Two Basic PBC Questions

[Mocephus]

I'm an offset convert considering the PBC but I'm unsure about a couple of things...

1) Is there no real way to influence the temperature during the cook? I've read about stuffing foil in the rebar holes and that's about it. Do you just have to let it ride and you get what you get? Seems strange. Also, I'm used to shooting for 225 - 250 but it sounds like the average temp is between 260 - 300.

2) No one has mentioned wood chip/smoke application details - watching the videos make it seem like the PBC relies on smoke purely from drippings off the meats... I know it's magic but surely not. Would you just apply smoke similar to other cookers?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Mo

[Koy Schoppe]

Question 1: You got it, you can stuff foil to bring temp down, or crack the lid to crank it up, but mostly you don't need to do any of that. You will not be disapointed at 250/260 temp range.

Question 2: I always add wood chunks to the coal basket.

[JPP]

Ditto!

[Jerod Broussard]

I never add wood.

Cook from 225 to 380 on it. All good.

[JohnF]

I don't use wood or foil, I follow the recommended procedures and recipes on the PBC sit and the results are fine for me and whoever. I use my Weber with the SNS if I want to be creative. I would recommend you to follow Kathryn starting advice, It works well. Here is the link:https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...g-temperatures

[Mocephus]

Wow... thanks to all for contributing to such a treasure trove of information. I will add info from my results/methods as well.

Well, consider my mind blown that many folks don't use any wood to smoke meats in the PBC. I am a relatively newbie, but wouldn't this have to create a pretty different result? Do you still get a smoke ring and smoke flavor with no wood? How? Also, has anyone compared woodless cooks to wooded cooks? I'd love to know. As Meathead says (praise be to Meathead) you don't need to lay on a ton of woodsmoke, but I still have to think it makes a difference.

[fzxdoc]

Mo, Mocephus , you'll be amazed at the pretty smoke ring when you do a charcoal-only cook on the PBC. That meat dripping on the charcoal and kicking up tasty smokey goodness is something that you'll just have to experience to believe.

That said, I use wood chunks with almost all of my cooks. You don't need much-- 4 to 6 ounces or a little more will do the trick.

I can taste a difference with a bit of wood added, but not all that much. I guess I just love the smell and the added bit of flavor when there's wood on top of those coals. Sometimes I forget to add the wood to a short cook like a chicken, and that chicken still turns out to be the best tasting bird on the planet, according to my family. That's the wonderful thing about the PBC, it's very forgiving--you can turn out some great-tasting food even if you screw something up. Ask me how I know.

I dislike wood chips. They kick up too much white smoke and burn out too fast, at least on the couple of occasions I tried to use them in the PBC.

Oh, and the wood does not need to be soaked. Meathead says it and I believe it.

Kathryn

[Jerod Broussard]

Mocephus Pictures below is with no wood. Some prefer it. For me it is one less thing to forget. hehehe

Click here for smoke ring information

[BigBear]

Follow Kathryn's advice for the PBC Mocephus and you can't go wrong. That's how I quickly got over the learning curve. Many thanks to her and the numerous other PBC contributors on this site. I also use wood chunks for my cooks. I did install a temperature control system to mine for the convenience of dialing in temps but, as others have mentioned, it really isn't necessary. It turns out great food either way!

[MBMorgan]

I have been known to make a small foil smoke pouch for chips (mainly because I have so many that I bought for use on my gasser). I just lay it on the coals in a place not directly under whatever I'm cooking. Don't want to interfere with juices dripping onto the coals.