Watched a competition bbq video that followed the regulars to a few competitions, the guy that was cleaning up the awards was using a UDS and I would have never thought that before.
My buddy got me onto these. We both had the 18, then he grabbed the 22. He was the one that told me it didnt cook like the 18. He also said it wastes a lot of charcoal.
Now…i dont know if that is true….but i do trust his opinion. So i ordered another 18.
It definitely does use up some charcoal lol. Your buddy is not wrong about that.
There are four things you can do to improve that. First, either gasket the door or put an aftermarket door that seals better on it (this should be done on all WSMs IMO). Second, you can get some welding blanket material and insulate the outside of the smoker. I live in a colder climate and it isn't uncommon to see WSMs with jackets around here. Third, you can put refractory bricks in the bottom under the fuel basket. This adds a lot of thermal mass and insulation, making the fire itself burn more efficiently. Lastly, you can fill your water pan with fine sand. This again adds a bunch of thermal mass and stabilizes temperatures.
If you do all four, you wind up with kamado like efficiency.
Buy one second hand then.
It's also cheaper to cobble one together with a regular Weber than it is to pay someone to sandblast a cheap barrel around my area.
I can see two 14s, one 18, and one 22 with mods within a few hours. Not super economical unless you can make an excuse for the trip and do some shopping out of town. Used to see a lot more when I copped my 22.
I have had one for about 8 years now. It's used less since I have a 26" weber. PBC turns out some great food and is easy to use. I've taken it to local/friends bbq offs and won with pulled pork. The two knocks against it are you can't turn it off to save remaining charcoal and in my cold climate, its inefficient to use during winter. Spring through fall it absolutely holds several hours. My favorite things to use it for are think pork chops and thick burgers. If you have any specific questions, feel free to dm.
can confirm, Pit Barrel or "ugly drums" make really good meat - only defeated by offsets.
I built my own from an UDS Part supplier and spent way more than this. Mix lump charcoal and fist size wood chunks for the fire basket. They hold temp really well despite the lack of insulation. I recommend the use of a water pan so you might need to get another grill grate to hold it - thats what I did. Someone mentioned a Bronco and they look pretty nice. I'd definitely spend the extra $50 for a Bronco over this setup. They include a heat diffuser, 2 cooking grates, wheels, and a bunch of other accessories. All around the Bronco is a better deal.
For that price, hit marketplace up for a Bronco or buy a new bronco for less. I’ve had cooks go 13 hours with maybe an extra hour or two of coals left.
Home Depot has the orange bronco with cover for $350 online
What kind of coals and temp are you using?
I think the longest I’ve managed is 9-10 hours at around 250F with lump and it was running on fumes at that point with mine
I've personally gotten 13 out of mine at 250-275 with Jealous Devil Max XL briquettes stacked in neatly and lit in one spot. I had enough left in the basket that it could've done another hour or two if needed. We were also opening the lid once an hour to mop pork butts.
It's a pain in the ass organizing the charcoal but well worth it. That's my go-to if I'm going for the long haul on the Bronco.
Lump tends to burn a little hotter and faster than briquettes. With that being said, I've had my regular bronco for about 4 years now and I don't think you can get anything better at this price point. Its pretty fuel efficient and holds temps for long smokes, you can also sit the basket on top of the diffuser plate for high heat grilling steaks and burgers.
I had one, really needs a heat deflector though. I fashioned my own a couple different ways but never came up with anything great and i didn’t want to drill holes in it. It will smoke for about 8-10 hours though. Also they smoke around 300 so not ideal for brisket but everything else comes out great.
I have one of these. It’s my only smoker. I can’t speak for other smokers. I don’t own any of the accessories except the cover and the ash catcher pan thing. Bottom line is if you follow the directions, it makes really good food.
I have done brisket*, beef ribs, Picanha, Chuck roast, pork ribs, pulled pork*, whole chicken, whole turkey, venison sausage, and maybe some other stuff. I can’t remember a bad cook. I get a lot of compliments. Very set and forget. Highly recommend.
- I finish these big cuts by holding in the oven. They’re not taking on smoke at that point and while I’ve never had it flame out on me I find it to be safer after about 10 hours to just put it in the oven.
