UDS shopping questions

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syndicate559

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Since I came to this site as I began contemplating an upgrade in my equipment, I've already fallen right into the WSM vs. UDS conundrum. I hope you guys don't mind me asking some questions as I try to decide what's best for me (next), although I could see ending up with both at some point.

22.5" WSM seems to run around $335, which doesn't seem too bad to me. Seems easy to use and there's a wealth of knowledge on here as far as set-up and even modification if necessary.

UDS definitely has its following, although a lot are the kind of people who like to build their own stuff. I'm not there at this point in time. Not because I can't, but just because I've got an extremely busy life with kids/work/sports/etc. I've found some guys making UDS within driving distance to me, though, and they're actually a little cheaper than the WSM. I've got a few questions to start with, though:

1. Since I haven't seen a 22.5 WSM in person, not sure how big it is. Is a typical 55 gal. UDS bigger and have more capacity?

2. If I'm checking out UDS built by others, are there any really key build issues I should look out for?

3. How do these look? Good deal? Good construction? I know you can build one yourself for less than this, but I don't have a problem with paying someone for their time to design/build the thing if it works properly.

http://modesto.craigslist.org/for/2400660858.html

http://modesto.craigslist.org/for/2431553683.html

I might post more questions as you guys provide answers. Thanks in advance for any help/guidance. I'm loving this site:clap2:
 
I couldn't say how the UDS' would work without seeing the charcoal basket and a couple mor pics. I have 2 22' WSM's and an UDS. I only use the WSM's for comps or if I have to cook a bunch of food. The WSM's are awesome cookers if you can't build an UDS, but if you have 30 minutes a day for a week, you should be able to put together a nice UDS. The two most time consuming things I ran into.. burning the barrel out and painting it. Everything else was fairly simple and quick. I use the UDS 3 times as much as I do my WSM's and if I needed to cook for 20 hours straight without adding fuel, I can do that with the UDS, I get about 12 out of my WSM. I used http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43943 this thread as a guide to build mine, but used two-2' exhaust holes and a disk blade sitting on top of my charcoal basket as a heat diffusor, grease catcher, plus it helps keeps more constant because it it made of steel an holds heat well. I have pics somewhere, but I can't find them. I think if you have the money and don't care about tweeking the design of something, then the WSM is for you. It will do exactally what it is suppose to do; cook large cuts at low temps consistanly. If you build an UDS, the sky is the limit.
 
Looks to me like they never burned out the liners on either one of them.
 
The liners haven't been touched, and the thermometer should be mounted in the side, right below cooking grate, and be long enough to extend close to center of cooking grate. When you fill one of those things up with meat, that thermometer in the top isn't gonna be close to accurate.

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say they probably did just as poor of a job designing the fire basket. It's hard to tell, but it appears at least in that first ad, that the intake is installed quite high up on the barrel. Personally I'd take a pass.

It appears these guys saw a pic of a UDS somewhere, and had some barrels sitting around, so they started slapping them together without doing enough research. It's real clear in that first one that the tan liner is completely intact. The cooking grate seems real low as well. I just don't see anything kosher about it. When the hangers aren't installed you have a series of holes in the side of the barrel?.. Nope, not feelin it.
 
agree about the liner, i picked up 4 barrels with similar liners which i had my son-in-lawlaw sandblast for me. from what i've read the liner needs to be addressed.
 
Those guys are going to give UDSs a bad name.
 
I agree about the liners being intact; that's not a good sign. Same with the thermometer placement in the lid. I also noted that both mentioned having side doors for adding fuel. I personally don't feel that they are necessary and that they are just another potential air leak.

One of them mentions that their cookers need to be "burned out" before use. To what degree? Like burn out a liner? I also question the cooker with the hanging rods protruding out of the sides of the drum. Are they sealed with a grommet or something? Again, if they just slide in "metal on metal" you have another big air leak.

Find some time and go out and personally look at a WSM at a Weber dealer. A good one can walk you through all of the features and benefits of the cooker. Maybe the smaller WSM is your style.

As for the UDS's you're considering...I'd take a pass on both.

Chris
 
tortaboy said:
Does anyone sell Heat Diffusers for UDS's?
Click to expand...

Go buy a 16" round Terra Cotta drip tray for a potted plant dealie, fill it halfway with sand or something similar, then wrap in foil. Instant heat diffuser/heat sink. I'm experimenting with a 12" one, and it's working pretty well, but I should of gotten the 16" version for a 55 gallon sized UDS.

I recently acquired two 1" thick marble bathroom sink cutouts, and am planning on experimenting with them as a heat diffuser. Or maybe a pizza stone?
 
Skidder said:
Looks to me like they never burned out the liners on either one of them.
Click to expand...

