Weber Drum Smoker (or Redneck WSM or UDS Hybrid)

Seriously, I think we need a name for one of these. I've been calling it my WDS for Weber Drum Smoker. It started life as your average UDS.

Normal stock UDS:


One night, after drinking, I drilled way too many holes in the bottom because I couldn't get it to temp. After that ,I was going through sheet magnets like water to close those holes. After more beer, I thought about making a hybrid WSM/UDS. So I started cutting up my UDS. Mind you, I had a bi metal hacksaw. It took me another three beers and two shots of whiskey (for a total of 1.5 hours). I put the drum on the base and what do you know, math failed me. Or rather, I failed math. The drum was too big for the base.

The next day, I brought the base and the drum to my BIL's shop. I'll spare you the boring details (unless you want it), but he ended up cutting the drum right on the bottom rib. Of course, he had access to a plasma cutter and did it in about 60 seconds. What do you know, it fits! It actually sits on the outside of the Weber kettle base just fine, but it was wobbly. So my BIL used his trusty plasma cutter and cut another ring from the barrel.



He tacked it on to the bottom of the drum to sandwich the kettle lip in. I can take pics if you care to see that. We test fitted and it looked good. I brought it back to my garage and put it all together. It was freakin tall!



I chopped the legs down 10" and this is what we end up with. Forgive the paint job, it was all I had.




Close up of the seam:


This is my franken-UDS. I will fire it up tomorrow to see how it performs.

I finally fired it up. I've been using the mini WSM since its only three of us but I decided to do a test run anyways.

I threw in some freezer burnt ground pork that was seasoned for egg rolls. Cranked the sucker up and wow! Temp control was infinitely easier using the stock dampers on the Weber kettle than with sheet magnets.

Being able to separate the sections also makes cleaning up the ash easier. Although I do need handles for the body.

What i love the best about it is I still can use it as a weber kettle, should I ever choose to do so. I have a Ducane gasser for grilling so I think this will stay the way it is.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke said:

Looks like a Stretch Kettle to me.:mrgreen:

Click to expand...

Stretch base? My BIL was trying to convince me that was the way to go. I didn't want to touch the Weber (outside of the legs) so I could keep it stock.

Toast said:

What kind of whiskey shots? I could use some good inspiration like that. Mighty Fine!

Click to expand...

LOL, shots is Jameson. Sippin' is a fine Kentucky bourbon. Lately that has been some Basil Hayden's.

Buried In Smoke said:

I did a full size, sitting in the back there. Holds a lot of grub!

Click to expand...

I like it! I wish I would have known you did something like that so I could have picked your brain! How many racks do you have? Are you using a fire ring/basket at all?

My only worry now is my fire basket is going to be too close to my bottom rack.