My buddy is a newbie - is a UDS right for him?

Build a UDS!! I wish I would have when I started. My first smoker was an ECB, then a Silver Smoker Offset, then WSM and finally a UDS. Save money. You'll be happy with a UDS!!!

grilling24x7 said:

I've been posting a lot about UDS building b/c I'm researching it heavily. I wanted to get a few of my friends in on it so perhaps we could build 3-4 at a time all together.

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sounds like the makings of some great weekend bbq get-togethers.

UDS is definitely the way to go. Its not as expensive as a WSM, you know exactly how it works because you built it. Its easy to mod if you think it needs to be tweaked, but honestly you don't need to mess with it unless you are a perpetual tinkerer (like I am) and that won't necessarily work in your favor (see below).

Tips from my own personal experience:
- If you use a remote thermometer like a Maverick et732, then don't bother with grommet type mods. Just cut a small shallow notch in the lip of the drum, so that the probe wire does not get crimped by the lid against the rim.

-Forget foiling. Wastes time and foil.

-Make sure you have 2 racks to cook on, possibly a third rack for a clay saucer or other heat deflector. Make sure the top rack leaves enough head room for turkeys, etc.

- I added 1 pipe valve on a riser (fat man mod) so I wouldn't have to bend down all the time to adjust temp. Then I added risers to the other 3 intakes so I wouldn't have to bend down at all (fat AND lazy mod). That's when my drum stopped being able to make it above 270°F. Lesson learned: don't mess with the UDS design too much. (I added a 5th intake 1.25" without a riser and can easily do higher temp cooks now).

And of course, the big UDS thread is an awesome resource!

I agree with what the gentleman above said! There are actually two fat boy mods though. Ones the riser pipe. The other is just using the toe of your boot to adjust the ball valve!

I built (5) so far and can buy all the stuff to build for about $115-120 and have it built in 2 days (4) hours each day....

and yes its easy to learn on .....

No, he will get spoiled! Seriously, my UDS is the easiest cooker to use of all my cookers!

Jeff

A uds is what I started on.

I'm also fairly new to real BBQ. I've done lots of grilling and smoking on the little chief but I'm really looking forward to building a UDS.