Ugly Drum Smoker

Getting ready to weld up my charcoal pan and basket today for my UDS.

I went easy the first time, was excited to try it and just over cut my bottom grate out of exp metel, then bent the corners down to make the legs. Worked well but clean up is a b*$ch.

This morning I am welding my 18 inch weber coal grate to the basket and putting a pizza pan under that.

Question is how much room to leave between the coal grate and the pizza pan?

I am thinking about 5 inches, current set up has around 3 inches clearance, and I can cook 5 or 6 times before the ash build up becomes a problem, and thats with Kingsford.

This will make it possible to clean it before each cook, so maybe I would need less?

Pizza pan will sit on the bottom of the drum, and i have 23 inches from the bottom of the coal grate to the first rack as it sits right now. If I go 5 inches off the bottom this would make that clearance 21 inches.

The intakes are 1.5 inches off the bottom of the drum.

Should be ok huh?

Jeff

wound up doing this.

Original exp metel welded to 18 inch coal grate and welded ends



Added a handle across the top



And a pizza pan that she had layin around not doing anything. Used some 5/16 bar I had layin around for the legs



still have 20 inches to the first grate.

Got to go buy a pizza pan

Jeff

Finally got to smoke some chicken tonight. F'in wow was it great. Fired it up using the minion method. Jumped to three hundred, then choked her back a little and it cruised at 250 for two hours. didn't even have to adjust. Oh about the rain comment, we do some custom haying. been leaving home around 6:30 am and getting home around 9 or 10 pm. And yea the wife sits on a tractor in all her spare time also.

May be a silly question, but as for the thermo for my DS, is there a preferred brand, or where do most get theirs for their cookers? I've looked at several stores and don't see what I think I would need. Probes are too short IMO! (Okay... no wise cracks.. )

I just bought two 12" thermos from Wally World. $5 each in the grill section. May not be as accurate as the $50 models but good enough to get a good idea whats going on heat wise.

Like putting $2000 rims on my $200 pickup truck



$40 Therm on a $23 dollar Build. Ahh, its worth it, right

Jeff

$60 worth of meat trusted to a $6 thermometer?

BWJ said:

I just bought two 12" thermos from Wally World. $5 each in the grill section. May not be as accurate as the $50 models but good enough to get a good idea whats going on heat wise.

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In a game thats all about temperature, dont skimp on the thermometer!

$6.00 in charcoal, 22 hours at 225. These drums rock and roll!

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

I was recently sitting on a plane from a month long trip from amsterdam. I didnt have a chance to smoke, grill, cook, heck even microwave anything. so that 10 hour flight left me with alot of brainstorming time. What do yall think about installing a fluke on the uds? Just like in a chimney. I figured it would elimate the spike in temperatures when you remove the lid, to do what ever you have to with the meat.

shdybrady said:

I was recently sitting on a plane from a month long trip from amsterdam. I didnt have a chance to smoke, grill, cook, heck even microwave anything. so that 10 hour flight left me with alot of brainstorming time. What do yall think about installing a fluke on the uds? Just like in a chimney. I figured it would elimate the spike in temperatures when you remove the lid, to do what ever you have to with the meat.

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What's a fluke?????

Paul B
SS UDS

Paul B said:

What's a fluke?????

Paul B
SS UDS

Click to expand...

Pretty sure he means a chimney flue. Not really sure how this will help avoid temp spikes when the lid is removed though. Still going to have excess oxygen entering the drum with the lid off that will allow the fire to build until the lid is replaced.

On second thought, I guess if you could cut off the fire just below the grates then having the lid off would not introduce any more air to the fire. However, this seems like quite a feat to accomplish.

fluke is a brand of tool I use in my industry lol. I meant to put flue. The valve you have in your chimney

not if you engage the flue from the outside then take the lid off. When your done but the lid on and disengage the flue

shdybrady said:

not if you engage the flue from the outside then take the lid off. When your done but the lid on and disengage the flue

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Yeah, I kinda see where you are going but I am not sure how you will implement it. Am I correct in my assumption that you intend to have the flue between the fire and the grates? I guess you could do some sort of "pinwheel" type flue that could open and close much like on a weber kettle. However, much like using a waterpan or baffle, I would be concerned about needing to use more fuel to get temps up due to blockage from the flue mechanism.

I use a cover to a 30 gallon drum as a heat diffuser/damper in my drum when cooking at low temps like 225+-. Drilled a bunch of holes in it to get better air flow and some juices can still hit the coals. I do use more fuel for a given cook but getting more even temps and no flare-ups when removing the cover for tending is more than worth it.

Yes it is.:-D

Couldn't wait

Well, I just couldn't wait any longer! Though not completely finished, I couldn't stand it any longer! Lit'er up this past weekend! :becky:

Baby backs, 2 dry, one sauced, and some sausages.. :thumb:

Looks good, you are going to love it.
Now time for some food pron.

Jeff S. said:

Like putting $2000 rims on my $200 pickup truck

$40 Therm on a $23 dollar Build. Ahh, its worth it, right

Jeff

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Hello everyone. This is my first post. I found this forum looking for a How To for a UDS and THANK YOU! Got my barrel Friday and burned it out Sunday...I think. I just want to be sure that the color of the above picture is what the barrel should look like inside? I can look at pics on here, but they've of course all had multiple cooks or at least been seasoned. Mine held a washer fluid concentrate (methanol) in it's past life. I hosed it out until it ran clear before I took the cutting wheel to the top. Don't know what kind of liner if any it would have, but after a 5+hour burn the inside is a black color as when it started. The outside paint is off except in one small spot. I bought a propane Burner (weed burner) yesterday that I'm going to take to the rest of the outside tonight along with the inside (just to be safe I guess) but wanted an idea of color I should be expecting when it's good. Thanks . All that's left is to mount the grate and build the fire basket. Can't wait to throw my first piece of flesh on. My wife was not a meat eater when I met her, but through proper ordering (me telling her how to order her steaks and what not) and me cooking for her, she's realized meat can be extremely flavorful and soft like butter I can't wait to introduce her to the world of meat heaven.