Hey folks! Just got my new PBC and set it up! I've been wanting one forever. Going to be kicking it off with a set of 3 baby back racks, Last Meal Ribs style. Cannot wait to start putting this through the paces and seeing what it can do. Always open to tips/suggestions for a PBC newbie.
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Last edited by bbantel; November 19, 2022, 10:26 AM.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
Pit Barrel Cooker
Blaze 32" Gasser with Sear Station and Rotisserie
Jenn-Air 6 Burner w/ Dual Oven and Stainless Flat Top
Camp Chef Explorer 60EX with Grill Box and Griddle
Thermoworks Thermapen Mk4
Maverick ET-733 2-Probe Wireless Thermometer
Thermopro TP20 2-Probe Wireless Thermometer
Anova 900W Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
Selection of Grandma's Antique Cast Iron Cookware
Bayou Classic Stainless Steel Oyster/Turkey Cooker
Weber Standard Size Chimney Starter
Foodsaver Vac Sealer
PBC likes to run a little hotter than most folks are generally used to, which is fine - let it do its thing. It might run too hot for the first few cooks until you get a good layer of gunk around the lid rim. The more you use it the more predictable and consistent it becomes. Proper lid sealing and a repeatable lighting technique are your best friends. Once you dial it in you'll be "hooked"... this simple little cooker puts out some great food.
Congrats on your win! The lid leaked like a sieve on the new one I bought a couple years ago, and ruined my first cook because I couldn’t keep it under 400°. I’d use today to get ready, including:
1. Find the stickied lighting technique in the PBC section here.
2. Smoke some shortening or lard to get the lid gunked up as mentioned by BourBonQ . Do it all day if you have time.
3. Spread some of that lard on the lid before you fire it up, or spray the lid and cooker rim with Pam or cooking oil.
4. Have three or four bricks available that you can rest on top of the lid to help seal it.
I really enjoy mine. I won't cook ribs in anything else. It does have a little bit of a learning curve, but it is not steep at all. Like others have said, for the first few cooks it will run hot as you're getting air in through the gap under the lid.
Don't hesitate to plug one or two of the holes with foil if it begins to get too hot. I also used the bricks-wrapped-in-dish-towels trick to keep that lid as snug as possible. In fact, I still do that, even though my lid is now quite gunked up.
I've gotten my lighting procedure down over the years that I rarely even use a grate thermometer unless I am doing a really long cook.
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
I love the look of a PBC in the morning...and the look of a brand spankin' new PBC. Go to these sticky topics to help you get some bearings on your cooks. You're going to love cooking on it!
Kathryn, I'm finding that eliminating the "middle 10" startup burn (the 10 minute burn with lid off) helps me keep temps under 300 a little easier. I've been going straight to adding wood chunks and putting the lid on as soon as I dump the chimney, and letting that settle in for about 20 minutes before starting the cook. Sort of a hybrid method with Noah's original light recommendation. Have you or others experienced this?
I also eliminate the "middle 10" of the 15-10-10 when using the Pit Viper and Fireboard to control the PBC's cook, BourBonQ . I also shorten the "last 10" to a 5. Otherwise, 15-10-10 with KBB works well for me.
Many people at sea level use the timing that you use though. Point being, you do your PBC for your conditions. Just be sure to get a good burn on with the coals before adding the meat.
Yep, we're a whopping 12 feet above sea level. My go to lighting method has evolved into this:
> Start a chimney with 30-35 briquettes
> Burn for 10 minutes (or until they look "right", with ashed-over edges on the least lit coals)
> Dump it on a full basket of unlit charcoal (less for shorter cooks)
> Top with wood chunks
> Close lid
> Wait 20 minutes
> Hang meat
> Drink bourbon
I recommend double hooking your ribs 'daisy chain' style the way Noah does briskets to prevent loosing ribs to the coal basket. That happened to me a couple of times.
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