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If a Redneck wanted to build a UDS

Aloha from hawaii

Got my drum yesterday and did a good burn on her 3 crates plus! Thx for the thread looking fwd to chatting with all yall and posting pics!
 
Here's a pic of my fire basket. It's a porcelainized wash pan from Ace Hardware, with a ton of big holes drilled in to it. Three inch stainless bolts for feet. Works like a champ.

pan.jpg
 
Norcoredneck said:
Thanks. Just let it be known that the UDS is no one persons design. It has grown from ideas people have brought here, trial and error and sometimes civil debate. This thread is only my version of a UDS. This set up works for me every time. Of course within the main UDS thread there are lots of my ideas that don't get incorporated in the ones I build today. lots of ways to do the same thing. Most importantly is that you build it and learn to use what you have as each is a little different. Bragging rights over your own creation is worth the little cuts and scrapes while building them.
Click to expand...
All of this is true, but you have a knack for making it look so darn easy!
I am definitely using this thread when I build my own.
 
Guys thanks for such a great thread and Norco your tutorial was the best my build last night went off without a hitch!

Now ready for paint a good seasoning and possibly a hinged lid... Pictures coming soon!
 
Norcoredneck said:
Thanks. Just let it be known that the UDS is no one persons design. It has grown from ideas people have brought here, trial and error and sometimes civil debate. This thread is only my version of a UDS. This set up works for me every time. Of course within the main UDS thread there are lots of my ideas that don't get incorporated in the ones I build today. lots of ways to do the same thing. Most importantly is that you build it and learn to use what you have as each is a little different. Bragging rights over your own creation is worth the little cuts and scrapes while building them.
Click to expand...


I cant thank you enough, or the guy who steered me to this thread.
Now, a quick question...My UDS is kicking butt! I love it. I dont have a charcoal pan below my coal box...so the coals just fall to the bottom. Is the only purpose of the pan to ease clean up after a cook?

I opened my lid during my first cook and some ash did fly up from draft i guess. would the pan under teh box stop this?

Thanks again to all who have helped me with the UDS design, this thing has changed my life.
 
HumboldtSmokeBBQ said:
I cant thank you enough, or the guy who steered me to this thread.
Now, a quick question...My UDS is kicking butt! I love it. I dont have a charcoal pan below my coal box...so the coals just fall to the bottom. Is the only purpose of the pan to ease clean up after a cook?

I opened my lid during my first cook and some ash did fly up from draft i guess. would the pan under teh box stop this?

Thanks again to all who have helped me with the UDS design, this thing has changed my life.
Click to expand...


I think that's the whole idea of an ashpan.:wink:
I've done it only twice cause the briquettes that I use leave almost no ash,I take the basket out of the drum then the ashpan and dump the ash from the pan into the trashcan,put everything back in and she's ready to smoke.
I also used a flat metal thingy to scrape the ashes that's blended with the fat and stuff out of the ashpan.
 
Now a few more questions from some of you pros...

What are the increased cooking times like? I've been using a WSM and the Virtual Weber Bullet has made my mind go nuts over cook temps and times.

I'm opening up a little BBQ/Hot Dog Joint in a Circle K/76 Station this week and have one offset stick burner and 2 UDS's that I will be using to cook.

Currently with the WSM and Offset I cook:

Pulled Pork - about 18-20 hrs
Chicken - about 3-4 hrs
Ribs - about 5-6 hrs

With the direct heat what should I expect?
 
Fat Daddy's Franks said:
Now a few more questions from some of you pros...

What are the increased cooking times like? I've been using a WSM and the Virtual Weber Bullet has made my mind go nuts over cook temps and times.

I'm opening up a little BBQ/Hot Dog Joint in a Circle K/76 Station this week and have one offset stick burner and 2 UDS's that I will be using to cook.

Currently with the WSM and Offset I cook:

Pulled Pork - about 18-20 hrs
Chicken - about 3-4 hrs
Ribs - about 5-6 hrs

With the direct heat what should I expect?
Click to expand...

