Which Cooker Is the Simplest to Use?

[AZRaptor]

I've looked at the PBCs and it looks like a decent cooker but I would not buy one because I already own a WSM. Likewise if I already owned a PBC I wouldn't buy a WSM. I suspect they are likely very comparable cookers. One thing I would point out though, is that the WSM has a very large and active forum of their very own (www.tvwbb.com) and it may be easier to get support from fellow users for the WSM which might be important for a new user.

P.S. If we had been talking about the absolute easiest I would've said a pellet smoker. So maybe a WSM with one of the pellet smoker conversion kits.

 

[agensop]

I disagree completely, because the WSM comes in 3 diff sizes. compared to PBC one size fits all. One user can have both a pbc and a wsm especially since they have 3 different models for 3 different cook types. Not just to be cool (imho). If i wanted to do all the fiddling with parts i would have gotten a wsm if someone needs to cook an asston of food all the time its better for them to get a 22 wsm than a pbc and this is from a pbc owner. i think they are targetted towards completely different markets. So its kind of a silly comparison (if you ask me) but being that i researched both heavily before i made my purchase of the pbc i definately know quite a bit about both. FOR ME, the pbc was the best cooker for ease of use. when i factored everything into account that I needed to do. Im a different user type which probably most of the guys doing the stuff cant relate too. I had very specific reason why i went pbc vs wsm when i could have spent similar money and gotten a wsm of the exact same size as my pbc. but when i factored everything in. The pbc was simpler for me.

I've looked at the PBCs and it looks like a decent cooker but I would not buy one because I already own a WSM. Likewise if I already owned a PBC I wouldn't buy a WSM. I suspect they are likely very comparable cookers. One thing I would point out though, is that the WSM has a very large and active forum of their very own (www.tvwbb.com) and it may be easier to get support from fellow users for the WSM which might be important for a new user.

P.S. If we had been talking about the absolute easiest I would've said a pellet smoker. So maybe a WSM with one of the pellet smoker conversion kits.

 

[AClarke44]

I can make those statements because I know how charcoal burns, I know how the physics work from experience of how long burns last in a certain sized coal basket, I know temp fluctuations in near identical sized bigger and smaller cookers with any burn set up. The laws of physics don't change in the PBC....it's a drum and I'm pretty well versed in them, larger loads of meat still zap up more fuel as does when it's cold outside to maintain the same temps. KBB briquettes still produce the same BTU's...Remember My Cousin Vinny with the example of cooking grits? Funny movie but it reminds me of this.

Nothing at all against the PBC but none of the laws change in a 30 gallon drum with horseshoes than in something like my mid size cooker or a 30 gallon UDS.

You and other PBC owners have posted all the things you do to keep temp from dropping into a cook. Pull rebar, crack lid, stir coals etc..

Im not gonna debate with you over this. I will just say I own a PBC and ive cooked on in several times and I know how it cooks and I've stated that here several times now....
You are wrong with the bolded statement. The only time you've ever heard me make statements about cracking the lid is to purposely get a higher temp like up to 350 to crisp up chicken skin. The FEW times I've messed with things it's been to keep the temperature from getting too hot. Not to get it to rise. It's been identified that SOME people at sea level where it is humid might need to open their intake more and/or light more coals OR crack the lid 3/4". But the vast majority of PBC owners do not have that issue. You've also read where I've said I use a leather glove over the intake sometimes but that is only when I am cooking something that has me opening the lid a lot. Yes it will spike if the lid is off. But what I've learned is I can partially cover the intake to get them temp to fall quickly back down to where I want it. Key word there is quickly..... It will fall back to the desired temp without it but it could take 30 min or so and I'm impatient.
Now yes some of us have figured out fine tuning so to speak such as I've figured out that adding 2 more lit briquettes in the beginning will allow me to maintain about a 10-15 degree higher temp if I want. Also figured out if I pull a rod I can get about a 25 degree temp raise. None of this is done to keep the temperature from falling. But instead to understand the capabilities in the event I want cook something higher than my dialed in temp of 270-280....

But again this thread was simply which cooker is the simplest to use....I can't honestly say much about the wsm but the PBC is very easy....

