Offset Vertical Drum Smoker
 

Whats up guys, check out my UDS Frankenstein. I'm calling it an Offset Vertical Drum Smoker, but if you google that you'll find zero results. Since I couldn't find another one, that made me REALLY want to build one.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...1&d=1364848014
My 8 year old son Owen and I have been designing/building it for about 3 months now and with a lot of help from the Brethren I think we've got her dialed in pretty well. Three things I discovered during this process, I love working with my son, I love building BBQ's, and I love JB Weld!!

The Deets:
The fire box is a 33 gallon steel drum with 4 ea 3/4" brass ball valve/iron pipe intakes and two 1-1/8" intake holes with a sheet metal damper. There is a 4" iron pipe connecting the fire box to the
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...1&d=1364848014

The Smoke Chamber is a 55 gallon oil drum that I burned 5 pallets in and cleaned with detergent at least three times. It holds three 22" weber grills and has a 4" x 2' x .032 rolled aluminum stack on top. I used a high temp silicone cloth material I had for the gasket around the door, and the diamond plate door I had rolled at a sheet metal shop (I already had the diamond plate, traded the labor of rolling it for some smoked tri-tip).
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...1&d=1364849210

The stand is a steel storage shelving unit we modified and added the two lawn mower wheels on a 3/8" all thread axle, and we also added a 4" swivel caster in the front under the firebox drum.

I bought these latches from ebay for $10 each, smokin deal but I didn't realize how huge they were! But we used them anyway.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...1&d=1364848014
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...1&d=1364848014
Well, there she is. We've used her twice now and aside from some temp issues due to a lack of quality thermometer and two small of an exhaust (originally had just the 2" bung hole on the smoke chamber drum) she works great! Cooked three tri-tip two whole chickens and 15 pounds of brisket and everything so far has came out delicious.

Thanks for letting me share, and I'd really love you comments!

That is a cool rig!

Wow I want one, very nice.

Looks sweet!!


Now get some food in that puppy!! :thumb:

Nicely done. Thinking outside of the box. Digging the diamond plate.

Matt

When you put up your earlier post I was thinking to myself, "self this looks like and offset UDS, but it ain't ugly". I love the diamond plate and the "intake header"!

Nice rig!

I don't understand the intake manifold which lets air in above the fire as far as I can tell?

Very nice! Congratulations on building a unique smoker....

Very cool, nice job! Good for you having your Son help:clap:
I have one question, what is holding the grates and how solid are they?

Looks good. Can we see inside the fire box?

Yeah, I'm with Pig Dog... I'm curios about the fire box. The concept is cool and I dig it, I'm just interested in how you stage your combustibles.

Looks awesome but I'm new to this and don't understand what the 4 brass ball valves do but would love to learn.

BADASSS!!!! I think you might have advanced the science here!
How did you join the connecting pipe? Is that where the JB weld is?


I've been lookin for barrels to start a new project, maybe like this. I have 3 racks and a diffuser plate but bending over into the smoke sucks and its blown back on me a time or two.


I'm thinkin a stove pipe damper between barrels would give a lot more control and divert smoke while loading


+1 on lower intakes too but it probly won't matter much.


Great job!

^ +1 ... Me Too

I saw other designs where air brought in above the fire source allows air to the fire as well as air into the cooking chamber for heat mixed with cooler air. Is this the idea with the other ball valves?