Thanks for watching folks. We enjoy sharing a bit of our life outside the shop with you 😊 -Eric & Vanessa O. -Pit Barrel Cooker Classic Package - 18.5 Inch Drum Smoker: amzn.to/3K8wjbT
You can never tell one day an old long haired country boy on an old 57 Indian Scout chopper may roll up to your shop from Kentucky expecting a good meal from the pit barrel. My mouths watering now.
I know that I can fix cars because, “remember viewers if I can do it, you can do it” but cooking…..lol I cherish both channels! Good to see quality sensible people living the good life, JMJ!! I will continue to watch wrenches and spatulas! Cheers
You look to be living the dream Erik! Love the content and, so does my wife. Can really tell you guys are still in love after all those years. To many more ribeye dinners 👌
I think the comments about getting the coals and grate closer together are spot on. On a side note, my mom had the same set of dishes that you were using. Brought back some fond memories.
Thanks for showing the family lifestyle.nice to see something a little off the beating path every once in a while. But it doesn't compare to the top of the line shop videos. Enjoy the day.
I'm sure you have thought of this. Couldn't you rase the fire closer to the top, use less fuel and have more control over hot spots? AKA a second grate that fits the pit to hold the coal higher up. Keep it up my good sir. nice job on the lift by the way.
Yeah, there are suppoorts for sticking a grate about half way down. That should work, assuming another grate can be sourced and stuck in. Charcoal baskets may help, or you could do the half moon thing to have an indirect heat area.
Eric, here is what i do on a weber kettle since you asked the question. I do on mine is a full chimney( the taller weber one) in a pile on one side of the grill and i also add more on top and let it get lit so i have an absolutely ripping fire on about 1/3 of the grill surface and the rest i leave with no coals. I do it this way so i can sear over that ripping fire and then move the steaks over to the cool side to let them cook over indirect heat with the lid on. Lots of vids here on the youtubes that show that method, it works. Im a big fan of the weber kettle, been cooking on them both as a grill and low and slow for years. This winter I finally got myself a fan controller for it for low and slow and its freaking amazing.
You'll want a Webber for better searing. I'll pour the chimney out on one side, and use that side to sear, then move the food to the other side and cover for the indirect heat to finish up cooking. Always the right tool for the job.
Yep... As nice as the pit barrel cooker is and im sure its great for large cooks a weber kettle is hard to beat for versatility. I use mine for grilling and smoking all the time. Paired with a smoke-n-sear it smokes great and i also got a rotisserie spit and a rib-o-lator for mine and its awesome for things like chicken thighs and ribs. Just last night i cooked a rib roast on the spit and it was incredible.
I use my Weber with indirect cooking, a soup can of water and a full tall chimney of charcoal to do pork tenderloins. The *only* way I'll cook them. Comes out amazing. Real hardwood charcoal for the win.
Interesting experiment. Perhaps using 3 cinder blocks to raise the fire basket up would give the result your looking for. 15 to 20 inches above the fire is where you want to be, definitely not almost 30. Still worked pretty well! Looking like a nice 130 to 135 internal medium rare steak...Malcolm style 👌.
When I wanted to use barrel as a grill, I drilled a couple of holes higher up in the barrel and ran the rebar that is used to hand food from the top through those new, higher from the bottom of the barrel, holes. Then, I put the coal basket on the raised rebar (bringing the heat source higher up). That brought the coals closer to whatever was being grilled. Thereafter, the cooking experience that was much closer, almost identical to that of a traditional charcoal grill.
Great job, here's my idea, put charcoal on one side and cook rack down low, sear steaks on hot side and finish them on opposite sides, good luck and enjoy. Cheers from Jacksonville Florida 🌞
The pit barrel for a grill works best with cord wood. I call it hobo cooking but hey it works, gets hot without modifying anything plus it cleans all the greasy bits off the sides between smokes. Charcoal works great for the low and slow but for that fast heat… it’s wood for me. As always, great content on both channels yall!
We just grilled out today! Had some boogers and dogs. My dad back in the day would use his smoker for grilling. He's still got that thing after 20 some odd years.
Years ago in the mid '80's, I had an old 1978 Ford. The truck had two tail gates. The regular one for hauling, and one that i turned into a grill with extra sheet metal covering the interior of the outer panel. then it had a removable hand welded grate to set into the inner face of the gate. it worked by loading a single layer of small crushed charcoal into that sheet metal plate, setting the grill grate in place and cooking the meat as usual. Deer hunting rig for myself and buddies. Cooked lots of meals on it while hunting. People who saw it for the first time would think the bed was on fire. God I miss that truck, heck I miss hunting at my age.
