Did the chicken halves tonight.  Split 3.4 lb chicken into halves.  Used olive oil light rub, then Weber Beer Can Chicken rub.  Results:
Chicken was done in 1hr 40 min.  Juicy, tender, properly cooked, as promised BUT much too much charcoal-smoke flavor.  Left an aftertaste, and mild dyspepsia (burping).  We just could not tolerate the intensity.  The ribs were worse last week.  No doubt time of cook related.  Gonna send it back tomorrow.
Let me say that the unit works just as advertised otherwise, but as Schorr says, the finished product tastes too strong of charcoal. 
Let me also say;  I should have listened to you Bentley.  You were spot on about this type of pit.

Pellets for me from now on.   

I will be honest with you, I do not remember a huge smoke effect when I cooked on my Drums.  Now I used wood chunks as the primary smoke, I have really never seen charcoal produce a "smoke" flavor.  I am not posting this to discount you all's findings, I just don't remember the "heavy" saturations that I am hearing you all speak of.

I am trying to remember back to the last time I cooked on a Barrel.  The Duracell UDS would have been the last time and that as sold in 2006 0r 2007.  I think my sister Karen across the field has one of those $50 square charcoal units.  I think when it warms a bit, I will bring it over here and do like you all, about a 90 minute chicken cook on charcoal and also some grilling and see if I can avoid my signature...

Can you all give me an appx amount of bricketts used and did you add any hardwood to them?

I will be honest with you, I do not remember a huge smoke effect when I cooked on my Drums.  Now I used wood chunks as the primary smoke, I have really never seen charcoal produce a "smoke" flavor.  I am not posting this to discount you all's findings, I just don't remember the "heavy" saturations that I am hearing you all speak of.

I am trying to remember back to the last time I cooked on a Barrel.  The Duracell UDS would have been the last time and that as sold in 2006 0r 2007.  I think my sister Karen across the field has one of those $50 square charcoal units.  I think when it warms a bit, I will bring it over here and do like you all, about a 90 minute chicken cook on charcoal and also some grilling and see if I can avoid my signature...

Can you all give me an appx amount of bricketts used and did you add any hardwood to them?

About 6 lbs of bricketts as directed. Used the chimney starter with newspaper to crank it up, and no hardwood this time (used hickory chips on the ribs).
Maybe it is just charcoal and drippings taste.  Anyhow I did not like it or tolerate the aftertaste. And there was indeed lots of smoke. BTW charcoal is indeed hickory wood after all albeit partially burned.  Did you use a deflector plate above the charcoal in your drum? The BHC does not.   

Who am I to tell the manufacture how much is right for their product, but that seems like a lot of charcoal for a 90 minute cook.  I will ask, are you using a hardwood "lump" or a Kingsford or Royal Oak or the like type brickette?  My drum was just fuel basket and metal grates, but I was rarely under 250° when I used it, and as I said, my smoke was generated by hardwood, I used 100% hardwood, I never cooked with lump or bricketts.

I think the flavor you describe is sought by some, they do not find it with pellets.  I always assumed my journey to all hardwood pellet cooking was pretty much like others, with some minor bumps.  Mine was charcoal as a teenager, THEN gas as a 20 something, followed by drums and a few offset cooks in my 30's, then in 1997 my 1st taste of 100% Hardwood Pellets.  For me, it really was the El Dorado....

About 6 lbs of bricketts as directed. Used the chimney starter with newspaper to crank it up, and no hardwood this time (used hickory chips on the ribs).
Maybe it is just charcoal and drippings taste.  Anyhow I did not like it or tolerate the aftertaste. And there was indeed lots of smoke. BTW charcoal is indeed hickory wood after all albeit partially burned.  Did you use a deflector plate above the charcoal in your drum? The BHC does not.

Good for them...and I appreciate you all sharing the info.  I really am going to try some lump.  Both on a quick grill burger cook and a intermediate chicken cook and see if I am missing something.  It has been a long time since I cooked with anything other then pellets...

Bentley,
When I cooked my chicken halves in the 14D, I used about 1/2 of what Okie Smokie did.  A full load is supposed to last for 6 hours.  The chicken cooked in 2.5 hours, but the cooking temp as measured by my fireboard was only in the 245-270 range versus the previous day's cook of ribs using a full briquette load.  That cook ran as high as 350.  Regardless, as Okie states, the charcoal taste was very prominent and not agreeable to us.

I will say BHC gave me no hassle on the return - in fact, I had the RMA within an hour of talking to their support, took it to UPS this last Monday and have already received full credit on my credit card.

Sam

I used the 6 lbs because that was recommended to get the temp desired (285-315*).  That was why my cook time was 100 minutes. 
I called them today and the girl I talked to said that another person would send me instructions, and shipping label.  That was at 8 AM California time.  I did not hear anything at all from them for the rest of the day.  She did say that she was aware that some folks had complained about too strong a smoke taste (not a good marketing idea).  I will call again in the AM and see if she actually forwarded my request.  Sschorr, you really got a rapid response.  I expect I will get it done tomorrow.  In the future I will not be complaining about not getting enough smoke effect with my GS. 

OS - here is the person I spoke with if you want to ask for someone by name:

Lauren Goodsi
Barrel House Cooker Co.
34970 McMurtrey Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93308
1-844-508-2665

Thanks will call her in AM. 

It is still AM in bakersfield

Spoke to another person when I called.  Andrew; and he said no sweat.  An hour later I got an email with a UPS tracking number and all I had to do was box it up in original box, including the extra stuff I ordered (cover, and round grill grate) and UPS will pick it up and label it for me.  That is it.  Very positive people and anxious to give good service.  All money to be refunded after they receive, and they pay for return shipping as well. They must be selling a potfull of these babies.
  

Spoke to another person when I called.  Andrew; and he said no sweat.  An hour later I got an email with a UPS tracking number and all I had to do was box it up in original box, including the extra stuff I ordered (cover, and round grill grate) and UPS will pick it up and label it for me.  That is it.  Very positive people and anxious to give good service.  All money to be refunded after they receive, and they pay for return shipping as well. They must be selling a potfull of these babies.
 

Some people have not found the darkside of pellet cooking... glad to hear you were taken care of as you expected and as their warranty proclaimed.