WSC vs. PBC question

[Jessterr]

Have an opinion question for those on the board that own both a PBC and a WSC / WSK. As background, I currently have both of these cookers but my PBC is beginning to rust out in the bottom center and I’ll soon be faced with the decision as to whether or not to replace it, or perhaps replace it with something else (I can hear the chorus now, OJB! OJB! ). I rarely have the need to cook at any kind of volume so my question is strictly targeted toward the taste of the food produced, and it is this: Are there certain cooks / foods for which you definitely prefer to use your PBC over the WSC/WSK based solely on the taste of the food, and if so, what are they? My PBC makes awesome stuff, and my WSC makes awesome stuff, but over the time that I’ve owned them both I’ve tended to make certain things on one (for example, chickens on the PBC) and different things on the other (i.e., pork butts on the WSC, in kamado mode). Before making the decision as to whether or not to replace the PBC, I’m hoping to draw upon the expertise of the board to help me determine whether I really need to do that or not. Thanks for your help in advance!

[kenrobin]

Chicken is always great on the PBC but you can also make great chicken with the WSC. I honestly don't think that there are many situations where the PBC has a clear edge over the WSC from a taste perspective. I think it comes down to the "fun" aspect of hanging meat in your smoker. Do you want to give up that experience? If you're ok with letting that aspect go, then I think you'll be just fine with your WSC.

[Jessterr]

kenrobin Thanks for the response, much appreciated. Very good point, and something I have given some thought to, i.e., will there be days I might regret not having the PBC just for that particular fun aspect of it. Thankfully I still have some time to ponder that, as my PBC does have the ash pan which provides a solid bridge over the bottom area that’s starting to rust out, so it should last a good bit longer. Cheers!

[fzxdoc]

I have done several side-by-side comparison cooks on my WSCGC (in both kamado and kettle mode) and the PBC, most notably chicken, pork butts, chuck roasts, and meatloaf.

To my mind there is no question that the perception of a smokey flavor predominates in the PBC meats. Not that there's MORE smoke flavor with the PBC, but that it is appreciated sooner in the bite.

The smoke flavor, and by that I mean all the best of what we want in a smoke flavor, is what I often taste first in a PBC cook. Smokey meaty goodness at its finest. With a WSCGC, I can taste the same, but it comes after a couple of chews--not an aftertaste, but definitely not the first thing you notice. With the WSCGC, then, I taste the meat and rub first and then that smokey yummyness comes rolling into the bite.

I always add wood to both the PBC and the WSCGC for their cooks. To my mind that ups the delicious smokiness ante in the end result.

Which cooker I choose to work with on any given cook comes down to a matter of the volume of food that needs to be cooked and convenience, and exactly what I want to impress my guests with. For sure I would serve PBC chicken to a BBQ novice guest rather than WSCGC chicken. Ditto for PB, which to me needs that smoky taste up front because it's sort of the Plain Jane of BBQ meats.

For sure the PBC beats the WSCGC hands down when it comes to cleanup. Three minutes for the PBC vs 30 or more minutes cleaning the WSCGC afterwards. Sometimes I choose based solely on that, especially in the wintertime when cleanup time might make a difference between me freezing my you-know-what off or not.

But much of the time I cook on both simultaneously because I can. I enjoy them both for each of their unique features. If my PBC, Pretty Baby, ever dies, I'll for sure replace it with another 30 inch barrel cooker. I'll look hard at the OJB, of course, which I might choose just for the fun of learning to ride a new multi-trick pony.

Kathryn

[Thunder77]

Thanks Kathryn for that comprehensive response! I only own a WSCG, so I can’t make a comparison, but I always enjoy your posts.😎

[bep35]

If I was going to post a reply and sound like I knew what I was talking about I would mirror what Kathryn said exactly. Being as I'm not that eloquent, I will just say "Ditto". The only thing I might add is to wonder if the different smoke profile might be attributed to the juices from the meat dripping directly onto the coals in the PBC vs. the WSCGC. Food for thought.

[fzxdoc]

Oh most definitely I think the meat juices dripping directly on the coals with the PBC has an effect on the flavor, bep35 . Good observation! Besides that, it's just a fun concept, smoking directly over fire.

[Jessterr]

fzxdoc Thanks for the detailed response, Kathryn. Very interesting and helpful information, as always. I do have a further question, when you do a PB on the PBC do you typically have to add charcoal during the cook, or can it be accomplished on a single initial charge? Maybe it’s due to my elevation at sea level, but I don’t get more than maybe 4 hours or so on the PBC, although admittedly I don’t go to any lengths to set up the charcoal in any organized way. That’s what I love about the WSCCG, can just load it up with lump and chunks in kamado mode and not have to worry about going back in there to reload, it’d go for 24 hours if necessary. I’m on a crusade to achieve greater convenience and less cleanup time these days as well, although my experience and yours appear to differ a bit in that respect. My WSCGC occupies a permanent place on the patio whereas the PBC is kept stored with other grills up against the wall of the house for better organization, so it has to be moved out for use and moved back the next day such that total setup and cleanup time is about the same with both cookers. Anyway, thanks for the great input and I hope you are recovering well and feeling better from your recent mishap!

