Don Jeansonne
Well-known member
Just finished my UDS using the following:
- burned out barrel and wire brushed it clean.
- used flat top for lid with 2" bung hole for outlet vent.
- made 8"h x 13.5"d charcoal basket with 3/4" expanded metal and 13.5" Weber grate on 3.5" bolts for legs. Also have alum pizza pan for ash pan.
- Three 3/4" close pipe nipples for air inlets 2" off bottom. (2 with caps and one with 3/4" ball valve)
- 22.5" Weber meat grate set 24" above charcoal basket (27" off bottom). Have thermometer 1" below meat grate.
I used Kingsford briquets for my cooking trial run of pork spare ribs. I lit about 1/4 of a chimney and set it in a coffe can to the edge of the basket loaded with about 10 lbs of briquets.
With all inlets open, the UDS came up to 250F fairly easily for the run. Then I capped 2 inlets and tried to control with the valve only. I had to keep opening and capping one inlet to control between 230 to 270F. It didn't seem to be stable, either too hot or too cool. Then eventually it wanted to die out. So I opened the second small (about 1") bung hole in the top and the UDS seemed to draft better. I was able to get control at 230 - 250F with only the inlet valve.
The only problem (I think?) I have now is that the fire wants to choke out with ash build-up. I had to shake the drum too often it seemed (every hour) or open it and rack the coals around to drop some ash.
Overall I was please with the results but don't really see it being able to run 8 - 10 hrs almost unattended like I here some people are doing.
Any suggestions on helping my ash build up problem would be appreciated or any mods I need to make to the design that may help.
- burned out barrel and wire brushed it clean.
- used flat top for lid with 2" bung hole for outlet vent.
- made 8"h x 13.5"d charcoal basket with 3/4" expanded metal and 13.5" Weber grate on 3.5" bolts for legs. Also have alum pizza pan for ash pan.
- Three 3/4" close pipe nipples for air inlets 2" off bottom. (2 with caps and one with 3/4" ball valve)
- 22.5" Weber meat grate set 24" above charcoal basket (27" off bottom). Have thermometer 1" below meat grate.
I used Kingsford briquets for my cooking trial run of pork spare ribs. I lit about 1/4 of a chimney and set it in a coffe can to the edge of the basket loaded with about 10 lbs of briquets.
With all inlets open, the UDS came up to 250F fairly easily for the run. Then I capped 2 inlets and tried to control with the valve only. I had to keep opening and capping one inlet to control between 230 to 270F. It didn't seem to be stable, either too hot or too cool. Then eventually it wanted to die out. So I opened the second small (about 1") bung hole in the top and the UDS seemed to draft better. I was able to get control at 230 - 250F with only the inlet valve.
The only problem (I think?) I have now is that the fire wants to choke out with ash build-up. I had to shake the drum too often it seemed (every hour) or open it and rack the coals around to drop some ash.
Overall I was please with the results but don't really see it being able to run 8 - 10 hrs almost unattended like I here some people are doing.
Any suggestions on helping my ash build up problem would be appreciated or any mods I need to make to the design that may help.
