Ugly Drum Smoker

Second cook on version 2.0 not really impressed with the drafting, did chicken and fatties yesterday and spares today. Version 1.0 is forlornly sitting on bricks next to the brushpile, may have to give her a second chance. I cut up a drum with the intention of making a spacer ring to make a 43" drum. I put it together and its just too big to deal with.

Alright brethren... I did my first cook on my newly built drum smoker this weekend. I did 2 racks of spares, a nearly 8 pound butt, and one fatty.

I made sure to go to church yesterday and repent as I felt I was cheating all day while cooking. This thing is too easy. I started out with about 14 pounds of Kingsford briqs in the Minion Method. Of that I used about a heavy half started in the chimney. I also added 2 small chunks of hickory and 2 small pieces of pecan. It was unbelievably easy maintain the desired temp. Just get it there, adjust the ball valve a little and it just stays there. I did notice that when I was going to tend the meat the temp would go up quite a bit afterwards. To battle this I found it helpful to close all the intakes for just a couple of minutes before I took the lid off. Then after I was done tending I would reopen and get it right back to where I wanted it. After 12 hours there was still plenty of coals left for another couple of hours. To my great surprise there was also some of the wood chunks left. Still had sweet blue to the end!!

Cooked the ribs 3-2-1. They were fall off the bone good. Next time I will foil for less time to get a little more pull.

The butt took longer than I thought to get to 200 but when it did it was awesome.

Here are some pics:


Ribs and fatty... love that pull back


Ribs sliced


Ready to plate with Cock of the Walk coleslaw and beans flavored with tasters


Butt after pulling - sorry for no pic of the butt prepull.... it was getting late!!!

Yes they are easy cooks
As easy as a WSM
But the direct fire effect
is great
Good Lookin Q

Nice going Smokin Gator food looks great

Smokin Gator said:

Alright brethren... I did my first cook on my newly built drum smoker this weekend. I did 2 racks of spares, a nearly 8 pound butt, and one fatty.

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That all looks great! Full slabs were the first cook on my BDS as well. You gotta love that old time pit flavor!!

When I'm turning stuff on one grate only, the fire will settle right back down in a few minutes. When I am turning stuff or rotating both grates I do plug any open vents first to stop that heat surge.

That's one thing I noticed, and glad you mentioned it, I'll try plugging the vent before I open the lid to turn anything. What about mopping the ribs? Will a mop tend to extinguish the coals?

swamprb said:

That's one thing I noticed, and glad you mentioned it, I'll try plugging the vent before I open the lid to turn anything. What about mopping the ribs? Will a mop tend to extinguish the coals?

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I'm an old baster and it has never bothered me, but I use lump instead of briquettes. I might get a small flash if the mop has a lot of oil in it but at those cooking distances, that is no problem. I really need a dedicated spray bottle to use.

Tough ribs next day?

ThomEmery said:

Yea the Drum gives ya that turbo

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Have any of you noticed the ribs being tougher the next day (that is, if you have left overs!) after cooking faster on the UDS??

Most of the Rib Joints in and around the Chicago area cook ribs and rib tips fast but if you have leftovers, the next day they are tough. That is the trade off of faster cooking from what I've observed. It would interesting to know about this method.

Piedmont said:

Have any of you noticed the ribs being tougher the next day (that is, if you have left overs!) after cooking faster on the UDS??

Most of the Rib Joints in and around the Chicago area cook ribs and rib tips fast but if you have leftovers, the next day they are tough. That is the trade off of faster cooking from what I've observed. It would interesting to know about this method.

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I'll let you know after tonight about the ribs as we are having leftover ribs and pulled pork.

I just had a sammie for lunch from the butt. It was farkin good!!! Several of my coworkers had a sammie as well and 2 of them said it was the best pulled pork they had ever had. That is some high priase in this neck of the woods!!! Made me dang proud.

Piedmont said:

Have any of you noticed the ribs being tougher the next day (that is, if you have left overs!) after cooking faster on the UDS??

Most of the Rib Joints in and around the Chicago area cook ribs and rib tips fast but if you have leftovers, the next day they are tough. That is the trade off of faster cooking from what I've observed. It would interesting to know about this method.

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Never noticed any toughness issues and since my drum has so much more room than my Eggs, I usually cook extra so I'll have some to freeze. If I load both grates I can really cook some weight.

To offset the 20 to 30% faster cook times on things like ribs, chicken or prime rib, just go with a lower temp than you usually use. I was warned and it still took awhile for me to get used to it. I almost overdid the two tri-tips in this picture. I didn't stick them until the third flip and when I did they were 115°. The thermometer saved, them and me. I still like cooking butts or briskets in 10 hours so I stay with my usual cook temps on them.

PS .. Keep your eye on fatties, at about 230° pit temp, they will be done in 2 hours instead of 3. You have to turn them sooner too or they can get too dark.

I'm sure this is a stupid newbie question, but what causes the faster cook times if the internal temp is the same? Is it the direct heat?

Is it the same with the Weber bullet smoker thing with the water pan? Is the taste and texture that much different with the water pan?

B

Blutch said:

I'm sure this is a stupid newbie question, but what causes the faster cook times if the internal temp is the same? Is it the direct heat?

Is it the same with the Weber bullet smoker thing with the water pan? Is the taste and texture that much different with the water pan?

B

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Yes, the direct radiant heat is responsible for the faster cook times in a drum. You have greater distance from the coals to the grate than in a WSM. I don't own a WSM, and have only cooked on one a few times as a helper but in those style of cookers, water pans act as a heat buffer. There are lively debates as to adding moisture as well. The guy I cooked with used sand in his water pan.

I also think there is a convection effect in the barrel and the heated air swirls around the meat as well as the direct heat from the bottom. Just a theory though.

Today I wrote up a materials list and directions in Word for how I built my first UDS. By no means is it supposed to be any better than anyone elses... it is just how mine turned out. As almost everyone had said... I will make a few changes next time!!

If you would like to have a copy I will glady give you one... Just email me.

Thirdeye- On an average cook using one grate do you cook closer to the coals or at the highest level? The thing I've got to get used to is flipping the meats. I took some leftover spares and added a little apple juice and foiled them in the oven and I think they tasted better than off the grill. Took some to work and nuked em' and they tasted like death warmed over!
I think next cook I'll start the ribs in a rack first

swamprb said:

Thirdeye- On an average cook using one grate do you cook closer to the coals or at the highest level? The thing I've got to get used to is flipping the meats. I took some leftover spares and added a little apple juice and foiled them in the oven and I think they tasted better than off the grill. Took some to work and nuked em' and they tasted like death warmed over!
I think next cook I'll start the ribs in a rack first

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With one grate I put it in the highest position. I have a 43" drum so my high grate is like 30" from the coals. Yep, turning the meats took me some time to get used to as well....

And be quick about that flippin or zoom goes the temp

Thats the thing, I had to wait for the smoke to clear, just to see where the meat was, and then bam! Temps up! I took a section of a drum I cut up and slid it into the first cooker I built and it was 43" and I kept thinking if was cooking on it I'd need a step ladder and a miners headlamp just to peer into it!

for a butt or brisket, how often do you flip?