Ugly Drum Smoker

on my first UDS smoke and noticing that there is a lot of leaking smoke around the entire circumference of the flat lid. I have all 3 intakes open and am having a difficult time after 3 hours pushing higher than 225 degrees. Is this due to the leak? and what can i do to fix it? I was thinking a gasket but it almost looks like the lid is slightly too small for this drum because it almost just sits on top without locking into the rim. thanks for the help
 
paquette11b said:
on my first UDS smoke and noticing that there is a lot of leaking smoke around the entire circumference of the flat lid. I have all 3 intakes open and am having a difficult time after 3 hours pushing higher than 225 degrees. Is this due to the leak? and what can i do to fix it? I was thinking a gasket but it almost looks like the lid is slightly too small for this drum because it almost just sits on top without locking into the rim. thanks for the help
Click to expand...

How big are the intakes and how big is the exhaust? Do you have some pictures of the lid & barrel? If possible, you could carefully bend out the rim of the lid and use a rope gasket in the groove. The lid on my drum fits pretty tight, minimal smoke escapes.

If the lid can't be fit better and too much heat is escaping around the lid, you could make your existing exhaust smaller or close it completely and create a new exhaust with smaller adjustments. I found my drum wouldn't run hot enough with three 3/4" intakes, so I made two of them 1" (or 1.25") and kept the 3/4" ball valve. I can hit 400° with all intakes open and standard 2" bung exhaust.
 
paquette11b said:
on my first UDS smoke and noticing that there is a lot of leaking smoke around the entire circumference of the flat lid. I have all 3 intakes open and am having a difficult time after 3 hours pushing higher than 225 degrees. Is this due to the leak? and what can i do to fix it? I was thinking a gasket but it almost looks like the lid is slightly too small for this drum because it almost just sits on top without locking into the rim. thanks for the help
Click to expand...

Did you remove the little gasket material from the lip of the lid? I had similar issues on my first drum till I pulled that stuff out which allowed the lid to fit down snugly into the top of the drum
 
I removed the gasket and it's just metal now. three 1inch intakes ( 2 with 3/4in pipe, 1 with 3/4 ball valve) and 8 3/4inch exhaust holes. the larger intakes are a great idea. The lid almost seems like it came from a different barrel and won't even come close to fitting. Maybe a rope gasket will help. Thanks guys...tried to upload pics but the phone isn't cooperating
 
paquette11b said:
I removed the gasket and it's just metal now. three 1inch intakes ( 2 with 3/4in pipe, 1 with 3/4 ball valve) and 8 3/4inch exhaust holes. the larger intakes are a great idea. The lid almost seems like it came from a different barrel and won't even come close to fitting. Maybe a rope gasket will help. Thanks guys...tried to upload pics but the phone isn't cooperating
Click to expand...

Leaking smoke around the lid won't hurt nuttin. More airflow = more charcoal/wood burning= higher temps. 3 3/4 intakes should be enough - I have 4 and one is usually capped. Wood burns hotter than charcoal - more wood chunks it'll run hotter. How much lit charcoal did you dump in? How long till you put lid on? I'll dump 3/4 chimney lit in and spread it around with a stick then I leave top off for 20 minutes or so I'll let it run 30 more minutes before meat goes on. More meat will keep temps down and block airflow. I like to get my UDS up to 10-15* higher than I want before meat goes on then it'll drop 30* because of meat then level out where I want it or close within 30-45 minutes.

Take the lid off for 10-15 minutes then put back on and see where your temp levels out.
 
IMG_0639.jpg

Her is a picture of my 30 gal and 55 gal. drum I just got done with. I did the 30 gal so we could take it to the lake this summer. The 55 will stay here..

IMG_0642.jpg
 
Hello, I have decided I want to build a uds for a good friend of mine. After finding this epic thread, I have become consumed with reading it. I have read hundreds of pages and I thought I had decided what I wanted to do. Then I came across this A&W root beer drum. Problem is I don't know anything about it. I was sent the pictures but I don't know the dimensions or what it is even made out of. I assume it is aluminium or stainless. It might even be aluminium on the outside and stainless on the inside. It appears to be doubled walled or something. I do know my buddy says it has been around his moms house for about 20-30 years or so.

I was hoping somebody on here might know something about the drum. Maybe somebody worked with them back in the day and can tell me what it is made out of. Thanks for any help.





