Ugly Drum Smoker

Can you tell me what type of business sells the steel grating used in the charcoal basket? Not sure where to buy it. I'm in central NJ. Thanks.
 
iSmoke said:
Can you tell me what type of business sells the steel grating used in the charcoal basket? Not sure where to buy it. I'm in central NJ. Thanks.
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Lowes or Home Depot. Look in the area where they carry steel bar stock.
 
iSmoke said:
Can you tell me what type of business sells the steel grating used in the charcoal basket? Not sure where to buy it. I'm in central NJ. Thanks.
Click to expand...

There are a couple sources mentioned within the last 10 messages in this thread, if you're interested in buying online.

Also, as was just mentioned here, they sell a 24" square of 3/4" expando at Home Depot for about $19. I went and checked it out, and it's only .070" thick (13 gauge). I imagine it'd last a while though. I like the way Boshizzle folded his up, and it looks like 13 gauge stuff (right Boshizzle?). It seemed thin enough to cut with large tin snips and bend by hand (with gloves).
 
I did a burn in last Saturday and then first test cook on Sunday. One question... I love the idea of shutting it down by killing the air flow. What do you do with the left over coals? Do you relight them on next cook (dump in a chimney, weed burner etc) or do you leave them in the basket and just dump hot coals on top of them? thanks!
 
Sub said:
i've gone through hundreds of posts this weekend and purchased everything I need except the expanded metal for the charcoal basket.

Can anyone tell me where I may be able to locate some expanded metal? I tried Home Depot and they didn't have any, I called a local machine shop in Dallas and they were going to charge me $74 for a sheet that is 8" by 44", which seemed a bit high to me.

Another question just came up, if I were to purchase a barrel with a teflon coated inside, would I need to burn out the teflon or could I use some sort of cleaner? Assuming of course it would be safe to cook/eat from after cleaning out the inside.

Any opinions/recommendations would be appreciated
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One more North Texas option for the expanded metal (and probably all the other SS hardware) is Fulton's in Denton.

P1010141.jpg


http://fultonsupplyandrecycling.com/index2.html

I had to buy an almost full sheet, but they'll cut it for you with their torch for a buck or two a cut.

It's a metal recycling place (aka glorified scrapyard), so the pieces are sitting outside and are pre-aged for you (aka already rusted a little).

Actually I could also provide you a piece 12" or 8" or whatever x 48" reasonably because I still have a bunch left over and I will only maybe be making maybe one more UDS some day. (the V2 where you try to make everything perfect and pretty after learning on the first one) :) I got a sheet which already had one cut made so it was around 6 or 7 ft. x 4 ft. for $30, then they cut it into a 12"x48 for my basket and three more 2 ft. x 4 ft. or so to fit in my trunk. We'll have to figure out how to cut it without a torch, but I do have an angle grinder with the right wheels for it. Just haven't tried it yet :)
I'm in The Colony. I'll PM you. You can see the larger pieces but I have three of those left.
da_burl

da_burl
 
sincitydisciple01 said:
I did a burn in last Saturday and then first test cook on Sunday. One question... I love the idea of shutting it down by killing the air flow. What do you do with the left over coals? Do you relight them on next cook (dump in a chimney, weed burner etc) or do you leave them in the basket and just dump hot coals on top of them? thanks!
Click to expand...

I let them cool and stow em in my chimney for the next burn.
 
Like Nascarican says let them cool but be careful coals can stay hot for days. I put them in a plastic bag and store them in then smoker the reuse them.
 
I got a question for ya'll. Do you make sure to get all of the outside paint off the barrel? I have done a large burn and I got about 60% of the outside paint off through doing that.

But my thought is why bother trying to get all of it, if the barrel will never reach those temps during cooking. Even at the highest seasoning point, I would only go ~400F.

Then again, I have thought maybe it would fume still and I don't want to take any chance on getting those fumes on the meat.

What are your thoughts?
 
wayner123 said:
I got a question for ya'll. Do you make sure to get all of the outside paint off the barrel? I have done a large burn and I got about 60% of the outside paint off through doing that.

But my thought is why bother trying to get all of it, if the barrel will never reach those temps during cooking. Even at the highest seasoning point, I would only go ~400F.

Then again, I have thought maybe it would fume still and I don't want to take any chance on getting those fumes on the meat.

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about the outside, unless you wanna do some jazzy paint job...the only reason for the burn is to prepare the inside for seasoning...
 
A weed burner will handle that little bit of paint that is left if your worried.
 
Hinges

Boshizzle said:
I used SS hinges to hold the grates so that I could fold them up out of position when removing the ash pan and the lower grate.
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I love the hinge idea- I just checked Home Depot for them and came up empty, so I have a few questions :)

1 - Do they stay 'folded up' when you fold them up or do they fall back down?
2 - Where did you get them? (link?)
3 - What are the hinges designed for originally?

Thanks!
 
KGB said:
I love the hinge idea- I just checked Home Depot for them and came up empty, so I have a few questions :)

1 - Do they stay 'folded up' when you fold them up or do they fall back down?
2 - Where did you get them? (link?)
3 - What are the hinges designed for originally?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

From the looks of it the swing in and out not up and down. If it were me I would have to have some way to lock them out or I'd be worried about losing my food.
 
Love the hinge idea and since I am now in the process of building mine I will use this idea. Many thanks for sharing.

Paul


Boshizzle said:
I finally got to do the first seasoning burn of my new UDS. Here are some pics.

Ready for seasoning

picture.php


Vent Wide Open - It has been holding around 400 for about 3 hours.

picture.php


I used SS hinges to hold the grates so that I could fold them up out of position when removing the ash pan and the lower grate.

picture.php


Here is a pic of it with the Big Lots Grill lid. A little work is needed for a more smoke tight fit.

picture.php


Here is the charcoal basket sitting on an 18" anodized aluminum pizza pan used as the ash pan.

picture.php
Click to expand...
 
Boshizzle said:
I finally got to do the first seasoning burn of my new UDS. Here are some pics.

Ready for seasoning

picture.php


Vent Wide Open - It has been holding around 400 for about 3 hours.

picture.php


I used SS hinges to hold the grates so that I could fold them up out of position when removing the ash pan and the lower grate.

picture.php


Here is a pic of it with the Big Lots Grill lid. A little work is needed for a more smoke tight fit.

picture.php


Here is the charcoal basket sitting on an 18" anodized aluminum pizza pan used as the ash pan.

picture.php
Click to expand...

WOW!! there is a difference in size in the different drums...I used the Big Lots cooker lid and it fit with just a little grinding of the ring.
 
Thanks, brethren. I'm looking forward to my first cook on it. I have flattened out the rim on the BL grill lid and it fit much better. However, it still leaks. I don't think that will be a big problem though as there is a lot of smoke inside the UDS. In fact, I'm hoping there isn't too much smoke in it. I have 8 3/4" holes in the drum lid and just the vent on the BL lid. I will have to do some more experimenting to see whether there is too much smoke or if it's the right amount.

I thought about adding some fiberglass wood stove gasket to the lid but I read that the fiberglass may not be food safe since it cracks and glass fibers are released. Any input on that subject?

I will post some pics of the lid now that the lip is flattened out as soon as I can.
 
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