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I am building a new UDS

N8Man, looking at your pics and the stubby cooker has caught my eye. Do you have any other info on that as well? I notice some odd looking caps on the inlet nipples. Above the open nipples, I see some other nipples capped off. Please fill me in if you have the time and you don't mind.

Thanks, Robert
 
Originally that cooker was made to be a drumgrill, inspired by our dearly departed brethren Barbarian, and where you see the capped nipples the charcoal basket once sat upon, right under the cooking grate.
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Since that time, and having acquired a weber performer, I reworked it into the stubby drumpit of today.....it cooks remarkably well...
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Robert said:
N8Man, looking at your pics and the stubby cooker has caught my eye. Do you have any other info on that as well? I notice some odd looking caps on the inlet nipples. Above the open nipples, I see some other nipples capped off. Please fill me in if you have the time and you don't mind.

Thanks, Robert
Click to expand...
 
What are those odd looking stainless caps on the nipples? Are they spring loaded or doe they just slip over the ends of the nipples?
 
I scored several open head drums today with clamps no dents no rust no liners had corn in them. Buddy of mine had 3 of them sitting beside his garage empty and told me i could trade him my closed head drums for his open heads a drum for a drum. Yay!! Now I don't have to find a weber lid. Nice thing about these drums compared to my old smoker is that the lids fit snug but lift off easily without having to yank upward hard.

With a flat lid and dual racks the bottom rack is gonna have to be a lot closer to the fire basket than the top rack. This is the main reason I started inquiring about diffusers. I was afraid my lower rack would be so close to the basket that without a diffuser I would burn meat for sure. is this true that a diffuser must be used for meat on a lower rack? I guesstimate that the lower rack will be about the height of the second ring on the drum (second from bottom). I am not sure whether I will put the support bolts above or below this ring.

I sometimes wonder how a diffuser blocks the direct heat when everyones diffusers have so many holes cut in them. Help me understand this theory.
 
cmwr said:
I scored several open head drums today with clamps no dents no rust no liners had corn in them. Buddy of mine had 3 of them sitting beside his garage empty and told me i could trade him my closed head drums for his open heads a drum for a drum. Yay!! Now I don't have to find a weber lid. Nice thing about these drums compared to my old smoker is that the lids fit snug but lift off easily without having to yank upward hard.

With a flat lid and dual racks the bottom rack is gonna have to be a lot closer to the fire basket than the top rack. This is the main reason I started inquiring about diffusers. I was afraid my lower rack would be so close to the basket that without a diffuser I would burn meat for sure. is this true that a diffuser must be used for meat on a lower rack? I guesstimate that the lower rack will be about the height of the second ring on the drum (second from bottom). I am not sure whether I will put the support bolts above or below this ring.

I sometimes wonder how a diffuser blocks the direct heat when everyones diffusers have so many holes cut in them. Help me understand this theory.
Click to expand...

The only thing in between my charcoal basket and the cooking grate in my little mini which is only maybe 8" away is the steamer pan that comes in the tamale pot and it does just fine so that should give you an idea.

When you think about the word "diffuse" that's what they do. I like to call it a blended heat because it's not direct and it's not indirect.

I do the diffuser in the mini, my Jumbo mini and my UDS....You'll have zero issues having multiple racks in the UDS with the flat lid.
 
Fwismoker said:
The only thing in between my charcoal basket and the cooking grate in my little mini which is only maybe 8" away is the steamer pan that comes in the tamale pot and it does just fine so that should give you an idea.

When you think about the word "diffuse" that's what they do. I like to call it a blended heat because it's not direct and it's not indirect.

I do the diffuser in the mini, my Jumbo mini and my UDS....You'll have zero issues having multiple racks in the UDS with the flat lid.
Click to expand...

I just thought with holes or slits in all these diffusers that direct rays of heat would still be hitting your meat.
 
Without any holes in the deflector, you are blocking alot of heat from radiating straight up. You will have a lower temp in the center of the drum instead of having one with holes that equalizes the temp closer across the drum. My deflector rack is 18 inches up from the bottom of the drum ( about 6 inches above the coal basket). my first cooking grate is 5 5/8inches ( 6 inch bolts), the second/top grate is again 6in carriage bolts which ends up with around 5 in to the flat top under side. Hope that helps.
 
ebijack said:
Without any holes in the deflector, you are blocking alot of heat from radiating straight up. You will have a lower temp in the center of the drum instead of having one with holes that equalizes the temp closer across the drum. My deflector rack is 18 inches up from the bottom of the drum ( about 6 inches above the coal basket). my first cooking grate is 5 5/8inches ( 6 inch bolts), the second/top grate is again 6in carriage bolts which ends up with around 5 in to the flat top under side. Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Yes makes sense so instead of all the heat radiating upwards you just got smaller portions of heat radiating up.
 
Yea not a fan of a solid mass either...whether it be a terra pot, water bowl etc... One it's nice getting the benefits of cooking above a live fire while at the same time breaking up the direct heat. Also it doesn't affect your fuel use.
 
Cwmr- just read your reply(s). Cool glad you found a better fitting drum. Sounds like your first one was tweaked or something and getting stuck. Snug is one thing but having to yank and pry is another. As for your concern of lower rack cooking too hot, it's really not an issue. Sure whatever's down there will cook a little faster, but you can use this to your advantage, or by running a drilled diffuser(pizza pan, whatever) you can pretty much eliminate that small difference altogether. Just don't put the rack super low and you'll be good. Fwiw I think I got about 7" between my grates. Anyway, have fun and don't over think it, UDS building and Q is sposta be fun after all. :thumb:
 
cmwr said:
I scored several open head drums today with clamps no dents no rust no liners had corn in them. Buddy of mine had 3 of them sitting beside his garage empty and told me i could trade him my closed head drums for his open heads a drum for a drum. Yay!! Now I don't have to find a weber lid. Nice thing about these drums compared to my old smoker is that the lids fit snug but lift off easily without having to yank upward hard.

With a flat lid and dual racks the bottom rack is gonna have to be a lot closer to the fire basket than the top rack. This is the main reason I started inquiring about diffusers. I was afraid my lower rack would be so close to the basket that without a diffuser I would burn meat for sure. is this true that a diffuser must be used for meat on a lower rack? I guesstimate that the lower rack will be about the height of the second ring on the drum (second from bottom). I am not sure whether I will put the support bolts above or below this ring.

I sometimes wonder how a diffuser blocks the direct heat when everyones diffusers have so many holes cut in them. Help me understand this theory.
Click to expand...

I run a 3 rack flat lid UDS. The bottom or 3rd rack holds a water pan difusser and I regularly cook on 2 racks. You can see my spacing by the nuts/bolts.



 
Also with the drilled out cheap pizza pan, you get that cooked over an open flame taste that for me can't be beat. The drippins still are allowed to drip thru the holes. Every couple of cooks just knock the heavy build up off. Most of it comes off pretty easily, what doesn't just adds flavor.
 
I think I am gonna put 3 racks myself with a pizza pan. Just waiting for nice outside beer drinking weather and a buddy of mine and me are gonna build 2 in my driveway.
 
cmwr said:
I think I am gonna put 3 racks myself with a pizza pan. Just waiting for nice outside beer drinking weather and a buddy of mine and me are gonna build 2 in my driveway.
Click to expand...

Now you're talking :thumb:
 
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