Pit Barrel Cooker Premier Review: Is Hanging Better?

Updated 2026-08-21 Researched, not tested in person

Quick answer

Buy the Pit Barrel if you want very good ribs and pork with the least possible fire management, and you are happy to cook at the temperature it wants to run. Skip it if you want to choose your cooking temperature precisely, because vent control on a drum is coarse by design.

A drum smoker with almost no controls, which is either the point or the problem.

Best for effortless ribs

Pit Barrel Cooker Co. Pit Barrel Cooker Premier Series 18.5 inch Drum Smoker

~$460

A porcelain-enamelled 18.5 inch charcoal drum that hangs meat on hooks above the fire, supplied with rods, hooks, grate and charcoal basket.

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Specifications

Design	Vertical charcoal drum, meat hung on hooks or laid on a grate
Dimensions	33 in tall including lid and stand, 21.25 in wide including handles
Quoted capacity	8 racks of ribs, 2 to 3 pork butts, or 2 turkeys of 16 lb on turkey hangers
Finish	Porcelain enamel
Supplied	2 hanging rods, 8 stainless hooks, grill grate, charcoal basket, hook remover

Specifications above come from Pit Barrel Cooker Co.'s published feature list. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

Hanging exposes the whole surface of a rack of ribs to heat and smoke, which is why ribs from a drum are consistently good with very little skill.
Fire management is close to nonexistent. Light the basket, hang the meat, close the lid.
Vertical hanging means the capacity is far larger than the footprint suggests: eight racks of ribs from a barrel you can lift.
It is genuinely portable for its capacity, and it fits in most vehicles.
Everything you need is in the box, which is unusual at this price.

Where it falls short

You do not really choose the temperature. The drum runs where the vent and the fuel put it, typically hotter than a classic 225F, and that is a design decision rather than a fault.
Fat drips directly onto the coals. That produces flavour and it also produces flare-ups and grease smoke if you overload it.
Hanging is not right for everything. Brisket does not hang well, and large flat cuts are better on the grate.
There is no water pan buffering the temperature, so it responds faster to wind and to lid openings than a bullet smoker does.
Hooks pull through very tender meat late in a cook, which is a known handling issue rather than a defect.

What owners report

Owner reports on the Pit Barrel are among the most positive in barbecue for one specific reason: it makes very good ribs on the first attempt. The recurring theme is that people who bought it as a simple cooker stayed happy, and people who bought it expecting fine temperature control did not. Our rib rack versus flat on the grate comparison covers why hanging and racking beat laying ribs flat when space is tight.

The second theme is running temperature. The drum tends to settle above the classic low and slow band, and the food is still good, because ribs and pork shoulder are forgiving in the 275F region and simply finish sooner. If you want to understand what changing that number actually does, the 225 versus 250 versus 275 comparison is the one to read.

The third is that the hooks are consumable in the sense that meat can tear off them near the end of a long cook. Experienced owners move the meat to the grate for the last stretch, which is a simple technique rather than a workaround. Whatever you cook, finish on a calibrated thermometer: the USDA whole-cut minimum is 145F and poultry is 165F, while collagen-heavy cuts are tender much later, nearer 195F to 205F.

Who it suits

People who want excellent ribs and pulled pork with the least possible effort.
Anyone with a small patio who still needs real capacity.
Cooks who value simplicity and portability over precision.

Who should skip it

Anyone who wants to dial in a specific low temperature and hold it, who should buy a Weber Smokey Mountain.
Brisket-first cooks, because a packer does not hang well.
People who want a cooker that also grills and sears properly.

Alternatives worth considering

Control Alternative

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker, 22 inch

~$550

A water pan and proper dampers give you real temperature control, which is exactly what the drum design trades away.

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Drum Alternative

Oklahoma Joe's Bronco 18 in Heavy Duty Charcoal Drum Smoker and Grill

~$430

The same hanging idea with a purpose-built airflow system and a fuel door, so you can add charcoal and adjust temperature mid cook.

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Buy This With It

ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE Instant-Read Thermometer

~$125

On a cooker with coarse temperature control, knowing the internal temperature of the meat matters more, not less.

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Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pit Barrel Cooker worth it?

For ribs and pork, yes, and the reason is that hanging removes most of the technique. For brisket or for anyone who wants to hold a chosen temperature precisely, a bullet smoker is the better purchase at a similar price.

Pit Barrel vs Weber Smokey Mountain: which should I buy?

The Pit Barrel is simpler and better at ribs; the Smokey Mountain gives you real temperature control and a water pan buffer. If you want to learn to control a fire, buy the Weber. If you want dinner with minimal fuss, buy the barrel.

What temperature does a Pit Barrel run at?

Typically above the classic 225F band, often nearer 275F, depending on vent setting, fuel and weather. That is by design and it suits ribs and pork shoulder, which simply finish sooner.

Can you cook brisket in a Pit Barrel?

You can, on the grate rather than hanging, but a packer is the cut this cooker suits least. If brisket is your priority, a bullet smoker or an offset is the more sensible buy.

Do the hooks damage the meat?

They can pull through once the meat is very tender, which is usually near the end of the cook. Moving the meat down to the grate for the last stretch avoids it entirely.

How we choose gear: we compare published manufacturer specifications, capacity and temperature ranges, materials, warranty terms and verified owner reviews. We do not test gear in person and we do not publish hands-on claims we cannot support.

Cook times and temperatures are researched guidance, not a food-safety authority. Every figure on this page is an estimate: smokers, ambient weather, humidity and the individual cut all move it. Food is safe when a calibrated instant-read thermometer says so, never when a clock or a chart does. Keep food out of the 40°F to 140°F danger zone, observe the 4 hour rule, and follow current USDA safe minimum internal temperatures. If you are cooking for anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or immunocompromised, cook to the USDA minimums rather than to a preference-based doneness temperature.

Keeping your own cook times, rubs and pit temperatures? The Smoking & Cook Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.