PBC vs BPS Engineered Drum Kit

[Drbearsec]

Anyone compare the Big Poppa Smokers Engineered Drum Kit (used to build your own 55 gallon cooker) with the PBC? Curious to hear results... been going back and forth between either building a 55 myself or buying the smaller PBC. Anyone have any experience with either the BPS kit OR just building their own drum smoker?

https://www.bigpoppasmokers.com/big-poppa-s-engineered-drum-smoker-kit

[Huskee]

Meathead rates the BPS kit as Gold, and the PBC is obviously Gold too. Assuming you can get a proper quality drum for a good price, and don't mind doing the elbow grease yourself you can save over the PBC and have a bigger cooker. I am not sure if Max has tested out a BPS kit, but I'm anxious to read what others think. I do know that Noah and his team at PBC had tested numerous barrels and settled on the 30-gal instead of the 55 for temp control and ease of use despite the slightly smaller size, so there's that to consider.

Meathead's favorable review of the BPS is here

For a really cool looking, but FAR more expensive version of the BPS, check this out!

[Drbearsec]

Thanks! Yeah I saw the PBC review but not the BPS one. I was curious just how the size difference actually ended up mattering in the long run. I think I'm leaning PBC for a few reasons, but figured I'd do some due diligence.

[Spinaker]

Max says in his review of the Pit Barrel Cooker,

"Pit Barrel President, Noah Glanville explains: "We found that a 30 gallon drum provides a cooking environment that produces the better product every time. I can't explain the scientific reason for this. I can tell you we have gone through 29 different prototypes with different size drums and vent adjustments every way you can imagine."

Once again we ran this by Dr. Blonder, asking if there is any reason the smaller drum would be superior. "Absolutely makes sense." he replied, "The reason the Pit Barrel works is simple, heat rises. So you have a hot fire at the bottom, and hot air that rises to the top; which basically evens out the temperature profile to more or less constant top to bottom. Hang the meat vertically so the hot air is not blocked, and it's the perfect oven - unless there are convection cells that mess up this even profile. Imagine a really wide cooker. Hot air would rise, bump into the cooler lid, cool off and sink, forming a rotating convection cell that lowers air temp at the lid and creates unpredictable turbulence. But as you narrow the diameter of the cooker, it becomes harder and harder for air to make the turn and descend. Sounds like 30 gallons is the dividing line between stable and unstable flow.

[Dr ROK]

Glad you asked this question. I am interested in the extra room in the BPS to be able to handle larger loads, but the reliability/consistency that PBC users have discussed on this forum make me lean toward the PBC.