I don't have that style of smoker now but I used to and we used it as a grill several times over the years. We have a "regular" barrel smoker now and it also doubles as a grill and does a great job at each style of cooking.
My PBC doesn't have a lower rack that I'm seeing. But I grabbed my second grill grate, put the coal basket on top of that grill grate, filled the chimney, and put a small amount of coals (so one side full, one side empty), then used the bars on top of the PBC to hold my other grill grate. Worked like a charm. Kind of hackie... but can't argue with the results ;). Great sear and less coals.
Mrs. O is very lucky to have Mr. O who can cook as well as be a highly skilled vehicle repair person. I wonder if can grill/smoke deer meat in that cooker you have?
The pit barrel has its place and it does great for many things. I grew up using stick burners and charcoal grills. If I could offer up a recommendation based on experience is I would look into a RecTeq. I own the RT700 and I love it. Wi-fi controlled, two separate temp probes, and the app has temp alarms, graphing of the time and temp, and hands down the best customer service out there. I smoke on mine, grill, and bake on it. I am known for my pound cakes, and people flip out when they find out it was baked on a pellet grill. Their PID controller ultimately locks in on the desired temperature you select and it holds it. They have tons of videos here on YT, and have a big presence on Social Media. 10/10 highly recommend!
You are LOVING those Sam Adams Octoberfest beers. I caught you in the last few videos! But I can't blame you... Octoberfest beers are by far my FAVORITE seasonal beer. I also love ribeye steaks, but I cook them MUCH closer to the coals initially for searing purposes and then toss them to the other side of the grate for indirect finishing. But you did great, Mr. O!
Been watching a few of your videos but my thing is outdoor grilling. The closest to a jack of all trades is a pellet grill, Traeger is probably the most popular. I'm well aware that Weber makes a pellet griller but its initial offering was plagued with issues. The problem with cooking steaks is you need a 700° F or higher heat source to properly fast sear your steak. The problem with some people not understanding that temperature is they season their steak and then sear it. Instead You want to sear it and then season it and cook it on a grill that's 500° F. At only 500° F cook and a 1-in steak: 1.5 minutes, turn 90°, 1.5 minutes, then flip and cook to the desired temperature. Medium rare. That's generally an additional 1.5 to 2 minutes. If you have a grill that can achieve 700° F then reduce that initial time by roughly half on the one side and then cook at a 500° F part of the grill to temperature. It's a fast process. I normally get my hamburgers done and roughly 3-4 minutes, but only cook them at 500° F. You need to invest in a good, fast temperature probe e.g. Thermapen One. The Big Green Egg is very good Kamado style grill and there's nothing bad about it. There's all sorts of accessories for it and it's considered one of the finest of its type. There are others including Weber's Summit Kamado but if you're going to spend that much I get the Big Green Egg. Personally, I have several grills and for steaks, I prefer a grill that has an infrared grilling section. You're cooking steaks and hamburgers in a matter of mere minutes, and if you're using your grill essentially as an oven then I would buy something with propane or gas. I realize you're out in the country, but I would assume buried propane tanks or above ground propane tanks are a normal fixture.
Depending on what I am cooking, I fill the "Larger" chimney and pour it just like you did. Hot zone and cold zone. I cook on my webber kettle 22.5 and when I pull out a WSM and use it just like your Pit Barrel. I do use both grates at lower location and the upper location when I need it. Upper rack Is used for dogs and sausage and sides. It gets hot up there but no searing as the coals are to far down. I did 6 ribeyes and potatoes, hot dogs and corn on the upper rack with 1 chimney of kingford recently. I also shut all the vents when I am done cooking, saves quite a bit of good briquets. Just shake the ash free.
Loving every minute of this behind the workplace iconic personalities of you and Vanessa. Your talents run deep, cool, steak looked great, wish I had smell-o-vision! Thanks for the share and thoughts behind grilling with a deep grill. ☮️❤️🇺🇸
Weber kettle with char baskets is your best economy grilling option. Can pick them up used for $50. Make sure to get premium with ash bucket. Indirect then move inches over the hot coals to finish sear. Enjoying your videos E & V!
Oh my God we used to have the same plates when I was growing up as a young boy that is funny those are some of the best CorningWare plates we've ever had good times love in the videos even after hours just as good as the shop time
Hey Eric. Maybe make a grate to allow you to put the charcoal on the lower level grate holder or buy an additional cooking grid and use that as the charcoal grate at that height. Just an idea. Thanks for sharing!!
I have a 22" Weber Kettle grill and use the Weber tall chimney. The tall chimney holds about 4 pounds of natural charcoal, this is the amount I use for grilling. Have you grilled any fresh sweet corn on the cob still in the husk yet? It really is good grilled that way. You can also take a whole Vidalia onion and cut it kind of the way you would make a blooming onion. Put several pats of real butter in the slits with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper and wrap it in aluminum foil and cook it on the grill until it is soft and tender. It's almost like a buttery candy because the Vidalia is so sweet.