"Pulled Pork - about 18-20 hrs
Chicken - about 3-4 hrs
Ribs - about 5-6 hrs"

Pulled pork - I just did two 9 lbs in 13 hours(they are done when done)
Chic - about same +-
ribs - 4 to 6 hours (again done when done)

No help I know....... Just my experience...........

Paul B
 
Thanks Paul...

Okay so tonight I fired up the new UDS to season... My temp jumped to 350 (taken at lid level) and then rested at 300 with all vents closed... :eek:

I fired up about 30 coals (greyed over) and about 4 small wedges of hardwood. Wasn't but about a half weber chimney starter... What did I do wrong and should these things always be fired up with the basket part way full (10-12 lbs) and then about 10 lit coals and hardwood? (Minion Method?)
 
fat I think you lit to many coals to start .. i load my basket with 10 lbs and 10 lit coals and let it rip 225 for 8 + hrs
 
bbq lover said:
fat I think you lit to many coals to start .. i load my basket with 10 lbs and 10 lit coals and let it rip 225 for 8 + hrs
Click to expand...

Gonna try Minion Method tomorrow AM with 1 full chimney starter unlit coals, 5 chunks hickory, and about 10 lit coals and see what happens...:cool:

Has anybody tried adding a water pan to one of these? I was considering using 3, 1/4 in U bolts and a very large chrome mixing bowl...
 
Fat Daddy's Franks said:
Gonna try Minion Method tomorrow AM with 1 full chimney starter unlit coals, 5 chunks hickory, and about 10 lit coals and see what happens...:cool:

Has anybody tried adding a water pan to one of these? I was considering using 3, 1/4 in U bolts and a very large chrome mixing bowl...
Click to expand...

Visit the main UDS thread. I think there are more than a couple post on waterpans. Should be easy to find.
 
Fat Daddy's Franks said:
Gonna try Minion Method tomorrow AM with 1 full chimney starter unlit coals, 5 chunks hickory, and about 10 lit coals and see what happens...:cool:

Has anybody tried adding a water pan to one of these? I was considering using 3, 1/4 in U bolts and a very large chrome mixing bowl...
Click to expand...

No need for a water pan, than it's not uds cooking. I just load up my main basket with coal add 8 to 10 lit coals to the top, lower into SS UDS, scramble like hell before the temp gets too hot(amazing how fast that happens), open top vent wide open and start adjusting the air intake watching as the temp nears my target temp, add meat, then let it cruse. At end of cook shut all vents and let it die. The unburnt coals are used on the smokey joe or added to the new basket on the next cook. My last cook of two 9 pound butts went 12 hours and I still had about a dozen coals let over!! :biggrin::biggrin:.

But that's just my experience.....

Paul B
 
THANKS GUYS!

Tried it today with the ten coals.... That was the key! Yes temp does rise quickly got it to 225 in no time ran at about 240 with all vents closed for most of the cook (Chicken Drums) they came out great.

No need for the water pan.... May need to try to seal up my lid a little better with some high temp silicone to keep the draft out. Overall I am well pleased and will now be making my second in the next few weeks or so!

Cooking Tri-Tip tomorrow and we'll see how that goes...
 
Make sure your exhaust is wide open(weber type lids), or you have at least a 2 1/2" bung hole, or 8 - 1" holes evenly spaced around a flat lid. Then you should be able to shut all vents execpt one the will be just barely open. All these drums cruse at slightly different temps and once you find that you will just sit there waiting for the food to be done. In my 12 hour cook I only had to check ever 2 hours or so and did have to make some suttle adjustments. ( I'm still learning on mine )

Paul B
SS UDS
 
*UDS*build. ej

Getting redy to build a UDS but having trouble locating a suitable barrel
or barrels in Sherman, Tx. or around Lake Texoma... any suggestions would
be appreciated.... thanks, ej
 
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