UDS Diffuser Throwdown

---k--- said:
Crap. My photos didn't show up. Google's picasa doesn't allow this. Must use photobucket... I'll fix after the last rolls come off.
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Picasa Web Albums works fine. I post pics from there all the time. I'll try to take some screen shots and put together a "How to" and post it later.

Lava rocks or ceramic bricks like jestridge mentioned or sand work well as a heat sink, but you have to cover them with foil otherwise clean up is a mess.
 
Nice comparison...I always used a heat diffuser when I was cookin' on drums...try a flower pot bottom from Home Depot next time...works like a charm. :thumb: Don't forget to foil it...:becky:

IMG_3838.jpg
 
JD McGee said:
Nice comparison...I always used a heat diffuser when I was cookin' on drums...try a flower pot bottom from Home Depot next time...works like a charm. :thumb: Don't forget to foil it...:becky:

IMG_3838.jpg
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This is what I use, works great!
 
JD McGee said:
Nice comparison...I always used a heat diffuser when I was cookin' on drums...try a flower pot bottom from Home Depot next time...works like a charm. :thumb: Don't forget to foil it...:becky:

IMG_3838.jpg
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That does look perfect. I had one of those in the back of my mind when I threw the pizza stone in the smoker (I'm guessing my wife is going to want it back).


I'm guessing that that thing gets up to the same temp as the drum. Any issue with the drippings burning and giving bad taste?
 
jestridge said:
Just wondering What about a pan full of lava rock or a pan of those cermic bbq bricks
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Been there and done that too, and it works fine in my WSM's, but foil balls in the pan work just as well and are lighter.

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---k--- said:
So you have a Drum and a WSM? One direct and one indirect. Do you have a preference. I have a drum and ECB. I haven't done enough smokes to know which taste I prefer - I'm leaning towards no fat drippings. I've just had such wild temperature differences between the edge of my drum and what my maverick reads at the middle. And, it varies, one day it is the same, then next it is 40*. And sometimes it varies throughout the cook. I haven't found the consistency yet. I'm hoping that some type of diffuser will get me there.

I'll probably end up with the mixing bowl. I measured one there the other day that was ~20". I might pick one of those up and also a couple smaller to try out. Then fill with sand.

I think a pizza pan with holes drilled would work well. Someone has posted a very cool [late that was CNC w/ varying sized rings. It looks like it would even out the heat really well. But I think I want something to catch the fat.

I actually started this thinking that I was smarter than Webber, et. al. and that the bundt pan was going to be the winner. I mean, if a UDS is hot in the middle and cold around the outside, and a WSM is hot at the edge and cold in the middle; then a bundt pan had to be the winner! I was hoping the air coming through the middle would spread out and merge with the edge. Didn't quite work out that way. It was just to small in diameter and gave me a hot spot to the edge. If I could find a 20" dia bundt pan, that might be a great test. But, I went through two restaurant supply stores last week, and neither had them.
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Well, you are doing your homework and are beginning to get it, but the grate temps on a direct cook will be all over the place, try a couple remote probes and watch them fly! My rule of thumb on my drum, is my temps are @ 50* higher at the grate than the pit thermometer on the side of the drum at grate level. I'm OK with it, because I flip my meats, spray with Apple Juice and use foil. It's more of a high heat cooker direct. But using a deflector will turn it into a big bullet with more stable temps and no burning fat drippings smell.

Just a side note, I had a claypot base crack in an 18" WSM and a pizza stone shatter in a GOSM gasser, so I would advise foiling them over as a precaution.

100_2245.jpg


I use the WSM's for comp cookers, but I prefer cooking direct on the drums at home.
 
jasonalan724 said:
i use an 18 inch pizza pan with about 17 1 inch holes drilled in a symetric pattern it seems to spread the heat around pretty well, as well as agitate the smoke
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I've been looking for something like the one with the holes in the middle. I believe it will allow some heat through which should even out the middle temp with the sides. I figure you can flip it each cook to burn off the grease from the previous cook.