 
SmittyJonz said:
Leaking smoke around the lid won't hurt nuttin. More airflow = more charcoal/wood burning= higher temps. 3 3/4 intakes should be enough - I have 4 and one is usually capped. Wood burns hotter than charcoal - more wood chunks it'll run hotter. How much lit charcoal did you dump in? How long till you put lid on? I'll dump 3/4 chimney lit in and spread it around with a stick then I leave top off for 20 minutes or so I'll let it run 30 more minutes before meat goes on. More meat will keep temps down and block airflow. I like to get my UDS up to 10-15* higher than I want before meat goes on then it'll drop 30* because of meat then level out where I want it or close within 30-45 minutes.

Take the lid off for 10-15 minutes then put back on and see where your temp levels out.
Click to expand...


Yep listen to smittyjonz. Through my limited experience this is what I have found out also. I have 3 3/4" intakes and a single 2" exhaust and I have reached temps of 450* in -27 celcius temperatures with a naked drum without a problem. Like smittyjonez said, light more charcoal in your chimney upon start up and don't pour it in the basket until it is ashed over and white. Then open up all intakes and exhaust. It should climb. What is your charcoal basket made of. it should be out of expanded metal to allow the maximum air flow possible through it from the bottom and the sides.
 
Building mine upside down too...

jaimehelm said:
Other question is about my 55 gallon drum. It was an open top, but my kettle lid non weber would only fit perfectly on the bottom end. I had read earlier in this thread someone had opened the bottom used it as the top and used the now bottom with removable lid as kinda an easy access to clean out the bottom and such. So I proceeded to remove my base and a few more hundred or so pages later I read one guy didn't like this approach because it made his intake air hard to control, and another guy liked it and said after awhile the seasoned drum will plug up any cracks or leaks. I believe what the guy said about a seasoned drum but that kind of defeats the purpose of having an easy access clean out base if you never open it. I guess my question is if anyone still uses this approach or has tried it and their opinions or suggestions on it.
Click to expand...

I have the same exact issue as "jaimehelm" My lid fits perfectly around the bottom and I am going to build it upside down. I'm curious if "jaimehelm" ever found an issue with the seal at the bottom. I have a ring clamp that it came with to keep it tight and I think cleaning should be much easier too. I'm also curious if "jaimehelm" put casters on the bottom lid. I've got three and have gone back and forth on installing them or not... Thanks for all the posts and pics. I've spent weeks reading!
Click to expand...
 
It begins...

#1 The pick up. $20 Food grade that used to have Cranberry juice in it.

#2 the boyz ready to get to work!

#3 $40 of sand blasting (best $ I ever spent!)
 

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The upside down one I've seen in person had a slider vent and he said it was easy and he had many cooks on it. If I build another it will be upside down with slider vent. :heh:
 
Getting ready for my first smoke.

Built last weekend and did a season / test burn on Wednesday. Looking forward to my first real smoke this weekend. Going to attempt a butt and a few racks of baby back ribs.
 

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I did an all nighter on a pork butt and my lump burned off to side and real hot checked on it every hour firest 3 hrs 230 to 230 then 310 then fough it to bring it down and maintaine 225-250 range burned on side away from intakes I have 4 used front valve and back un capped
any Ideal what happened
I am thinking didn`t load bascket properly but still turned out mouth wateriing and sorry for no pron
 
wdpope1 said:
I did an all nighter on a pork butt and my lump burned off to side and real hot checked on it every hour firest 3 hrs 230 to 230 then 310 then fough it to bring it down and maintaine 225-250 range burned on side away from intakes I have 4 used front valve and back un capped any Ideal what happened
I am thinking didn`t load bascket properly but still turned out mouth wateriing and sorry for no pron
Click to expand...

Did you lite coals only on that one side or dump in hot coals and did not spread them over the top of the unlit coals. That is probably your cause. As to the higher temp after 3 hrs, that is when your meat came up close to the drum temp. If you don't have any leaks or the wind could have been blowing into one of your intakes cause higher flow which equals higher temps.
Just a thought.
 
Going to cook my first Fatty tonight. I've done a bit of searching and can't seem to fine what the cooking temps and times should be. Can someone please enlighten me?
 
65BAJA said:
Going to cook my first Fatty tonight. I've done a bit of searching and can't seem to fine what the cooking temps and times should be. Can someone please enlighten me?
Click to expand...

250, 275, 300 degrees, it's all good. 160-165 internal and pull it to rest. Yummmm Any where from 45 mins to 1 hr typically depending on temp/brand/size/stuffed/unstuffed.
Hope that helps
 
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