Let's Talk BBQ
FORUM SPONSORS => Pit Barrel Cooker Co. => Topic started by: slothritis on July 22, 2017, 10:31:22 AM
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Hey y'all. Besides kingsford charcoal, what other brands can you use with the pbc?
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You an use any kind you like. Kingsford has been used as a "standard" by which performance expectations are set by the manufacturer of the PBC. It is a successful brand that is widely available and is a very uniform product - so, that makes sense.....
I like lump charcoal mixed with Kingsford for a combination of a higher average temperature, and a longer burn time. Briquets don't burn quite as hot - as a general rule - but they tend to burn a bit longer.
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You an use any kind you like. Kingsford has been used as a "standard" by which performance expectations are set by the manufacturer of the PBC. It is a successful brand that is widely available and is a very uniform product - so, that makes sense.....
I like lump charcoal mixed with Kingsford for a combination of a higher average temperature, and a longer burn time. Briquets don't burn quite as hot - as a general rule - but they tend to burn a bit longer.
Alright thanks!
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Keep us posted on YOUR experiences...we can all learn something new when others share their findings.... :)
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Keep us posted on YOUR experiences...we can all learn something new when others share their findings.... :)
Will do!
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I do like Stubbs... they sell those at Lowe's. also I just recently bought weber brand natural charcoal briquettes. I will let you know if they work any better or any worse.
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I do like Stubbs... they sell those at Lowe's. also I just recently bought weber brand natural charcoal briquettes. I will let you know if they work any better or any worse.
That is the spirit! Try different brands and types - and tel us what you like and why. That is how we all improve - or just learn other ways to do things. Who knows - maybe I go to the store and find that my "go to" brand is out of stock...? Now - I can rely on what others have reported...and find an alternate to get me thru. ;)
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I recently tried Stubb's, used it on 10# chicken leg quarters and it was great. Pit temps pretty consistent with what I get on Kingsford. To me, the Stubb's was a milder, wood grill flavor in the chicken than the Kingsford. Use Kingsford on pork and beef with no complaints in the flavor department.
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A lil off topic I started but....I live in Florida, elevation is about 343 above sea level, is the vent opened properly (see picture)? I am new to the PBC.
[attachment removed after 6 months]
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Looks like a good starting point. You will find that the PBC's intake ( bottom ) vent is not too sensitive. And - generally it will work for you without having to "fiddle" with it at all. About as easy as it gets.
(First cook suggestion: Hang some chickens split in half length-wise on the hooks. It will be the best chicken you have ever eaten.) But it is SUCH a good design - that you can without spending more money....[/b
However - after you have done a few cooks and are familiar with the characteristics of your PBC, you may want to experiment a little. You can influence/increase the heat dramatically, by leaving the lid of for a few minutes, or leaving the lid "ajar"..or by creating a very small gap between the lid and the top of the barrel, buy using a piece of aluminum foil that is folded until it is about 1/8th" thick. place it on the rim of the barrel, an place the lid back down. It should give you a significant jump in the temperature. I HIGHLY recommend that you get yourself a remote digital probe thermometer. Get a good 2 channel one so that you can monitor the cook chamber temp. and the meat temp. to get a feel for what impact you are making if you tinker with the intake or the evening on your PBC.
Likewise, if you want to decrease temps, and increase the burn time of your charcoal - poi can use aluminum foil "plugs" from wadded up pieces of aluminum in 2-3 of the holes where you normally place the rebar. Of course this means that you will want to set up your PBC to cook using your included grill grate. High On Smoke and myself cooked a medium sized pork butt all night long at Jaxon's house by doing this. The temps ranged from 225F-190ish. for about 8 hours.
So - as you see the PBC is designed as a "set and forget" power cooker. Just above the temps for true smoking, and below those for true grilling. Very universal, and easy to learn. ] make it do even more!
The PBC is arguably the best value in any outdoor cooker - in it's price range plus!
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Looks like a good starting point. You will find that the PBC's intake ( bottom ) vent is not too sensitive. And - generally it will work for you without having to "fiddle" with it at all. About as easy as it gets.
(First cook suggestion: Hang some chickens split in half length-wise on the hooks. It will be the best chicken you have ever eaten.) But it is SUCH a good design - that you can without spending more money....[/b
However - after you have done a few cooks and are familiar with the characteristics of your PBC, you may want to experiment a little. You can influence/increase the heat dramatically, by leaving the lid of for a few minutes, or leaving the lid "ajar"..or by creating a very small gap between the lid and the top of the barrel, buy using a piece of aluminum foil that is folded until it is about 1/8th" thick. place it on the rim of the barrel, an place the lid back down. It should give you a significant jump in the temperature. I HIGHLY recommend that you get yourself a remote digital probe thermometer. Get a good 2 channel one so that you can monitor the cook chamber temp. and the meat temp. to get a feel for what impact you are making if you tinker with the intake or the evening on your PBC.
Likewise, if you want to decrease temps, and increase the burn time of your charcoal - poi can use aluminum foil "plugs" from wadded up pieces of aluminum in 2-3 of the holes where you normally place the rebar. Of course this means that you will want to set up your PBC to cook using your included grill grate. High On Smoke and myself cooked a medium sized pork butt all night long at Jaxon's house by doing this. The temps ranged from 225F-190ish. for about 8 hours.
