What You Should Know About the Pit Boss Champion Barrel Smoker

We're going to take a look at the Pit Boss Champion barrel smoker and put it through a series of tests, including of a load of pork butts, to see if this charcoal cooker is competition worthy.

Pit Boss Champion Features

The Pit Boss champion barrel smoker has some features that are definitely upgrades from some of the other more budget-friendly drum smokers we've looked at (like the Pit Barrrel Cooker).

First, the Champion includes an easy-access charcoal basket that is a total game changer when it comes to fire management. (More on that below).

Second, this is one of the easiest drum smokers I've ever moved. It has a built-in dolly with inline wheels that can easily travel through gravel or grass. Additionally, the Champion barrel charcoal smoker includes folding side shelves.

In addition to the 3 cooking grates, the Pit Boss Champion includes a triple row hanging rack from which you can hang proteins like ribs and sausage links. I will mention that meat hooks must be purchased separately and are not included with your purchase.

Fire Management

The Pit Boss Champion is a charcoal drum style smoker, which means that you're lighting a charcoal-fueled fire in the bottom door of the grill. There aren't many grills like this that have a swing open firebox like this though, making this a standout in the category.

Instead of having to reach down inside the drum to pull out a charcoal basket or drop more fuel into the fire, there is an access door in the front of the cooker that not only opens up, but swings the entire charcoal basket out for full access. This is not only helpful mid-cook, but also during the clean-up process.

Temperature Control

If you're new to a drum-style cooker, you might wonder how to control the temperature on a pit like this. There's no digital controller that comes with this style of pit. You control your temperature with 4 things.

#1 - How much charcoal is in your fire basket

#2 - How much of that charcoal is lit

#3 - How much air you're providing to the fire

#4 - How quickly you're allowing that air to pass through the fire and exit the smoker

To help with consistent air flow the Pit Boss Champion barrel charcoal smoker has an adjustable chimney and dual adjustable air intake. My only complaint here is that the side shelves have to be in the up-position to make adjustments to the air intake, but the shelves themselves somewhat block seeing what you're doing down below. It's a minor inconvenience, certainly not a deal breaker.

Cooking Space

The Pit Boss Champion barrel smoker has 3 tiers of porcelain-coated steel cooking grates for a total of 1,158 square inches of cooking space. It also has a large hanging capacity and includes a triple-row hanging rack from which you could hang ribs or other meats using meat hooks (sold separately).

The heat diffuser air circulator can easily be removed for more direct heat or utilized when wanting to cook indirectly.

The Champion brings a whole lot of cooking potential in a single cook. Because there's so much cooking space, we tend to fill the grill whenever we use it and vacuum-seal portions of smoked meat to freeze for later.

Is the Pit Boss Champion barrel smoker Right For You?

Whether you're a barbecue beginner or an award-winning cook headed to a barbecue competition, a barrel charcoal smoker can be a really fun way to cook and Pit Boss has designed a real champion here.