A simple modification would make it into a much easier to use as as a grill. Drill a set of three holes at the optimal distance for the coals to be away from the grilling surface on top without having to use a ton of charcoal, insert the rebar you already use, set the coal tray on the rebar.
i dont have a PBC but think you might try lump charcoal instead of briquets. i had barrel smoker with an offset firebox. tried just wood and then just charcoal briquets. found that adding wood for smoke and briquets for even heat it seemed to work well and produce even temps for cooking. i could use the firebox as a grill too. just a thot, with your welding skills it wouldnt take much for you to build a small barrel grill just for grilling. I've noticed that when it comes to your 'after hours' videos and you need to use both hands for cooking, shooting, etc you wife does a great job with the camera and put you in the spotlight. that said its real nice to see her included in what you do off the job. you 2 are TH-cam stars now........enjoy it. we'll keep watching everything you are doing, its a lot better than TV......... hope you have a good meat source upstate........steaks looked pretty good
Eric I have to tell you I went from charol to a pit boss pellet smoker grill and I love it it's the best of both worlds you can grill or smoke I cooked steak today and tomorrow we are doing the hole deal rib,s pulled pork burgers and chicken and you can get about any flavor pellet s
I'd recommend a Weber kettle. You can build a hot fire with a ton of charcoal and when the steaks are done you can close all the vents and put the lid on to extinguish the fire. You can then relight the leftover briquettes for your next cook. Efficiency!
Years ago I made a barrel grill/smoker similar to the pit Barrel cooker. Made mine so that the coal pan could be higher up/closer to the top rack for searing steaks. Worked good. Have a kamado now but pondering making a barrel cooker again. Keep the content coming Eric. Really like this channel 👍
Metal garbage can upside down in the bottom of the pit barrel, then put the charcoal tray on top of that. Moving the fire up closer to the cooking surface. Still lets the air in from the bottom beautifully, and you now have a fully functional grille.
Love this channel, too! I'm a grilling guy. Mini-vacation every weekend. ;) Using a Weber with bricks. I've done Turkey with indirect heat. 8 coals per hour, etc. Once you sear, it's always good to cook slowly. Then check internal temp. Once you hit that, then remove from heat and let sit for 15-20 mins. A 16 lbs bag of Kingsford lasts 4-5 BBQs (steaks, lamb, or chicken direct heat).
Indirect grilling (on Weber charcoal grill) is my favorite way to grill steaks,and you can get a great (reverse) sear. Cook to 110-120 indirectly, then sear right over the coals. Thanks for the videos!
It’s one of those thing’s, Hard Sayin, not Knowing! Good video! Oh by the way, I received a message from TH-cam, it looks like it’s from you. It stated I was on the short list for a prize. I made a comment on your lift rebuild. What say you? Red Ram Gloves will work for the heat…
You would have to plug the holes for smoking though. That could be done with magnets as long a the magnets don't go over their Curie temp, where they lose magnetism. The inventor, his name is Noah, went through over 50 designs to come up with one that ran at around 275F without hot or cold spikes.
I don’t want to sound like a grillin’, smokin’, bakin’ snob but when you feel the need to purchase your next and last cooker, might I recommend a Stainless Hasty Bake, made right here in Tulsa! OK, Nuff said😂 keep up the great work!
Definitely need to raise your fire basket up. try using some rebar hooks to bring it to wihin 8-10 inches of the grill surface. adjust your briquet amount accordingly to make it hotter or cooler depanding on how much you are cooking. almost a whole bag to cook 2 steaks is way to expensive. the barrel is acting as a venturi to draw in cooler air from the outside and diluting your heat. to compensate you need to raise the grill surface to achieve more heat and get that steak char that make it so flavorful. just some rebar hooked over the rim and with another hook at the bottom on four sides of your coal basket would really make that cooker into a grill. great video as always.... .
I used to use the cover on the Weber grill to get the cooking grate hot. If you can move the coal grate up so it's a bit closer to the cooking grate, it would probably work better and you'd need less briquettes. I also liked to use real charcoal, not briquettes, but that's just me. I use propane now for convenience. You can still flavor gas with wood.
You're a man of many talents. Make some alterations to the inside so you can lift the charcoal basket higher and use less charcoal. Trial and error buddy, trial and error.
Take that basket to work and weld 3 J hooks around the top with the hook at the top. Make 3 light chains with hooks that will hook over the top of the barrel and the other end of the chain on the basket J hooks. Measure where you want the basket for grilling and make chain length accordingly.
