UDS Flavor

I have noticed that as well, but I like the taste of pork on the uds.
"My" Q growing up was cooked over coals, not in a separate box like a stick burner or cabinet or bullet. Just seems right to me.
That said, I like it all. The different cooking methods are what drew me to Q anyway.
 
swamprb said:
I love my Drums, but I know what Big Brother Smoke is talking about. I cooked on the drum with a few guys that had cooked on nothing but offsets and they all agreed they didn't care for the taste and were not about to give up their tanks.

But here's the deal- a lot of us have these biga$$ed charcoal baskets about 16" or larger and fill them up with more briq than we actually need for what we're cooking anyway and the fat just keeps stoking the coals.

Try a small charcoal ring, about the size of a large coffee can or Weber chimney and cook at a lower temp.

I've used mine at comps and gotten negative comments like "tastes like creosote" or "liquid smoke", but then again gotten raves, I've even noticed it myself and am wondering if I should burn them out every so often?

I refuse to use a waterpan, heatsheild or deflector in the drums-knock yerself out if you want to. I'll just fire up a WSM if I ever get tired of "ol grampaw"!!
Click to expand...

You had a chance to visit with Bubba and Jeff this weekend. It's hard to imagine an "off taste" winning brisket at the Jack.

jdub said:
I have noticed that as well, but I like the taste of pork on the uds.
"My" Q growing up was cooked over coals, not in a separate box like a stick burner or cabinet or bullet. Just seems right to me.
That said, I like it all. The different cooking methods are what drew me to Q anyway.
Click to expand...

So true
 
swamprb said:
I love my Drums, but I know what Big Brother Smoke is talking about. I cooked on the drum with a few guys that had cooked on nothing but offsets and they all agreed they didn't care for the taste and were not about to give up their tanks.

But here's the deal- a lot of us have these biga$$ed charcoal baskets about 16" or larger and fill them up with more briq than we actually need for what we're cooking anyway and the fat just keeps stoking the coals.

Try a small charcoal ring, about the size of a large coffee can or Weber chimney and cook at a lower temp.

I've used mine at comps and gotten negative comments like "tastes like creosote" or "liquid smoke", but then again gotten raves, I've even noticed it myself and am wondering if I should burn them out every so often?

I refuse to use a waterpan, heatsheild or deflector in the drums-knock yerself out if you want to. I'll just fire up a WSM if I ever get tired of "ol grampaw"!!
Click to expand...
why would you be opposed to a water pan? I use one in the drum and I cant tell a difference from my stickburner.
 
Use a plate, smoker plate , water pan , something as a barrier for indirect cooking. Drums that use a offset firebox or ones that use a plate are the ones that win contests, or sell the most food. A grill is a grill. Indirect cooking makes a smoker. I personally like a water pan filled with some sweet liquid, pop, kool-aid, juices, then water towards the end.Works for me. Steve.
 
Hey Stef, solution built right in....
Line it with foil and use it.
IMG_3081-1.jpg


IMG_3084.jpg
 
Bigmista said:
Quit trying to cook all wood in the UDS! Buy some damned charcoal!!
Click to expand...

That may or may not be the problem Neil. I only use wood. Using milder wood will result in lighter smoked Q. :idea:
 
CajunSmoker said:
It's definitely a different taste, but I like it. I grew up eating BBQ from places with signs that said "Real Pit BBQ" though so maybe it's just what I expect real Q to tast like.
Click to expand...

e41fd3cc.jpg

Yeah, me too. We had a direct cooking, raised grate (24") brick stick burning pit when I was a little boy.

I followed the BDS posts when they first showed up on BBQ forums, but it wasn't until Danny Gaulden did a review of one did I pull the trigger. HERE is the complete review, but the part that hit home with me was this snip. When he mentioned the "Grandpaw smell" it really hit home.

"Within 15 minutes of the first cook, I knew this pit was a winner. The smell was absolutely what I look for in a first class cooker and NEVER have I achived this quality for the price and cooking capacity. I call it that ol' time "Grandpaw smell"... when many years ago men cooked meat over hardwood coals and the smoke from the wood and the drippings from the meat fell down into the fire, creating an aroma that was unforgetable. It was a lot of work. Not saying that some folks don't do this today, but they are a dying breed. This pit accomplishes this ol' time flavor with little effort due to the fact that the cooking grate is located about 24 inches from the bottom of the charcoal ring which allows direct cooking over the coals, plus the well thought out design from Mr. Richmond. There's a lot more to what he has created than just cutting a hole in the bottom and top of a barrel and calling it a good cooker".
 
Being a total carnivore and challenged when it comes to veggies, I agree with Thirdeye and the review he posted. I love the taste from my UDS. Before finding the UDS I had gone through a few Q joint pits in NC and KC and saw that all of them have the stone pits with a big grate at least 2 feet directly above the coals and could hear the fat dripping onto the coals. Smelled great walking through the smoke fog.

Life would be boring if we were all the same anyway, so you gotta cook the way you gotta cook.

And Larry it seems you must be stripped of your drumhead rating. Guess you just gotta eat drum meat when you get up my way, lol.
 
