babygorilla
MemberGot rid of the matchlight.
Figured I would take a moment or two to introduce myself. I'm a TOTAL noob to making my own smoked meats, but consider myself a connoisseur of eating BBQ. I've have a job that allows me to travel around the country, and one thing I try in almost every place I visit is their BBQ. Of course, being I'm from Boston, I also need to try the local Reuben.
Recently, my favorite local smoked meat joint (Frankie D's) closed it's doors, which left me hunting for a new place to ride the motorcycle to and chow down. Then, in my perusing the interwebs, I stumbled upon a UDS. Being a DIY'er and a failed engineer, PLUS having been a cook in a restaurant during my college years, it gave me the thought "Gee, why not make a smoker of my own. In the winter, I prefer to do a lot of Crock Pot cooking, why not do dry slow cooking in the summer?" And thus began my journey.
It's a fairly traditional smoker, Whacked out the bottom of a clean open top (not food grade but new) drum, burned it our with a weed burner (burn permits ended in May around my parts and neighbors are too close and friendly, didn't want to piss anyone off) and then built it. I figured that since the price of a WSM is around $400 in my area, then that would be my max for $$ spent. I think I spent around $300 total, but my drum came out "pretty sweet" according to one of my neighbors. I had to make it look nice, since these things aren't very common in the Boston area, and I didn't want anyone to get skeeved out from meat coming out of what they would consider a trash barrel, LOL. Anywho, the build is done, the traditional Fattie is smoked (along with a few ears of corn, and everything went smooth as a baby butt. Never have a cooked on something that keeps such consistent temps (220 - 240 once all going, with only a valve tweek here or there). The Fatty was AWESOME, the corn was a little dry (forgot to add butter midway through cooking, oops) but good.
Next smoke may be ribs, or brisket, not sure which. For my annual Labor Day cookout it will probably be wings or something similar.
Recently, my favorite local smoked meat joint (Frankie D's) closed it's doors, which left me hunting for a new place to ride the motorcycle to and chow down. Then, in my perusing the interwebs, I stumbled upon a UDS. Being a DIY'er and a failed engineer, PLUS having been a cook in a restaurant during my college years, it gave me the thought "Gee, why not make a smoker of my own. In the winter, I prefer to do a lot of Crock Pot cooking, why not do dry slow cooking in the summer?" And thus began my journey.
It's a fairly traditional smoker, Whacked out the bottom of a clean open top (not food grade but new) drum, burned it our with a weed burner (burn permits ended in May around my parts and neighbors are too close and friendly, didn't want to piss anyone off) and then built it. I figured that since the price of a WSM is around $400 in my area, then that would be my max for $$ spent. I think I spent around $300 total, but my drum came out "pretty sweet" according to one of my neighbors. I had to make it look nice, since these things aren't very common in the Boston area, and I didn't want anyone to get skeeved out from meat coming out of what they would consider a trash barrel, LOL. Anywho, the build is done, the traditional Fattie is smoked (along with a few ears of corn, and everything went smooth as a baby butt. Never have a cooked on something that keeps such consistent temps (220 - 240 once all going, with only a valve tweek here or there). The Fatty was AWESOME, the corn was a little dry (forgot to add butter midway through cooking, oops) but good.
Next smoke may be ribs, or brisket, not sure which. For my annual Labor Day cookout it will probably be wings or something similar.