I didn't read all of the comments, but I was thinking of using the meat hooks attached to the rebar and hanging the fire basket from them and then setting the grate on top of the rebar might work. Or a set of custom hooks if needed to get the fire basket closer or further away. Or a $25 grill from Lowe's for dinners for two.
I remember back in the 70s we had these little hibachis and they’re great for a small family or one person and they’d be really good for grilling a little steak or two but we had seven kids in the family so it was a tight squeeze, but I would like one now and the ones in Walmart are a little too big. It defeats the whole purpose. The little ones are perfect for shish kebabs and you save charcoal
I agree with everyone else. Bring the fire up. For the best seer you need at least 800 degrees or when you can hold your hand there for less than a second.(flash off knuckle hairs) Try patting meat dry then a light pat with oil before seasoning. this helps with the maillard reaction. Don't forget the half turn on each side for showmanship. A pat of garlic butter while resting can also give it that extra touch. Just did some Friday evening. Kids asked why I have so many grills. One for when it is just me. One for when I have a guest over. One for when all you kids come over.(most used.) one for when everyone finds out I am grilling butterfly deer steaks.(largest one) and don't forget the smoker. Have you ever done a rear deer quarter on the smoker yet. They are awesome.
Some great suggestions provided by others. The only thing that I think might help would be to use the lump charcoal instead of the Kingsford briquettes. The lump charcoal burns hotter and it just might be what's needed to better sear those steaks - and more importantly, keep Mrs. O happy with a steak that's cooked-through a bit more. :) Thanks for sharing.
Great experiment. What if you had a second grill grate a the middle level and put the coals there? Keep the cooking grate at the top and the fire will be directly under the food. Just an idea...
If your not going with a regular weber kettle try raising your charcoal, buy another rack for it to sit on. On one of my kettles I use a mound of charcoal then a cast iron pan to sear and get the maillard reaction.
Thanks for watching folks. We enjoy sharing a bit of our life outside the shop with you 😊
-Eric & Vanessa O.
-Pit Barrel Cooker Classic Package - 18.5 Inch Drum Smoker: amzn.to/3K8wjbT
You can never tell one day an old long haired country boy on an old 57 Indian Scout chopper may roll up to your shop from Kentucky expecting a good meal from the pit barrel. My mouths watering now.
Is there any way you can move the charcoal tray up a notch or two?
Maybe with the lid on the heat would be more consecrated, like a Weber or green egg!
Love misses O’s shirt!
Also love the video!
I'm jealous Mr.O. I used to have nice house and wife and dog to enjoy evenings like that. House was sold, dog died and wife gone. Sure miss that dog.
🤣 that's so wrong haha
Sounds like the beginning of a country song
Lol 😆
@@jeremymckinna6804
Reminded me of the song, I'm gonna miss her.
@@jeremymckinna6804 that’s what I came to say.. haha
Eric and Vanessa are blessed to have each other, they are two very kind people. We are fortunate to be able to enjoy what they share with us.
“And remember folks, if I can grill it, you can grill it.”
To grill in my pit barrel, I raise the charcoal basket and ash tray up on fire bricks. 👌 Love this channel.
I know that I can fix cars because, “remember viewers if I can do it, you can do it” but cooking…..lol I cherish both channels! Good to see quality sensible people living the good life, JMJ!! I will continue to watch wrenches and spatulas! Cheers
You look to be living the dream Erik! Love the content and, so does my wife. Can really tell you guys are still in love after all those years. To many more ribeye dinners 👌
Much agreed! You guys are awesome 👌
Glad to see your out of the shop enjoying time with the Wife.
That’s how to enjoy life.
I think the comments about getting the coals and grate closer together are spot on. On a side note, my mom had the same set of dishes that you were using. Brought back some fond memories.
I use a cinder block to elevate the charcoal basket. Works great.
Thanks for showing the family lifestyle.nice to see something a little off the beating path every once in a while. But it doesn't compare to the top of the line shop videos. Enjoy the day.
I'm sure you have thought of this. Couldn't you rase the fire closer to the top, use less fuel and have more control over hot spots? AKA a second grate that fits the pit to hold the coal higher up. Keep it up my good sir. nice job on the lift by the way.
As long as there's enough space for the coal basket to fit between the grates that's an excellent idea.
Yeah, there are suppoorts for sticking a grate about half way down. That should work, assuming another grate can be sourced and stuck in. Charcoal baskets may help, or you could do the half moon thing to have an indirect heat area.
Also with the above do you have a lid/cover to maintain your heat in the cooker ?
@@DevileInside in
I would suggest using some rebar’s that would hang from the top rebar set at a reasonable height to set the coal basket on.
