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New UDS is coming in a few days

The lard is only for the inside. The grates will get seasoned A's you cook.


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UDS White Arcs Smoker review

OK I finally broke my UDS in and here is the deal. This post will be details of the drum and what I have seen so far.
It's a black 55 Gal drum with 3 rack position, top rack is 5" from the top, the 2nd rack is 5.5" from the top rack. And the lowest rack is 6.5" from the middle rack. There are only 3 air intakes (as opposed to 4 as I have seen elsewhere) 2 nipples and 1 ball valve. The intake holes are 3" above the lower lip from the outside. Now let me try and post some pictures. (seems I am going to have to learn how to do this so for now I am going to include a link to flicker for my pics)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaspipe1/sets/72157626815433707/

My only issues was 1. the hole for the thermometer was too small needed to redrill a larger hole. 2. the washer that holds the ash plate was too small and easily comes off the firebox. Other then that this UDS seems like a great deal for someone who doesn't have the time to build one themselves.
I think the two racks that came with it along with the thermometer are a lil less then great. But that is easily replaceable down the line. All the welds seems great, has 4 wheels on the bottom that glide nice. 2 strong handles on the side and a large handle on the lid.

No holes on the lid other then the two caps as an exhaust. And to be honest I think w/in two more cooks I will have mastered the temp control on this puppy. Seems one open nipple and a half closed valve has me set on 225. Also the lid was really nice and snug, no smoke leaking from the sides at all.

The fire box is 12 wide x 12.5 long x 11 high (hight is measured from the outside) also you will notice that there is 2 inches from the ash tray to the bottom of the firebox (so if you measure the hight from the inside it will be 9" <11"-2">) Btw the handle on the firebox is really nice and secure.

I hope I am maken sense, it's been a long day, but if there is any questions pls ask! I would like to thank this website and it's community for my UDS. To be honest I never considered a UDS untill all the people here recommended it and my wife said no way we're spending 1700 bucks on a stump! Guess I shud go thank her too... No worries Stump, my next one is all you.
 
Regarding my first cookout on it: it was great. I didn't have much time so I did a basic rib meal. Veg Oil and that rib rub and that was it, an hour before the smoker. That was the 1st time I trimmed my own ribs, I think I need some more practice. BTW the one larger piece that I trimmed away from the BB ribs was insane. Had barley any bones and tasted great! Plus I got to eat them a lil sooner. As far as I am concerned that right there should be the new McRib! The ABT i used a sharp cheddar and cream cheese wrapped in apple smoked bacon which was nice and thick. Then I sprinkled paprika and that's it. I did nothing to the chorizo sausage. I had all these apps smoke on the grill for 2 hours.

BTW I didn't want to do anything to the ribs b/c I wanted to taste them dry to appreciate the smoke and the juiciness of the meat w/out sauce. Was amazing, each time I lifted the lid during the 3-1-1 there was moister on the lid. The meat was really good and moist. And I didn't spray w/ apple juice, nor did I jazz it up w/ butter and honey while in foil.

Can't wait to do some more Q!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaspipe1/sets/72157626815433707/

BTW TY mnmgri4 for your help w/ my ribs!!!!
 
Hmm, is that a liner in there? Do you know what the barrel held before it was converted? Yes there is plenty of debate about liners and whether they are safe or not. Personally I prefer to have drums with out them or with them removed. This would be especially true if I were paying money to someone else for the product. Not to mention the ramifications should someone get sick. Who do you blame and who assumes liability? Even with "clean" drums this is a major reason I have yet to sell a UDS. I have made some for friends that paid for the parts and such but if you sell them as a commercial product you assume liability.

Other than that it looks like it should work fine. In regards to temp control, I have found it always varies a bit. There are just too many variables that go in to a cook to dictate a certain setting on the intakes. Just a few will include ambient temp, wind, charcoal (both type and how its loaded), rack fullness, how you start the fire, etc. Basically I am just saying to not expect it to run the exact same every time.

Your food looks great and congrats on a new toy. Also, I am assuming that the lower rack position is designed to hold some sort of water pan/diffuser/heat sink should you find you want to use one.
 
Hmm, is that a liner in there? Do you know what the barrel held before it was converted? Yes there is plenty of debate about liners and whether they are safe or not. Personally I prefer to have drums with out them or with them removed. This would be especially true if I were paying money to someone else for the product. Not to mention the ramifications should someone get sick. Who do you blame and who assumes liability? Even with "clean" drums this is a major reason I have yet to sell a UDS. I have made some for friends that paid for the parts and such but if you sell them as a commercial product you assume liability.

The white stuff you see in the drum was crisco, the pic was taken just before I seasoned it. The website says they only use food grade drums and never use any galvanized parts. As a precaution I had the drum going at 400*+ for 2 hours during the seasoning.

Your food looks great and congrats on a new toy. Also, I am assuming that the lower rack position is designed to hold some sort of water pan/diffuser/heat sink should you find you want to use one.

TY regarding the food, I thought it was really good. You are correct regarding the lower rack. It can be used to hold a water pan, or even use it to grill meat on high heat. I have not used it at all but am looking fwd to it.
 
That looks like a liner. I think all food grade drums have liners so they don't react with the metal. Mine was a food grade barrel and I had to burn out the liner. Check out the first few pages of my UDS thread. Rocky at BDS used to use drums with liners but switched because it was such a PITA to burn them out.

