Thanks Uncle Bob for posting this. One thing I would like would be a handle of some sort on the charcoal basket like the Bronco has. It looks like a great cooker and I like the searing mode that Greg used.
-
-
I haven't had a chance to look up the dimensions. Is this more similar to the capacity of PBJ? It seems pretty awesome and I'm thinking maybe it is a good replacement of my current (normal sized) Pit Barrel CookerComment
-
Well, fzxdoc & Murdy caught me. Yessir, the folks down at the factry contacted me fer some ideas & wuz wonderin if’n I would have any input. I told em it was a fine product they enjineered & asked em whut were they goin to call it. They looked at each other in wonderment mumblin that they hadn’t considered a name of the gol darn thing. So’s they asked me if I had any ideas.
Well, I thought a bit. Thought of my beloved U.P. & figgered that just wouldn’t work. That wuz when I looked down & saw a bug crawling on my adoptive home state. This here dirt has been good to me, yup, let’s put a Wisconsin ring to it. The rest is history as they say and the “Badger” wuz born. I am so proud of that story.Comment
-
So this is designed for smoking badgers?
Comment
-
I’m waiting for the Honey Badger version!Comment
-
Looks like the badger just started a 20% off sale today.
Amazon.com : Badger Barrel BBQ - 16" Drum Style Smoker | 2-Tier BBQ Hibachi Grill | Includes 6 hooks, Hanging Rack, Grill Grate and More : Patio, Lawn & Garden
looks interesting. Good first barrel smoker? :Comment
-
I have the old Barrel House Cooker, which PBC acquired, and see many of its superior design features here. The BHC was 14" in diameter, the PBC is 18", and this is 16". Being able to remove the midsection to feed and empty the charcoal basket is a blessing. Not having to use the exhaust ports to hang rebar is the right way to go--repositioning meat is a breeze. Hibachi-style is a plus. Lighter weight is a back-saver. Next up: hinged lid. -
@RobertC
Very interesting. I really would like to grab a drum smoker and have gone back and forth on which direction to go. Being as I am new to grilling/smoking etc (and loving it), I want another BBQ.
I am looking at the PBC, WSM and OKJ and even a UDS. I saw this and wondered, "maybe this is a good beginner drum smoker, get my feet wet?"
Being on sale, it has me interested.
other half of me is, should I just apply the $200 bucks to one of the above. Decisions! -
For me, 14" is fine. I've fit two pork butts or two chickens or a 14 lb. turkey in it. I didn't really have need for an 18" barrel. Otherwise, from a cooking perspective, a barrel is a barrel. From a clean-up and re-fueling perspective, being able to split the barrel in the middle is fantastic, and I can fine-tune the openings for the upper vents since there's no rebar there. $200 is a good price.
-
-
It's almost like they suddenly realized the WSM is a pretty damn good cooker, too.
Comment
-
Anyone have a BB? How far apart are those two grate positions? Could I put a Boston Butt on that lower grate with another butt on the top grate?
Also, can I even buy a second grill grate for this thing?Comment
-
RobertC That's good to know. I'm always skiddish of hanging butts or brisket. I need to just try it once, I guess. -
I emailed Badger Barrel sales with this question and received the following response:
"We do not have replacement parts or additional grates available but the difference between the two levels is approx.. 14”. You could do two if you could source an additional grate that size, but note that the one above the charcoal basket will be very hot and will not render the same."
That's good to know. I'm a little surprised that they don't offer to sell me an additional grate, though.
-
Just went on the Amazon site, and the Badger is a 4 out of 5 stars....Comment
-
I'm looking closely at it as well for a down-the-road purchase should my beloved PBC ever up and die. Pretty Baby, my PBC, is still going strong, though, heading in to 10 full years of frequent use. Not much rust anywhere--just cosmetically here and there on the outside. It's the original powdercoated model, so it's doing OK for that.
I do like the feature of removing the upper portion of the barrel to get to the fire basket. I so rarely have to add more fuel, though--I've only done it a handful of times, if that, in the nearly 10 years I've been smoking on it. The feature would be good for cleanup though--for getting in to remove the double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil that I always line the barrel bottom with before each cook to catch the ash and grease. I'm so short that when I bend into the PBC to get at that foil during cleanup, I sometimes nearly lose my balance. I'm guessing the one-and-a-half gainer that I would do into the barrel would not be graceful.
