Ugly Drum Smoker

I''m 4 cooks in to my ugly drum. Man I love this thing. Gotta thank From the Pit BBQ for setting me up. I've done a fattie, two whole chickens, a butt and did 12 thighs last night. I'm lovin it. I want to quit my job and cook everyday now. Seems like the more you use it the better you get kinda figuring your way along.

I have a guy sandblasting my barrel as I type. My concern is, I'm not sure what was in the barrel and the old guy I bought them from didn't know either (he literally had hundreds of them he bought from another guy). I put some flame to the inside and whatever it was (consistency of cold grease) didn't light. Not sure how to proceed.......

Will He Make It?

Currently at post 10,201 of 11,082!!! I think I'll make it to the end! Am I weird for reading all this? It's kind of addictive.

I do have to say that it is getting a bit boring reading the same entry: "I've just gotten my drum. It's bare metal inside. Do I still need to burn it?" Or: "My drum held isopropanol and it's not lined. Do I need to burn it?" Or: "My drum held grease. ..." Heck no, you don't need to burn it! Why make the job harder than it needs to be? Just wash it with detergent, rinse it, and get on with your build.

BobBill said:

Holy Schdit, Rube Goldberg lives...funny. The point is taken.

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banderson1357 said:

Stainless drum??!!!!! Yikes, I'd sell that and buy a steel one and buy meat and beer with the difference. Those things are about 700 bucks new in the industrial catalogs! Good luck with the build.

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Which is why I want to build it stainless. I would never pay $700 for a drum. I just happen to run a recycling center, so I have access to just about anything metal for pennies a pound.

I don't want to be one of those guys that come in and ask how to build one without reading the thread. I want to keep with the KISS theory on this build but don't want to drill 1" holes x 3 to later find out I should have gone 3/4" x 4

Where do you get those drum bases with casters? I've seen a few UDS setups with them. It's just a circular metal base the drum sits in with casters.

I have another question too. If the 55 gallon drum I bought was 35" tall on the exterior--minus the height of the lid--and I wanted to use the stock 55 gallon drum lid instead of a weber lid, and I wanted to have a diffuser above the charcoal basket (not fond of fat vapors in my smokes), then what should the heights be of the basket feet, basket itself, diffuser grate, 2nd grate and top grate?

Insulated drum smoker table

Building my own drum smoker was fun but sometimes a small project can get large over time, ya know what I mean. I've been smokin for a couple of years with a bare bones drum standin on fire bricks. Could not use it in winter- I live in Wisconsin- so I got around to building a box around the drum out of 3/4" ply to keep the cold wind off. Later I got the idea to insulate the box and add wheels and a work surface. Now it cooks like my egg. Holds heat like crazy using a small amount of lump to maintain the temp for smokin or grillin or roastin. Then I got around to painting and adding an umbrella and towel dispenser and kit box. Next up is a bottle opener- needs that, he he.
Before:


After:


Speed control:




Smoked meatloaf, yummm.






So far I got $280 into the table including wheels, hardware, grids and accessories. Drum was free, ha ha. Insulation surrounding the drum is 3" spun fiberglass sandwiched between aluminum flashing. I'm having a blast cookin and smokin on the drum. Stay tuned for updates!

Phishwhisperer said:

Currently at post 10,201 of 11,082!!! I think I'll make it to the end! Am I weird for reading all this? It's kind of addictive.

I do have to say that it is getting a bit boring reading the same entry: "I've just gotten my drum. It's bare metal inside. Do I still need to burn it?" Or: "My drum held isopropanol and it's not lined. Do I need to burn it?" Or: "My drum held grease. ..." Heck no, you don't need to burn it! Why make the job harder than it needs to be? Just wash it with detergent, rinse it, and get on with your build.

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Sorry to bore you Tex, but if you read post 11,082 it says it was "the consistency" of grease, it isn't actually grease. I don't really feel like cooking on a UDS for my 4 and 6 year old kids if it could have been something toxic.

ClayQ said:

So far I got $280 into the table including wheels, hardware, grids and accessories. Drum was free, ha ha. Insulation surrounding the drum is 3" spun fiberglass sandwiched between aluminum flashing. I'm having a blast cookin and smokin on the drum. Stay tuned for updates!

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Pretty sweet!

ClayQ said:

Building my own drum smoker was fun but sometimes a small project can get large over time, ya know what I mean. I've been smokin for a couple of years with a bare bones drum standin on fire bricks. Could not use it in winter- I live in Wisconsin- so I got around to building a box around the drum out of 3/4" ply to keep the cold wind off. Later I got the idea to insulate the box and add wheels and a work surface. Now it cooks like my egg. Holds heat like crazy using a small amount of lump to maintain the temp for smokin or grillin or roastin. Then I got around to painting and adding an umbrella and towel dispenser and kit box. Next up is a bottle opener- needs that, he he.

So far I got $280 into the table including wheels, hardware, grids and accessories. Drum was free, ha ha. Insulation surrounding the drum is 3" spun fiberglass sandwiched between aluminum flashing. I'm having a blast cookin and smokin on the drum. Stay tuned for updates!

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Nice drum and table setup.
There should be no reason you can't smoke with a basic drum all winter long in Wisconsin. Many of us do and at least one member here uses a drum all year in Alaska. Sometimes ya just go through more charcoal but with a full basket that should not be an issue. Big poppa sells pretty nice bottle openers cheap. Best online source for rubs, sauces and accessories with free shipping over forty bucks. All of my orders have shown up in five days and well packed. Much cheaper than the few local sources available to us in the sticks.