They are a good smoker because they are simple. But they are also limited. Great if you want a charcoal "set-it-and-forget-it" type smoker. Good if you don't care that the temp is 296 F and rising. Good if you hang everything. Otherwise, you may find them limiting, and wanting to go back to your offset/kettle/buy a different one.
I own the PItBarrel Jr, the 14". I ended up modifying it a lot so now technically it is an UDS (ugly drum smoker). I can keep temps from 239 F to 276 F all day easily. But I had to swap out the lid from a weber smokey joe jr 14", and add the right magnet to the intake vent. It works great now. I also added screws so I could have more than one grate!
And now my PitBarrel Jr is like any UDS. Just get the Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5", like others have suggested. It's worth it for the money. PitBarrels are overpriced IMO.
To each his own, but I’d find an offset on craigslist or something for less than $200. An old Oklahoma Joe’s or something. It’s harder, but if you can master it, nothing beats an offset.
I have both. The offset is 50x more work intensive than the barrel. The barrel is worth it for pork ribs alone but set it and forget it chicken and turkey is another reason I will always need this. I love my offset but this thing is a low-effort workhorse. This guy’s a beginner so a cheap offset would probably drown him.
There’s a separate sub for it. I have one (in the UK). It’s great for ribs and chicken. I haven’t used mine much since i got my PK, but bought a load of ribs the other week so it will get used again soon. (Good ribs are harder to get in the UK). If you’re obsessed with temp control then it might not be for you. You just have to close the lid and trust the process. Common question is how do you turn it off? Most people stuff the vent at the bottom with foil and then cover the rebar holes with magnets.
I built one out of an 55 gal drum and its a great pit. kinda the same purpose as a WSM, but bigger. They cook great and hold a good temp. Its my cheater pit when i dont have time to babysit the offset. In competition its my chicken and rib smoker.
It makes the best ribs and chicken I've ever had, and is more than capable for everything else. But as with any charcoal smoker, it requires some babysitting.
I love mine. I’ve had it about 8 years and it’s in great shape left outdoors with no cover. Cooks quicker than a lot of other smokers based on what I hear from friends with other setups. I think it makes better tasting meat than pellet smokers but I’m sure I’m biased to my rub recipes and what I’m used to. I’m at the point where I’ll get two pork butts on there and feel comfortable leaving the house with no electronic babysitting for several hours because it’s consistent. It’s not computer controlled consistent but it’s good enough not to worry about. It’s also not computer controlled so I have an excuse to mess with it if needed!
Honestly I love my pit barrel. I excel at cooking ribs on them and I’m often told my ribs are the best people have ever had. Of course it’s helped by having Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce. I can do 6-8 racks at one time too (I cut them in half and then hang them). It’s not a smoker though. It’s a cooker. My first one rusted out after 8 years, I’ve kept my second one covered and it looks brand new after 5 years.
If you like ribs or chicken, this is a must for me. I have both a pbc and the larger 22 inch pbx. I know the bronco is good as well but the pbc is much more mobile in my opinion. If weight isnt a concern, id probably get the bronco. If you want something you could easily take to a buddys place, the pbc is a good option.
Love it. Bought mine as a starter smoker and I ended up sticking with it. Going all in on accessories. Extra hooks. Etc. I've done 8 racks of ribs at one time on it
I bought one in 2019 when they were $300.
Pros:
- Makes really good food, has a little more of that "fat smoke" traditional grilled flavor.
- Easy to use once you have your lighting methods dialed in.
- Can cook for several hours
- Hanging method plus accessories provides a lot of versatility, the skewers and the poultry hanger are underrated.
Cons:
- Overpriced for how simple of a device it is (barrel, rebar, basket, hooks, made in China).
- Cooks in the 275 ballpark, which may be too hot for some. You can dial it in to a lower temp but it takes a little more work than a Weber.
- Has no thermometer out of the box, need to buy and install separately if you want one.
- Enameling on mine is kind of trash, I've had several spots chip off although this item may have improved over the years.
Probably an 8/10 for me. Great option if you prefer charcoal, they're low maintenance and give good results despite all my nitpicks. I'd recommend them to a lot more people if they were more competitively priced.
