Stickburner upgrades vs PitBarrel Cooker?

[Meatyorology]

As I have had more time to read through these forums it has got me thinking about future upgrades for my next smoker. I have had my PBC for a few years now and have a fairly good comfort level with cooking a variety of different foods on the thing. I know it is difficult to quantify the difference, but can someone who has cooked with both a PBC and say, a KBQ or other stickburner give me an idea of how big a difference there really is in food taste? Even if there is a difference, can the price differential be justified?

For example, on a recent pork shoulder I cooked on the PBC the other day, I had everything more or less ready to light the night before (maybe 5-10 mins prep time). At 7:00 am the next day, I lit my Weber chimney and in the 12-14 mins that I waited for the coals to heat I trimmed, prepped and seasoned the pork shoulder, dropped it on the grill grate and walked away from the thing. I went for a 10 mile run, ran to the store for some coleslaw supplies, took a nap , all with the confidence in knowing the PBC would maintain a fairly constant temperature with no flare ups, my only worry was potentially running out of fuel in which case I would just wrap the meat and finish it in the oven if necessary. The meat hit 203 by about 4:30 pm and I just wrapped it in foil until pulling it right before dinner, it came out amazing.

In terms of bang for my buck am I going to be disappointed spending 1600 bucks on a KBQ and then having to be a slave to feeding the fire box for the length of a cook? Yes I know that sitting around the firebox feeding wood can be part of the appeal and would be fun a lot of the time, but I can also see myself getting annoyed with HAVING to do it. My PBC has no moving parts, and other than a piece of foil on the bottom to catch the ash there is no required cleaning or maintenance. It is hard for me to imagine ANY device being more simple to operate while being essentially maintenance free and still cranking out pretty good Q.

I guess my simplified question is, what am I missing by cooking only on my PBC and Weber gas grill? Is it mostly the experience, ease, taste, pride, or something else entirely that I would be missing out on by not buying another unit? For what it is worth I know I probably sound like I am trying to talk myself out of a purchase but the reality is just the opposite. Thanks in advance for your time and input.

Meatyorology

[Breadhead]

Great question...👏👏👏

Personally I check up on Ernest 's thread on the KBQ daily. I think they are extraordinary smokers and as they all say that cooker produces great tasting Que.👍

Personally I occasionally get the urge to get me a stickburner... but then I think about having to be there to tend it and feed it every 20 minutes.😡😡😡

So... here I am at 65 years old having never pulled the trigger on a stickburner.🙈

[Breadhead]

So it's a daytime smoker then? My daytime smoker is my 26" Weber kettle & SnS. I only use that for shorter smoke projects like ribs. If it's going to be a long low and slow smoke project like Briskets and Pork Butts... the BGE and DigiQ Dx2 get ALL of that work.

[DWCowles]

There's really no need to do all nighters unless you're having BBQ for breakfast.

[Breadhead]

Not everyone likes fast and furious smoking, wrapping to speed through the stall or turning the heat up to break the stall. I smoke almost everything at 225°. I never wrap my meat during the cook. I never turn the heat Up to break the stall. Could I? Yes! Will I? Nope...🤗 I'm a low and slow guy.

[Butchman]

There is no better chicken/rib/shoulder/brisket cooker for the price (299) than the PBC. Criteria being price, flavor, and ease of use.
That being said I would not want it to be my only cooker because I like to grill steaks, salmon, and other things that I think other cookers fare better at.
Just my opinion though. If I could only own one cooker I'd probably buy something else though like a large weber kettle or a kamado like the big steel keg. Most folks round here like to cook on multiple cookers.

[Spinaker]

I've got all three! LOL (KBQ, BKK, PBC)

[EdF]

Spinaker, I think Meatyorology is waiting for you exegesis on the question!

