So I finally got past my mental block (of hating lighter fluid) and when I picked up a tri-tip at Sam's club today, I picked up the two-pack of huge KF lighter fluid bottles. I have been having problems getting the PBC to heat up and keep temperature using a chimney, so at the brother-in-law's insistence, I did lighter fluid this time. I'm happy to say I was wrong and the cook turned out great!
I did about 3/4 of a basket of coal and hit it with a healthy dose of lighter fluid and left her to sit for 20 minutes inside the barrel with the lid off. Flames looked good on the coals after the 20 minutes. The cook started on a 2.33lb tri-tip (which I actually trimmed this time to reduce some of the left-over fat from the butcher (not too much, but enough that I wanted to trim it up). Ambient temperature outside was 24F. I oiled and rubbed down the meat with the PBC Beef and Game rub and left it out for about 45 min. I also added a handful of Jack Daniel's Charred Oak Barrel Chips. Total cook time from initial meat temperature of 57F and PBC temperature of 467F was 31 minutes (to a final meat temp of 139F). I let the lid vent 1/4 way for the last 5 minutes of the cook to try and get a "bark" going (it seemed to work a bit - though I'll do 10 min next time). I then wrapped the tip in foil to rest for 10 minutes and the meat came out PERFECT! Pix below:
After the rub down:
It looks like a Chipotle burrito!:
Unwrapped from its brief 10 minute rest:
Cut up and ready to be eaten: