anatomy & physics of a uds & why should i build 1 ????

Don't over think it, just give it a try. Best $100 or less you will ever spend on a cooker. Plus it comes with bragging rights.

I agree not that good for vending but as far as a cooker goes they work great. I have a 55 gallon with a weber lid and use a rack like this for ribs.


You can cook 8 butts but getting to temp is a struggle. 6 is a good number.


I have an 85 gallon that I load up. It has 3 racks 26' in diameter. I have a rack hanger.


On my 55 gallon I kept one of thos disposable schafer pan racks and set top grate on it when i get to bottom grate.

to address the "sake of vending & sheer volume" question - NotleyQue posted recently a pic of a catering gig with one UDS with 7 whole chickens in it - and the statement he could have put 9 in there - PS they turned out perfect = one drum with the ideal conditions to cook 9 birds perfectly taking @ 4 square foot of space.. needed 100 birds take 11 drums and take up only 44 square foot with a cost of @ $1100 .. I'm betting it hard to get another rig that will do that so cheaply and in less space

need brisket a two rack drum will hold 4 of them and again dialed in for just the brisket ... if you are cooking in another rig and doing birds too you will have to give somewhere to get both done. in the UDS you can get just the settings you want for the food within


Boston butts go 8 or more to a two rack drum .... you know the rest


sure it may not be the the show boat way to get a job done but less compromise to each item you are doing

note do a few jobs with a few drums and pay cash for a show boat rig .. you will have earned enough ! and the resell on the drums .. well their are lots of drum less bros out there ...

heres the NotleyQue post

NotleyQue said:

My wifes best friend hired me to cater her Grad Party. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cal State San Marcos with a degree in Communication. It was my first official paying catering gig. :-D:-D:-D

I cooked (2) 13 pound Briskets, (4) 7.5lb Pork Butts, and (7) 4.5/5LB Chickens.

It went amazing. The feedeback from the guests was incredible, and I gave out about 20 business cards, and hopefully will get calls from 4-5 of the people. I think the brisket was the best Brisket I have ever cooked. The pork was delicious, and the chicken was amazing. I am not a chicken fan but this stuff was fall off the bone tender and so juicy. I dont have pix of the cooked butts, as I went to take a shower and my help, well my help really help and it was all pulled b4 I could photgraph it.

Here is some pron for you all to enjoy.

Chicken on a drum

brisket 1

Brisket 2

Click to expand...

I have a couple of bullet style cookers and I will be building a UDS. My attitude is if I'm going to be Q'ing all day I might as well do volume. I vacuum pack and freeze the excess. I give batches away to family and I always have something to bring to picnics ect.