 

[Fwismoker]

Im not gonna debate with you over this. I will just say I own a PBC and ive cooked on in several times and I know how it cooks and I've stated that here several times now....
You are wrong with the bolded statement. The only time you've ever heard me make statements about cracking the lid is to purposely get a higher temp like up to 350 to crisp up chicken skin. The FEW times I've messed with things it's been to keep the temperature from getting too hot. Not to get it to rise. It's been identified that SOME people at sea level where it is humid might need to open their intake more and/or light more coals OR crack the lid 3/4". But the vast majority of PBC owners do not have that issue. You've also read where I've said I use a leather glove over the intake sometimes but that is only when I am cooking something that has me opening the lid a lot. Yes it will spike if the lid is off. But what I've learned is I can partially cover the intake to get them temp to fall quickly back down to where I want it. Key word there is quickly..... It will fall back to the desired temp without it but it could take 30 min or so and I'm impatient.
Now yes some of us have figured out fine tuning so to speak such as I've figured out that adding 2 more lit briquettes in the beginning will allow me to maintain about a 10-15 degree higher temp if I want. Also figured out if I pull a rod I can get about a 25 degree temp raise. None of this is done to keep the temperature from falling. But instead to understand the capabilities in the event I want cook something higher than my dialed in temp of 270-280....

But again this thread was simply which cooker is the simplest to use....I can't honestly say much about the wsm but the PBC is very easy....

Andrew not long ago you cooked a butt. I asked you about what temps you averaged. You told be about it dropping and pulling the rebar at one point and they came back. It's in your PBC appreciation thread i believe and you averaged about 275 that cook IIRC.

Trust me...my mini, a UDS, WSM and a 30 gal PBC all keep easy temps. Nothing special happening in a PBC unless the horseshoes are affecting the gravitational pull THEN all bets are off!

Oh BTW what is this counting briquettes all about? :noidea: I tried counting my beers once and it didn't end well.

Light a few coals in a pocket, get to temp and the cookers stay there with in 5-15 degrees with little to no effort from me...thank goodness

Edit...ugh no it was in a PM you told me.

 

[AClarke44]

Andrew not long ago you cooked a butt. I asked you about what temps you averaged. You told be about it dropping and pulling the rebar at one point and they came back. It's in your PBC appreciation thread i believe and you averaged about 275 that cook IIRC.

Trust me...my mini, a UDS, WSM and a 30 gal PBC all keep easy temps. Nothing special happening in a PBC unless the horseshoes are affecting the gravitational pull THEN all bets are off!

Oh BTW what is this counting briquettes all about? :noidea: I tried counting my beers once and it didn't end well.

Light a few coals in a pocket, get to temp and the cookers stay there with in 5-15 degrees with little to no effort from me...thank goodness

Edit...ugh no it was in a PM you told me.

Not long ago I cooked a butt? That was my first real attempt at smoking in the PBC. Two things, one that was in the first generation PBC that I had. Probably not a big difference but the new ones are a thicker guage steel. And second (and most important) I didn't start the fire with the right amount of coals which is why the temp wouldn't get where I wanted it at first. So I did what anyone would do to get a temp to rise.
I have never stated the PBC was some magical machine, you keep putting words like that in my mouth. I have only stated that it cooks great food and is very EASY to use as is from the manufacturer...

And yes counting the briquettes to start with makes a difference in the PBC. I don't care if you believe it or not but it does if I want to hit a consistent temperature.

Why are you trying to Jedi mind trick me into thinking what I'm doing in the PBC isn't really happening? Or are you just subtly calling me a liar?

 

[Fwismoker]

Why are you trying to Jedi mind trick me into thinking what I'm doing in the PBC isn't really happening?

"How long have you had this cooker?"


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gALR3SnDEWw"]Star Wars: Obi-Wan's Jedi Mind Trick - "Subtle Version". - YouTube[/ame]

 

[cheez59]

I'll start out by saying that I know very little about the PBC. What I think I understand is that all meats must hang in the PBC. Is this correct? If so how would someone smoke 40-50 chicken wings? I can do that with ease on my 18" WSM and nearly double that amount on my 22" WSM. It seems like it would be pretty difficult or at least a pita to smoke 40 wings if you had to run a wire or something through them all. School me here PBC guys.

