First Cook with the Pit...Charcoal went out

[jecucolo]

Buy an extra 18lb bag of charcoal next time and place it on the lid. This is a easy way to see if you can tighten down the lid without a lot of fuss.

[jecucolo]

Funny, my first cook I didn't have but a cheap probe thermometer. I cooked an 18 lb brisket, 4 racks of ribs and 2 chickens. I fed 35 people and everyone was blown away. It was pre-AR and I just followed Noah's instructions and used his seasoning. Crazy but it sure made me a PBC believer.
i got the barrel on Wednesday and cooked it up on Saturday!!

[JeffJ]

Wow. That is a BOLD first cook.

[hogdog6]

That was an ambitious 1st cook. Congrats!

[fzxdoc]

Now THAT's a real PBC success story if I ever heard one, jecucolo . What a first cook that must have been.

Kathryn

[fzxdoc]

Thank you all so much for the replies. Even though the lid was secure there was smoke leaking out so I will try the sealing tecniques suggested. My assumption is this was the root of the high temperatures as well as the charcoal burning through too quickly.

Once you get that lid sealed so no smoke comes out of it, you'll be surprised at how stable your cooks will become, ztm200 . My PBC, with the basket filled "overfull" gives me 9 to 11 hours of cook time, usually more than enough for a brisket done at PBC's sweet spot. A couple of times the fire died at the 9 hour mark when the brisket was not done, but by then it was wrapped anyway (I usually wrap at 170-180°F after a good bark has formed), so I just finished it off in the oven.

Spinaker 's method of stacking the coals in a really pretty pattern will give you nice long stable cook times too, say he and others who have used his method. I have yet to try it (I keep forgetting!), but his results are the proof in the pudding.

Kathryn

[Spinaker]

I don't think you need the advantage.

[rototiller78]

Yes, Spinaker 's OCD method works really well w/ the coals lasting longer.

[Spinaker]

You see, there is a reason for OCD. hehehehe

[hogdog6]

I think there is medication for that. Haha

[sos2979]

It's extremely contagious so watch out.