PBC and or slow n sear

[windquest2]

Hello all.
I have a slow n sear and I love it. Takes the 2 zone cooking method to a new level...The ribs I did last weekend were superb BUT I can only do one rack on the Weber. Now that's plenty for 2 or maybe 4, but I can't get a second rack on. Chicken I can put on the spit but my question is having a PCB worth it? Remember I cook for 2 or 4 most of the time.....but am I missing out on something? I know some difference is technique and some is smoke and heat flow. I would like real evaluations, not just the ads.
Sincerely
Henry

[AZRedneck]

I want to see the responses to this. I am very close to asking Santa for a PBC.

[Jared Bollman]

love my PBC theres room in the sleigh for sure

[DWCowles]

Welcome windquest2 you can do more than one rib with a rib rack probably up to 4. As for the PBC I will be trying it out for the first time this Friday.

[Northside Brian]

How long have you had that PBC and still havent fired that thing up yet? It took me less than 24 hours to do my first cook on mine. (chickens since they cook quickly)

[DWCowles]

I just got it last Friday Northside Brian but it's hard to fire it up when it's at home and the wife and I are running from coast to coast in a big truck.

[Gator Lau]

I have done between 250 and 275 cooks on my PBCs. I have never had a bad experience, sometimes cooking up to 8 racks of ribs, 5 split chickens, 2 large pork butts, or singly several turkeys and many other misc meats.
I've never cooked on a Slow n Sear, but have never felt the need to get one. I am totally happy with my PBCs alone. The only other unit I use is an old Weber gasser that I crank up for fast burgers & veggies etc.

[Huskee]

If you ever have one or two pork butts or only a rack of ribs to cook, you would be amazed at the charcoal savings the SnS gets you over the PBC. PBC is a charcoal HOG.

[Gator Lau]

Huskee, you can say that again. I used to think that Noah at PBC had stock in Kingsford the way he promotes it. Now, I think I should own stock in Kingsford due to how much I use with my PBCs.

[Northside Brian]

I dont know anyone who has a PBC and doesnt love it. I love mine. The chicken is out of this world delicious. I usually am cooking at leas 2 chickens at a time, or 2-3 racks of ribs. Even managed to squeeze in 3 small packers at once. Like Gator Lau said, I dont think it is possible to have a bad cook on a PBC. You cant beat it for amount of food you can cook at one time unless you have a large stick burner pit.

[Nate]

1st off Welcome to the pit from Indiana.

2nd, just to clarify it is PBC for Pit Barrel Cooker.... no worries though... we have A LOT of acronyms around here and I'm not sure it is possible to remember them all.

3rd, I have both a PBC and a kettle with SnS and I love both. I use them both to do different things for different reasons. The PBC turns out some great food in shorter times. The PBC also has a different taste profile as it is created more so by the fat and juices dripping on the coals below and then sizzling back up.
The SnS as you mentioned is great for reverse sear! I also love being able to catch the drippings underneath for gravy, beans, etc... I also like using it when time and quantity are not as much of an issue.

4th, I highly recommend that you NOT look at them as competing against each other but instead as complimenting each other. A lot of folks have both and would probably tell you that the combination gives you one heck of a good backyard cooking setup. You will find your own preferences for using one over the other for certain cooks or reasons (i.e. You like chicken better on PBC but pork butt better on SnS). It is quite possible that you may have both fired up at one time.

enjoy and welcome

[fuzzydaddy]

Welcome windquest2! I've edited the title to change to PBC. We'd love to get an intro from you over in the Introduce Yourself channel when you get a minute.

[Gator Lau]

Well spoken post, Nate. But now I might HAVE to get a kettle and an S n S😬.

[fzxdoc]

What Nate said. The PBC doesn't compete with the Kettle+SNS, it complements it. To me it is the perfect combo of smokers because they both come with great reputations and with the two of them, you can cook for large and small groups as needed.

If I were in your shoes, the PBC would be my next purchase. But then I'm smitten by the PBC having done so many cooks on it and not one of them coming out bad.

Kathryn

[Jared Bollman]

well said

[windquest2]

First, thank you for the quick replies and sorry about Pcb vs Pbc...dyslectic ? Thank you Nate, you really answered the behind the scenes question that I was struggling with and that was do I really need a PBC if I already have a SNS. Kathryn read my mind, the PBC will be my next purchase. Sending my letter to Santa today....any advice on the best way to use it?
Thanks again
Henry

[HawkerXP]

Use it daily.

[Spinaker]

I have a KBQ, PBC, Weber with SNS, Broil King Keg, Weber Gasser, a Cast Iron Hibachi and probably a few others that I am forgetting.

Never once have I felt regret for buying the PBC. Its just a great cooker. You can cook almost anything in it. There is pretty much nothing that can break. Its pretty much set and forget and the capacity is awesome. I love mine and continue to use it. You cant go wrong with getting one.

I would agree with fzxdoc its more of a compliment to the SNS than a head to head deal. They are different cookers. I personally like the food out of the PBC better, especially given the capacity you can get out of the PBC. The SNS is still a great add on but the PBC is a complete system.

I would say dollar for dollar, its the best cooker on the market. $300.00 DLVD to your door ready to rip? Let's Go.

[Nate]

....any advice on the best way to use it?
Thanks again
Henry

There is an entire sub forum on here about PBCs and there are some great tips for using them and discussion from folks on techniques and things like that....

The Light my PBC Fire is a great thread to start with on how to get it up and going... Also the PBC website has some great videos as well.

Hopefully Santa brings you what you asked for because I am sure you will love it. Once you get up and going definitely post some specific questions and folks can handle them more specifically as needed.

[lschweig]

After getting my PBC last April my BBQ has amped upwards exponentially and find myself cooking at least once a week and lots of weeks even more.
We are only a two member household and sometimes the freezer comes into play.
You definitely will NOT regret getting a PBC.

[Wolverine4400]

I, as well, am about to purchase me a PBC. Can't wait!!

[MSU Spartans]

What is the smoke profile between these 2 systems? Just want to know what the real difference in a blind taste would be everything being equal

[FireMan]

One is really good & the other is really good. It's all in how you read it!