Ugly Drum Smoker

These last a very long time, will take a lot more pressure when needed, no wires flying out to stab you.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/m...mpaignId=T9A&gclid=COaVseSa2bsCFQ7xOgodNDEA7A

ebijack said:

These last a very long time, will take a lot more pressure when needed, no wires flying out to stab you.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/m...mpaignId=T9A&gclid=COaVseSa2bsCFQ7xOgodNDEA7A

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Thanks for that but I've already ordered the second ebay item I posted above!

Stove rope.. Worth a purchase? The lid on my drum doesn't sit perfectly and I think it might help

YetiDave said:

Stove rope.. Worth a purchase? The lid on my drum doesn't sit perfectly and I think it might help

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try padding it out with aluminium foil first. If it works, look for a more permanent gasket solution.

As I'm going for a no weld approach with my UDS (you can see pictures on the previous page)

Is it sensible to use silicon adhesive like this around the ball valves etc? Is it safe to apply to the inside of the drum, or better to keep on the outside?

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/V-tech-Silicone-Instant-Gasket-Maker/dp/B00442KUDC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1400060529&sr=8-3&keywords=high+temp+gasket+sealer"]V-tech Red RTV Silicone Instant Gasket Maker 650F 85g: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41oDih7oRtL.@@AMEPARAM@@41oDih7oRtL[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clear-Silicone-Adhesive-Sealant-Gasket/dp/B0046YDT8Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400060529&sr=8-1&keywords=high+temp+gasket+sealer"]Clear Silicone Adhesive Sealant & Gasket Maker For Ovens: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51D6kBxisUL.@@AMEPARAM@@51D6kBxisUL[/ame]

So long as you have washers on the valves I would've thought they'd be airtight enough, but yeah sure, use silicon if you like. Don't think it'd cause any problems if it was on the inside

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie too,, up here in Canada,, (The Hockey Nation!), and I've just joined the BBQ Brethren forums and have been reading,, and reading,,, and reading!
I somehow, landed on a UDS site on the web a little while back,, and got really excited right away! I found a 55-gal. food-grade drum at a recycler, but instead of burning it out, (because even food-grade drums have a liner in'em), I had it sand blasted, inside and out. Lid and barrel. Then at Home Depot here in Ottawa, I ran into a sale (one-only), BBQ, similar to a Weber 22.5", thought it was the same size till I got it home, found that the lid was 1" too small! DANG! But the "grilling grill" fit the inside of the drum perfectly!
So I took the dome lid from the Q, and the drum lid, as well as the charcoal grill, (14" dia.) to a friend at a welding shop. He welded the 1" smaller lid from the Q I bought, to the drum lid rim, and then he cut the interior out of the drum lid, leaving about a 2" strip at the rim. Now I had a perfect fit, dome lid for my UDS! Next he welded a 12" high piece of expanded metal all the way around the circumference of the 14" charcoal grill, welded a bead around the top edge (to protect from the sharp edge of the expanded metal), and added a lifting handle.
I drilled three 7/8" holes, evenly spaced around the bottom of the barrel, (3" up from the bottom), which allowed me to thread in three 3/4" close black iron nipples. Capped two of'em, on the 3'rd, I screwed on a 90, and added a 3/4" x 24" long vertical extension, and there I put my 3/4" ball valve and plug, (for rain)
I'm hoping that will be enough for good airflow, (if not, I might have to add a BBQ Guru fan). Sorry if I'm ramblin' on, but I'm excited to get this UDS fired up!

Question, what do I need to do to season the inside of the barrel?

I would recommend using JB Weld if you want to seal/lock them in place.

Role said:

Question, what do I need to do to season the inside of the barrel?

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wipe it all down with canola oil (be generous ))
Then do a long slow burn - could even throw some food in for the last few hours..

Highcal said:

My drum is 30gal and has a 18.5 Weber lid, but in order to get the lid to fit I had to flip my drum over and use the bottom, so try flipping your drum over.

