UDS Problems

Muscrat

Muscrat

is one Smokin' Farker
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Location
Tuscola...
I did some cooking on my uds this weekend. I used 100% mesquite wood. I got a good basket of coals going then put the lid on and chocked it down to 300 deg. Once I got it cruising at that temp I pulled the lid off and put on steaks, burgers, and some shishkabobs. I ended up with food that tasted way too damn smokey. We threw it all to the dog. I can only guess I pulled the lid off too many time allowing the fire to flame up and then choke back down again causing way too much smoke.

Anybody ever had this problem?
 
The main problem was probably to much mesquite wood. Mesquite is very strong. Plus any ground meat sucks in a lot of smoke. Learn to go easy on the wood smoke. Treat it like any other seasoning.
 
If you used mesquite wood with no charcoal, you may need to have a burn pit and only use lit coals to smoke with. This is the way they do it so successfully at Cooper's in Llano. Texas.

There is a lot of oil in mesquite which needs to be burned out before you use it or it blackens the meat and tastes too strong.

A UDS is not easy to use with wood only.
 
Last edited:
What do you have as exhaust vent?? May not be drafting thru well and holding all the smoke in?
 
Another vote for too much mesquite. Mesquite is very strong. You only need to put 2 or 3 hunks of wood in the basket depending on how much smoke flavor you want. Also, be sure that you have good air flow out the exhaust. If you choke it down too much it will be nasty.
 
Ya I would have to say to much wood also, I live in Texas with mesquite very available and have never used it because its so strong I love smoked meats but mesquite wood is to much for my taste buds.
 
Another one who's not too into mesquite here. Whatever wood you use, make sure it is seasoned and burning clean, which means not a lot of white smoke.
 
You dont need a lot of wood. I have found that 2 chunks, about fist size, works for me. Try that with a milder wood, like apple or cherry.
 
Ditto on the mesquite....But, were you trying to grill or smoke? Typically you would want to grill steaks, burgers and Kabobs...at least I would.
I've found the UDS works best as a low and slow smoker...not a grill.
Another thing to keep in mind when using a UDS, Thin Blue Smoke....don't put any meat on until you have Thin Blue Smoke.
 
This is the reason I gave up on mesquite. Family was complaining about the taste of my Q, but since I switched to apple and cherry wood, everyone is happy. For some meals, I don't use any wood -- just charcoal/lump.
 
When you say you used 100% Mesquite wood, was it Mesquite Lump or you used Mesquite chunks for smoke?

I sometimes use Lazarri or Best of the West Mesquite lump charcoal and it is not overpowering at all - but using Mesquite chunks for smoke, I can see where it would turn out funky!

Here's the deal on grilling on a Drum- make yourself a small charcoal ring and use only about a Weber chimney's worth of lump or briqs. Open all your vents and let the thing rip - with the lid ON. Try to get in the habit of loading and unloading your grate with meats on a table to keep the temps from going nuclear. If you want a char on your meats - cook with the lid off, but don't wander away from the cooker.
 
I agree with everyone who said "too much mesquite." It is a really heavy flavor - even more so than hickory.

But I disagree that you can't grill with a UDS. I do it all the time:
Coalsfortherotiss.jpg

Twochixonastick.jpg

Wing-o-lator.jpg

Drumwrotiss.jpg

4thporksteaks005.jpg
 
Southern Home Boy said:
I agree with everyone who said "too much mesquite." It is a really heavy flavor - even more so than hickory.

But I disagree that you can't grill with a UDS. I do it all the time:
Coalsfortherotiss.jpg

Twochixonastick.jpg

Wing-o-lator.jpg

Drumwrotiss.jpg

4thporksteaks005.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes, you can grill with a UDS...but your UDS isn't a typical UDS...
All I was sayin' was that I wouldn't want to try to grill with a standard UDS, since they really aren't designed for that (high temps)
BTW, sweet mods you've done there :clap2:
 
Uds

This was the first time I used only mesquite wood. Living in central Texas that is all I have and it's free!

I just picked up another drum to build another cooker. This one had what looks like an orange or red paint on the inside. Bit had some kind of tomato stuff in it.

Can that be burnt out?
 
If you ever make it up to Abilene, there is an Academy store there. They have a great selection of smoking woods. But for your UDS, you really need to start buying either regular charcoal, or lump charcoal for your base fuel, then just use a few chunks of smoking wood for flavor. Academy also carries B&B lump, and it's quite nice compared to other lumps I've used. When I do use lump in my UDS, I use my gerber camping axe to break up the lump into smaller, more even sized pieces, and pack them in the basket. Seem to get closer performance to regular charcoal when the pieces are smaller, and well packed. I try to make half fist sized pieces with the lump.

Those dreaded liners will burn out, but it's a bit of a chore. Also, the fire danger in texas is off the chart right now, so I wouldn't recommend burning it out till we get some rain. Might want to look into getting it sandblasted out, better than burning down the neighborhood.
 
Abilene is 12 miles away. I'll check it out! We got an inch of rain Sunday so I'll burn it today.

The present cooker has two 1" valves for the air inlet the new one I want to use just 1 1" is that big enough?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Gas Grill Problems
Replies
8
Views
423
Happy Hapgood
Happy Hapgood
KC Smoke
Chicken and 40 cloves
Replies
11
Views
1K
KC Smoke
KC Smoke
T
UDS / CAC Clone???
Replies
16
Views
1K
txsmkmstr
T
Big George's BBQ
Blackstone Griddle Help
Replies
9
Views
646
Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ
J
PK Grills - any fit or assembly issues?
Replies
4
Views
667
ttkt57
T
Back
Top