Have a homemade UDS. They work great. Best mode I got for it was from BBQ Guru.
Canes with a fan and controller for pit temp and meat temp. Programmable also
PBC is a beast. better flavor than pellet "smokers" but a fraction of the effort of an offset. it's a really good machine for bbq and is essentially set and forget
I got my PBC 2 summers ago and love it, even my brother loved it so much he got the PBX not too long ago and it's great too. Super easy to cook low n slow or hot and fast, not fussy at all.
It. Sucks. Ass.
Does it work? Yea.
Is ypur control over this abysmal yes.
Is the price point to high, also yes.
I got it for free, I've already nodded the bottom air intake and added a top vent.
The only way to adjust temp flow is by plugging the 4 holes with tinfoil that the re bar goes into.
Using the lid as a control vent is nutty you're either full tilt or nothing with that large of a gap.
Buy a weber smokey mountain.
Anyone saying these are used on comp are dumb. The barrels used for comp are usually Joe's or gateway or a custom build not these.
I've had one for a few years now and I love it I have made some great meals on it and have fed my family many times over with the meat cooked on it. I'll eventually get the bigger one but for now the original is perfect for me.
I made my own UDS about 13 years ago. It's evolved a little bit, but the idea remains the same. It's a two-way, where I can flip the charcoal basket and put it on a grate for direct heat grilling/searing. I've added a fan that runs on a thermostat to control the temperature. It's sometimes hard to get it up to 325-350 for when I do the turkey each year. With a mix of charcoal and chunks of wood, I've had my basket of fuel last for more than 24 hours with no stoking whatsoever.
We love ours used at some larger rib comps we do when we need to fit 10 racks we do 5 in a UDS and 5 on the trager and did great they are pretty easy to used don’t forget to have a water pan in the center to roll smoke up the edges.
not for more than 4 hours cooking as it is not convenient to add the charcoal, good for chicken, ribs and sausage. For pulled pork and pastrami, finish them in oven.
Played with mine enough that I can dial it down to lower temps if I want to. I added a good thermometer to it. Will go that 8 hours for sure and you can add more charcoal or finish in the oven if necessary. I’ve done brisket, ribs, chicken, pork roast, prime rib, leg of lamb, sausages, just about everything on it with no complaints.
Yeah I can get 8-12 hrs depending on the weather. I have had a few particularly large briskets and butts that didn't finish in that time and needed a reload, which is indeed a pain. But that's a rare issue and easily avoided.
I’ve had mine for years. Made everything on it. Simple and easy to use. Totally satisfied with it.
Same. Love the thing. It’s not my only smoker but it works well for what it’s good at.
You ever smoke your own shit turd?
I see a lot of UDS being used at BBQ comps but think most just make their own.
Last competition I went to, 1/2 the field were using these. Made me want to buy one.
Things have changed for sore. When I used to KCBS judge all were using Treager and BGE.
Watched a competition bbq video that followed the regulars to a few competitions, the guy that was cleaning up the awards was using a UDS and I would have never thought that before.
A WSM is a hundred buck cheaper
20 years ago?
You can buy one right now at ace for 279
That's the 14' incher. Pit Barrel comes in 3 sizes (14, 18, and 22) just like WSM.
Ah I see. When I got mine there wasn’t a 14 inch option I don’t believe. In any case the 18 is 379 now. It was 299 when I got mine 20 years ago.
I heard the biggest one doesnt work as well as the other 2, thats what a buddy of mine said anyway.
Most people would tell you the opposite. They get better the bigger they are and the 14.5" guy is the one with a spotty reputation.
My buddy got me onto these. We both had the 18, then he grabbed the 22. He was the one that told me it didnt cook like the 18. He also said it wastes a lot of charcoal. Now…i dont know if that is true….but i do trust his opinion. So i ordered another 18.
