Hello from Missouri

[Texas Larry]

Howdy from south Texas! I’ll echo the advice here about not sweating the low temps. Find the setups that cook the food to your liking. Relax and enjoy the process.

[Potkettleblack]

Welcome from the western burbs of Chicago.

Don't have a Hunny, but do have a Okie Joe Bronco (OJB), which I like to run at 250-275.

While a lot of recipes on the free side focus on 225, I find it works fine in my barrel like smoker, and the convection speeds the plow more than just the temp change would explain. The Hunny has what I think is actually superior convection due to its heat diffuser. I think convection makes better bark (that's my story and I'm sticking to it), so any deficiency in bark formation from the higher temp/faster cook is offset by the moving air over the surface.

The folks who own the Pit Barrel (PBC) let their cooker run at the temp it runs, use the same recipes, and remember, we're cooking to internal temp, not time.

I'd note that Aaron Franklin at Franklin BBQ runs his smokers at 275. Matt of Meat Church, same thing. I think a lot of competition cooks and commercial cooks run at 275, to speed the plow, make turn in time, or to hit that quality/cost curve in sales on their smokers.

That's all a long way of saying, don't sweat it. If the Hunny runs at 275, let it do 275, and enjoy the results. The recipes work the same, just faster.

[rlozinak]

Hello from buffalo ny

[DavidNorcross]

Welcome from Virginia!

[Oakgrovebacon]

Welcome to the pit from Southern Illinois!

[Santamarina]

Welcome from California! 275°F is my go-to temp for smoking. This goes for everything from brisket to pork shoulder to ribs, and everything in between!

Barbecue at this temp produces food just as tender, juicy, and flavorful as lower temps, but saves hours of cook time!

[Panhead John]

+1

[WI Bubba]

Welcome from Wisconsin. Glad you could join us!
Every smoker has temps that it like to run at. Don't bother fighting with it. It's just BBQ.

[Elton's BBQ]

Welcome to the Pit!
Cheers from Norway

[swartzster]

Welcome from the Pacific Northwest

[Draznnl]

Welcome to the Pit from southwest Florida.

275-300 is still low and slow. It's just not as low and slow as 225. Relax, have fun, and enjoy some good eating.

[Skip]

Welcome to The Pit from Minnesota.

[fzxdoc]

Hi, nfrogge, welcome to the Pit. As many have said, there is no need to smoke anything as low as 225° unless it's what you're used to and you enjoy overnight cooks. Meathead puts 225° in all of his smoker recipes, he says, for consistency's sake, not necessarily because it's the only temp at which to smoke food.

When I first got my Pit Barrel Cooker several years ago, I was distressed at the inability to predict when the food would be ready. So I started a topic over in the Pit Barrel Cooker section that lists dozens of meats and their cook times based on weight, whether or not they were wrapped, the temp of the smoker, etc. I actually use that list for meats that I smoke on my kettles and kamado too because it translates pretty well to other smokers. You can find that topic by clicking here:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/charcoal-drums-barrels-and-bullet-smokers/pit-barrel-cooker/12774-pbc-cook-times-including-pbc-temps-and-meat-veggie-weights-if-possible#post12774

If you have any questions about barrel cooking, just ask away. There are many of us here who enjoy cooking in barrels as well as other types of smokers.

It's nice to have you here.

Kathryn

[mcook2201]

Greetings and welcome from North Carolina.

[MBMorgan]

Welcome from Colorado … where 275F is the new 225.

[Potkettleblack]

275 was also the old 225. Everything old is new again.

[Soonerpop]

Welcome from north Texas. I agree with all the folks who said "let "er Buck!” Have fun on the Pit.