Thanks much!
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fzxdoc ... I'm giving you another "atta girl" this is the first time I've looked at this thread. You should be commended for your diligent effort to create suck a fantastic catalog of very helpful information. Nice work Doc.👍Comment
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New to the Pitmaster Club...this is a very helpful post!
I have a 13-pound full packer that I will be cooking tomorrow. I'll share my results and experience.
AllenComment
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Welcome to The Pit allenorris. Glad you're here! Looking forward to your cook results and experience, and maybe some photos? If you would, head over to the Introduce Yourself channel and post an intro so you can get a proper welcome. Thanks!Comment
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Well, that was the best brisket I've ever had, and by far, the most successful cook ever. The brisket wanted to break apart when I was removing from the foil and placing on the cutting board. Our guests were raving. The flat was nice and moist; the point lean but not dry.
The specifics:- 12.99-pound USDA Prime Packer
- 9 lb, 8 oz after trimming
- Salt soaked in for 12 hours
- Placed into PBC at 10:30 AM, cooker settled down to 275° (ish)
- Reached 150° by 2:20 PM, crutch applied with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil and 3/8 cup beef broth
- The PBC ran at 310° (ish) and never settled down with the brisket on the grate. I used foil to bring it to 275° with foil after 1:15 of grate cook.
- Reached 205° by 4:15 PM, wrapped in towel and placed in cooler
- Sliced at 7:20 PM.
Total cook time assuming recommended 1-hour rest: 6 hours 45 minutes.
There you have it! My friend insisted on including the proud cook in the photo.
Allen
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That was a hot and fast cook allenorris . They call it a turbo cook in some circles.
It looks great! Your friends and family were raving so... It don't get better than that.👌
I'm old school... My fast briskets take 12 hours at 225°. 😎
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What a great-looking brisket, allenorris ! Congrats on such a successful cook.
In my experience, when the PBC runs hotter than 300 pit temp, it's because the lid is not on tight enough. Be sure to pound the edge of the PBC lid down after you've foiled the meat, and the temp should go right back to its sweet spot.
Just my 2 pennies'worth!
KathrynComment
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Pork Shoulder Picnic
11lb. pork shoulder picnic, trimmed down to 10 - 10.5 lbs.
Dry rub - F.A. Nino's Jamaican Dry Rub
Hung as directed
Coals started with chimney (13 minute burn)
6 hours until 160 degrees
Double wrapped in foil, 1/2 cup Sierra Nevada October Fest added, set on grill
2 hours until 198 Degrees
Had to add coals after 7 hours as coals just about done, barrel temp at 218. I added about 15
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Hi Kathryn, Feel free to post my pork shoulder picnic info. Glad to help. Here are the times and temps that I remember:
2-3 hours at 309 degrees
3.5 hours average temp 250-270
At 7 hours I noticed the temp had dropped to 218. I check the coal basket and the seemed almost done. I added about 15 more coals, (carefully) squirted some lighter fluid, and lit. Temp built to 300 within 15 minutes and then settled at 250 for the final 45 minutes.Comment
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Hi Kathryn,
GREAT post!!
I am new to the Pit and I have always used Kingsford Original briquettes as per PBC recommendation...have you or anyone else experimented with anything else? I am tempted to try the Kingsford Professional to get a higher cook temp and sear steaks...thoughts? What is you cook for steaks on the PBC? I don't think there is any way to do a reverse sear cook on the PBC with indirect heat...
Thanks
Wayne
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Hi Wayne, wmarandu , welcome to the Pit. And congrats on owning a PBC. I sure love cooking on mine.
Other charcoals: There is a sticky topic here about using other charcoal brands on the PBC. I use Kingsford Professional only when smoking chicken on the PBC where I want smoker temps 325 or higher. Professional burns hotter than Original at first, after a while burns at the same temp as KO, and eventually burns out sooner.
As an aside, Here is my method for smoking chicken on the PBC.
I have used lump charcoal once but honestly I think that briquets, especially Kingsford Original, lead to the most consistent results. Kingsford Professional does not do as well as Kingsford Original for long cooks because they burn out more quickly, but if you can keep them at a low/slow temp of 250 or less, they'll do all right.
You can do a reverse sear for thick steaks on the PBC by doing the first part only and then searing them off on a charcoal chimney with a grate on it, or if you have a gas grill (or oven broiler) with an cast iron skillet placed there, hot and ready for the final sear. That's how I do it, searing it off on the gasser with a CI skillet.
Some PBC folks cook the steaks low and slow and then finish it off by taking the lid off the PBC and letting the temps get really high. For a true reverse sear, though, this method is only just OK, at least from my experience.
For thinner steaks that should be flipped often to get a sear and cook at the same time, it's hard to do them well on the PBC without a modification, because a direct heat setup takes some finagling. I put two lengths of 4inch diameter steel stovepipe side by side in the barrel, placed a Weber charcoal grate on top and then set the coal basket on it. The lengths of pipe are cut so the basket is as close to the cooking grate as possible. I've grilled burgers in the PBC that way. Some people have suspended the coal basket from the grate with S-hooks. Some folks have set a concrete block inside of the PBC and put the grate on top of that. Since concrete explodes at high heat, I don't recommend doing this.
It's bit of a challenge to manipulate a steak or burgers on the PBC grate because it's a bit more tricky to get utensils in a good position to flip the meat. But it can be done.
Again, welcome to the Pit, Wayne. Hope some of this info helps!
KathrynComment
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If I may, here is a boneless leg of lamb cook on the PBC. My second cook on my PBC.
4.6 lb boneless leg of lamb. Trimmed any thick fat areas and course salt brined 8 hours before.
Course black pepper and crushed rosemary rub with multipal garlic slices inserted into cuts in the meat inside and out. Tied up the leg.
Filled the PBC coal basket. Put 40 coals from basket into chimney. Did the suggested start up - 10 min in chimney, 10 min on coals in PBC, and 10 min with lid on rebar out. Put the meat on and inserted rebar.
PBC temp maxed at 400 in 6 min. (all times are from the time meat was put on grill) It took 25 min to drop to 350. Covered 2 rebar holes with foil. At 30 min PBC was at 330, covered other two rebar holes.
45 min PBC at 280. Removed 2 rebar foils.
52 min PBC at 270
90 min PBC at 230 and meat at 119.
120 Min PBC at 225 and meat at 137
I took the meat off around 140 internal. Probing was giving me varying internal temps. Cut the string off and found I must have tied it up to tight or rolled to much meat into to tight a chunk. Put the meat back on butterflied to finish.
Thank you Kathryn for your postings and and additional help you may have to offer.Comment
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Nice contribution here, Kathryn. Thanks for sharing, although I don't have a PBC - yet - LOL! --EdComment
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Wow, this thread has really grown to one of the most popular reads in the Pit. I refer to it often when planning a cook and needing to know how long it might take. Thanks again for starting it.Comment
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Many thanks to the contributors on this thread, especially Kathryn fzxdoc for the extensive time/temp compilation and start up tips. Took the PBC plunge and added this amazing little critter to the collection. Decided on beef short ribs for the first cook and they were delicious. Started out a little hotter than I wanted but it eventually settled in around 300 and stayed right there for the entire cook. Looking forward to many wonderful meals from the new addition.Comment
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Thanks Medusa , bep35 , and Shhmokin Rob , I'm glad the information provided is helping you plan your cooks a bit better. When I first got my PBC, I began compiling the data from cooks. I found the info was so helpful to me that I figured that sharing it here might help others too.
KathrynComment
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