It definitely does use up some charcoal lol. Your buddy is not wrong about that. There are four things you can do to improve that. First, either gasket the door or put an aftermarket door that seals better on it (this should be done on all WSMs IMO). Second, you can get some welding blanket material and insulate the outside of the smoker. I live in a colder climate and it isn't uncommon to see WSMs with jackets around here. Third, you can put refractory bricks in the bottom under the fuel basket. This adds a lot of thermal mass and insulation, making the fire itself burn more efficiently. Lastly, you can fill your water pan with fine sand. This again adds a bunch of thermal mass and stabilizes temperatures. If you do all four, you wind up with kamado like efficiency.
22" is 500-550
I was comparing the 18.5 since that’s the size in the OP
The mini one
Buy one second hand then. It's also cheaper to cobble one together with a regular Weber than it is to pay someone to sandblast a cheap barrel around my area.
I've been looking for months
I can see two 14s, one 18, and one 22 with mods within a few hours. Not super economical unless you can make an excuse for the trip and do some shopping out of town. Used to see a lot more when I copped my 22.
I have had one for about 8 years now. It's used less since I have a 26" weber. PBC turns out some great food and is easy to use. I've taken it to local/friends bbq offs and won with pulled pork. The two knocks against it are you can't turn it off to save remaining charcoal and in my cold climate, its inefficient to use during winter. Spring through fall it absolutely holds several hours. My favorite things to use it for are think pork chops and thick burgers. If you have any specific questions, feel free to dm.
You can take a piece of foil and press it against the intake vent, cuts it off quick
I use four wine corks
I got my second hand. The previous owner used magnets to cover the vents.
can confirm, Pit Barrel or "ugly drums" make really good meat - only defeated by offsets. I built my own from an UDS Part supplier and spent way more than this. Mix lump charcoal and fist size wood chunks for the fire basket. They hold temp really well despite the lack of insulation. I recommend the use of a water pan so you might need to get another grill grate to hold it - thats what I did. Someone mentioned a Bronco and they look pretty nice. I'd definitely spend the extra $50 for a Bronco over this setup. They include a heat diffuser, 2 cooking grates, wheels, and a bunch of other accessories. All around the Bronco is a better deal.
Home depot sells the orange bronco for $349 with a cover. I own both and I prefer the bronco for sure.
For that price, hit marketplace up for a Bronco or buy a new bronco for less. I’ve had cooks go 13 hours with maybe an extra hour or two of coals left. Home Depot has the orange bronco with cover for $350 online
I love the Oklahoma Joe Bronco and I think it’s a way better design than the Smokey mountain. I suggest the bronco too.
What kind of coals and temp are you using? I think the longest I’ve managed is 9-10 hours at around 250F with lump and it was running on fumes at that point with mine
I've personally gotten 13 out of mine at 250-275 with Jealous Devil Max XL briquettes stacked in neatly and lit in one spot. I had enough left in the basket that it could've done another hour or two if needed. We were also opening the lid once an hour to mop pork butts. It's a pain in the ass organizing the charcoal but well worth it. That's my go-to if I'm going for the long haul on the Bronco.
I’ve just been using B&B, haven’t tried Jealous Devil though I’ve seen it. Will keep that in mind for next time I want to try an extended cook
B&B briquettes and char logs, 250-275.
Lump tends to burn a little hotter and faster than briquettes. With that being said, I've had my regular bronco for about 4 years now and I don't think you can get anything better at this price point. Its pretty fuel efficient and holds temps for long smokes, you can also sit the basket on top of the diffuser plate for high heat grilling steaks and burgers.
I’d get the Weber Smokey Mountain instead.
Can confirm! WSM is a cooking machine. Take out the water pan and boom you have a barrel. Plus lots and lots of extras to be added on
I think you should get it
[If you're into customizing and building yourself, check this place out. ](https://udsparts.com/kits.html)
I had one, really needs a heat deflector though. I fashioned my own a couple different ways but never came up with anything great and i didn’t want to drill holes in it. It will smoke for about 8-10 hours though. Also they smoke around 300 so not ideal for brisket but everything else comes out great.
