I have wanted a BBQ smoker for a while. I had been doing research and constantly drooling over several options for wood pellet BBQ smoker grills. I was close to pulling the trigger on one after the holidays. Then I stumbled on the Pit Barrel Cooker in my hunt on the internet.

I really got to thinking of what I wanted and actually needed in a BBQ cooker/smoker...

What stood out to me was the simplicity of the PBC:

1) No extension cords

2) No stress worrying about exactly what the pit temperature is constantly

3) No moving parts or electronic controls/motors to fail

4) Easy to set up, easy to operate (two screws on handle for the lid is all that is required after unboxing)

Reviews online were nearly unanimous with so many actual 5 star ratings for product quality, consistency in being able to produce amazing meals. Even from sources outside the company website, the reviews and ratings were so high in every category. I figured this was a good fit for me.

This company really listens to customers. I saw a few comments here and there about the air inlet door and the way the door was mounted with a screw that made it difficult to make adjustments because the screw needed to be tight to hold the disc in place. Mine came with a spring tensioner on it. The spring holds the disc in place, but does allow you to make adjustments for more open or more closed with a light push of a finger. Photo attached. That was helpful feature added at the request of customers! PBC really gets that…

I bought my 1st barrel June 2017 and that's where the luv affair started. From Turkey & Ribs to Shrimp, Double smoked Dogs and Bacon, Braided Pork Loin, Wings, Prime Rib and Wood Fired Pizza. Let your imagination go wild. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

I decided it's finally time to make a review of my Pit Barrel. It has lasted me this long and has finally developed kind of a rusted crack in the bottom so I am looking to get another one (I guess it is the 18.5 Classic now. Used to be the only option...LOL). I will say that my only complaint was the cover. Unless it has changed it was kind of plastic-y and cracked and became useless soon by being in the elements constantly. A canvas style would be really nice and would gladly pay the extra cost.

On to the good stuff. This smoker has made me outstanding ribs, pulled pork, packer sized brisket, and a number of other odds and ends for all these years. No issues between doing 2 rack of ribs, or 8. My go to is using the Kingsford Original charcoal and then tossing a handful of Jack Daniels wood chips right before i hang the meat. I use a 2-channel probe thermometer to measure rack air temp and stuck in the meat (except for ribs. just air temp only and cook by meat pullback). Everything has held up great, especially for the cost and I am assuming my rust on the bottom issue is more of a result of condensation and direct contact temp changes through the seasons. Also, as I stated earlier, I lost my cover early on, probably after a year or 2. After that it was just sitting out back on the deck in the rain, in the snow, etc.

Currently we are doing a lot more camping and have a travel trailer so I am trying to decide between replacing my Classic or going with the…

I’ve cooked on the pit barrel 4 times since receiving it a month ago. I’m a truck driver so I only have a couple days a week to use it. But let me tell you this thing is a beast! Rib machine, does pork shoulder great and I did hamburgers today and they were absolutely delicious.

First cook on the Pit Barrel Cooker. Best chicken and ribs of my life. Hung over charcoal and smoked with a blend of hickory and cherrywood chips.

I’ve never smoked a single piece of meat in my entire life, but this thing made it stupid easy. This is insane. The food was so good it didn’t taste real. Like, it was so good, that it shouldn’t be possible for me to make food that good at home by myself. And I’m a pretty good cook normally. I've never smoked anything before, so I'm just blown away by how good everything turned out.