I don't have one to test but it seems like what you're talking about.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/BakerEze-3-Piece-Pizza-Pan-Set/8071233
 
Soapm said:
I've been looking for something like the one with the holes in the middle. I believe it will allow some heat through which should even out the middle temp with the sides. I figure you can flip it each cook to burn off the grease from the previous cook.

I don't have one to test but it seems like what you're talking about.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/BakerEze-3-Piece-Pizza-Pan-Set/8071233
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thats what i have,but 18" andi drilled bigger holes, i just burn it off with my weedburner before everycook, works excelent and light weight
 
On my new one, I think I'll try the foiled flower pot base that JD suggested. I just won't let it get TOO hot.
 
jasonalan724 said:
thats what i have,but 18" andi drilled bigger holes, i just burn it off with my weedburner before everycook, works excelent and light weight
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What size holes did you drill and like K asked, how well does it work?
 
---k--- said:
Well, go get some crescent rolls (or any rolls) and show us how well your diffuser works. :p
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mmmmmm....---k--- i'll pass. So do you sauce those rolls 10 minutes before you pull them?

i suggest you give it a try, it seems you are in search of the perfect diffuser, i have used terra cotta trays and my ecb pan but this just seemed to work best. i'm not competing and frankly don't care if its not perfect, i like it mostly to agitate the smoke so it doesnt just make a straight path out of the exhaust. Uds's are so simple i try not to make to complicated. now if i spent 2000+ on something i might want it perfect... until then
 
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---k--- said:
Crap. My photos didn't show up. Google's picasa doesn't allow this. Must use photobucket... I'll fix after the last rolls come off.
Click to expand...

I appreciate your effort in documenting heat diffuser alternatives. I think you made the case that they can be useful. Thanks
 
---k--- said:
That does look perfect. I had one of those in the back of my mind when I threw the pizza stone in the smoker (I'm guessing my wife is going to want it back).


I'm guessing that that thing gets up to the same temp as the drum. Any issue with the drippings burning and giving bad taste?
Click to expand...

I kept mine foiled and cleaned it from time to time with warm soapy water...no off flavors that I noticed. :thumb:

Dave Russell said:
On my new one, I think I'll try the foiled flower pot base that JD suggested. I just won't let it get TOO hot.
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I've had mine upwards of 350 degrees...no problems! :becky:
 
Mark said:
I appreciate your effort in documenting heat diffuser alternatives. I think you made the case that they can be useful. Thanks
Click to expand...

I was actually thinking today that we should try to get someone with an expensive offset smoker to do a similar test. I'm guessing that some might have similar results... So, I'm not sure how valuable this is. I like to experiment. I learned a little more about my smoker, that I can use. I'm going to do a pulled pork or more ribs this weekend. We'll see.
 
Here's what I'm using for a diffuser, it's called a grilling wok & I got it at Menards for something like $6.00. It diffuses the heat fairly evenly but still lets the juices run on to the coals. I think that there's only a 10 to 20 degree difference from the sides to the center of the grate.
 

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---k--- said:
I was actually thinking today that we should try to get someone with an expensive offset smoker to do a similar test. I'm guessing that some might have similar results... So, I'm not sure how valuable this is. I like to experiment. I learned a little more about my smoker, that I can use. I'm going to do a pulled pork or more ribs this weekend. We'll see.
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most expensive offset smokers that i know of either already come with "tuning plates" of various sizes (wider ones closer to the fire box and narrow out as they get further away) that you can adjust to even out the heat , or are reverse flow which i imagine is used to the same effect
 
I have heard of people setting up their tuning plates in their offsets based on similar tests, using biscuits or what-not. I had forgotten all about it until seeing this thread. It's the first I had seen someone do this in a UDS (or other vertical for that matter), at least that I can recall anyway.
 
I've been testing a few designs the past several months and this one is working out so far. I works not only as a diffuser but equalizes the center and outside temps to within 10-15 degrees or so. Last smoke the center and the side thermos read within a few degrees of each other throughout the entire rib cook;

diffuserrev3.jpg
 
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