Pretty sure you guys deserve a slot right on Netflix or something. Way too cool of a couple! Always left in awwe! Thanks for sharing!
Looks great Eric. Mouth watering here. Looks like a nice quite dinner no kids. Enjoy.
Really enjoying the after hours videos!! Always learning something when watching you, Eric O.
Hey eric o and mrs o. thanks for letting us into your after shop life. loves the friendly shooting competition. really fun to watch these videos.
Eric, here is what i do on a weber kettle since you asked the question. I do on mine is a full chimney( the taller weber one) in a pile on one side of the grill and i also add more on top and let it get lit so i have an absolutely ripping fire on about 1/3 of the grill surface and the rest i leave with no coals. I do it this way so i can sear over that ripping fire and then move the steaks over to the cool side to let them cook over indirect heat with the lid on. Lots of vids here on the youtubes that show that method, it works.
Im a big fan of the weber kettle, been cooking on them both as a grill and low and slow for years. This winter I finally got myself a fan controller for it for low and slow and its freaking amazing.
You did everything perfectly! Love the Home Videos. Keep them coming!
The more I watch this the more I want one of those things. BTW, Love the shirt Mrs. O.
You'll want a Webber for better searing. I'll pour the chimney out on one side, and use that side to sear, then move the food to the other side and cover for the indirect heat to finish up cooking. Always the right tool for the job.
Yep...
As nice as the pit barrel cooker is and im sure its great for large cooks a weber kettle is hard to beat for versatility. I use mine for grilling and smoking all the time. Paired with a smoke-n-sear it smokes great and i also got a rotisserie spit and a rib-o-lator for mine and its awesome for things like chicken thighs and ribs.
Just last night i cooked a rib roast on the spit and it was incredible.
I use my Weber with indirect cooking, a soup can of water and a full tall chimney of charcoal to do pork tenderloins. The *only* way I'll cook them. Comes out amazing. Real hardwood charcoal for the win.
Interesting experiment. Perhaps using 3 cinder blocks to raise the fire basket up would give the result your looking for. 15 to 20 inches above the fire is where you want to be, definitely not almost 30. Still worked pretty well! Looking like a nice 130 to 135 internal medium rare steak...Malcolm style 👌.
I noticed the mid level rack point, will the burner rack fit on that level? Or, whip out the welder and a couple of cleats to hold the burner rack.
Here in NZ there is a product called grate mates which allows you to lower your grate or raise the basket to get more of a hot and fast cooking
When I wanted to use barrel as a grill, I drilled a couple of holes higher up in the barrel and ran the rebar that is used to hand food from the top through those new, higher from the bottom of the barrel, holes. Then, I put the coal basket on the raised rebar (bringing the heat source higher up). That brought the coals closer to whatever was being grilled. Thereafter, the cooking experience that was much closer, almost identical to that of a traditional charcoal grill.
Great job, here's my idea, put charcoal on one side and cook rack down low, sear steaks on hot side and finish them on opposite sides, good luck and enjoy. Cheers from Jacksonville Florida 🌞
The pit barrel for a grill works best with cord wood. I call it hobo cooking but hey it works, gets hot without modifying anything plus it cleans all the greasy bits off the sides between smokes. Charcoal works great for the low and slow but for that fast heat… it’s wood for me. As always, great content on both channels yall!
Your homestead is beautiful . thanks for sharing .. Your doggy is awesome and Vanessa is lovely
We just grilled out today! Had some boogers and dogs. My dad back in the day would use his smoker for grilling. He's still got that thing after 20 some odd years.
Years ago in the mid '80's, I had an old 1978 Ford. The truck had two tail gates. The regular one for hauling, and one that i turned into a grill with extra sheet metal covering the interior of the outer panel. then it had a removable hand welded grate to set into the inner face of the gate. it worked by loading a single layer of small crushed charcoal into that sheet metal plate, setting the grill grate in place and cooking the meat as usual. Deer hunting rig for myself and buddies. Cooked lots of meals on it while hunting. People who saw it for the first time would think the bed was on fire. God I miss that truck, heck I miss hunting at my age.
Man , that's a cool idea!!
I don't have that style of smoker now but I used to and we used it as a grill several times over the years.
We have a "regular" barrel smoker now and it also doubles as a grill and does a great job at each style of cooking.
Love the shirt Mrs. O.
your making me hungry with all the cooking videos, but i still love em
My PBC doesn't have a lower rack that I'm seeing. But I grabbed my second grill grate, put the coal basket on top of that grill grate, filled the chimney, and put a small amount of coals (so one side full, one side empty), then used the bars on top of the PBC to hold my other grill grate. Worked like a charm. Kind of hackie... but can't argue with the results ;). Great sear and less coals.
