will last longer with lower temp cooks and shorter with higher temp cooks.  Weather will affect coal burn too.  In colder months you'll burn more coal.
As far as your ribs being tough at 3.5 hours,  use Noah's recommended cook times as an estimate.   Ribs are done when a toothpick probed in between the bones goes through with very little resistance and when you use tongs and hold the ribs at about the half way point and they bend at about a 90°angle and slightly crack the bark.  Brisket and butts are done when probe tender.  A probe goes into the thickest part (thickest part of the FLAT on a brisket) with very little resistance.  Usually you will start checking for probe tender at about 195° internal temp but it can go as high as 205-210 before it probes tender.

[amshepar]

I've had coals last upwards of 12 hours.  I've woken up the next morning after a cook and found the PBC to still be very hot.  With a full basket you will have no issue on a brisket.  I've done a 10lb brisket without issue.

I think 3.5 hours is too long for ribs in the PBC.  I've never really gone longer than 3 hours and 15 minutes, and that has been for the bigger spare ribs. I'm thinking that is why you thought the ribs tasted too tough.  If you are hanging the ribs and you hang a full rack so that the smallest ribs are closest to the fire, those may get charred and dry up.  I always cut my slabs in half, and I even will hang the two 1/2 slabs on one hook, especially when cooking multiple racks.

The toothpick rule of thumb works.  If you don't have a toothpick you can always test with your PBC hooks.  If you can poke through the meat with relative ease, then they are done.  With Baby Backs I think you can start testing at 2 hours and 45 minutes.