[fzxdoc]

Jessterr , my WSCGC, (Mr. Fancypants) and PBC (Pretty Baby) sit side by side on the deck, eyeing each other enviously depending on which is selected for the cook. And don't get them started with Kettle Kid, the 22" kettle, or the gasser whenever they're fired up for service. They're a contentious bunch, my cookers.

Anyway, back to your question about PBs on the PBC. My PBC runs for about 8-13 hours on a single load of charcoal, running at 250-275°, which is plenty of time for a PB, usually. Only on rare occasions (honestly only a couple of times over the years) have I had to add more coals to a PB cook, and when I do, I remove the meat before adding lit coals so the swirling ash doesn't deposit on the meat, then I re-hang the meat and let the PBC carry on.

Your experience of only 4 hours is puzzling. I've never had a PBC cook run out that early unless I'm cooking poultry at 350-400°. I'm guessing that you might want to pile as many coals as possible in the basket and keep your temps in the 250ish range.

I monitor the PBC's ambient temp pretty assiduously, using 2 ambient probes placed at opposite sides of the barrel. They often read 40-60° different from each other, and the average is usually just where I like it to be. The two ambient probes setup helps me keep my mitts off the barrel during the cook. I fiddle with temps a lot less, if at all, which is a change from when I first started with the PBC 9 years ago.

Charcoal: Weber (great stuff), B&B briquettes, or KBB, depending on what's at hand. The Weber and B&B go longer on a single load, and I always light them with the chimney filled with 42 KBB briquettes (42 as a nod to Douglas Adams) because they're both so slow to get a good light on. That said, the KBB can hold its own all by itself in a cook. It averages about 9 hours or so.

Nothing special with respect to loading the charcoal in the basket. I do fill it up sort of mounded over the top of the basket with charcoal and then add the lit chimney coals on top of that for a long cook.

I'm at 3700 feet altitude. I have the vent opening just slightly greater than that recommended by the PBC folks on their website.

When the PB hits 160° to 170°, I move it to the grate so gravity doesn't have its way with those double-serial hooked butts. I always split butts over 8 lbs for more surface area for flavor.

You're right about the WSCGC, though. I swear that thing would run for days if I let it. Rock solid temps. I love that cooker.

Thanks for the good wishes regarding my recovery. With Physical Therapy twice a week, I seem to jump from plateau to plateau, happy with the jumps; unhappy with sticking on those darn plateaus for so long! Making good progress though, which is what counts.

Kathryn

[Jessterr]

Thanks again, Kathryn. I have a 9.8 lb PB in the freezer now that really needs to get out of there, so that’ll be my first shot of cooking one on the PBC. Will be employing your suggestions above, can’t wait to do it now.

[fzxdoc]

Jessterr , I just edited to note that I use 42 KBB briquettes in the chimney plus the filled-to-almost overflowing basket of briquettes. I didn't want you to think I used an entire chimney of coals to light the PBC.

K.

[TBoneJack]

Jessterr I logged on today intending to ask the same question specifically about brisket: namely, how does the taste of PBC brisket compare to WSM brisket?

fzxdoc, I assume you prefer PBC brisket since you prefer PBC chuck roasts. Yes?

Thanks.

[fzxdoc]

Actually, TBoneJack , I like chuckies and briskets equally done on the PBC or the WSCGC. I think it's because they're loaded with rub and are a stronger flavor meat than PBs and chicken. With the WSCGC I always add more wood 4-6 pieces (around 3 oz each) than I do on the PBC (2-3 pieces), because I like a pretty smoke ring on those cuts, and I don't get as nice a one on the WSCGC unless I start with more wood chunks.

K.

[HawkerXP]

PBJ, PBC PBX!

I can't add anything else as our fzxdoc has said it all.

[N227GB]

Jessterr I logged on today intending to ask the same question specifically about brisket: namely, how does the taste of PBC brisket compare to WSM brisket?

fzxdoc, I assume you prefer PBC brisket since you prefer PBC chuck roasts. Yes?

I'm replying as a separate post so that I can include a picture. I've never had a WSM, but after doing chuckies in the PBCJ, I decided never to go back to brisket. When hanging, they tend to sag, allowing more surface area during the cook.