Here are the PBC Cook Times, with Charcoal Amounts that fzxdoc compiled for us:
More than 6 hours: 120 in basket, 40 in chimney. (I usually get close to 8 hours).
Between 4 & 6 hours: 80 in basket, 40 in chimney. (I usually get close to 6 hours).
Between 1 & 4 hours: 40 in basket, 40 in chimney.
Less than 1 hour: 10 in basket, 40 in chimney.
For chicken and turkey I usually use 32 in basket, 32 in chimney. I have a Weber half chimney that holds 32 briquettes.
I bought a PBC pre-pandemic. When the lockdowns hit I ran my Barrel a lot, making sure to provide all my friends and family with high quality BBQ so they would not starve to death. Based on everyone's BMI, I was successful.
I bought the PBC because I wanted to use charcoal, and I wanted more capacity than kettles provide. And I wanted simple, minimalist, basic, etc. Perfect.
After a couple years my doodad dependency kicked in. I now have a hinged lid, FireBoard controller, Pit Viper Fan, additional bolts installed so I can use two grates, LavaLock high temp gasket to eliminate all smoke escaping from the lid, a ULine utility cart that I cut a hole in the top shelf and dropped the Barrel in, hooks along the front and side of the cart to hang tools and extra grates, and a 6' patio umbrella installed through the top shelf (not shown).
Yes, the additions cost more than the Barrel. But boy, I sure look like a successful third world street food cart!
Wow. That is really cool. I would love to know more about the cart setup you did. I have thought about getting a 'wheel grate' thing a ma jig, to move the PBC around easier. That looks great. How do you like the fireboard + pitviper fan? Very interdasting!
Well, today is the day. PBC should be here this afternoon!! Excited.
I started to make a list of questions and ideas I had for my upcoming cooks on the PBC. Ribs, chicken are on deck (different cooks).
I spent a good amount of time reading and absorbing content on our site. There is a ton of great information from folks in this community that I have taken notes on.
Lighting the PBC and management charcoal will be a little different, but that is ok.
there were a couple of great suggestions to use some foil maybe for the rebar holes, or even some magnets (with rebar pulled). Maybe I could "plug" the bottom vent?" I could also pull the basket out and put it in my kettle, and close all vents. That could be easy.
Back to lighting, I found this video on youtube and thought it was interesting.
I was also thinking of getting some wheels or a cart of some sort to make it easy to move around. Long term, I might look into doing what DumpsterFireBBQ did for his PBC. Looks awesome.
That is it for now!
Will be back with pics and notes after my first cook!
jasonwilliams14 Mine landed today and I can tell you that everything was exactly as advertised. In fact, it's ALMOST too pretty to put dirty ol' charcoal in it. :-)
You're gonna love it.
Looks like chicken this weekend. Yum...
Retired, living in Western Mass. Enjoy music, cooking and my family.
Current cookers Weber Spirit 3 burner with a full insert griddle added. A 22" Kettle with vortex, SnS and a Smokey Joe. The most recent addition is a Pit Barrel Jr with bird hanger, 4 hooks and cover. ThermoWorks Smoke 2 probe, DOT, 2 ThermoPops and a Thermapen MK4. A Thermoworks RFX Gateway 2 probe meat thermometer.
Great an exciting day for you.
On lighting, I use the method in Ry's video for setting up the basket. I don't use the can. I have the Pit Barrel chimney. I'm pretty accurate with getting the coals in the center Temperature management is better using this rather than just dumping coals in. I do have a cart similar to his, only plastic. It was for a large planter. I use to get it out and back in the garage from the driveway. I place on the stand to cook.
I subscribe to Ry's channel. He does some good stuff.
Good luck and we're looking forward to pictures.
I cooked on a PBC for years. Just let it run. I never got into trying to limit airflow by blocking or foiling or covering. It will produce amazing food just as it is.
You have to cook frozen ribs on your PBC. Sounds weird, but it works. Take the ribs out of the freezer, drill a hole between ribs to put the hanger through. Season them and hang in the PBC. My wife said they were the best I'd made on the PBC.
I don't have a PBC but have used the Fireboard and Pit Bull fan with an adapter on a Kettle, the WSM 18, and a Backwoods Chubby G2. Worked great on all. The Kettle and WSM used the same adapter. The Backwoods had one designed for it. Bought them from BBQ Guru. Very easy to install.
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