Apologies to Drum Burners

DeepElemCue said:

Sorry to bore you Tex, but if you read post 11,082 it says it was "the consistency" of grease, it isn't actually grease. I don't really feel like cooking on a UDS for my 4 and 6 year old kids if it could have been something toxic.

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My apologies, Yank. I had no intention of offending you or anyone else who wonders if they should burn their drum. In fact, I had not yet even read your post when I made mine. And no, I wouldn't want to encourage you to potentially expose your children to anything unhealthy.

My point was only this: At the time I had read all but the last four pages of the entire thread and had seen this same question (and others) posted many times. It was pretty obvious that these folks hadn't spent the time to read much of the thread for themselves, because the question had been answered many times before.

FINALLY have (almost) everything for my UDS. Found a seller in Toledo with drums for $10. He said they were filled with water-soluble catalyst that was in a plastic bag in the drum. I inspected several and none of them had liners, just nice, clean steel.

Found a sheet metal shop that had spare expanded metal they cut to size for me for $10. Have the basket built. Will start working on the barrel later this week. Should be able to burn it out Saturday while I replace a section of my roof.

Digi Q

banderson1357 said:

I just completed this UDS and have a couple orders to build others. Like to offer an automatic temp controller like the Digi Q but wonderered if anyone has experience with it and if the volume of air is enough for a UDS. Thanks for the input!

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Haven't used the Digi Q but I have used the Pitmaster IQ and it works very well. Doesn't have a meat probe or anything like that, it just controls the pit temp and seems to work well. When I build them now, I just put one hole in at the bottom for one nipple, connect the Pitmaster and forget it.

My Fugly Drum Smoker

Well, I must say there is a lot of reading here. Been lurking in the shadows reading and looking at all these wonderful UDS. I decided to take some of this and some of that and start my build. I got the drum from a neighbor that after talking with him he decided to jump in this experience he got 2 for FREE! As you can see from the pics, I spent this past weekend in the garage with the fan at my back and temps pushing high 90's.... But had fun.

STILL GOT SOME WORK TO DO.
I need to buy the expanded metal to build the burner tray, add a handle on the lid, drum thermostat, wheels, ball valve and add a stack the top.

I welcome all suggestions.

Question(s):
- I see all different size burner trays. What size works best? I was thinking 14" round X 8" high.
-Best drum thermostat? I see all types...
-Where are you guys getting the chrome stacks from?

Well, again thank you to everyone here. Just think I stumbled across this site while looking for something else... :thumb:
TTYL, gIz

YES!!! Just got a call from the sand blaster, my barrel ($15) is sand blasted ($30) and ready to be tampered with!!! Pics tomorrow

ClayQ do you have any plans or drawings for that table? I really dig it and would like to build one myself. Thanks!!

ClayQ, did you originally cook with direct heat, as most drum users do? If so, are you still doing so with your superinsulated version? (Still not using a heat deflector?) Are your meat drippings getting vaporized on the lower fires you're burning now?

Clay Q.......I like the way you boxed the drum and added insulation. I wonder instead of fiberglass insulation if perlite or vermiculite would also be effective as they can take very high temps and are also readily available at most garden centers.

So here is the beginning of the charcoal basket - 2 sheets of 12 x 24 expanded metal $9.90 ea
6 1/4 inch nuts and bolts - $0.30
12 fender washers - $0.48

http://i.imgur.com/Izv6ad9.jpg


Tied that to a 17 inch charcoal grate with bailing wire - grill grate $10.99
4 4in carriage bolts with nuts - $3.20
8 Fender washers - $0.32
12 feet bailing wire $3.60
http://i.imgur.com/FjFdkAi.jpg


drum after sanding with first hole drilled for air vents drum $15
1 inch hole saw for metal $8.00
drum sanding $30.00
http://i.imgur.com/liVn7TT.jpg


drum with charcoal basket at the bottom an crusty ass used grill grate 3 - 2 1/2 inch carriage bolts to hold grate $2.50
crusty ass used grate - free at recycling place
3 fender washers $0.12

http://i.imgur.com/tnoZvWv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/10uzV39.jpg

bottom air control 3/4 in ball valve $11.29
3 - 3/4 black steel pipe nipples $3.45
2 - 3/4 in pipe caps $2.12

http://imgur.com/MUw8Hy9

http://i.imgur.com/RpDXgH2.jpg

22.5 inch Weber Kettle lid on top also free at recycling place

http://i.imgur.com/ydimYZz.jpg


Still need to clean up the grate and lid, add a second grate underneath the first, drill hole and add thermometer and then I'll fire it up tomorrow.

banderson1357 said:

I just completed this UDS and have a couple orders to build others. Like to offer an automatic temp controller like the Digi Q but wonderered if anyone has experience with it and if the volume of air is enough for a UDS. Thanks for the input!

Click to expand...

I use a DigiQ and it works perfectly on my UDS. A lot of times I wonder if it's working because it doesn't kick on very much because the UDS is so good at holding temp but the DigiQ helps me sleep better on overnight cooks.

Just BS said:

How do you put your Maverick ET-732 grill thermometer into your UDS?

I have an exhaust pipe coming up the middle of my lid and I usually just drop the probe down thru there. Problem is that there usually is a piece of meat there so I don't think I am getting accurate readings. I though abough running it between the lid and the drum but I don't want to damage the cord.

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I installed 3/8" grommets, ordered from cajunbandit.com website. If you're interested look under WSM parts and be sure to get 3/8", 1/4" won't work with the ET-732.