Can't get UDS to chicken temps, swich coal?

Elfmaze

Elfmaze

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I know these topics are beated to death but I couldn't find anyone with the same sort of issue. My drums purr along at 225-250 all day long. But even with all vents open on a calm day they never really climb much about 250-275. And when they do climb via a windy day or leaky lid I get nasty brown thick smoke.

I'm using KBB with chunks of hickory. My only idea is to switch to a lump and try again when next attempting chicken temps?
 
Fill your basket with unlit KBB then dump a full chimney of lit on top with all the vents open and it should get above 300 no problem.

I can get mine to cruise @330-350 with no issues.
 
Open the intake and leave the lid of while you drink a beer or two by the time your done with the beer and ready to put that chicken on I promise low temp wont be an issue. You can always start with a bigger fire too.
 
Bigger starting fire and/or more air flow. A lot of us build our drums with 3/4" intakes. This works great for 250F cooking. On some of the "What would you change on your UDS" threads, 1" intake openings are popular so you can reach chicken temperatures better. I would start with the bigger starting fire or if it is already going, take the lid off as Bludawg said and really get some air moving through there, once you get those coals burning, it is hard to cool them off!
 
Same here, more fire to start with. A full chimney will get you there pretty quickly.
 
Do you have risers on your intake?
 
Bbq Bubba said:
Do you have risers on your intake?
Click to expand...

Two of my vents are ground level, but one has a Pipe to bring it up to the ball valve. As stated in another post I do have 3/4 intakes...

More lit coals might help. I have been dumping the lit coals out of a chimney lately. 13 coals every time. Maby up the number.

I want to add a fan connected to my PID controller, But I have been holding off because I keep thinking of that raw fuel brown nasty smoke and want to get my head around what I'm doing wrong first.

My exhaust is 8" tall of 2" iron pipe. That was another idea I had that the exhaust was too restrictive to really get her flowing
 
People who use the vertical pipes also tend to complain about less air intake flow due to the longer run of restricting piping, but I think more coals in the beginning will get you going without having to change anything. The goal is to get enough lit coals in the beginning to basically bring you to temperature and just let the air intake hold that temperature. More coals to start will set you up for success.
 
Bludawg said:
Open the intake and leave the lid of while you drink a beer or two by the time your done with the beer and ready to put that chicken on I promise low temp wont be an issue. You can always start with a bigger fire too.
Click to expand...

This works very well. After you dump lit coals you need to let the fire establish itself for about 20 minutes. On my old (RIP) UDS if I closed the lid right away the temp would go from 350 to 275* or so and I would have to use an air mattress pump in the intake (every few minutes) to get it up to 325*. However if I just let it go for 20 minutes or so, no problems.. sometimes too hot!
 
try using your charcoal basket like a chimney starter. I place 6-8 lbs of charcoal in my basket,place newspaper in the ash pan & light it up.takes roughly 45 min to catch up but once it does look out 500* & beyond..i do all our burgers,steaks & yardbirds that way..
 
grill 'em all said:
try using your charcoal basket like a chimney starter. I place 6-8 lbs of charcoal in my basket,place newspaper in the ash pan & light it up.takes roughly 45 min to catch up but once it does look out 500* & beyond..i do all our burgers,steaks & yardbirds that way..
Click to expand...

That kind of makes sense. then the ash falls out rather than snuff the fire
 
I have 4 3/4" intakes and can cruise @ 350 degrees for chicken.

Try adding more lit charcoal to begin with.
 
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