Ugly Drum Smoker

There is engine paint primer from rustoleum to go with their top coat engine paint. I personally use primer anytime I paint on an unfinished surface.

Having said that, I wouldn't burn that paint off unless you're just dying to paint it. It probably won't come off with just smoking. We just built one here a few weeks ago and the factory black paint is still perfect after an initial run up of heat to 400 degrees by accident when he did his fatty break-in.
 
PhilipW said:
There is engine paint primer from rustoleum to go with their top coat engine paint. I personally use primer anytime I paint on an unfinished surface.

Having said that, I wouldn't burn that paint off unless you're just dying to paint it. It probably won't come off with just smoking. We just built one here a few weeks ago and the factory black paint is still perfect after an initial run up of heat to 400 degrees by accident when he did his fatty break-in.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, now there is an idea. There is some writing on the drum, but nothing I can't live with. Or maybe I'll just give the outside a good thorough cleaning and paint over it instead of burning it off.
 
an easy hole for a temp probe is a drilled out valve stem (auto parts places usually have replacement metal stems to bling out your wheels).
--
unscrew the valve from the center - and drill out the hole in the brass stem to the size you need. I have 2 different sizes on mine - one a bit larger to pass through the meat probe (which has a curve in it). Still the larger hole is not much more than 1/8" so no real air leakage.
 
529 pages!:shocked: Someone should make this book into a thread. It would kind of be like Kramer's coffee table book about coffee tables, only it would be about ugly drum smokers. Seriously, this could be a money maker. there is a wealth of information here that I am sure few other bbq'ers have
 
are copper and brass ok to use in these smokers? I got brass bolts to eliminate the zinc and galv promlems...
 
Hey Mike(LoveBBQ) the reason 4 the 1st burn is not to take the paint off the out side. The reason is to sterilize the inside so that there are no gasses from whatever to contaminate the food. Not all bad gasses can be smelled or tasted. Sorry for the big words I don't belief in luck(why be ify) so good success with your smoker.
 
Hi everyone! I'm new here and would just like to say how awesome this thread is! Thanks to this thread, I've been inspired to build my own UDS, and I will post pictures when the build commences. I'm just waiting on two food-safe drums. Thanks again...I look forward to being an active member. - J.
 
rondini said:
Hey Mike(LoveBBQ) the reason 4 the 1st burn is not to take the paint off the out side. The reason is to sterilize the inside so that there are no gasses from whatever to contaminate the food. Not all bad gasses can be smelled or tasted. Sorry for the big words I don't belief in luck(why be ify) so good success with your smoker.
Click to expand...

Is anifreeze bad? :confused:

OK, good point. One of the reasons I don't want to do a full burn like I see on here is due to the area where I live. Perhaps just a high temp burn of some charcoal before seasoning will do the trick? Or use the weed burner on the inside?
 
OK So I am building my first UDS. Drum is clean but I wanted a non-commercial lid so I cut a steel ring 1" wide the diameter of the drum and welded 2 1" strips to the bottom of it. I cut and rolled some sheet metal to form a cone that is chopped off at the top and will weld a plate flat on the top. the welded on inner ring should help the drip I keep seeing on everyone smoker from the runoff that comes from the lid. So here is my question. Will it actually work as designed or have I missed something?
 
Sounds like an excellent plan! I've really struggled trying to find the perfect lid. On one, I use 1/3 of a drum, cut right at one of the ribs, which overlaps the top bead of the drum. It works well, and has a lot of room inside, but it is very heavy. In order to use a Weber lid, most drums are just a hair too big, and re-shaping the Weber lid results in the loss of the baked-on enamel- not good. I've also tried several large SS bowls, but haven't found one the right size.

I've thought about making one the way you are, and it should work very well- if you can get a good seal. Air leaks at the lid make it very hard to get that low-n-slow burn the UDS is famous for. Pictures- PLEASE!
 
Im making a couple of UDS lids from the bottom third of another drum.

DSC01148.jpg


Not sure how it is gonna work out with the black drip though.
 
Mike, hit it good with the Weed Burner. Anti-Freeze, in the old days could be
de-stilled for the alcohol, the I SAY SO's said to put a poison in it to stop that practice. So, if my barrel had a poison in it, I'd want to burn it out good. Hope that helps.:-D
 
Finished my second UDS, just waiting for the paint to cure for a week before I season it.
 

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rondini said:
Mike, hit it good with the Weed Burner. Anti-Freeze, in the old days could be
de-stilled for the alcohol, the I SAY SO's said to put a poison in it to stop that practice. So, if my barrel had a poison in it, I'd want to burn it out good. Hope that helps.:-D
Click to expand...
Will do! Thanks!
 
So after my first two cooks I was getting a little metal taste. I have an unlined drum and someone suggested to burn it out, just in case. If I do this, how hot/long to burn it? I also got the suggestion of a diffuser/baffle. I have a metal pizza pan that has the holes in it. I'm thinking cover in foil and go with it. Comments?
 
Here are a couple of photos of the lid. I have to confess that I have full access to welders, cnc plasma cutters, a press brake, and a full machine shop. This was my first go. I think in the next few months I will have a bunch of these seeing how I found a barrell source for 16 dollars. We also have a sandblaster so my next barrell will be a lined one that I sandblast myself. I do have some grinding to do on this lid before I can paint it.
IMG_0728.jpg

IMG_0724.jpg
 
propsync said:
So after my first two cooks I was getting a little metal taste. I have an unlined drum and someone suggested to burn it out, just in case. If I do this, how hot/long to burn it? I also got the suggestion of a diffuser/baffle. I have a metal pizza pan that has the holes in it. I'm thinking cover in foil and go with it. Comments?
Click to expand...

If you are sure it is unlined i wouldn't worry about burning it out. You could be tasting creosote on your meat. Make sure the smoke coming out is thin and blue before putting your meat on the grill. Also put the pizza pan covered in foil under your meat so the grease doesn't burn in the fire.

I personally don't like the smell or taste of burnt grease. I use a terracotta pot base covered in foil under my meats on my drums.
 
HPIM0436.jpg


Hope this works. Been to the cattle call but figured I'd post a pic of mu UDS built in honor of those boys in red and black(sometimes white too).

brickie

Going to start a dedicated thread per suggestion where I'll post up some more pics and info.
 
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