Hey! Eric! Hope you have a good labor day! Vanessa's shirt is awesome!
Mrs. O is very lucky to have Mr. O who can cook as well as be a highly skilled vehicle repair person. I wonder if can grill/smoke deer meat in that cooker you have?
Maybe try raising the fire basket and adding a diffuser.
I’m thinking to get one. Appreciate your vids. Thank you
The pit barrel has its place and it does great for many things. I grew up using stick burners and charcoal grills. If I could offer up a recommendation based on experience is I would look into a RecTeq. I own the RT700 and I love it. Wi-fi controlled, two separate temp probes, and the app has temp alarms, graphing of the time and temp, and hands down the best customer service out there. I smoke on mine, grill, and bake on it. I am known for my pound cakes, and people flip out when they find out it was baked on a pellet grill. Their PID controller ultimately locks in on the desired temperature you select and it holds it. They have tons of videos here on YT, and have a big presence on Social Media. 10/10 highly recommend!
Thanks for the video as always. Beautiful bucks on the wall Eric.
Thanks 👍
Awesome shirt Mrs O.
God continue blessing you all in JESUS precious name.
You are LOVING those Sam Adams Octoberfest beers. I caught you in the last few videos! But I can't blame you... Octoberfest beers are by far my FAVORITE seasonal beer. I also love ribeye steaks, but I cook them MUCH closer to the coals initially for searing purposes and then toss them to the other side of the grate for indirect finishing. But you did great, Mr. O!
Really like Mrs. Os shirt! Y’all have a great Labor Day weekend
I love your videos. Whether in the shop or after hours. I also love Mrs.o’s shirt and agree with it
During lockdown he had a couple live shows that really helped me get through it
Love Mrs. O’s shirt!
Been watching a few of your videos but my thing is outdoor grilling. The closest to a jack of all trades is a pellet grill, Traeger is probably the most popular. I'm well aware that Weber makes a pellet griller but its initial offering was plagued with issues.
The problem with cooking steaks is you need a 700° F or higher heat source to properly fast sear your steak. The problem with some people not understanding that temperature is they season their steak and then sear it. Instead You want to sear it and then season it and cook it on a grill that's 500° F.
At only 500° F cook and a 1-in steak: 1.5 minutes, turn 90°, 1.5 minutes, then flip and cook to the desired temperature. Medium rare. That's generally an additional 1.5 to 2 minutes. If you have a grill that can achieve 700° F then reduce that initial time by roughly half on the one side and then cook at a 500° F part of the grill to temperature. It's a fast process. I normally get my hamburgers done and roughly 3-4 minutes, but only cook them at 500° F. You need to invest in a good, fast temperature probe e.g. Thermapen One.
The Big Green Egg is very good Kamado style grill and there's nothing bad about it. There's all sorts of accessories for it and it's considered one of the finest of its type. There are others including Weber's Summit Kamado but if you're going to spend that much I get the Big Green Egg.
Personally, I have several grills and for steaks, I prefer a grill that has an infrared grilling section. You're cooking steaks and hamburgers in a matter of mere minutes, and if you're using your grill essentially as an oven then I would buy something with propane or gas. I realize you're out in the country, but I would assume buried propane tanks or above ground propane tanks are a normal fixture.
Depending on what I am cooking, I fill the "Larger" chimney and pour it just like you did. Hot zone and cold zone. I cook on my webber kettle 22.5 and when I pull out a WSM and use it just like your Pit Barrel. I do use both grates at lower location and the upper location when I need it. Upper rack Is used for dogs and sausage and sides. It gets hot up there but no searing as the coals are to far down. I did 6 ribeyes and potatoes, hot dogs and corn on the upper rack with 1 chimney of kingford recently. I also shut all the vents when I am done cooking, saves quite a bit of good briquets. Just shake the ash free.
Loving every minute of this behind the workplace iconic personalities of you and Vanessa. Your talents run deep, cool, steak looked great, wish I had smell-o-vision! Thanks for the share and thoughts behind grilling with a deep grill. ☮️❤️🇺🇸
Weber kettle with char baskets is your best economy grilling option. Can pick them up used for $50. Make sure to get premium with ash bucket. Indirect then move inches over the hot coals to finish sear. Enjoying your videos E & V!
Thanks Eric, it’s 10 pm and now I’m starving
Oh my God we used to have the same plates when I was growing up as a young boy that is funny those are some of the best CorningWare plates we've ever had good times love in the videos even after hours just as good as the shop time
I use a larger chimney and only a small amount of extra charcoal in the grill. I also use natural lump charcoal so some of the pieces are larger.
Hey Eric. Maybe make a grate to allow you to put the charcoal on the lower level grate holder or buy an additional cooking grid and use that as the charcoal grate at that height. Just an idea. Thanks for sharing!!