I remember looking at the Badger ads when they first came out and wondering where one could fit an ATC on it. None of the photos show what the lower vent looks like. I'm assuming it's the disc-over-a-hole design like the PBC.
Mostly, as I said, I enjoy reading the Badger Barrel ad hype, FAQs, etc. Noah must have turned some wacky marketing guy loose on the verbiage, and he must have had a great time writing it up. I'm guessing alcohol may have been partly involved as well. I hope so. It must have been great fun.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; November 9, 2023, 10:00 AM.Comment
-
I watched this video yesterday by Ballistic BBQ: https://youtu.be/TcfiKsqh07Y?si=tCav29yHTnM43ViE&t=227
It shows the charcoal basket has a tent in the middle and the bottom vent is under the basket with an adjustable slider to set based on altitude.
It looks like it'll be harder to get the basket in and out (no handle) but being able to shut the bottom vent and save the charcoal is a plus in my book. -
As I've mentioned, I have the old 14" BHC that PBC took over, and many of whose characteristics the BB has embraced. The BHC also had a split barrel for cleaning and hibachi mode, with grates you could position at the hibachi, middle, and top levels. I also hardly ever added fuel in mid-cook -- but cleaning out the ash is a breeze, and not needing to use the top vents as rod hangers means I don't have to plug them with alum foil. So thumbs up on the design improvements.
-
-
No replacement parts?
Comment
-
Chiming in (admittedly quite late to the conversation) as a Badger Barrel owner who was always interested in trying my hand at hanging a whole bird in a PBC or PBJ, but could never quite muster up enough WAF (Wifey Approval Factor) to make the purchase.
What ended up sealing the deal on the Badger Barrel was not only the price point (only $99 when I applied an existing $50 Amazon credit), but also the mobility/versatility factor. It’s under 40 pounds assembled, so it’s lighter than my Kamado Joe Jr that I take camping, but I can make it even lighter still, if I take the barrel out and travel with it in hibatchi configuration. So factoring in low price and mobility/versatility, I mustered up enough WAF to pull the trigger.
There’s also the fact that I have a Blaze Kamado as my primary for grilling and a LSG pellet smoker as my primary for low and slow, so I never expected the Badger Barrel to stand up to long term, heavy use as a primary cooker.
Is it constructed to the same quality/durability as a PBX/PBC/PBJ? Definitely not; if the price point alone wasn’t enough of an indicator for me, a quick once over of my friend’s PBC left no doubt. I would say if the usage plan was a stay at home barrel cooker that would stand up for a decade or more of moderate-heavy use, invest more $$ and purchase a PBX/PBC/PBJ (or a competing brand of similar quality). If, however, the usage plan is to employ a variety of outdoor cookers, to include occasionally hanging food in a barrel cooker, or you won’t always be cooking at your own home, then the Badger Barrel might have an edge due to low price, only occasional use, and ease of mobility.
Finally, full disclosure, these are my impressions after only cooking seven whole birds (1 turkey and 6 chickens), fuel has only been briquettes, and I’ve never employed any electronics beyond a MEATER+ wireless probe in the bird. I’ve attached pics from the turkey cook And a chicken cook.
Comment
-
Delicious on both counts! Of course, I swung and missed on the rub I used on the turkey. It had sugar in it, so the wings darkened a little too much for my thanksgiving guest who craves a good turkey wing. For the chicken, I did a Greek herb mixture, no sugars. Its wings didn’t darken as much as the turkey and were a big hit. Just shows I need more barrel practice using sugar-based rubs. -
Right down to the carcasses, which wifey used as bases for smoke-infused soups!
-
-
Great looking birds! I'm impressed.Comment
-
Wow, $179 at Amazon! a steal of a deal. My PBC is running strong, though. I may need to get one as a gift for someone!
Comment
-
I have no regrets so far, although a word of caution during assembly of the lid. My (young) assistant was a little too….energetic?…..when peeling off the covering on the silver “band” that becomes the lid’s sliding vent assembly. He somehow cut his finger just deep enough to need some direct pressure (and get me in trouble for saying it was totally safe for him to help me).
-
-
I get the love for the new thing, but my PBC does everything I ask of it...quite well. I'd probably go the other direction and grab a PBX...but the PBC still does everything I could possibly need from it...Comment
Comment