Anyone still using burn barrel to make embers for direct smoking?

[charcoalwilly]

There are a couple of older threads on traditional method of using burn barrel to pre-burn wood splits into coals and then shoveling the embers into a smoker. But I have not seen anyone mention this method on here for awhile. Are any of you still doing this?

For those of you using a burn barrel, are you using the embers for an offset or a vertical smoker? Any tips you have?

I have been thinking about salvaging an old BBQ I made years go for the burn barrel. The coals will go into a newer vertical build that I recently completed. I plan to cook old school direct-style since there is plenty of depth to play with (up to 3ft above coals).

Here is a video of guy making burn barrel in you case you have not seen one before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE7mfxjRfz8

 

[NOHENS]

I don’t use a burn barrel. But in the winter I’ll rob coals from my wood stove to grill with.

 

[charcoalwilly]

I don’t use a burn barrel. But in the winter I’ll rob coals from my wood stove to grill with.

Very creative. BBQ versus warmth!

 

[frognot]

Greg (gtr) used a burn barrel for coals for an open pit that we cooked a pig and a lamb over at past SoCal bashes.

Post #352 has some good pictures https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229281&page=24

 

[Beentown]

When I use the portable cement block cooker I do. 55 gallon drum with rebar through it and a slightly larger than flat shovel width hole in the bottom.

Throw wood in up top, smaller chunks drop through the rebar, scoop and place.

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[charcoalwilly]

Greg (gtr) used a burn barrel for coals for an open pit that we cooked a pig and a lamb over at past SoCal bashes.

Post #352 has some good pictures https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229281&page=24

That look like a blast!

When I use the portable cement block cooker I do. 55 gallon drum with rebar through it and a slightly larger than flat shovel width hole in the bottom.

Throw wood in up top, smaller chunks drop through the rebar, scoop and place.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

Sounds pretty straightforward. How often do you have to replenish the coals in the cooker?

 

[Swine Spectator]

I don't, but I want to.

I watched a guy at the Houston Rodeo and BBQ Cook-off do it once and it made sense to me.

 

[LordRiffenstein]

My Santa Maria grill has a brasero on the side and that basically does the same, burn down logs to coals. I´ve also relocated burning coals from my Weber Fireplace into whatever cooker I wanted to use (WGA, small kamado etc). Love doing this when I have the time.

 

[charcoalwilly]

My Santa Maria grill has a brasero on the side and that basically does the same, burn down logs to coals. I´ve also relocated burning coals from my Weber Fireplace into whatever cooker I wanted to use (WGA, small kamado etc). Love doing this when I have the time.

Cooking on a Santa Maria also got me thinking about it although I do not use brasero since I am cooking more over live flame. When you burn down the wood in brasero, how long does it take for you to establish a sufficient bed of embers for cooking Argentine-style? About 1 hour?

 

[LordRiffenstein]

Cooking on a Santa Maria also got me thinking about it although I do not use brasero since I am cooking more over live flame. When you burn down the wood in brasero, how long does it take for you to establish a sufficient bed of embers for cooking Argentine-style? About 1 hour?

Yes it takes about an hour so I now start a fire under my grates with some wood and/or charcoal. When that gets going, I fire up the brasero. This dual fire heats up the fire bricks under the grates and I can get started in 20-30mins. By the time I need more coals, the brasero is going full tilt.

 

[Beentown]

That look like a blast!





Sounds pretty straightforward. How often do you have to replenish the coals in the cooker?

Depends. On a lot. If doing a whole hog about every 30 -45 minutes. Stuffed with chickens...often.

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[3LMBBQ]

Love the burn barrel. Cool old school way of doing it and its fun and brings the neighbors out.

Don't do it much here in Colorado as hardwood is pricey, store bought charcoal way cheaper. But here are some pics of a pig we did last summer. We followed along the method Sam Jones laid out in his CB. Though when I am using burn barrel coals I will throw some chunks of wood in the cooker on top of the coals, the burn barrel coals don't add much in the way of smoke flavor, IMO.

 

[blackdogbbq21]

Curious how much different is the flavor from hardwood coals versus using lump charcoal from a bag?

 

[charcoalwilly]

Though when I am using burn barrel coals I will throw some chunks of wood in the cooker on top of the coals, the burn barrel coals don't add much in the way of smoke flavor, IMO.

That's a great tip about throwing in a chunk on the coals for flavor. Speaking of Colorado, I buy my chunks from these guys in Fruita who ship nationwide. Their cherry from Western Slope is incredible. Great quality and sugar content.

https://fruitawood.com/

 

[charcoalwilly]

Curious how much different is the flavor from hardwood coals versus using lump charcoal from a bag?

I had wondered the same and tried using pre-lit lump to create the coal bed in vertical for direct smoking. Great flavor with that classic charcoal taste, but I wasn't crazy about having to pre-light the lump multiple times in chimney starter with the startup smoke each time. I figure maybe its easier just to keep tossing a few splits into a burn barrel every now and then. I'll let you know :becky:

 

[charcoalwilly]

Circling back on this thread in case in anyone is following. I made the burn barrel and tried it out. I was astounded by how much wood was needed to create enough coals to bring cooker up to temp. I kept looking at the burn barrel flames and thinking of all that wasted heat! It was a fun experiment nevertheless.

Mad respect to those who run ember cookers!

 

[Bob O Q Shawtee]

I often use wood in various stage of curing (drying) and first burn it before adding to the offset. Rather than an open barrel like pictured above I use another firebox or the Ben Franklin so I'm able to control draft and how fast wood burns. Splits are 30% to 50% consumed leaving unburnt portion of wood dry when moved to offset. The main reason I do it is to reduce smoke.