I said it a little different above, but still the same idea. 👍
Love Mrs. O's T-shirt! Wish you guys were my neighbors!
I have a 22" Weber Kettle grill and use the Weber tall chimney. The tall chimney holds about 4 pounds of natural charcoal, this is the amount I use for grilling. Have you grilled any fresh sweet corn on the cob still in the husk yet? It really is good grilled that way. You can also take a whole Vidalia onion and cut it kind of the way you would make a blooming onion. Put several pats of real butter in the slits with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper and wrap it in aluminum foil and cook it on the grill until it is soft and tender. It's almost like a buttery candy because the Vidalia is so sweet.
A simple modification would make it into a much easier to use as as a grill. Drill a set of three holes at the optimal distance for the coals to be away from the grilling surface on top without having to use a ton of charcoal, insert the rebar you already use, set the coal tray on the rebar.
NICE TO SEE YOU TAKING A BREAK!!
i dont have a PBC but think you might try lump charcoal instead of briquets. i had barrel smoker with an offset firebox. tried just wood and then just charcoal briquets. found that adding wood for smoke and briquets for even heat it seemed to work well and produce even temps for cooking. i could use the firebox as a grill too.
just a thot, with your welding skills it wouldnt take much for you to build a small barrel grill just for grilling. I've noticed that when it comes to your 'after hours' videos and you need to use both hands for cooking, shooting, etc you wife does a great job with the camera and put you in the spotlight. that said its real nice to see her included in what you do off the job. you 2 are TH-cam stars now........enjoy it. we'll keep watching everything you are doing, its a lot better than TV......... hope you have a good meat source upstate........steaks looked pretty good
Love my pitt barrel Love my Weber kettle, it's about using the right tool for the job.
Eric I have to tell you I went from charol to a pit boss pellet smoker grill and I love it it's the best of both worlds you can grill or smoke I cooked steak today and tomorrow we are doing the hole deal rib,s pulled pork burgers and chicken and you can get about any flavor pellet s
I ordered a second grill grate for the bottom level to place the charcoal basket specifically for grilling. 👍
I'm with Mrs O, a bit more cooked for me but yep, you can definitely use it as a grill.
I had those same plates goin up. Classics
I'd recommend a Weber kettle. You can build a hot fire with a ton of charcoal and when the steaks are done you can close all the vents and put the lid on to extinguish the fire. You can then relight the leftover briquettes for your next cook. Efficiency!
Put a cinder block underneath the charcoals
Thank you. I like to work on cars & I love to bbq. I learn something every day watching your videos. Keep up the good work
Years ago I made a barrel grill/smoker similar to the pit Barrel cooker. Made mine so that the coal pan could be higher up/closer to the top rack for searing steaks. Worked good. Have a kamado now but pondering making a barrel cooker again. Keep the content coming Eric. Really like this channel 👍
Metal garbage can upside down in the bottom of the pit barrel, then put the charcoal tray on top of that. Moving the fire up closer to the cooking surface. Still lets the air in from the bottom beautifully, and you now have a fully functional grille.
Grilling in your socks Eric....that's hard-core!
These videos are great! The macaroni video was the best!
Love this channel, too! I'm a grilling guy. Mini-vacation every weekend. ;) Using a Weber with bricks. I've done Turkey with indirect heat. 8 coals per hour, etc. Once you sear, it's always good to cook slowly. Then check internal temp. Once you hit that, then remove from heat and let sit for 15-20 mins.
A 16 lbs bag of Kingsford lasts 4-5 BBQs (steaks, lamb, or chicken direct heat).
Where do I go to learn how to use the bricks in a Weber like that?
There you go you answered your own question....awesome vid...
Try it in the charcoals starter or make rebars drill holes to raise the heat up higher from the barrel ??? Love the food videos too !
Good stuff Eric. I've got a two thirds tall burn barrel, but have some nice grill racks cut for it. Does some nice open fire grilling.
Need to play around with different grille heights.
Indirect grilling (on Weber charcoal grill) is my favorite way to grill steaks,and you can get a great (reverse) sear. Cook to 110-120 indirectly, then sear right over the coals. Thanks for the videos!
It’s one of those thing’s, Hard Sayin, not Knowing! Good video!
Oh by the way, I received a message from TH-cam, it looks like it’s from you.
It stated I was on the short list for a prize. I made a comment on your lift rebuild.
What say you? Red Ram Gloves will work for the heat…
thanks and as others said mabe cinder blocks to raise the fire higher or do a webber grill for small stuff.
Yeah I just found this channel on a regular on your other channel. Good stuff. Interesting. 👍👍🙂🇨🇦
Build a tubular stand to set in the bottom that you can set your charcoal basket on. That will allow you to use your top rack to grill on
Now I’m hungry again and I just ate!!