Despite not knowing much about these yet, that was something that I wondered about. Just seeing threads on here about burning them out made me wonder. I mean, it seems like if you had burn the liner out, wouldn't you want to do that before you put a nice paint job on it?

I'm sure one of you guys knows, but what's the diameter of a typical 55-gal drum and if you have 2 grates, what's the approximate cooking space in square inches?

That "REdneck" UDS design thread makes it look pretty easy. Almost no welding? That's my style. :becky:

So if I'm reading this right, a lot of you guys build your UDS without a way to add fuel during the smoke? I guess if you can go 16 hours on one load, there's probably no need to. Again, thanks for all the info and please keep it coming. You guys rule! :clap2:
 
Yep, no need for fuel input. If going longer, not that big of a deal to lift off the grate and add charcoal. Any fuel input system(door at the bottom) would lead to more air leaks and harder temp control. Big Mista had one on his first drum smoker and said it was not needed and was a PITA to keep air tight.
 
I would not spend over $300 on a UDS. I would buy a 22.5 WSM.
 
syndicate559 said:
I'm sure one of you guys knows, but what's the diameter of a typical 55-gal drum and if you have 2 grates, what's the approximate cooking space in square inches?

That "REdneck" UDS design thread makes it look pretty easy. Almost no welding? That's my style. :becky:

So if I'm reading this right, a lot of you guys build your UDS without a way to add fuel during the smoke? I guess if you can go 16 hours on one load, there's probably no need to. Again, thanks for all the info and please keep it coming. You guys rule! :clap2:[/QUOTE
The hardest part is the burnout, I wouldn't pay for a pre built UDS that wasn't burnt out. Definitely can build one without welding.

Everyone uses 22.5 Weber Kettle (or similar) racks in their UDS, so 363 sq in of cooking space on each rack.

For the money, you really can't get anything close to what a UDS can do for ya, and if you are willing to pay someone to build it, find a drum and pay someone to sandblast it for you. Then you can put it together in about an hour and paint it in a couple more. Not that much time out of your busy schedule and well worth it.

good luck.
Click to expand...
 
Chi, that is it exactly. Over $300, I would rather have the porcelain coating of a Weber WSM.

I have built 3 UDSs and have not welded any of them. All you need is a drill some regular bits and a step bit.
 
You guys are starting to talk me into building my own :doh:

I'll have to go search some of the threads to find charcoal basket ideas, I guess, but are there some that can be built effectively from materials that are easy to obtain?
 
syndicate559 said:
You guys are starting to talk me into building my own :doh:

I'll have to go search some of the threads to find charcoal basket ideas, I guess, but are there some that can be built effectively from materials that are easy to obtain?
Click to expand...

Here's my basket with some true southern engineering. An easy to find weber 15" replacement charcoal grate, and one sheet of 12" x 24" 13 ga. 1/2" expanded metal available @ Lowes for just under $10. The expanded metal is cut in half to make two 6" x 24" strips, 48" fits the 15" charcoal grate perfectly, then I bought some 1/4" x 1/16" cold steel flat bar as a support for the top of basket. Then I used bailing wire to mount the metal to the grate. Then went to the closet for an available coat hanger. Total cost for basket was around $25, it'll burn for 18 hours on a not quite overflowing basket full of fuel (I like to use stubbs).

I picked up an el cheapo pizza pan from wally world and mounted it using 3" x 1/4" bolts, nuts and washers. No welding anywhere in my UDS.

The coat hanger has to go since it's very weak when dealing with a full basket of coals. Will prolly replace it with some round steel rod.

UDS009.jpg
 
My first Charcoal basket was very similar to the above one, except I couldn't find decent expanded metal so I used some Rabbit fencing that had a vinyl coating on it that I burned off with the weed burner. Then wired it to the 18 inch charcoal grate like above. Used a long piece of wire for a Handle to pull it out and put it back down in the UDS. Eventually added the pizza pan like above and expanded metal but original design was very simple.
 
jgh1204 said:
Chi, that is it exactly. Over $300, I would rather have the porcelain coating of a Weber WSM.

I have built 3 UDSs and have not welded any of them. All you need is a drill some regular bits and a step bit.
Click to expand...

A decent metal hole saw does a fine job for drilling intake holes.

I have about $80 in my UDS, and that includes buying a sacrificial cheap 22.5" kettle for the lid and grate, plus 3 cans of high temp paint. Some people have scrounged for freebies and made theirs for much less.

I'd definitely trust my own building skills over some of the pre made UDS sellers that have been popping up. It's not that they're making a poorly built product, it's just a poorly designed product that may or may not be well built. The folks with the tan liner barrels that are already assembled.. ROFL.
 
If I was going to buy a UDS, I would go with Rocky at Big Drum Smokers. He has been building them for years.
 
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