Ugly Drum Smoker

Southern Home Boy said:
I think you should be fine. The closer you get to your fire, the hotter your cooking surface obviously but you should be able to control your temps sufficiently to account for that. It's been my experience that there's about a 50 degree temperature gradient for every 3"-4" distance from the fire. I have two grates on my drums. The bottom is between 23" and 24" from the bottom of the fire basket. The grate above it is 4" above and consistently runs 50 degrees cooler than the bottom grate.

I'd think that dropping your cooking grate to just 22" would only mean that you'd need to dampen your fire down a little more.
Click to expand...
Thanks a ton, Southern. I was thinking the same but since I'm the newb on the block, I thought I'd ask rather assume anything. I did my "test burn" last night and held 225 perfectly (measured by a side gauge at cooking rack level) for several hours. But that's without FOOD. We'll see what it does with a 10lb brisket I have planned for this weekend. I'm thinking about punching a hole in the lid for a second thermometer. I'm assuming this will show me roughly 50 degrees cooler temps. Thoughts?

-Bastid
 
I think there are two common methods for lighting. There is the chimney method - where you put a dozen or so fully lit coals on the basket of unlit - and there is the weed burner method.

With the harbor frieght weed burner (that you probably already purchased to help with the burn out), you set it to a medium flame (with all of the nipples open - it needs air), till you get a small percentage of the coals started. Once you think they are caught, then close up the top and watch them temps. it's trial and error - but after a few runs you will get the hang of it. catch the temps on the way up and close your nipples as needed.

That said - I have a BBQ Guru on mine. I set the Guru (with the temp probe outside the barrel - so it is just blowing wide open), and hit the coals for a couple minutes with the weed burner). Once I feel like the coals have caught (and I probably overdo the weed burner just a bit here), I close up the pit and insert the temp probe. I usually have a stable pit at cooking temp in about 15 minutes.
 
Unfathomable Bastid said:
Thanks a ton, Southern. I was thinking the same but since I'm the newb on the block, I thought I'd ask rather assume anything. I did my "test burn" last night and held 225 perfectly (measured by a side gauge at cooking rack level) for several hours. But that's without FOOD. We'll see what it does with a 10lb brisket I have planned for this weekend. I'm thinking about punching a hole in the lid for a second thermometer. I'm assuming this will show me roughly 50 degrees cooler temps. Thoughts?

-Bastid
Click to expand...

Do you have a flat lid or domed lid?
 
Southern Home Boy said:
Do you have a flat lid or domed lid?
Click to expand...
Southern,

I have both a flat barrel lid and a weber kettle lid. I plan on drilling the hole for the thermometer in the flat lid (my weber kettle lid already has one). Unfortunately, my kettle lid doesn't fit the barrel tightly. It kinda balances on top of the rim, actually, even though the seal seems to be fairly good.

-Bastid
 
Unfathomable Bastid said:
Southern,

I have both a flat barrel lid and a weber kettle lid. I plan on drilling the hole for the thermometer in the flat lid (my weber kettle lid already has one). Unfortunately, my kettle lid doesn't fit the barrel tightly. It kinda balances on top of the rim, actually, even though the seal seems to be fairly good.

-Bastid
Click to expand...

You probably won't see too much of a difference between the flat top and the cooking grate, maybe 20-25 degrees would be my guess, but try it and see what you get. I could be totally off.
 
jcinadr said:
I think there are two common methods for lighting. There is the chimney method - where you put a dozen or so fully lit coals on the basket of unlit - and there is the weed burner method.



Most of the Q'rs up here use the veg oil paper towel method. Quick easy and smells good.
Click to expand...
 
Unfathomable Bastid said:
Southern,

I have both a flat barrel lid and a weber kettle lid. I plan on drilling the hole for the thermometer in the flat lid (my weber kettle lid already has one). Unfortunately, my kettle lid doesn't fit the barrel tightly. It kinda balances on top of the rim, actually, even though the seal seems to be fairly good.

-Bastid
Click to expand...

My lid, not a weber, balanced on the rim too. My fix was to put 4 nuts and bolts angled inward in the lid so it wouldn't slip off. I also added stove gasket to complete the seal. You can see the bolts here:

DSCF5288.jpg

gasket was added later.

With gasket:
DSCF5292-1.jpg


Just a thought.............

Paul B
SS UDS
 
My version 1.0 UDS -- we'll see how she cooks

She held 225 degrees for four hours on a minimal amount of charcoal. Cooking a brisket this weekend. I'll keep you folks posted!!

As a sidenote -- I'm the first redneck jew in the history of UDS!! :p I loved this project and am truly thankful to BBQ Brethren for making all this knowledge available to a tool like me...

-Bastid
 

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h20loo said:
Most of the Q'rs up here use the veg oil paper towel method. Quick easy and smells good.
Click to expand...

Can you explain the details of the veg oil paper towel method - sounds a lot like the used peanut oil method that I never quite mastered.:rolleyes:

I tried using the basket as a chimney and just stuffed crumbled up newspaper under it - and that did not work. I used veg oil soaked paper under an actual starter chimney a few times for my webber grill with good success.

Quite often, I open the lid and look in the drum and see there is still plenty of charcoal for one more burn. So just hitting the top with the weed burner w/o even touching the basket is the laziest thing to do. If I was actually pulling out the basket - I guess putting an oil soaked paper towel under it, and lighting it would be the next easiest. (currently don't have any nipples, so would need to light the paper towel before putting the basket back in...)
 
jcinadr said:
Can you explain the details of the veg oil paper towel method - sounds a lot like the used peanut oil method that I never quite mastered.:rolleyes:

I tried using the basket as a chimney and just stuffed crumbled up newspaper under it - and that did not work. I used veg oil soaked paper under an actual starter chimney a few times for my webber grill with good success.

