Ok, Henche's Pit Barrel Cooker review.
What is it?Not exactly a smoker, certainly not a grill, and not like anything else. Best analogy is a smoker, which is why I post in this thread, but if you're set on authenticity, this isn't your thing.
The genre is called an Ugly Drum Smoker, and it consists of a oil drum (30 gallons in this case) with a small intake hole in the bottom, and holes to hang the rebar on which you hang the hooks on which you hang the meat on top, a fire basket in the bottom, and a cover on top. See
https://www.fix.com/blog/building-an-ugly-drum-smoker/.
Why an ugly drum smoker?Because it's set and forget, using charcoal, and relatively cheap. The air intake and outflow holes are precisely made so that it holds its temperature for 8 or more hours at a steady ~295. The meat hanging method means no direct heat, so all heat is from the hot air circulation, which circulates nicely because of the shape.
Because it's idiot proof. There are no settings to get right, no variable amounts of fuel and different ways of doing, nothing. You put the meat in, and close the lid, and monitor the meat temp with a thermometer stuck in the meat. You don't monitor smoker temp because there is no way to change it anyway.
And it's charcoal, so you get a nice (almost) real smoke flavor.
Why a Pit Barrel Cooker? Can't I make my own for a third the price?Two reasons.
1. They've gotten the tinkering down so that it works right as it should.
2. You know how to weld? You gonna do it? No. So go spend the 300 bucks.
Compare to other smokersOk, so before you buy a smoker, I recommend you go read a book called Franklin Barbecue, (
link) Written by
. Then, no matter what you end up buying, you'll know you aren't being authentic because it isn't an offset wood burning smoker that you stoked with well seasoned wood (not that kiln dried garbage) and hovered over for 12 hours with a shovel in hand selecting the perfect next piece of wood that will keep the temp perfect and will set it up for the following piece of wood, etc. Making sure that you never have a smoldering fire but also never too hot etc etc etc. But, it helped me understand what I was trying to do.
Compared to pellet:You can't afford a pellet.
Compared to gas:With gas, even an expensive one, you'll be adding wood chips and refilling water pan, and having to run out in the middle of a cook for more propane. Also, you get a smokier flavor with charcoal, I think. Also, temp control.
Compared to most charcoal (e.g. cabinet style):Temp control. You don't need to open and close dampers, etc. Ok, I know the snake method works pretty good.
Compared to electric:Don't need to be refilling chips and water pan.
Compared to the authentic thing, a wood fired offset smoker:You aren't going to get one, and if you do, you're never going to use it. It's way too much work.
The cons:Price $300 and unlikely to find on sale. Steep for a started smoker, but if you're serious you'll end up spending that much eventually anyway.
Authenticity. You will need to get over everything you've ever learned about smoking. This does not cook "low and slow"; it's about 300 degrees. But it tastes good, so deal with it. You'll never tell your guests that you smoked this brisket for 12 hours, because you'll be done in 8.
Fun. Adding wood chips and monitoring temps and adding water, etc, is all fun. It isn't fun to just stick it in at 8PM, wrap at 12 and stick in oven at 225 set to turn off at 400AM.
I'm henche and I love my PBC. AMA
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