We at Pit Barrel® Cooker pride ourselves on our customer service, and truly it is second to none! There are a few questions that we get often so we wanted to highlight them here!
Q: I am not sure which size Pit Barrel® is right for me. How much can each one cook?
A: Your purpose and plan for cooking are how you should decide which Pit Barrel® is right for you! In some circumstances, bigger isn't always better! The capacities provided below are just helpful guidelines! The possibilities are endless.
22.5" PBX: 16-20 racks of ribs, 4 pork butts or shoulders, 4 full packer briskets, 18-22 chicken halves, 60+ party wings or 4 turkeys
18.5" PBC: 8 racks of ribs, 2-3 pork butts/shoulders or briskets, turkey hangers allow for 2 13-16 lb turkeys
14" PBJ: 6 racks of ribs, 1 pork butt/shoulder, 1 full packer brisket, 6 chicken halves, 1 17 lb turkey
Q: What are the weight/dimensions of the different barrel sizes?
A: The 22.5" PBX stands 36" tall including the lid and stand, and 29" wide including the side handles, with a shipping weight of 84 pounds.
The 18.5" PBC stands 36” tall including the lid and stand, and 25” wide including the side handles, with a shipping weight of 57 pounds.
The 14" PBJ stands 33″ tall including the lid and stand, and 21.25″ wide including the side handles, with a shipping weight of 32.7 pounds.
Q: How much charcoal does each model take?
A: The 22.5" PBX takes approx. 14-16 lbs of charcoal
The 18.5" PBC takes approx. 10-12 lbs of charcoal
The 14" PBJ takes approx. 6-8 lbs of charcoal
Q: Can I use Lump Charcoal?
A: Yes! The only charcoal we do not recommend is the self-starting charcoal and we also do not recommend the use of wood chunks, but rather a small handful of dry wood chips if you want to enhance the flavor.
Q: My air vent doesn't cover the hole. Is my barrel defective?
A: No! Your barrel is not defective. This is how the Pit Barrel® Cooker is designed. Because the air vent is stamped directly out of the barrel and then mounted above, there will always be a small gap even when the air vent is closed.
Q: Can you install a thermometer?
A: We do not recommend modifying the barrel as there can cause issues and you can possible damage the integrity of the barrel. If you want to monitor the temperature of the barrel, you can use a wireless thermometer that has that feature, or if you have a wired thermometer with multiple wires, you can thread it through the hanging rod holes and hang it in the center of the barrel. *Please note that if you are using a wired thermometer, do not thread it under the lid as it will cause the lid to be lifted and increase the air flow which in turn increases the temperature of the barrel.
Q: My Pit Barrel is running too hot! Help!
A: 9 times out of 10, if your Pit Barrel® is running hotter than expected (275°-310°) a slight adjustment in your lighting process can be just the key! If you are below 2000 FT in elevation, fill your charcoal basket, remove 1/4 of the charcoal and place it in the chimney. Light the chimney for 11-12 minutes max (we mean it! use a timer!) and then dump the lit coals evenly over the unlit charcoal. Hang your meat right after! There is no need to let the rest of the charcoal heat up. What is happening is that you are exhausting your fuel source as well as driving up the temperature with the empty barrel because there is no place for the heat to get distributed to. We do not recommend the use of wood chunks, but if you wanted to add additional flavor, you can add a small handful of dry wood chips over the lit charcoal right before you hang or add your food to the barrel. *If you are over 2000 FT in elevation, adjust the timing to 12-15 minutes.
If you have the 22.5" PBX, and it is not loaded down with food, you will want to reduce your charcoal to keep the temperatures down. The PBX is designed to cook a lot of food at one time and a full basket of charcoal is far too much for the smaller cooks. We would recommend starting with 1/2 a basket of charcoal, remove 1/4 of those coals and place in your chimney and follow the instructions above!
Check out the video for our lighting process Here
Q: I purchased a logo plate but how do I install it?
A: For installation of your new logo plate, take a 1/8" drill bit and drill through the front of the rivets that are currently installed on the original logo plate. The rivets will drop into the barrel, and you can dispose of them and remove the original logo plate. Place the new logo plate where the original was seated and use the screws, nuts, and bolts that came with your custom logo plate and install it where the other one was located.
Q: I haven't used my barrel in many months and there is mold/surface rust/build up etc., What now?
A: It's rare! But sometimes this can happen. This is nothing to worry about. Any time there is build up, mold or surface rust that is in your barrel, we suggest you scrape as much of the interior/debris as possible with a plastic putty knife and conduct a burnout. To conduct a burnout, start a chimney-full of coals and dump them into your charcoal basket, then maybe put a few more unlit coals on top. You can then leave the rebar out and the lid cracked to get the temperature up, and just let it burn until the fire burns out. You can also do this at the end of a cook if you have leftover coals, just take out the rebar and leave the lid cracked while the rest of the basket burns out. This should only be necessary if you have a bunch of softer seasoning built up that you want to harden, or if something like mold starts growing in the barrel and you needs to clean it out.
Check out the video for cleaning and maintenance here