So I'm new to the Pit Barrel Cooker. Done 3 chicken cooks, 1 rib cook, and 2 pork butts. The advice I've read here on properly starting the fire and how to easily maintain temp has been immensely helpful. I only use Kingsford competition briquettes and only throw a few hickory chunks on the coals in the beginning. Overall, I have loved the results but I have always smelled a slight "off" odor from the finished product and tasted just a slight pungent undertone. A bit different than the taste I have experienced from smokehouses. Thought it was just me until I started reading Meathead and read his tips on the quest for blue smoke. He states that meat drippings landing on the fire can create a greasy, pungent smoke. The thought that meat drippings could have an adverse affect was a new concept. Noah on PBC promotes the positive result of letting the meat drippings hit the coals in the PBC. I looked through all the posts in this PBC forum and can't find another post about this topic. I know the PBC is Meathead recommended and y'all love it on this forum. So, I am perplexed. Am I missing something or is the PBC taste and smell what most folks are looking for and I am the odd one?
-
-
The PBC produces a slightly unique flavor profile with it's predominant "grill smoke" flavor.
The biggest thing to keep in mind with the PBC is that it's a "cooker".
It's not a Pit Barrel Smoker, it's a Pit Barrel Cooker.
The desirability of smoke-flavor or grilled-flavor is very subjective.
At the end of the day, if the PBC is properly lit it won't produce bad smoke.
What Noah is promoting is what has made Weber gas grills so popular - "grill smoke."
Weber accomplishes this with its patented "flavor-bars" which catch drippings and create 'grill smoke' from said drippings.
The PBC does the same thing, albeit from a different method.
Again, flavor-preference is subjective but one descriptor I can say that has never applied to any of my PBC cooks is "acrid." -
I had a similar issue and it affected chicken and turkey more than beef brisket or pork butt. It was caused from the grease that fell past the coal basket and ash catcher. It built up in the seam at the bottom. fzxdoc was the one who pointed out that I needed to clean all of that grease out by scraping or maybe even hot water. Then she suggested that I put foil under the basket and ash catcher to capture that grease. that way I could change it out every so many cooks to keep that smell down. For me, I was looking at getting rid of the PBC because of that funky smell on my chicken, which we eat much more of than brisket or pork butt. Cleaning and the foil changed everything.Comment
-
I'm wondering about the wood as well. 3 chunks of hickory for a relatively short chicken cook sounds like a bit much for the PBC. Usually 1 or possibly 2 chunks (4 to 6 oz each) is more than adequate. I add 1 chunk for short cooks and 2 or 3 for longer cooks.
Are you putting the wood on during the lighting procedure or just before you add the meat. Dr. Blonder and Meathead point out that wood can add an acrid off taste until it gets to burning pretty good.
But if the taste is funky and there is grease in the barrel, that might be your culprit.
A gunky sort of grease mixture can also accumulate across the underside of the lid. It can form small stalactites onto which the moisture can condense and drip back on to the food. Usually I see the grease buildup there after about 10 long cooks or more. To get rid of it, I wait until the end of the cook and, once the food is removed, place the lid to allow a 2 inch crack so the fire gets super hot. That softens the gunk on the underside of the lid in about 10 minutes or so. Then I take a putty knife and scrape it off.
PBC says you don't have to clean the barrel insides, but I do like to let it have a good hot burn every now and then after a cook is finished.
Kathryn
Edited to add: A little white billowing smoke in the beginning is normal, but I usually don't add meat until it has mostly gone, which is the purpose of the last 10 minutes of the 3 part lighting procedure 15*-10-10 which I always use.
Meathead says a little white billowing smoke is OK but if it persists throughout much of your cook it's not good. Plus in the PBC, when it goes away you know your fire is hot enough and you won't get that charcoal taste (sort of petroleum-like) from poorly lit charcoal.
***********
*or however long it takes for the topmost coals in the chimney to get a bit of ash on them. Depends on the charcoal used, their humidity, etc.Last edited by fzxdoc; May 31, 2019, 04:44 AM.Comment
-
I posted this question because I expected great feedback and advice and I am not disappointed. Thank you!
JeffJ - your comment that its a cooker and not a smoker helps me alot. I think I was in the mindset for smoker-esque results and shouldn't have been. Good to know that there is a difference due to the design. I do have a clean, fairly smokeless fire going when I put the food on.
JimLinebarger - I also noticed it more with my chicken cooks. My barrel is fairly new and I don't think I have much of a grease buildup yet but I will check and possibly try using foil.
fzxdoc - I do use your 10-10-10 method except I am closer to 10-5-7 as I found my elevation and breezy back porch made 10-10-10 produce a 430F fire for me. I think you may have hit on my main problem. I put the hickory chunks on shortly before the food so they are not definitely not going well yet. I will eliminate the hickory altogether on the next cook and evaluate.Comment
-
Clean the top of the list thouroghly. Wire and a power drill works well. Then leave the wood out just charcoal. Try a cook and see how you like it.Last edited by tenphases; May 31, 2019, 05:19 PM.Comment
-
I keep the wood to a minimum in the PBC, especially when I'm cooking any kind of fatty meat in quantity. That thing produces so much "grill smoke" aka "PBC fog" that wood really isn't even necessary. The PBC creates more of a 'grilled' flavor profile than a 'smoked' flavor profile. I love cooking on it, but didn't use it tonight...see SUWYC for an explanation...Comment
-
Glad it’s not just me. Thought it was from using briquettes with the pbc instructions about lighting en with their little chimney starter til asked over… you’re thinking supposed to dump it over the rest of the unlit coals.YUCK! Bad advice. Been using a good quality lump charcoal from Brazil. EXPENSIVE. Better but I still note that pbc flavor that I don’t get with any oF my other 12+ cookers. The PBC IS VERY CONVENIENT but the taste is "INDUSTRIAL" for wont of a better termComment
Comment