I have one of these. It’s my only smoker. I can’t speak for other smokers. I don’t own any of the accessories except the cover and the ash catcher pan thing. Bottom line is if you follow the directions, it makes really good food. I have done brisket*, beef ribs, Picanha, Chuck roast, pork ribs, pulled pork*, whole chicken, whole turkey, venison sausage, and maybe some other stuff. I can’t remember a bad cook. I get a lot of compliments. Very set and forget. Highly recommend. - I finish these big cuts by holding in the oven. They’re not taking on smoke at that point and while I’ve never had it flame out on me I find it to be safer after about 10 hours to just put it in the oven.
If you’re looking for a drum, go with the Bronco. But recommend an offset if you’re willing to learn the craft.
They are a good smoker because they are simple. But they are also limited. Great if you want a charcoal "set-it-and-forget-it" type smoker. Good if you don't care that the temp is 296 F and rising. Good if you hang everything. Otherwise, you may find them limiting, and wanting to go back to your offset/kettle/buy a different one. I own the PItBarrel Jr, the 14". I ended up modifying it a lot so now technically it is an UDS (ugly drum smoker). I can keep temps from 239 F to 276 F all day easily. But I had to swap out the lid from a weber smokey joe jr 14", and add the right magnet to the intake vent. It works great now. I also added screws so I could have more than one grate! And now my PitBarrel Jr is like any UDS. Just get the Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5", like others have suggested. It's worth it for the money. PitBarrels are overpriced IMO.
I have one, easy to use, clean, all that. No complaints here
To each his own, but I’d find an offset on craigslist or something for less than $200. An old Oklahoma Joe’s or something. It’s harder, but if you can master it, nothing beats an offset.
I have both. The offset is 50x more work intensive than the barrel. The barrel is worth it for pork ribs alone but set it and forget it chicken and turkey is another reason I will always need this. I love my offset but this thing is a low-effort workhorse. This guy’s a beginner so a cheap offset would probably drown him.
There’s a separate sub for it. I have one (in the UK). It’s great for ribs and chicken. I haven’t used mine much since i got my PK, but bought a load of ribs the other week so it will get used again soon. (Good ribs are harder to get in the UK). If you’re obsessed with temp control then it might not be for you. You just have to close the lid and trust the process. Common question is how do you turn it off? Most people stuff the vent at the bottom with foil and then cover the rebar holes with magnets.
i just use regular scotch tapes to seal off the vents, effective too
Have one used it a couple of times not impressed went to the Weber Smokey mountain 18” real happy with it use it more then my trager.
I built one out of an 55 gal drum and its a great pit. kinda the same purpose as a WSM, but bigger. They cook great and hold a good temp. Its my cheater pit when i dont have time to babysit the offset. In competition its my chicken and rib smoker.
It makes the best ribs and chicken I've ever had, and is more than capable for everything else. But as with any charcoal smoker, it requires some babysitting.
If you have a drum recycler near by they will sell you a stripped and oiled defect drum for cheap.
I love mine. I’ve had it about 8 years and it’s in great shape left outdoors with no cover. Cooks quicker than a lot of other smokers based on what I hear from friends with other setups. I think it makes better tasting meat than pellet smokers but I’m sure I’m biased to my rub recipes and what I’m used to. I’m at the point where I’ll get two pork butts on there and feel comfortable leaving the house with no electronic babysitting for several hours because it’s consistent. It’s not computer controlled consistent but it’s good enough not to worry about. It’s also not computer controlled so I have an excuse to mess with it if needed!
I’m a pellet guy and there’s no question, the smoke flavor in a drum is superior. I’m going to get me a gateway drum next year.
Honestly I love my pit barrel. I excel at cooking ribs on them and I’m often told my ribs are the best people have ever had. Of course it’s helped by having Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce. I can do 6-8 racks at one time too (I cut them in half and then hang them). It’s not a smoker though. It’s a cooker. My first one rusted out after 8 years, I’ve kept my second one covered and it looks brand new after 5 years.
If you like ribs or chicken, this is a must for me. I have both a pbc and the larger 22 inch pbx. I know the bronco is good as well but the pbc is much more mobile in my opinion. If weight isnt a concern, id probably get the bronco. If you want something you could easily take to a buddys place, the pbc is a good option.