[Ernest]

Running a stickburner requires effort. There's no way around it.
The advantage of a KBQ over a regular stickburner is that you set the temp and just feed it fuel. There's no fire management stress.
Taste wise, I'll bet my house that the KBQ will destroy any stickburner, even if Johnny Trigg himself was running it.
And a KBQ is probably cheaper than most top notch stickburners, if you factor in shipping.

KBQ is the king of BBQ

[Breadhead]

"KBQ is the king of BBQ"... directly from the King of the KBQ.😆👍

[Spinaker]

I own both rigs. They are different.

The PBC is great because you can pretty much set it and forget it. The fuel is readily available, and it is easy to use. I love using my PBC. The flavor is awesome, But the flavor from the KBQ is better. (IMHO) However, that comes at a cost. You do have to feed the fire every 20-40 mins or so. You also have to source the wood, so if you don't cut and chop your own, It can be expensive. For me, sourcing and harvesting the wood is part of the fun. To me, it is satisfying to fell, cut and chop my own smoking woods. (But I am also a little crazy sometimes, I will be the first to admit it.)

The KBQ is pretty easy to clean, especially if you use a foil pan to catch drippings. The control box is built like a tank and is pretty easy to clean as well. I keep it inside when I am not using it. The cookbook is 304 stainless and is easy to clean with some oven cleaner and a hose. It cleans up like new, almost every time.

With the KBQ you will be amazed at the food that comes out of the cook box. But as I said before, it comes at a cost. So you need to ask yourself, how involved do you want to be? There are times where the KBQ is wanted but it is just not an option because of time constraints or depending on how involved I want to be in the cooking process. If I want to head up to the cabin, I take the PBC, because I wanna be on the lake, not standing in the fire. If I am at home all day Saturday the KBQ gets the nod, almost every time. I don't consider feeding the fire as "slaving away" its FUN!! But you do HAVE to do it. Running the KBQ is a joy and the aroma is unbelievable. It is a very unique BBQ experience. I understand that many don't like having to feed the fire. And that is okay. There is nothing wrong with cooking BBQ unattended.(I also do overnight cooks on my Kamados.) It is a great way to cook. But if you want a full on BBQ experience, including killer grub, smoke and aroma the KBQ is the ticket. I also like to cook things right over the live fire. I throw a cast iron grate over the box and let it rip. I also throw skillets up there as well to cook sides, crisp bacon or caramelize foods.

Bill Karu is also a great guy to work with. He is responsive and always willing to help. I have not had any issues with my unit, but I have consulted Bill on a few things like cook temps, thermometer placement etc.. He always been right back to me with answers and advice.

I find that foods are easier to handle on the KBQ. When I need to sauce, I just open the door, slide out the rack and sauce. With the PBC this is a bit more difficult.

These are both great smokers, but one is set and forget, one is not. One makes better food (IMHO) but it is also 4 times the price.

[EdF]

My experience is pretty close to @Spinaker's, but substitute the BGE and a small infrared gasser for the PBC.

[Meatyorology]

Thank you Spinaker et al for the thoughtfull and detailed reply. Makes perfect sense.

[rat88]

you cant earn your "pitmaster" badge until you master a stick burner

[rat88]

It is more of a challenge and a bigger sense of accomplishment when you can keep it going for 16 hours without getting it too hot, too cool and not screw up what you are trying to cook... and a damn good excuse to drink adult beverages

[Breadhead]

You've got that right EdF ...👍

[PJBowmaster]

I disagree! You can listen to my reasoning on the Pitcast on Thursday....

[Spinaker]

Glad I could help. Sometimes I ramble on about he KBQ, so forgive me for that. I hope you are still considering the KBQ, it is a great smoker and will make for some unforgettable BBQ. I think you will be satisfied if you decide to join us. Meatyorology If you get your KBQ, the 10-mile run, stop at the store and the nap will have to be done by someone else! It will be more like 12" curls of your favorite barley-pop while feeding the fire and bathing yourself in smoke and that lovely KBQ aroma......Great....now you've got me all worked up into a lather!

