Capacity of PBC

[Craigen Perrie]

Hey guys,

Only just discovered the PBC. It looks amazing! They ship to NZ too which is cool, obviously a bit more expensive than for all you.

I like that it almost seems like a light and forget type of setup and cooks faster than a kettle. I am interested in seeing how it could be used in the little business venture I am planning.

What I am struggling to find any information about is how much capacity it has. How much pork shoulder would I be able to cook at once and how much more time would you allow if you are filling it to capacity (obviously this will vary depending on weight of the chunks of meat, just a rough estimate would be great)

Thanks,

CP.

[Jerod Broussard]

You could hang 3 pork butts with an extra piece of rebar. I have hung 5 briskets, pretty sure I could get 6, I just need to configure 3 pieces of rebar that will be welded together. When you stack 2 high on top of the existing rebar, it interferes with the lid.

I've done 1 brisket 3 butts, 1 turkey 1 brisket 1 chuck roast, etc....

[Craigen Perrie]

I assume you mean full sized butts?

[Jerod Broussard]

Should be able to do 8-10 pounds. I mostly cook 6 pounders now.

[_John_]

A lot depends on how you cook, the limiting factor for me is typically the grate. I could hang 4 8 pound butts without an issue, but once you get to a certain temp you need to unhang the meat and finish on the grate. Most if not all of the goodness is done by then, so if I were going to try to max it out I would finish in the oven or elsewhere.

I have done

• 5x6# chubs of bologna at once
• 4x8# butts
• 8 racks of ribs
• 2x15# turkeys, could probably do 2 20 pounders
• 4 split chickens, not sure of the weight.

[Spinaker]

I have done two #8 butts at the same time with plenty of room to spare. With more rebar I could have done twice that.

[mtford72]

4 approx 10lb (trimmed) briskets simultaneously.

[Craigen Perrie]

Wow thanks for all the info guys.

How long did the 2 8 pounders take to cook?

[Spinaker]

After looking at my log, I would say they have averaged about nine to eleven hours. Like Jerod said, It depends on the animal. Now I just plan on them taking 11 hours. The PBC kills it in the Pork Butt category. And its easy to do, and do it time and time again. Good Luck Brother!! #getadamnPBCalready

[Jerod Broussard]

I've gotten them done in 8-10 hours. Just depends on the meat and what not. These two went the whole way unwrapped. They totaled 20-21 pounds. After so long I laid them on the rack.

[Craigen Perrie]

What was the reasoning for laying them on the rack after a length of time? Heat loss at the higher level?

[Jerod Broussard]

No, they are actually hanging a little below the grate when on the hooks. At that size I didn't want them coming off the hooks when they got to 200+ internal. I've kept smaller ones on the hooks til 203.

FYI- being only 30 gallons, this thing keeps a very even heat profile from top to bottom, granted the briquettes may be a "little" hotter on their surface.

[HC in SC]

The most I have done is 2 - appx 8 lb pork butts on the grate. I am too chicken to hang butts, but as you can see Jerod can stuff his jam-packed!!

I have also done 4 huge slabs of St. Louis ribs with no problem; Noah video shows him doing 8 (4 St. Louis + 4 Baby Backs) - this would be pushing it IMHO, but I am positive it could be done.

I really only use my PBC for long cooks or gigantic pieces of meat - it isn't as "set and forget" as it lets on, but by no means is it "high maintenance".

Great cooker for the novice, expert and professional - just check out any of Jerod's or Ernest's posts - those guys are the masters of the PBC!!

[JPP]

I like doing six SLC ribs... Takes the PBC 3.5-4 hours, depending on thickness... It seems like (totally subjective, of course) that this volume of meat slows the cooking process somewhat and gives me a better result. Once I also hung a three pound chicken with six racks... Better than. Using a water pan if you ask me😉