12 Months Of
Drum Smoking:
A Year-Round BBQ Calendar
BBQ does not have to be a summer-only activity. The Pit Barrel performs in every season, and every month has its right cook. Here is the complete calendar.
BBQ does not have to be a summer-only activity. The Pit Barrel Cooker performs beautifully in every season, from snowy January weekends to humid August afternoons. The sealed barrel construction holds heat efficiently in cold weather. The vertical orientation handles wind better than horizontal smokers. The simple design means there is nothing that fails when temperatures drop. With the right cook for each month, you can keep your BBQ skills sharp all year long. Here is a complete month-by-month calendar of what to smoke when.
01 / The FramingBBQ Is Not Summer-Only
The biggest myth in backyard BBQ is that the season ends on Labor Day. Real BBQ enthusiasts cook year-round, and the Pit Barrel Cooker is genuinely engineered for it. The sealed barrel construction holds heat efficiently in cold weather, which means the cooker uses less charcoal per cook in winter than most horizontal smokers use in summer. The vertical orientation handles wind better than any horizontal design. Rain does not stop a cook. Snow does not stop a cook. Every month has a right cook, and this calendar walks through all twelve.
12 Months. 12 Cooks. One Cooker.
02 / WinterJanuary Through March: The Cold Weather Cooks
January BBQ centers around two things: Super Bowl preparation and recovery from holiday excess. The Super Bowl is the biggest BBQ wing event of the year, and the Pit Barrel produces exceptional wings by hanging them vertically or grilling on the included grate. February shifts to jerky preparation and longer dry-aging projects for hunting-season game. Valentine's Day calls for a smoked surf and turf on the grate. March brings St. Patrick's Day corned beef (4 to 5 hours on the Pit Barrel), tournament-basketball tailgating with the Junior, and the start of Easter planning.
03 / SpringApril Through May: The Season Restart
April explores the intersection of grilling and smoking. Spring vegetables come into season, and the Pit Barrel grill grate handles asparagus, artichokes, and spring onions beautifully. Lamb is at its peak, and a smoked leg of lamb makes an exceptional Easter centerpiece. April is also the right month to break in a new cooker if you received one as a holiday gift. Memorial Day weekend kicks off the unofficial start of grilling season and is one of the biggest BBQ days of the year. The Pit Barrel handles Memorial Day brisket beautifully. May is also the time to plan summer entertaining and consider upgrading to a larger model if hosting big gatherings is in your future.
04 / SummerJune Through August: Peak BBQ Season
June revolves around Father's Day and graduation celebrations. Father's Day calls for the most ambitious cook of the year, with brisket and ribs on the same Pit Barrel for a side-by-side showdown. Graduation parties require feeding crowds of 20 to 40 people, well within the capacity of the 18.5 inch Pit Barrel or the 22.5 inch PBX. The Fourth of July is the biggest BBQ day in America, and the Pit Barrel handles feeding 30 people from a single cooker with smart planning: pork shoulders early morning, ribs midday, chicken on the grate. August leans into peak summer entertaining. Backyard parties, anniversary cookouts, and pre-fall gatherings all benefit from the Pit Barrel's capacity.
Real BBQ enthusiasts cook year-round.
05 / FallSeptember Through October: The Transition
Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer BBQ, though the Pit Barrel keeps cooking year-round. Labor Day calls for one last big summer feast: brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and grilled vegetables for one final summer hurrah. September is also the right month to prepare for fall entertaining. Stock up on charcoal, replace any worn parts, and plan ahead for Thanksgiving. October is the month to perfect your Thanksgiving turkey by practicing on smaller birds. Smoke a 10 to 12 pound turkey breast in mid-October to dial in your technique before the November holiday. Hunting season also opens for many wild game species in October, and the Pit Barrel handles whole pheasants, ducks, venison, and other game beautifully.
06 / HolidaysNovember And December: The Big Cooks
Thanksgiving is the most important turkey cook of the year, and the Pit Barrel is genuinely the best smoker for whole turkey. The vertical hanging design solves the dry breast problem, the high temperature range produces crispy skin, and the cook fits comfortably in a single morning instead of dominating the day. November is the Pit Barrel's moment to shine. December BBQ centers on holiday hams, beef tenderloins, and year-end entertaining. The Pit Barrel handles 8 to 12 pound spiral cut hams beautifully. Beef tenderloins for Christmas dinner come off the grill grate cooked to perfect medium rare in 30 to 45 minutes. The Pit Barrel also makes an exceptional Christmas gift for the BBQ enthusiasts in your life.
Keep charcoal dry over winter. The single most important cold-weather habit is dry charcoal storage. Wet or humid charcoal produces incomplete combustion, white smoke, and frustration. Store bags in a sealed plastic bin in the garage or shed, and let a partially open bag warm up indoors for an hour before lighting on a cold cook day. Everything else about winter BBQ is genuinely easier than most people expect.
07 / The AdvantageWhy The Pit Barrel Handles Cold Weather
Cold-weather BBQ used to be difficult because most cookers were designed for summer. The Pit Barrel Cooker is different. The sealed barrel construction traps heat that horizontal cookers lose to wind. The vertical orientation reduces wind exposure at the fire. The simple design has no electronics, no water pans that can freeze, and no gaskets that get brittle in cold. Light the charcoal, hang your food, close the lid, and go inside to the warm kitchen. The cooker works in the cold whether you are watching it or not. Cold-weather BBQ is genuinely one of the underrated joys of Pit Barrel ownership.
08 / The TakeawayYear-Round BBQ Is Real BBQ
The Pit Barrel Cooker performs in every season, every weather condition, and every occasion. Cold weather does not slow it down. Wind does not throw it off. Rain does not stop a cook. The simple, reliable design that makes the Pit Barrel exceptional in summer makes it equally exceptional in January. Real BBQ enthusiasts cook year-round, and the Pit Barrel is the cooker built to handle every month of the calendar. Twelve months, twelve cooks, one cooker.
Start Year-Round BBQ.
Get A Pit Barrel.
Every season. Every weather. Every occasion. One cooker.
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