Quite often, I open the lid and look in the drum and see there is still plenty of charcoal for one more burn. So just hitting the top with the weed burner w/o even touching the basket is the laziest thing to do. If I was actually pulling out the basket - I guess putting an oil soaked paper towel under it, and lighting it would be the next easiest. (currently don't have any nipples, so would need to light the paper towel before putting the basket back in...)
Click to expand...

I take a couple paper towels and wipe up the left over grease from pan fried bacon. I sandwich bag them and throw them in the freezer and that way I always have a supply of "charcoal starters".

You simply light each end of the paper towel and place it on top of the basket of charcoal in the drum. As simple as that! When your temps start coming up you adjust your intake to the sweet spot and you're ready for the groceries.
 
Paul B said:
My lid, not a weber, balanced on the rim too. My fix was to put 4 nuts and bolts angled inward in the lid so it wouldn't slip off. I also added stove gasket to complete the seal. You can see the bolts here:


gasket was added later.

With gasket:
DSCF5292-1.jpg


Just a thought.............

Paul B
SS UDS
Click to expand...

Where did you get your stove gasket? I went to a local dent and repair shop and found an old stove door and got one, but would like to have a supplier for a backup on my next build...
 
Scratching my head still... Cooked a couple more times on my UDS. Did some wings and then some chicken quarters. For whatever reason, I can't get my temps to steady out. Mainly, they will hold for a little bit, then drop. The adjustable valve is wide open, and have to open up one pipe nipple to get the heat back up. Just can't seem to get it to a point of holding it's temp for any longer length of time... :rolleyes:

Any ideas? Lid is sealed, plenty of charcoal / lump (use a combination), so I'm just scratching my head as to why... :confused:
 
jcinadr said:
Can you explain the details of the veg oil paper towel method - sounds a lot like the used peanut oil method that I never quite mastered.:rolleyes:

I tried using the basket as a chimney and just stuffed crumbled up newspaper under it - and that did not work. I used veg oil soaked paper under an actual starter chimney a few times for my webber grill with good success.

Quite often, I open the lid and look in the drum and see there is still plenty of charcoal for one more burn. So just hitting the top with the weed burner w/o even touching the basket is the laziest thing to do. If I was actually pulling out the basket - I guess putting an oil soaked paper towel under it, and lighting it would be the next easiest. (currently don't have any nipples, so would need to light the paper towel before putting the basket back in...)
Click to expand...

I have a large tin can that once held tomatoes and I drilled 4 1" holes in the sides. I take a couple of paper towels and drizzle veggi oil on them and crumple them up in the bottom of the can then I fill the can almost to the top with charcoal and light the paper towels through the 4 holes. After around 10 minutes all the charcoal is ready to place in the basket. I use long tongs to remove the hot coals and place them on top of the coals in the basket "minion style."

Last cook I did something I learned from one of the Brethren here and I took another large tomato can, cut the top and bottom out then placed in the middle of my fire basket, filled the basket with charcoal around the can. After the coals in my starter can were hot I dumped them into the can in my fire basket. I then removed the tin can (use tongs or an oven glove.)

The fire burns from the inside to the outside. It seemed to work very well but as it was the first time I need to do more research on which method works the best.
 
stglide said:
Where did you get your stove gasket? I went to a local dent and repair shop and found an old stove door and got one, but would like to have a supplier for a backup on my next build...
Click to expand...


Google Rutland gasket
 
stglide said:
Scratching my head still... Cooked a couple more times on my UDS. Did some wings and then some chicken quarters. For whatever reason, I can't get my temps to steady out. Mainly, they will hold for a little bit, then drop. The adjustable valve is wide open, and have to open up one pipe nipple to get the heat back up. Just can't seem to get it to a point of holding it's temp for any longer length of time... :rolleyes:

Any ideas? Lid is sealed, plenty of charcoal / lump (use a combination), so I'm just scratching my head as to why... :confused:
Click to expand...

What are you using for a charcoal basket, do you have it 3 inches from the bottom or ash pan?
 
stglide said:
Scratching my head still... Cooked a couple more times on my UDS. Did some wings and then some chicken quarters. For whatever reason, I can't get my temps to steady out. Mainly, they will hold for a little bit, then drop. The adjustable valve is wide open, and have to open up one pipe nipple to get the heat back up. Just can't seem to get it to a point of holding it's temp for any longer length of time... :rolleyes:

Any ideas? Lid is sealed, plenty of charcoal / lump (use a combination), so I'm just scratching my head as to why... :confused:
Click to expand...

Mine runs along pretty well with one cap off (3/4in) and valve half way open. If you close it down too much it can't get enough air and will drop the temp. It may actually "backdraft" and fluctuate the temp when it exhales and then inhales a large amount of air. Drums take a while to settle in, set the valves and leave it, for 30 min, before adjusting. small adj should only be needed.
 
Stop looking and let it cook, only adjust when needed and wait a good 15-20 minuets for it to settle in.
 
Success on my first smoke with the new UDS. I did some pork spare ribs, temps were hard to keep down for some reason....i wanted it at 275 and my UDS was stubbornly holding at 300-350 for a large amount of the time. It all worked out in the end but i don't know how i'm going to get it to hold a temp as low as 225. I'm wondering if it has something to do with my charcoal basket being too large in diameter (i used the small rack from a weber and did the entire circumference and about 8" tall). Anyways, Thanks everyone for the great info on this thread, i absolutely love this thing.

On another note, Can anyone tell me how long and what temp i should do a pork butt at and possibly some wings as an snack? What should the internal temp of a butt read when its done?
 
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