Keep the videos coming Mrs. O still leads in the shoot off maybe a rematch??
Nice wall decorations 👍
Mr.and Mrs. O you just made me hungry off to grill some Ribeyes. Like watching the after hours channel lot good knowledge. Have a Awesome day.
Drill some holes in the barrel and use the rebar to hold the charcoal basket up at the top of the barrel.
You would have to plug the holes for smoking though. That could be done with magnets as long a the magnets don't go over their Curie temp, where they lose magnetism. The inventor, his name is Noah, went through over 50 designs to come up with one that ran at around 275F without hot or cold spikes.
Thank you so much for sharing your family life (to and extent of course) and love these videos. God bless.
I don’t want to sound like a grillin’, smokin’, bakin’ snob but when you feel the need to purchase your next and last cooker, might I recommend a Stainless Hasty Bake, made right here in Tulsa! OK, Nuff said😂 keep up the great work!
Definitely need to raise your fire basket up. try using some rebar hooks to bring it to wihin 8-10 inches of the grill surface. adjust your briquet amount accordingly to make it hotter or cooler depanding on how much you are cooking. almost a whole bag to cook 2 steaks is way to expensive. the barrel is acting as a venturi to draw in cooler air from the outside and diluting your heat. to compensate you need to raise the grill surface to achieve more heat and get that steak char that make it so flavorful. just some rebar hooked over the rim and with another hook at the bottom on four sides of your coal basket would really make that cooker into a grill. great video as always....
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I used to use the cover on the Weber grill to get the cooking grate hot. If you can move the coal grate up so it's a bit closer to the cooking grate, it would probably work better and you'd need less briquettes. I also liked to use real charcoal, not briquettes, but that's just me. I use propane now for convenience. You can still flavor gas with wood.
You're a man of many talents.
Make some alterations to the inside so you can lift the charcoal basket higher and use less charcoal.
Trial and error buddy, trial and error.
Take that basket to work and weld 3 J hooks around the top with the hook at the top. Make 3 light chains with hooks that will hook over the top of the barrel and the other end of the chain on the basket J hooks. Measure where you want the basket for grilling and make chain length accordingly.
great idea
As long as you don't get sick and/or the runs, you win!
Steaks looks good Eric O. Love these pit barrel cooking videos there awesome appreciate it👍
I didn't read all of the comments, but I was thinking of using the meat hooks attached to the rebar and hanging the fire basket from them and then setting the grate on top of the rebar might work. Or a set of custom hooks if needed to get the fire basket closer or further away. Or a $25 grill from Lowe's for dinners for two.
Possibly drill holes for rebar’s part way up barrel to set fire tub closer to top?
I remember back in the 70s we had these little hibachis and they’re great for a small family or one person and they’d be really good for grilling a little steak or two but we had seven kids in the family so it was a tight squeeze, but I would like one now and the ones in Walmart are a little too big. It defeats the whole purpose. The little ones are perfect for shish kebabs and you save charcoal
Always nice to see Mrs. O.
Why not drill 4 holes further up the cooker, put in 2 pieces of rebar, so you can raise the coals higher?
I agree with everyone else. Bring the fire up. For the best seer you need at least 800 degrees or when you can hold your hand there for less than a second.(flash off knuckle hairs)
Try patting meat dry then a light pat with oil before seasoning. this helps with the maillard reaction. Don't forget the half turn on each side for showmanship. A pat of garlic butter while resting can also give it that extra touch. Just did some Friday evening.
Kids asked why I have so many grills. One for when it is just me. One for when I have a guest over. One for when all you kids come over.(most used.) one for when everyone finds out I am grilling butterfly deer steaks.(largest one) and don't forget the smoker. Have you ever done a rear deer quarter on the smoker yet. They are awesome.
Some great suggestions provided by others. The only thing that I think might help would be to use the lump charcoal instead of the Kingsford briquettes. The lump charcoal burns hotter and it just might be what's needed to better sear those steaks - and more importantly, keep Mrs. O happy with a steak that's cooked-through a bit more. :) Thanks for sharing.
I just use a regular grill for grilling, and save the Pit Barrel for those longer cooks. Love them both.
You and Mrs. O are awesome
Done it a few times. Throw a bit more wood in it and you are flame grilling.
Works good
Great experiment. What if you had a second grill grate a the middle level and put the coals there? Keep the cooking grate at the top and the fire will be directly under the food. Just an idea...
If your not going with a regular weber kettle try raising your charcoal, buy another rack for it to sit on. On one of my kettles I use a mound of charcoal then a cast iron pan to sear and get the maillard reaction.