So - as you see the PBC is designed as a "set and forget" power cooker. Just above the temps for true smoking, and below those for true grilling. Very universal, and easy to learn. ] make it do even more!
The PBC is arguably the best value in any outdoor cooker - in it's price range plus!
Great, Thanks for all the info!
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A lil off topic I started but....I live in Florida, elevation is about 343 above sea level, is the vent opened properly (see picture)? I am new to the PBC.
I live in Florida as well, my vent is probably open half the distance I see in your photo
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A lil off topic I started but....I live in Florida, elevation is about 343 above sea level, is the vent opened properly (see picture)? I am new to the PBC.
I live in Florida as well, my vent is probably open half the distance I see in your photo
So I should close it a little more?
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A lil off topic I started but....I live in Florida, elevation is about 343 above sea level, is the vent opened properly (see picture)? I am new to the PBC.
I live in Florida as well, my vent is probably open half the distance I see in your photo
So I should close it a little more?
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I'll get a pic of mine to post
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A lil off topic I started but....I live in Florida, elevation is about 343 above sea level, is the vent opened properly (see picture)? I am new to the PBC.
I live in Florida as well, my vent is probably open half the distance I see in your photo
So I should close it a little more?
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I'll get a pic of mine to post
Ok cool
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Sorry it took so long I've been out of town, here is where mine is set
(https://s6.postimg.org/omfgk93sx/IMG_0770.jpg)
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Let me encourage you to try different settings - after you run a few cooks. What you will find is that the top of the PBC, and the 4 holes where the rebar rods go - are far more influential in determining your cooking temps. Why?
Because much the same as a car engine - you can hold the throat on the carburetor wide open and pour fuel thru it - but if the exhaust system is clogged, or restricted...the car is not going to do much more than shudder, cough, back fire and sputter.
Think of your lowest vent - the intake vent- as the intake of your car. And those 4 holes for rebar - and the tight fitting lid as the exhaust system. The fuel being the oxygenated air that will be pulled into the PBC thru the intake vent. SO - you can open the vent as much as you want - but - unless you allow the exhaust from the combustion that occurs when we get our coals going well - you will not see much of a temp rise.
This is the reasoning for my previous post about how to run your PBC hotter - or cooler than the nearly automatic mode that it works in so well - by just following the instructions from PBC. Just for fun...experiment with it after you gain some confidence in knowing it's tendencies.
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Thank you all for the information. I will give all your suggestions a go once I get more experience with the pic.
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How long will one cook last ? For example, if I wanted to do a brisket, would I have to refill the charcoal basket?
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How long will one cook last ? For example, if I wanted to do a brisket, would I have to refill the charcoal basket?
I recently did a 8lb pork butt that took 10 hours and still had some coals left over
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The lighting process is key to consistent temperatures. Since you are so close to sea level, for longer cooks especially, be sure your food is in at 12 minutes and no later than 15 minutes. Never hesitate to contact us at the office if you have questions or concerns. Enjoy, and thank you for choosing Pit Barrel Cooker.
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The lighting process is key to consistent temperatures. Since you are so close to sea level, for longer cooks especially, be sure your food is in at 12 minutes and no later than 15 minutes. Never hesitate to contact us at the office if you have questions or concerns. Enjoy, and thank you for choosing Pit Barrel Cooker.
I swear by this ever since I spoke to Noah over the phone about issues I was having early on. They go on at 12 minutes or sooner depending on what my coals look like.
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The lighting process is key to consistent temperatures. Since you are so close to sea level, for longer cooks especially, be sure your food is in at 12 minutes and no later than 15 minutes. Never hesitate to contact us at the office if you have questions or concerns. Enjoy, and thank you for choosing Pit Barrel Cooker.
I swear by this ever since I spoke to Noah over the phone about issues I was having early on. They go on at 12 minutes or sooner depending on what my coals look like.
For my own clarification can you confirm if it should be Example A, B, or something else from below?
A: Light the chimney and let the coals heat in it for 12 minutes, dump them and hang the meat right away.
B: Light the chimney, let the coals heat up (12-15 minutes) then dump the coals and let the barrel heat up for 12 minutes (covered) and hang the meat.
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I don't use a chimney I've always used lighter fluid. I light and will check roughly at the 8 minute mark and depending on how white the coals are, I'll either let it go to 12 or hang accordingly but never longer than 12 minutes
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For my own clarification can you confirm if it should be Example A, B, or something else from below?
A: Light the chimney and let the coals heat in it for 12 minutes, dump them and hang the meat right away.
B: Light the chimney, let the coals heat up (12-15 minutes) then dump the coals and let the barrel heat up for 12 minutes (covered) and hang the meat.
Option A is how I do it, though occasionally I will let the chimney go 15 minutes when it's cold out.
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Royal Oak brands do very well in the Pit Barrel Cooker. Go for the briquettes when doing longer cooks.
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I do really like the Royal Oak charcoal.
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I've read good things about B&B briquettes, lasting 10 to 12 hours, but I haven't tried them myself yet.
I use Kingsford Professional and have had no issues getting 6 to 8 hours out of a basket. I light 40 in a PBC chimney, let them go for 12 minutes, dump the coals on, add the meat.