S
steveheyes
Guest
Hi all,
I did my first cook on my UDS this past weekend and had some problems with temperature, the cooker would spike if the lid came off but then drop off very quickly and I couldn't maintain temperatures over 200F. I cooked one 10lb pork butt.
My UDS is built according to all the principles outlined on this site. It's a standard 55 gallon drum, 3 3/4" intakes, 1 with ball valve, 8 1/2" vents evenly spaced around the lid.
We did an empty test burn a week ago and it held like a charm at 250F.
When I took the meat off, I noticed that only the region in front of the ball valve was burning, it was like the fire hadn't spread well or had gone out. But I know that earlier during the cook there was an even spread of burning coals. I had all three intakes open for most of the cook, but I had one closed after the initial spike becaue I thought that was what I needed to hold temperature.
I attribute the temperature issues to one of two problems and I'm inviting your opinions on both or any alternatives you can think of.
1. The charcoal we used was not too good. we bought some restaurant grade lump but the bag was full of small pieces, we got the best we could but the lumps were mostly small.
2. I inject my pork very heavily, I use a brine pump and get a couple of pints in there. When we examined the drum afterwards, there was a puddle of liquid in there around the outside of the ash pan, I wonder if there was too much injection in there and as it leaked out it dripped on the fire, extinguishing it. My other cookers have a waterpan so I don't get this problem.
I hope someone can give an opinion on this.
Cheers
Steve
I did my first cook on my UDS this past weekend and had some problems with temperature, the cooker would spike if the lid came off but then drop off very quickly and I couldn't maintain temperatures over 200F. I cooked one 10lb pork butt.
My UDS is built according to all the principles outlined on this site. It's a standard 55 gallon drum, 3 3/4" intakes, 1 with ball valve, 8 1/2" vents evenly spaced around the lid.
We did an empty test burn a week ago and it held like a charm at 250F.
When I took the meat off, I noticed that only the region in front of the ball valve was burning, it was like the fire hadn't spread well or had gone out. But I know that earlier during the cook there was an even spread of burning coals. I had all three intakes open for most of the cook, but I had one closed after the initial spike becaue I thought that was what I needed to hold temperature.
I attribute the temperature issues to one of two problems and I'm inviting your opinions on both or any alternatives you can think of.
1. The charcoal we used was not too good. we bought some restaurant grade lump but the bag was full of small pieces, we got the best we could but the lumps were mostly small.
2. I inject my pork very heavily, I use a brine pump and get a couple of pints in there. When we examined the drum afterwards, there was a puddle of liquid in there around the outside of the ash pan, I wonder if there was too much injection in there and as it leaked out it dripped on the fire, extinguishing it. My other cookers have a waterpan so I don't get this problem.
I hope someone can give an opinion on this.
Cheers
Steve