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I might suggest, a perfect top solution for a 30 gal drum and save some work and add an esthetic dimension, a stainless steel salad bowl, as noted. The stack is stock from grille maker I forget, but should be easy to duplicate or create using exhaust parts or even stainless. Drilling the hole might be tedious, but can be done. Luckily, the chimney I used is the correct ratio relative to the vents...although I have yet to use with all open, and usually average 2 open and maybe the valve partially..

Thanks Eggtastico, I had figured I'd have to apply some sort of vegetable, or other oil, to the inside. Good idea about the long slow burn,, will give me practice on dialing in temp., and season at the same time. And absolutely will throw in a chicken or some ribs for the last few hrs.
Another question, I'm looking for a temperature monitoring system like Maverick, or Guru, what's the best in your opinion?

"What about using the jelly stuff, to remove exterior rust spots..."Naval Jelly?"

The 30 gal drum above has gained some rust over winter in one area and I really do not want to spend much time on the clean and painting, at least not more than I spent doing the orig paint shot.

Fufio, I had some question and decided on this stuff
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Food-Grade-Silicone-Sealant/dp/B005XP5HO6"]Amazon.com: Clear Food Grade Silicone Sealant - 10.1 Oz Cartridge: Industrial & Scientific@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41qHnevPOPL.@@AMEPARAM@@41qHnevPOPL[/ame]
Its food grade and good up to a constant 400F.

Hey Role, I hope your cheering on the Habs tonight, game seven baby, gonna kick some Boston azz in there own arena..... I hope lol

Eggtastico said:

wipe it all down with canola oil (be generous ))
Then do a long slow burn - could even throw some food in for the last few hours..

Click to expand...

Crisco/shortening works well too.

Role said:

Thanks Eggtastico, I had figured I'd have to apply some sort of vegetable, or other oil, to the inside. Good idea about the long slow burn,, will give me practice on dialing in temp., and season at the same time. And absolutely will throw in a chicken or some ribs for the last few hrs.
Another question, I'm looking for a temperature monitoring system like Maverick, or Guru, what's the best in your opinion?

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I cant help there much sorry.
I have a maverick & love it - but I have just built a Meter Maker to help with temps as well. Being in the UK, my options are quite limited (

There are all sorts of options & prices & its down to how much you are prepared to pay for what you need.
Do a search or maybe make a thread asking people's opinions on the ones you have narrowed it down to.

my latest creation


full thread & a few more pics
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186518

Starting my first UDS and I have a question, is it better to keep the bottom of the drum intak or to remove for easy access to charcoal box?

Yentis said:

Starting my first UDS and I have a question, is it better to keep the bottom of the drum intak or to remove for easy access to charcoal box?

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Best to leave it intact. Shouldn't need to access charcoal basket during a cook so it can be easily lifted out for cleaning when all is cool.

Role said:

Question, what do I need to do to season the inside of the barrel?

Click to expand...

Hey Role, we definately need another UDS north of the Boarder. I used a Canola spray that I brought at Costco, as it is super easy to apply and relatively mess free, I used about half a can. Good luck, and if you have a question don't hesitate to ask, great knowledge and know-how here.

My UDS

Got my UDS built a couple weeks ago. Fairly simple, I put in four 3/4" intakes, three of them with caps and one with a 90* elbow and ball valve. The fire basket is a Weber charcoal grate with 12" high expanded metal clipped to the grate with heavy steel wire. The basket has 3-1/2" carrage bolts for legs resting in the ash pan made from a cheap 18" table top grill. I installed single track adjustable shelf standards and brackets so I could shift the two racks depending. Keeping my eye open for a dome lid but using the flat lid for now.
I had planned on painting it, but after the big burn I decided I liked the marbled look of the burnt paint so I wiped off he loose stuff and sprayed it with a high-temp clear. The starter chimney is home made from 6" duct.
The first cook was a disaster, everything was waaaay overcooked. Found out the temp. gauge I used was reading about 75* low. Its replacement is much better.
This thing is so easy to operate, I like it!
Cooked a fatty for the first time this morning, turned out good but will use spicier sausage next time. Then put on a chicken and slab of ribs for supper, both were fall apart done and delicious. Thinking maybe a butt next time.