Ugly Drum Smoker

First post.

Arg! 10799 posts, 720 pages. That's a long read. Lots of good information, multiple times. Must be about time to start gathering parts for a build. Just want to take the time to thank all those who took time to answer all those questions. I'll post pics when I start my build.

Heisenberger said:

One of my reasons for asking, and this may nor be the right thread, is because a Pit Barrel Cooker makes some good meat, even when the distance to the coals is fairly close, especially with brisket. We still consider this smoking/bbq. If chicken can hang 15 or so (is this about right?) inches from the coals, and brisket even closer, then shouldn't it not really make a difference how close it is when we are talking 15 - 25 inches so long as the temp is right? Can the PBC change how we make our UDS?
I know I'm getting nit picky, but thats what we're all here for!

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I seconded Heisenberger's interest in this question on the previous page, and then found the beginning of a discussion of it on this, page 6 of a Pitmaster T thread:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158235&page=6

(willbird and rifraf think it might be the effect of evaporative cooling building as juices slide vertically, and Pitmaster T wonders if the fire just isn't as hot as we might think.)

Getting close!

I finally bought the rest of the parts for my UDS. I hope to paint tonight. Here are a couple of my progress pics. I have both a flat lid and a weber lid that I reshaped the lip on so that it would fit my drum. Any good ideas on how to sand this lip where the porcelain cracked off? Wire wheel doesn't seem to work well... I'm hoping I can have this thing ready to cook by saturday! I see a lot of people talking about fattys. Can I get some of your favorite recipes? I don't believe I have ever had one!

I just made some mods to my UDS. I had a normal 3 intake system with 1 of them being a ball valve. I used the bung hole as the exhaust. For a while I been smoking at 225* and all was well. Until I tried getting my temps higher and was having a really tough time. So I added a 4th intake. Went to HD and found a threaded pipe, think it was 2" diam. and cap. I also screwed a 4" length exhaust with a cap to the bung hole in the lid.
Last night I spatchcocked 2 chickens and had that baby at 375-400 with no issues at all. Was no problem with the big intake and the ball valve at about 1/2 way.

Anyone who is is building an UDS right now I wud highly recommend adding this larger 4th intake and use a draft.

One more thought regarding a water pan. I will never use one again. 2 weeks ago I made some ribs (3 BB racks). Took the membrane off and used a nice coating of rub on them. Smoked them at 275-300* (I think.. so pissed I forgot) bone down for 2 hours, then added some more rub and flipped bone side up for 1 hour. They came out soo good, prob best I've ever made. My point to this is that the temps got away from me and ran too high. So i capped the intakes and exhaust. After 5 min when I reopened them i saw water in the caps and on the pipes. At that point I made up my mind that I will never need a water pan in this smoker. The drum holds moister so well.

So cliff notes: No water pan and add a 4th big arse intake

gaspipe1 said:

I just made some mods to my UDS. I had a normal 3 intake system with 1 of them being a ball valve. I used the bung hole as the exhaust. For a while I been smoking at 225* and all was well. Until I tried getting my temps higher and was having a really tough time. So I added a 4th intake. Went to HD and found a threaded pipe, think it was 2" diam. and cap. I also screwed a 4" length exhaust with a cap to the bung hole in the lid.
Last night I spatchcocked 2 chickens and had that baby at 375-400 with no issues at all. Was no problem with the big intake and the ball valve at about 1/2 way.

Anyone who is is building an UDS right now I wud highly recommend adding this larger 4th intake and use a draft.

One more thought regarding a water pan. I will never use one again. 2 weeks ago I made some ribs (3 BB racks). Took the membrane off and used a nice coating of rub on them. Smoked them at 275-300* (I think.. so pissed I forgot) bone down for 2 hours, then added some more rub and flipped bone side up for 1 hour. They came out soo good, prob best I've ever made. My point to this is that the temps got away from me and ran too high. So i capped the intakes and exhaust. After 5 min when I reopened them i saw water in the caps and on the pipes. At that point I made up my mind that I will never need a water pan in this smoker. The drum holds moister so well.

So cliff notes: No water pan and add a 4th big arse intake

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I'm wondering if you could have gotten a pretty similar result from an 8" stack... There seems to be a lot of people talking about tall stacks causing high temps. I have mine at 8 inches with the normal 3 intakes. I'll test out my theory once I get it going.

here is my naked uds i burned it out and cleared it will some high temp paint just thought it would be different and plus I didnt like the colors they had so naked she is. I think my intakes are to tall so i am going to shortin those up. Need to get my fire box done. well thanks guys for all the help from this great website.

lehdeman said:

I'm wondering if you could have gotten a pretty similar result from an 8" stack... There seems to be a lot of people talking about tall stacks causing high temps. I have mine at 8 inches with the normal 3 intakes. I'll test out my theory once I get it going.

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That's a good point. My problem is I normally put things off till the point I get so aggravated and I over due things. I while back I was try'n to do a HnF brisket and had no luck getting the temps up.

Two weeks later I went all out... lol You may be onto something if it works. I mean it would be cheaper to just screw in the stack when needed.

Painted

I have it all painted. Funny story. The cap for this spray paint looked RED!!! But its most definitely ORANGE! Oh well, I like it. What do you guys think?