I don't know if having the liner in there is unsafe or not. I would definitely be checking for off/chemical smells during your burn out.
 
Great looking grub! I would try to get the liner out as well. I burned out my drum and then had it sandblasted. It only cost about $20... worth the piece of mind to me...

Either way, it all looks GOOD! :clap2:
 
From my understanding a liner is plastic correct? The inside of this drum is all metal.. The second picture where I hold a tape measure to the inside of the drum showing the spacing between the rack screws. But you guys got me nervous now, lol. I will take a razor to it and make sure there is no liner. Like I mentioned before the white stuff is Crisco that I smeared on to season it.
 
From my understanding a liner is plastic correct? The inside of this drum is all metal.. The second picture where I hold a tape measure to the inside of the drum showing the spacing between the rack screws. But you guys got me nervous now, lol. I will take a razor to it and make sure there is no liner. Like I mentioned before the white stuff is Crisco that I smeared on to season it.

No, the liner is some polymer that is applied to the metal before the drum is rolled if I recall correctly. It is essentially a very tough "paint" that keeps the barrel contents from reacting with the metal. Food grade barrels have this liner to keep the food safe. At normal temperatures it is more than safe. The concern occurs when you introduce heat. This is also where the debate starts in regards to safety. Many will say that it is perfectly safe at smoking temps and they are probably right. However, I am more concerned with the random chaos that is always a possibility. Lets say you get a big flare up or some hot coals fall down to the bottom and are sitting directly on this liner. This potentially could release unwanted fumes. Many will argue that there is no real threat until you reach excessive temps (similar to the galvanized argument). Personally, I choose not to risk it if I have the choice. As I said before, this is especially true if I was purchasing a product.
 
I spoke to Mr. Parker the man who sells the smoker and he reassured me that the liner was burnt out. I will double check again and post a pic. (I need to learn how t post pics on this site first) Has anyone here bought or has seen a smoker from White Arc Smokers?

On Ebay where he sells some of his drums it states:

"...Our smokers start life as a food grade barrel containing a corn syrup. We then burn it at a high temperature for several hours to clean everything out....

...The smoker then undergoes two coats of black high-temp paint. The smoker is ready to cook as soon as you get your hands on it...."

I checked it out again when I got home but to be honest what the hell do I know if there is a liner. Although I will say this, when I was smearing Crisco all over it, the bottom of the lip that folds in wasn't smooth as if a protective coating. But like I said what the hell do I know.

After my convo with Clint, reading the description on ebay and I emailed some buyers for their opinion I am confident that I do not need to worry too much. Perhaps I will do another burn when I have the time using a dozen or two logs I have for the fireplace just to be safe.
 
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That sure looks like it has a liner in it! I would link to that photo but it's not working properly.
 
I checked it out again when I got home but to be honest what the hell do I know if there is a liner. Although I will say this, when I was smearing Crisco all over it, the bottom of the lip that folds in wasn't smooth as if a protective coating. But like I said what the hell do I know.

Its pretty easy to tell. Either you have bare metal or you don't. In the picture where you were smearing crisco on the inside, do you see that red stuff. That is not bare, that is the liner. It scares me more that the seller is unaware of this issue. Either that or he just lied to you flat out.

I am not trying to beat you up on your purchase. I just want you to be aware of the potential issues since you did pay someone else for this product. Sure, you may use this for the rest of your life with no issues at all. Hell, there were plenty of happy Pinto, Explorer, Toyota drivers around the country that never had issues at all. Unfortunately there were a few that paid a horrible price.
 
OK guys, I'm not here to argue with you. I was just wishful thinking I guess. :sad: So, I now have to burn her out... So just to make sure.. I'm thinking 20 or so logs with a burn time of 8 hours? Remove vent caps, ball valve, thermometer.. do i need to remove the bolts that hold the grates, what about the firebox? Do I need to grind her out too with an angle grinder (please say no).
Thanks again for looking after me and my family.... I'm soo pissed off right now with this guy. :boxing:
 
Well, keep a couple things in mind. First, a big hot burn is most likely going to ruin the nice paint on the outside. Second, a good burn usually helps in removing the liner but usually you still need to get some of it out with a wire wheel which is a chore. In all you are setting yourself up for a bit of work.

Here is a link to some other threads that deal with liners.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/search.php?searchid=1527482


Also, a simple, neat, and quick solution would be to have it sand blasted. People have found places that will do a drum anywhere from $20 to $50. This might be your best bet.
 
you know the more i look at those pics... that just looks like surface rust after its been sitting for awhile bare. Look at the color its not uniform at all even under the crisco you can tell that. He also said its not smooth, I dont know about your guys experience but the liner in mine was very smooth
 
GrumpyT, I spoke with another guy that bought a UDS from him and he said I assure you there was a liner. He burned it out then sanded it down, and then had to re-paint it. This sux and to be honest I'm pissed. If I had the time to do all that I would have just drilled the dam holes and made my own. I mean at this point I am doing the tough part. I'll post some more pics b4 I go and do it.
 
See if you can find a barrel without a liner. Then you can use all the parts to construct it. Still sucks big time to pay for an item that is not what is advertised
 
I still say check for someone local that can sand blast it. For $50 or less you will be good to go quickly and painlessly. The only prep you have to do is to remove the bolts.
 
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