UDS Question...

CUTigerQ

CUTigerQ

is one Smokin' Farker
Joined
Jan 16, 2010
Location
Marietta...
I just thought about something. How am I supposed to get these ashes out of the bottom of my UDS without making a mess on the sides of the barrell? If I tip it and pour it, wont it stick to the sides since it is seasoned with three cooks now? What's a person to do?
 
shop vac... Ive also taken a milk jug and cut it to make a scoop... some take a shovel and hack it up to scoop it out as well.
 
Saw where one of the members had modified a garden hoe (rounded the blade to fit the sides of the barrel and welded on some aluminum walls) and another member bought a ready made pooper scooper and beveled the blade to match the wall.
 
An ash tray is the first thing you should have. I use a large cake pan(still looking for a larger one) that i pull out and empty into a small metal garbage can. 90% of the bottom of the drum is clean, but only a small area needs a monthly clean. I just wash it out with the water hose on the grass to keep from BANGING up the edges and season it again.

kris
 
I think when I build mine this spring, Im gonna attach an 18 inch pizza pan to the feet of the legs of the charcoal basket. So every time I lift the charcoal basket out, most of the ash will come with it.
 
i have a old spatchal epoxed into a driver shaft lol works great
 
Just dump it out already. So what if the ash sticks to the side? I do it after every 3-4 cooks on the drum. Never had a problem, and I love the way it cooks.

Good luck.
 
second on the pizza pan ash tray attached to the bottom of my firebox.
Many way's to skin a cat...
Really depends on how complicated you wanna make this.
If you really want a clean bottom (chuckle) there's some brethren that have cut the bottom off/use the lid for the bottom so they can just un bolt/hinge it and clean her out.
That said, I wish there was an ashless lump.
 
Yup pizza pan from Wally world will only set ya back a few bucks and is worth every penny. Driil holes through the pizza pan then attach to the charcoal holder just as you lormally would. Saves alot of trouble and mess and only takes minutes to do.
 
The charcoal basket with attached ash catcher. No ashes in the bottom of the drum. Easy in. Easy out.

PICT0030.jpg


Ash tray is a cover to a 30 gal. drum.
 
Just dumping it over and have all the ash sticking to the sides of a sticky greasy drum is not very appealing. A very good question was raised. And I am interested in the alternatives to the barbaric just dumping it over technique. :lol:
 
Skidder said:
Yup pizza pan from Wally world will only set ya back a few bucks and is worth every penny. Driil holes through the pizza pan then attach to the charcoal holder just as you lormally would. Saves alot of trouble and mess and only takes minutes to do.
Click to expand...
What he said, I used a 16 inch pizza pan attached with wire to the basket. I even put a piece of black pipe in the middle of the grate attached with conduit nuts to pull the hole thing out.
 
I have not been using an ash pan at all lately and just using a ShopVac after each cook. I used an ash pan(pizza pan) for a while but it just seemed to be more trouble than what it's worth to be honest. It always ended up completely gunked up with fat and drippings which you had to clean anyway. At least with the ShopVac you can clean it out with a long attachment and don't have to get up close and personal with the ash all the time. Now granted using this method I have to take my UDS out about once every 3-4 months and spray it out with a water hose. Not a big deal though.

Brandon
 
An ash pan is an easy way to keep the bottom clean. Mine is 16"x16"x1-1/2" high with 18" handles and charcoal basket is 15"x15"x10". I just grab the ash pan every 2-3 cooks and empty it around trees in the yard.
 
I bolt a steel pizza pan to the bottom of the firebox. The firebox has a eyehook to use as a handle. Pull box and most ash comes out all at once. What's left is sucked up in a shop-vac.I use water pans and a smoker plate, so most of the grease is thrown out or evaporated. We clean after every cook. Steve.
 
I think Pat came up with the ideal approach: make the lid the bottom of the uds and lift the barrel off it.
 
I use a pizza dish currently, but am looking for something better. I only have it bolted to 2 sides of my fire box, so since it usually is all gunked up from fat drippings, it is really easy to get in there and scrape it out.
I used to use a piece of card board from the 18-pack I was drinking. That worked great too...but, when you are cooking 24 hours straight, you want something that is more effective...the cardboard thing does nothing to help out with Ash piling up underneath your fire box, which I have learned plays havok with your temps.
 
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