Since getting the BGE, I have not used my drum in over 6 months. The only thing I really liked off of the drum was ribs. I really didn't care for the flavor of brisket or butts from the drum. To me, it tasted like the charcoal. Almost like when you go to someone's house and they used matchlight or lighter fluid. I still prefer butts on the offset over the egg, but the egg is so much easier.
 
I love my drum for chicken and ribs. But, if I'm cooking brisket or butts, it gets the 16 in clay saucer treatment. From the bottom up 15 in., I put in another rack for the saucer to sit on. Works great:p
 

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Crüe-B-Cüe said:
Since getting the BGE, I have not used my drum in over 6 months. The only thing I really liked off of the drum was ribs. I really didn't care for the flavor of brisket or butts from the drum. To me, it tasted like the charcoal. Almost like when you go to someone's house and they used matchlight or lighter fluid. I still prefer butts on the offset over the egg, but the egg is so much easier.
Click to expand...


Your post has me wondering, can this be an issue with the Charcoal Binders?
The glue or whatever that is used to hold these briquettes together. I believe most Drum smokers are using the standard or minion method to light the fire right? So would having your coals all white hot make a difference in the taste? Instead of slowly igniting the other coals and consistently burning binders and fillers under the meat?

I know it would be way to hot and much harder to control that heat after putting the white coals in but it may just be those binders and fillers that are giving it that different taste, along with the Fat Drippings of course.

Is this an issue for anybody using only wood or lump?

As for me, I have had no issues with the taste, I think the UDS puts out fine BBQ. I have no experience with an offset, so I can’t argue that aspect, but compared to an ECB or WSM, I don’t see much of a difference.
 
big brother smoke said:
Not a hater, just want to improve and my loins are big enough to just tell it like it is. Me and few others ain't afraid to shake things up around here, Bucko!

So, unless I get some better methods of cooking on the drum I am going back to sticks (no sleep) or a WSM (sleep). Hey Larry bring that

In all seriousness, I have not given up on the UDS, I am just looking to mask the flavor that most seem to enjoy and some us snobs can do without! :biggrin:
Click to expand...

See what kinda hornet's nest you stirred up, Mr. Big Loins!!:wink: (new nickname mod)

This might be a stupid suggestion, but instead of going through the trouble of water pans, woks, etc........why not just lay them (butts) on a sheet of foil and let the foil channel the drippings to the sides so that it drips around the basket and coals and not on top of them. I like the fact that after a cook, the ash serves to absorb the puddled grease and makes clean up easier. I've thought about trying a pan in the UDS, but to me that's what makes it different from the WSM. I've tried the WSM without the pan and got UDS like taste and results but with the meat so much closer to the coals it made for hotter than normal temps too and a mess come clean up time as grease was dripping outta the door and cloged up the WSM intakes. This is a really interesting thread.

I guess I'm responsible if people start calling you Mr. Big Loins.:wink:
 
Bob,

I am thinking the same way , but I paid for the wok mod and I am going to try that first followed by the foil. I ain't gave up totally on the UDS, but I am close to giving it away if these techniques do not satisfy my needs.

Mr. Big Loins :shock:
 
big brother smoke said:
Bob,

I am thinking the same way , but I paid for the wok mod and I am going to try that first followed by the foil. I ain't gave up totally on the UDS, but I am close to giving it away if these techniques do not satisfy my needs.

Mr. Big Loins :shock:
Click to expand...

Keep us posted. I'm going to try a 16" clay plate covered in aluminum foil and filled with liquid set at about 18" from bottom of drum.
 
Big Brother Smoke, try a higher temp cook, my last cook at 285 degrees had a totally differant & better flavor then my low and slow cook. It was night and day actually.
 
Bevo said:
why would you be opposed to a water pan? I use one in the drum and I cant tell a difference from my stickburner.
Click to expand...

There you have it! Mine are BDS clones, that I cook direct, adding a deflector/waterpan/wok whatever makes it an indirect cooker. I want the fats dripping on the coals.

thirdeye; Yeah said:
HERE[/URL] is the complete review, but the part that hit home with me was this snip. When he mentioned the "Grandpaw smell" it really hit home.

"Within 15 minutes of the first cook, I knew this pit was a winner. The smell was absolutely what I look for in a first class cooker and NEVER have I achived this quality for the price and cooking capacity. I call it that ol' time "Grandpaw smell"... when many years ago men cooked meat over hardwood coals and the smoke from the wood and the drippings from the meat fell down into the fire, creating an aroma that was unforgetable. It was a lot of work. Not saying that some folks don't do this today, but they are a dying breed. This pit accomplishes this ol' time flavor with little effort due to the fact that the cooking grate is located about 24 inches from the bottom of the charcoal ring which allows direct cooking over the coals, plus the well thought out design from Mr. Richmond. There's a lot more to what he has created than just cutting a hole in the bottom and top of a barrel and calling it a good cooker".
Click to expand...

This review sealed it for me! From my first cook I was hooked, none of my other pits come close.

CajunSmoker said:
You had a chance to visit with Bubba and Jeff this weekend. It's hard to imagine an "off taste" winning brisket at the Jack.

So true
Click to expand...

Those guys have it going on!!
Yeah, they are cooking on drums, but they have a different method than the BDS/UDS setup. I got some pointers and I plan to try some new things. One piece of advice that Bubba gave me was "Snail always said to "keep it simple". I may have to work a little more, but it works for them.
 
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