 

[Ron_L]

There is a grate for stuff that won't hang

 

[Ron_L]

Here is a bunch of wings that Noah (creator of the PBC) at the Chicago area summer gathering

 

[AClarke44]

Wow those wings look good. But we all know they can't really be good! I mean Noah uses lighter fluid :shocked: or heaven forbid he tells folks to count and light 40 briquettes to what! OMG pour over the top of the unlit coals :shocked::shocked:which by the way is a terrible way to attempt the minion method. Just sucks though because those wings sure look good....:becky:

 

[Ron_L]

They were good!

 

[Bob C Cue]

Wow those wings look good. But we all know they can't really be good! I mean Noah uses lighter fluid :shocked: or heaven forbid he tells folks to count and light 40 briquettes to what! OMG pour over the top of the unlit coals :shocked::shocked:which by the way is a terrible way to attempt the minion method. Just sucks though because those wings sure look good....:becky:

It's all done with smoke and mirrors. Oh wait, if you only use charcoal and no wood chunks it's not really smoke. So I guess he just cooks with mirrors?

 

[AClarke44]

They were good!

Ron I know you are a mod here and I don't mean to argue but they could NOT be good. They were cooked on a PBC for crying out loud! :heh:

 

[Fwismoker]

Wow those wings look good. But we all know they can't really be good! I mean Noah uses lighter fluid :shocked: or heaven forbid he tells folks to count and light 40 briquettes to what! OMG pour over the top of the unlit coals :shocked::shocked:which by the way is a terrible way to attempt the minion method. Just sucks though because those wings sure look good....:becky:

Looks like some UDS wings to me Andrew. I know they had to be good...After all Noah is closer to God than us.

Even UDS wings using the (mish mash ) minion method taste good! :becky: Actually they had to be better since there are horse shoes on it. :thumb:

Now wings on a drum, wait till you see these i'm spinning over some oak tomorrow. Very cool set up but the taste....oh my good.

 

[Ron_L]

Ron I know you are a mod here and I don't mean to argue but they could NOT be good. They were cooked on a PBC for crying out loud! :heh:

Anyone can screw up food on any cooker. I enjoy my PBC, but it does not correct my seasoning or make my sauce better or prevent me from under or overcooking the food. It's a tool and is only as good as the person using it.

And before anyone jumps on that, the same is true for any cooker, UDS, mini UDS, Shirley, or anything. They are tools for us to use.

 

[AClarke44]

Anyone can screw up food on any cooker. I enjoy my PBC, but it does not correct my seasoning or make my sauce better or prevent me from under or overcooking the food. It's a tool and is only as good as the person using it.

And before anyone jumps on that, the same is true for any cooker, UDS, mini UDS, Shirley, or anything. They are tools for us to use.

I agree Ron, and it's an excellent tool at that. I was just using your post to be sarcastic back towards the non-believers here. I guess the PBC is the "new kid on the block" so to speak so it's gonna have its haters.....

 

[Happy Hapgood]

The WSM has a long track record and is still the king of the hill. Not knocking the PBC by any means though. Temp control, water option and ease of removing ash sets the WSM apart IMHO.

 

[Bob C Cue]

Anyone can screw up food on any cooker. I enjoy my PBC, but it does not correct my seasoning or make my sauce better or prevent me from under or overcooking the food. It's a tool and is only as good as the person using it.

And before anyone jumps on that, the same is true for any cooker, UDS, mini UDS, Shirley, or anything. They are tools for us to use.

But my wife said that some tools are better than others, and she is a bigger fan than ever of my food since I got the PBC. She even mentioned that I no longer seem to screw up my cooks.

 

[Fwismoker]

Andrew you run the Oklahoma chapter, Bob you got the Mo chapter, Ron has Illinois....Now if I jump on board does that mean I can get Indiana or at least NE Indiana?

Are we allowed to break up states into sections?

 

[Ron_L]

I agree Ron, and it's an excellent tool at that. I was just using your post to be sarcastic back towards the non-believers here. I guess the PBC is the "new kid on the block" so to speak so it's gonna have its haters.....

Yeah, I got that, but I don't need to be dragged into the continuous bickering.

Andrew you run the Oklahoma chapter, Bob you got the Mo chapter, Ron has Illinois....Now if I jump on board does that mean I can get Indiana or at least NE Indiana?

Are we allowed to break up states into sections?

Not me. I'm cooker-agnostic You guys can split up whatever you want.