First few cooks on my new PBJ

[N227GB]

I have a PBJ and have been kicking around the idea of getting a Smokin-It for the lanai since this time of year we get the daily late afternoon thunderbursts on the gulf coast. Let me know if yours need a new good home.

Speaking of rain, be sure not to let the lid of the PBJ get wet. Even a light sprinkle and the ambient temp will drop like a rock! Some here have made a rain guard out of a leak pan designed for the base of hot water heaters.

A must have for me is a pair of pliers like these for lifting the fire basket and positioning the rebars. I keep a container of wipes handy to wipe off the gunk.

Sounds like your lid has a good fit but some folks add a LavaLock gasket for a good seal or just wrap a brick in and old sock for weight. I have some good gunk buildup for a seal, but have a LavaLock on hot standby just in case. Be careful not to drop the lid and damage it. Even a little gap will raise the temp.

I always do a quick re-read on the lighting procedure stickied here kind of like a preflight checklist.

Like others have said, double hook your ribs so you don't join the Dropped Meat ClubⓇ. For BBs I get Smithfield Extra Meaty with the extra loin meat. I never cut slabs in half and the ends by the coals are crispy but fine as a treat for the cook. I guess the extra meat keeps the ends from getting too well done.

Some other must have accessories are extra meat hooks and an ash catcher for the basket if that is still optional. Get a turkey hanger now since sometimes these have been out of stock in the past. The holidays will be here before you know it.

[bocaboy]

Thanks for your post. For now, I'm gonna hold on to my Smokin-It. It still does a great job--particularly on fish--and it has made a ton of meals for me that have a deep, smokey flavor!

I'm not sure what double-hooking is, but for this last cook, I cut them in half and then hung them. From what I can tell, it makes for a more even and controllable cook.

[Huskee]

I think many of us have a few back & forth cooks until we learn its sweet spots for whatever we're cooking. Fzxdoc's posts are invaluable and a must. And for me the PBC is a chicken machine! Best tasting grilled/smoked chicken you can make! Keep up the good work. Soon enough you'll be teaching others what you've learned about it.

[bocaboy]

Thanks, Huskee!! I'm doing ribs for the third time tonight and they look fantastic! I always wait until Friday and then buy a rack or two of baby backs from Fresh Market. They're prime quality and on sale on Fridays for $4.99 per pound. That's a great deal and the pork is meaty and juicy.

[Michael_in_TX]

Speaking of rain, be sure not to let the lid of the PBJ get wet. Even a light sprinkle and the ambient temp will drop like a rock! Some here have made a rain guard out of a leak pan designed for the base of hot water heaters.

I had this happen to me the first time a few weeks ago. I was cooking and we had a sudden torrential summer downpour. The temperature in the PBC dropped by 40 degrees! I was convinced the water had seeped in a snuffed out the coals....but that didn't happen. After the rain stopped and I had mopped up the pooled water with a towel and the rest of it evaporated, the temperature rose back up to its normal 275-300 F. That water on the lid, being replaced constantly with new rain, must have acted like a great heat sink!

The rain guard idea is a good one. Wish I had thought of it.....especially as I had that actual drain pan two feet away! (I use a 26" water heater drain pan as a basin for cleaning my Weber Kettle grates. Now it had another purpose in life as well!)

[bocaboy]

We live in Florida and have a large overhang on our patio which protects either the PBJ or my Smokin-It electric smoker. If I take it on a road trip to do a cook, I'll definitely keep the rain issue in mind! It's definitely a piece of information I did not know.

[Panhead John]

bocaboy Here’s an example of double hooking ribs, it’s also called a daisy chain. You put 2 hooks in the ribs so if one comes loose from the meat, the other acts as a safety hook to keep it from falling on your coals. You put one into the other.

[RichieB]

Maybe he's a closet PB'er.

[bocaboy]

Thanks, Panhead. The problem I see with my PBJ is that a full rack of ribs, as you have pictured above, gets very close to the fire and overcooks the bottom rib(s). The solution was simple, and works perfectly. I simply cut the rack in half and hang each half separately.

[Panhead John]

Yep, cutting em in half works good. The double hook works well for other meats too, brisket, pork butts etc.