Cool charcoal basket idea

I know out of 10,700+ posts, SOMEONE has probably beaten me to this... I was making my charcoal basket and had the taken apart weber laying on the ground next to me. I noticed the triangle shaped brace for the legs made of thin steel bar. I cut this off of the axle and bent this for a handle.

gaspipe1 said:

That's a good point. My problem is I normally put things off till the point I get so aggravated and I over due things. I while back I was try'n to do a HnF brisket and had no luck getting the temps up.

Two weeks later I went all out... lol You may be onto something if it works. I mean it would be cheaper to just screw in the stack when needed.

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I have a 2" exhaust and only 2, 3/4" intakes. I'll be honest I only use one intake and its usually less than a 1/4 open. She settles in between 260 and 315 depending on what I'm smoking with no problems what so ever!

Post-Burn Interior Scale

I've been reading the UDS thread for several weeks and I'm well on my way to completing a UDS of my own. One thing I'm running into right now is a black layer, almost metal scale-like, inside of my drums after the burn out. The first time I noticed it was after burning out a used chocolate drum with a thin copper colored liner that was easily removed with a few strokes of 180 grit by hand (very thin liner). I got concerned when I was having such difficulty removing it with a wire brush and 60 grit sandpaper after a 4-hour intense burn. I thought it may be galvanized with a liner over it to make it food-grade or something erotic from overseas (wasn't sure, so I didn't want to use it).

I decided to go with an brand new open head unlined drum through a local vendor I've worked with in the past. I burned the unlined drum to remove the rust-inhibitor coating, started sanding the inside to clean up the char, and noticed the back scale inside again. I've read hours of postings on other forums and have searched the UDS thread and haven't seen anyone address this yet.

How clean does the inside actually look after the burn? Some of the pics look extremely clean, some do not. I was extremely surprised to see the black scale again, it appears to look like another layer of paint but I think its just the burning process and oxygen reaction causing scale. Before I kill myself trying to remove this enigma, does anyone have any thoughts.

I scrubbed mine down with some steel wool after the burnout.

Note, the scale shown in the attached pic was sanded w 60 grit and hit with a wire wheel on a 11k rpm grinder

Salad Bowl Top - FWIW - I Am Squatchin'

My son Andrew got me interested in a UDS build. I went with a smaller, new 30 gal drum. I wanted a higher top, with a grate at top of drum, one about 8 inches below that and one grate sitting atop the fire basket...in case.

Andrew obtained a SS chimney he decided not to use and gave it to me.

I ordered a wide bottom SS salad bowl in place of the Weber top and added steel I had planned to fashion. I drilled a hole in the top of the bowl and added a therm that samples temps at top grate level or close.

Drum as 4 - .75" vents, one with a valve (the valve is smooth type for use with copper tube, which I had, fitted no solder) and is waist high.

I am "Squatchin' !"

First smoke, I used about half chimney of briquets, at about 80% I dumped into basket and added 3 2" x 6" pieces of apple wood, then covered with about half chimney of unlit lump, opened all the vents, loaded two grates with chicken thighs on lower and legs on top, covered and let it rip.

Half hour later temp was at 280 and I closed two vents and cut valve vent to 50%. Hour later, temp was 248, so I opened valve full.

Hour later, temp still at 250...so far seems to be doing what it was supposed to do.

One note. Using salad bowl with 22-inch wide rim extends over edge of barrel, and moisture does runs down side and drips to pavement...not a lot, but enough to suggest a means to counter.

Buda1 said:

Note, the scale shown in the attached pic was sanded w 60 grit and hit with a wire wheel on a 11k rpm grinder

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Thanks everyone for all of the ideas. I've attached some additional pics of my UDS burn for you to view. I'm headed home in an hour to attempt to complete the cleanout, apply oil to the inside, and start preping the outside for paint (expected via mail tomorrow). Your guidance on the interior appearance post-burn is appreciated. The outside has similar flaking that I t thought was the paint but it's probably the same scaling. But what do I know, that's why I'm reaching out to you. Thanks.

Buda1 are you going to weld side on the Pizza Pan Ash Tray or leave it flat?

Was going to leave it flat for now. I opted to go w that style at $7 rather than the deep dish for much more. Figured it was better than an open bottom. I don't weld, I'll have a friend tack the basket to the pan.

No, I'm not finished reading this thread (Page 21 so far,) but I can already see that you folks are a BAD influence!

I just called my local scrap metal dealer, and he says he has more steel 55 gallon drums than I could buy - for $8 apiece.

Evil folks, I tell you - pure evil!

It's on - film at 11...

Just more info on the small UDS above (Squatchin' salad bowl)...I did not remove outside new bbl paint, just roughed it up and sprayed over it.

The first smoke went near perfect. Temp stay at 251 near whole time and about half the coals remained, though wood was kaput.

If you have access to a Weber top, this is not a complaint, I would buy the right length of metal strip, a 6 inch wide strip if possible, and bolt it to inside and set medium Weber top on that strip. No drips...having said that, I like the salad bowl and will have to figure a way to reduce the drips or just use on dirt...like I said not complaining, just pass on info.

BTW, like dogs, cooks always likes his own...chicken was a bit over done, dark and could have been removed hour earlier I suspect - was on for exactly 4 hours at 250 degrees...I hauled down to bar for those who were there and it was all gobbled. Ribs next, bon app...

For those looking for a nice ash pan, Lowe's sells Water Heater pans in several different diameters. They are aluminum and would make a fantastic ash catch pan. The fire basket with the legs should sit right down in this thing. I work at Lowe's so I will be picking mine up tomorrow.