[PBCDad]

I haven't received my stickburner yet (Jambo Backyard), I'm waiting on the shipping company to figure their stuff out and bring it to me. So I can't share a difference in taste cooking side by side. But I can share the experience that led me to buy one.

The PBC introduced me to smoking, and I use it as often as I can (sadly down to maybe once a month due to everything going on at the moment). I love the flavor of everything that comes off of it (maybe not ribs quite as much), and everyone raves. My MIL always seems to show up when I cook anything. Like Butchman said, it doesn't work to be your only grill, so I picked up a kettle and SnS. I now have the tools to cook just about anything I want to on a grill or smoker, and lots of stuff I haven't tried yet, so it's not like I have a need for another cooker.

Buuut, I was down in a small town for work a couple years ago, and for lunch decided to check out a local BBQ place. I got a sampler plate, and everything I tried just knocked my socks off. There was no way my food could match what they were serving. The meat quality wasn't that different, I like the rubs and sauces I use, so it told me it was the way it was cooked. They had a big ol' offset smoker right out the front of the restaurant. After researching online, reading through this forum, and trying to improve my cooks on the PBC, I determined I needed to burn wood if I wanted to make the best food I could.

So I started following the KBQ thread, and oh man don't do that unless you want to buy another smoker. I had to really restrain myself. I'm convinced based on that thread and Max Good's reviews, that there isn't anything like the KBQ and it can produce the best tasting food you've ever had.

You may be asking yourself, so why did this guy go with a Jambo instead of a KBQ, especially at roughly twice the price? Be honest with yourself, you didn't ask yourself that because you fell asleep after reading the second paragraph. But for my own satisfaction, I'll tell you anyway. It was an agonizing decision, and Spinaker and Huskee both really helped me to weigh the pros and cons. Determining factors for me - offsets look super cool, the pride factor of cooking something with just a fire you started and no controllers, insulated firebox on Jambo means more like 1-2 hour feeding of wood, and I live in Seattle so rain is a factor for KBQ, not for Jambo.

Is it worth it? Most likely not for taste alone, you can find a good wood-burning BBQ place and get a lot of meals there before you would spend the cost of the stick burner. But I can tell you every time I go to split the logs that I picked up, and every time I source some more wood in prep for its arrival, I get a big smile on my face. I also can't wait until I can serve my food to others and see them enjoy it too.

[Spinaker]

And we can't wait to see this baby in action.

[Oakgrovebacon]

Those KBQ sound pretty amazing! I have never seen one in action but I would like to. I have built 2 reverse flow stick burners from scratch and really enjoy the live fire aspect of BBQ. I got hooked on wood fired q at a small town BBQ joint that cooking was done in a smoker built from what looked like a 500 gal fuel tank. The fellow that had that place did wonderful pulled pork sandwiches, he pulled a handful of meat from a pork butt- chopped it coursely with a chefs knife, put it on a large bun, added chopped green pepper and onion and a small ladle of his sauce. A lot of people refused to go there because it was an old gas station building that did not really look like a restaurant, but they missed some of the best q I have ever purchased! I try to replicate his pulled pork every time I do pork butt. And I am getting close. For me it is stickburner all the way. I sure want to see your new Jambo in action- you are in for some great Q!

[rat88]

Saw a top 10 list that had KC joes as the top bbq in the country and guess what.... its in an old gas station

[bbqncigars]

As a road warrior and 'Q fanatic, I have an informal checklist of things that tend to indicate a good 'Q joint. In no particular order: 1) The building looks kinda ramshackle 2) A fire blackened pit outside 3) A good sized wood pile close at hand 4) The aroma of wood smoke and 'Q hit you as soon as you cross the threshold 5) A roll of paper towels on every table 6) The pitmaster is an older black gentleman. If you find a place that has ALL of these then you are probably going to stuff yourself on some fine meat.

[Oakgrovebacon]

The place that hooked me had all six on your list covered. Unfortunately the place is now closed due to owners health.