Pit Barrel Junior: Easy to Use Drum Smoker

We were sent a Pit Barrel Junior as a featured product in the 2020 Holiday Gift Guide. All opinions are our own. Affiliate links are present which means we may earn a commission for purchases made through them at no cost to you.

There is something delectable to the taste of food cooked with charcoal.

And, food that is smoked can be incredible.

The Pit Barrel Cooker brings the 2 together for a great culinary experience.

What is the Pit Barrel Cooker?

The Pit Barrel Cooker is what many consider a drum cooker.

While barrel cooking isn’t new, Noah Glanville saw an opportunity to create a product that people would enjoy using. One that eliminated any guesswork by the user.

The durable 18 gauge steel has a porcelain enamel coating.

The cooker comes with 2 rods for hanging things to cook as well as a grill grate for horizontal cooking.

Accessories beyond the basic hooks expand the types of things you can make in the cooker.

How is the Pit Barrel Junior Different?

Same design.
Same great results.
Smaller footprint.

When I opted for the Pit Barrel Junior, I had portability on my mind. Specifically the ability to pack it into the RV undercarriage storage to use on trips.

It weighs less than the original, but also holds a fair bit less for cooking.

The diameter of the Pit Barrel Junior (PBJ) is 14 inches. The original Pit Barrel Cooker is 18.5 inches. And in 2021 they launched the PBX that measures a whopping 22 inches!

Using the Pit Barrel Cooker

Set up outdoors is quick to do. You do need to make sure it is not placed onto a flammable surface (like a wood deck.)

The intake cover needs to be adjusted for your elevation. The higher the elevation where you are, the more open the intake needs to be.

Charcoal is placed into the bottom of the drum. Depending upon the package you pick, a convenient ash pan may be included.

A small amount of the total charcoal is removed and placed into a chimney starter to get going. Then that is dumped on top of the unlit charcoal inside the drum.

The company has a great video showing you just how to do it:

Once this is done, you can get to cooking.

Initial Thoughts on Using the Pit Barrel Junior

First off, I realized that I had never really done any cooking with charcoal.

This meant I had to get my eldest son or husband to help get things going.

The chimney sold by the company works great.

But once that is done, the sky is the limit!

Now, I will note that the boys have already started to complain that I got the PBJ and not the full sized unit. This is only because the grate can hold 4 burgers and there are 6 of us.

Thankfully, it can easily hold 3 racks of ribs.

What We’ve Made in the PBJ

So far, we’ve made:

…the most AMAZING ribs. Like this gal who doesn’t usually like ribs ate her fill.

…burgers cooked with a bit of hickory

…pork loin roast also cooked with a bit of hickory on the coals.

What I want to do when summer comes next year is use the corn hanger they sell to see how delicious corn can be.

I’m sure we’ll be using the hanger for hot dogs or sausage soon.

And I am deciding how to incorporate the all-purpose basket.

I can really see the PBJ being one of our favorite ways to cook.

While we didn’t do our Thanksgiving turkey in it, I suspect we’ll make one this winter.

Special Pricing Options for Pit Barrel Cooker Company

Through Thanksgiving, you can get the Ultimate Turkey bundle. Everything you need, including the turkey hanger.

Get the Ultimate Stocking Stuffer & save $25 off the normal price for it all. The Pit Grips work wonderfully when dealing with hot surfaces.

Also, any orders over $25 in the contiguous United States get free shipping. And they really do ship FAST.