Its Small and I Cant Get It Up.

C

Capozzoli

Guest
Just got done a mini UDS and its our first cook with it. GOt a Boston Butt in there now.

It just doesnt seem to want to go above 200. I think it may be the cheapo therm. from the big orange box. I didnt test it. I have all of the ports and valve open and still not getting above two hundred. I going through the fuel too. Using cowboy coals cause that is all I could get my hands on today. Got a few chucks of apple wood too. Burnt through a basket full in a couple of hours. Its 50 degrees outside, not that cold.

Im gonna go on instinct and close it up and crack the valve.

DSC07600.jpg


I made the fire basket out of a six inch piece of schedule forty. Maybe it is too small?

DSC07602.jpg


Ill post pics of the butts in a little while.










































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I'm far from an expert, but it looks to me that the firebox would have very little airflow. With a UDS most guys are using expanded metal which gives the charcoal a lot air to breathe.

Just my observation.

Jacob
 
Im pretty sure the fire basket is getting enough air. I cut a bunch of holes in the pipe and there is expanded metal on the bottom. I think its working cause I am burning through fast with all of the ports open.

I think maybe the basket is too small. Its six inch dia and about eight high.
The drum is 20 gallons, I think?

Guess I have to make a bigger fire basket.
 
DSC07622.jpg


Six lb pork butt 4-5 hours later and I am almost to the IT.
 
If the thermometer you have is the small Char-Broil one from HD, I've got 8 of them and they all tested to be pretty close to exact.
I'd question the basket 1st.
 
Looks like it's coming along nicely. But, I too think the CB is too small. I use a grill basket in my mini WSM as a CB and it works great. It's something similar to this -

051094026-01-grilling-basket.jpg


Get some long SS bolts, lock washers, and some nuts and make some legs. You may have to remove the handles too or get one without handles.
 
Last edited:
When I get done with my MWSM I might have to try my hand at a MUDS. They look like the perfect tools for cooking for 1 or 2 people possibly even 3 or 4. :becky:
 
I'd want at least two inches from the bottom of charcoal grate (the bottom attatched to the expanded metal ring) to the ash catcher/bottom, and I'd also want my whole charcoal ring which is attached to the charcoal grate to be expanded metal for optimum air flow. Just having a thick sheet metal housing with some holes drilled in it isn't nearly as easy to deal with. Might be OK for lump, but kingsford blue needs lots of air and lots of space for ash to drop in order to keep temps up.

Charcoal basket redesign is a good idea. Maybe a 13" charcoal grate with #13 ga expanded metal wrapped around the outer edge. You could weld it onto the grate, or simply tie it on with bailing wire. If you want to get fancy, buy a 15" pizza pan and mount it to the bottom of charcoal basket with 2+" of clearance, so clean up is a breeze, you simply lift out the whole charcoal basket assembly and dump ashes in a metal trash can or container.

I really can't tell from the pics how the exhaust is setup, looks like a closed off pipe on my monitor. It could be a draw issue as well, or a combination of all the above.
 
In the pic with the kid next to it it isnt running so the exhaust is capped.

I made the basket on the fly to get going today. It looks as though it is getting enough air. But I guess it isnt.

I figured it would need to be smaller in such a small compartment.

So 13 inches in dia will take up most of the bottom. I was thinking that would be too hot.

I like boshizzles idea. Though I may just go grab some expanded metal Monday.

Pork came out nice and slice-able with an IT of 160 after a 6 hour cook. That would be about an hour a lb. Doesnt sound right that the smoker was at 200 degrees for six hours and there is an IT of 160. Maybe I am wrong.

Im gonna make a bigger CB for sure.
 
I was thinking the drum is 18" in diameter. That would leave you 2.5" all around a 13" basket. If the drum is smaller than that, it may be wise to use a smaller charcoal grate and wrap it with the expanded metal.
 
Cappazzoli your charcoal basket made from sch-40 is absorbing to much of the heat imo, takes a lot of fire to keep that steel hot, once you get it hot it will maintain steady temps, but imo your charcoal basket is your problem.
 
You just need a buttload more holes in the basket you have. Turn it into Perf.
How do we know the chick next to the smoker isn't an amazon and it's actually a full size UDS?
 
Nah, come on. Everything on the internet is dirty. Or at least it sounds dirty.

Which BTW, Your blog link isnt working. I started a blog too. We should link our blogs. That way we can blog all over each other.
 
Capozzoli said:
Nah, come on. Everything on the internet is dirty. Or at least it sounds dirty.

Which BTW, Your blog link isnt working. I started a blog too. We should link our blogs. That way we can blog all over each other.
Click to expand...

Gross.
 
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