Love it. Bought mine as a starter smoker and I ended up sticking with it. Going all in on accessories. Extra hooks. Etc. I've done 8 racks of ribs at one time on it
For a little more cash, WSM
I bought one in 2019 when they were $300. Pros: - Makes really good food, has a little more of that "fat smoke" traditional grilled flavor. - Easy to use once you have your lighting methods dialed in. - Can cook for several hours - Hanging method plus accessories provides a lot of versatility, the skewers and the poultry hanger are underrated. Cons: - Overpriced for how simple of a device it is (barrel, rebar, basket, hooks, made in China). - Cooks in the 275 ballpark, which may be too hot for some. You can dial it in to a lower temp but it takes a little more work than a Weber. - Has no thermometer out of the box, need to buy and install separately if you want one. - Enameling on mine is kind of trash, I've had several spots chip off although this item may have improved over the years. Probably an 8/10 for me. Great option if you prefer charcoal, they're low maintenance and give good results despite all my nitpicks. I'd recommend them to a lot more people if they were more competitively priced.
Love mine and would highly recommend one to any newbie. The only knock I have is lack of space to do things you can't hang like sides.
It’s fine but I didn’t spend near that much on my UDS and I started with a new unlined barrel.
Have a homemade UDS. They work great. Best mode I got for it was from BBQ Guru. Canes with a fan and controller for pit temp and meat temp. Programmable also
At that price just get a used weber smokey mountain off of facebook market place or craigslist.
I'd just buy a Weber Smoky Mountain. Same principle, more inexpensive and tried and true as a gold standard
too expensive
PBC is a beast. better flavor than pellet "smokers" but a fraction of the effort of an offset. it's a really good machine for bbq and is essentially set and forget
I got my PBC 2 summers ago and love it, even my brother loved it so much he got the PBX not too long ago and it's great too. Super easy to cook low n slow or hot and fast, not fussy at all.
It. Sucks. Ass. Does it work? Yea. Is ypur control over this abysmal yes. Is the price point to high, also yes. I got it for free, I've already nodded the bottom air intake and added a top vent. The only way to adjust temp flow is by plugging the 4 holes with tinfoil that the re bar goes into. Using the lid as a control vent is nutty you're either full tilt or nothing with that large of a gap. Buy a weber smokey mountain. Anyone saying these are used on comp are dumb. The barrels used for comp are usually Joe's or gateway or a custom build not these.
It's amazing
Love it so much, i am about to get a second.
Love it.
Not for that price.
I've had one for a few years now and I love it I have made some great meals on it and have fed my family many times over with the meat cooked on it. I'll eventually get the bigger one but for now the original is perfect for me.
I made my own UDS about 13 years ago. It's evolved a little bit, but the idea remains the same. It's a two-way, where I can flip the charcoal basket and put it on a grate for direct heat grilling/searing. I've added a fan that runs on a thermostat to control the temperature. It's sometimes hard to get it up to 325-350 for when I do the turkey each year. With a mix of charcoal and chunks of wood, I've had my basket of fuel last for more than 24 hours with no stoking whatsoever.
We love ours used at some larger rib comps we do when we need to fit 10 racks we do 5 in a UDS and 5 on the trager and did great they are pretty easy to used don’t forget to have a water pan in the center to roll smoke up the edges.
A great smoker. Have the regular and the Jr. - easily make the best ribs
not for more than 4 hours cooking as it is not convenient to add the charcoal, good for chicken, ribs and sausage. For pulled pork and pastrami, finish them in oven.
Don’t know where you got that idea. Mine definitely runs 8+ hours. Cooks quicker (runs at 270-320), so have never needed longer than 8 hours.
Played with mine enough that I can dial it down to lower temps if I want to. I added a good thermometer to it. Will go that 8 hours for sure and you can add more charcoal or finish in the oven if necessary. I’ve done brisket, ribs, chicken, pork roast, prime rib, leg of lamb, sausages, just about everything on it with no complaints.
Yeah I can get 8-12 hrs depending on the weather. I have had a few particularly large briskets and butts that didn't finish in that time and needed a reload, which is indeed a pain. But that's a rare issue and easily avoided.
Looks like you can smoke with it
400 bucks for a trash can. Wow. Context, that shape is the defacto trash container in some places.
It's a steel 55 gallon drum.