Ugly Drum Smoker

2Bulldogs said:

Newbie here and I have a few questions.

I have bought most of the parts I need to make my UDS. I have a question about my barrel though. I was told it was food grade and vegetable oil was the original product. But I'm not sure. The barrel is black and the inside is a rusty red color. I am going to go ahead and do a good long burn. Will this be enough? Is there a need to sand if you do a burn?

Also there are two grates. Is the lower grate used for a water pan? A friend asked me if it had a place for a water pan, and I told him I didn't think it did, but that got me thinking, Is that what the lower grate is for?

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You will have to remove all of the red liner. A good hot burn along with some elbow grease (sanding) is usually needed to get it all out.

The lower grate can be used for whatever you want to use it for. If you raise it up a little higher you can use it to cook on or as a holder for a diffuser (I use a 15" clay pot tray) or to cook on. If you put it down near the fire it can be used to hold a water pan or a diffuser. I don't think there is any need for a water pan on a UDS. However, if you don't like the flavor imparted to the food from the vapors of burning fat, you will need a diffuser.

Sounds like I need to get to cookin, once with a diffuser...once without...DARN!!!! Honey, I need more ribs.

So a food grade barrel wont have a liner...or will it be a different color. They said they had food grade, maybe they loaded the wrong type. If I have an idea what to look for I could tell the guy loading it which ones.

2Bulldogs said:

So a food grade barrel wont have a liner...or will it be a different color. They said they had food grade, maybe they loaded the wrong type. If I have an idea what to look for I could tell the guy loading it which ones.

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Yes, food grade will have a liner.

Last question I believe. I seen a comment about starting the fire in the basket.....from the top. Since heat rises how it that possible? Why not start the fire in the basket from the bottom like in a chimney?

2Bulldogs you do it that way for a low and slow burn. Some do it the other way though.

How would you light it on top? No lighter fluid I assume.

Start the fire like this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHXcibEJ1lc

No lighter fluid, please. If you must use something as an accelerant, use vegetable oil sprayed (PAM) on the newspaper. You can put a little on the charcoal too but it really isn't needed on the paper or the charcoal.

Get some good, heat resistent gloves, start the fire in the chimney (it has to be a weber, don't waste your time with the knock offs), then dump it in your fire box with some unlit fuel.

Of course, you could do this too -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V53P2m2peU&feature=related

I use whatever method I feel like at the time. If my weedburner is handy, I prefer it.

NASCARican said:

Those look SWEET!!! You can give the big names a run with those models...I'd buy one if I were closer!! Beautiful view in the background by the way!

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Thanks! I am trying to make this a side-hobby/maybe side-biz, and I appreciate the feedback. I've sold a bunch of these to friends, neighbors, and local BBQ association members.

And, you should see the view out the front porch. It's one of the reasons I put up with a 45 minute commute each way daily to work.

Great!!!! Thanks for all the feedback. I found some expanded metal today just have to go pick it up, If I have to Ill go buy a Unibit...but they are pricey. Ill post pic when done.

I'm thinking of using my normal pyramid method in my Weber, then transferring four or five good lumps over to my basket.

opcorn:

2Bulldogs said:

How would you light it on top? No lighter fluid I assume.

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Look, buy a pair of work gloves for like$ 2.00 see, then fill your basket with charcoal and stuff a couple lumps of hardwood right, then start up 10 - 12 pieces of charcoal. dump them on top. If you put a long handle on your basket made with wire you won't burn your arms, you will have a correctly lit basket, with no lighter fluid taste (shiver) and you will be doing something that we know works.

Also align the grooves in the charcoal and make sure they are all facing up. htis helps the draft better and better utilizes the smoke.

2Bulldogs said:

I'm thinking of using my normal pyramid method in my Weber, then transferring four or five good lumps over to my basket.

Click to expand...

2Bulldogs said:

Great!!!! Thanks for all the feedback. I found some expanded metal today just have to go pick it up, If I have to Ill go buy a Unibit...but they are pricey. Ill post pic when done.

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Step bit cheap alternative for home builders.
Neiko Titanium Step Drill Bit; 1/2" Shank; 10 Steps; 1/4" - 1-3/8"



http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Titaniu...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1275936890&sr=8-1

$11.99 at Amazon.

My (almost) free fire basket

So, "The Thread" has inspired me. I'm building my very own, very first UDS. I work for a chemical manufacturer, so I can get new, unlined drums for free. I can even get 85 gal. salvage drums for free when they show up.

That being the case, I plan on making an insulated UDS with a 55 gal. inside an 85 gal. wrapped in insulation (not sure of the type yet; probably either mineral wool or aerogel or I'm open to cheaper alternativesray.

But before I begin the "big" project, I wanted to do at least one "basic" model. And, because I'm a cheap bastard, I'm trying to do it for as absolutely little outlay as possible using what I have at hand.

So... here's my almost free fire basket:

I took 12" wire shelving from closetmaid that I had from a closet redo a couple of years ago and bent it around the charcoal grate of a donor Weber that a buddy of mine gave me when he moved:


Then, I found a cheap 18" grill at the dollar store:


Put the basket on top of the grill and bent the supports around to hold the basket to the grill pan to act as an ash catcher:


Burned it out last night to get the paint off both the fire basket AND the barrel (no pics yet. I took 'em, just haven't downloaded 'em yet).

Thing cost me less than $10.00 and holds a LOT of charcoal.

Nice idea there Southern Home Boy, I may go that route as well for the basket.

I bought a 55 gal drum today for a UDS. Got one with a bung hole on the bottom side (as well as the lid). Not sure if this is a good thing - does anyone know if this is a sign it was used to store something nasty in a previous life? It is reconditioned - burned and sandblasted - so I went for it.

Also have people used the bung hole at the bottom of the barrel (on the side) as air intake instead of drilling the holes? I think it fits a 2 in. pipe, or I may just go for a simple cover.

I purchased a Grill Care thermometer at Wally World for my smoker. was wondering if anybody has used one before or heard anything about the performance. I have some local friends that said they have installed them and they are accurate, especially for what they cost...$16. Any input as usually is appreciated.

I have a grill care thermo on my uds, very accurate and well built.

I drilled a 3/4" hole with a unibit and then filed it out a little with a round file, then the thermo threaded in with the help of a wrench.

So is the noted 7/8" to big?

I have a question about that setup. It's great looking to be sure but how many inches off the bottom is the actual grate where your coals will sit. On my setup It is about 2.5" above the bottom of the drum. On this setup it looks like it could be upwards of 7" or 8" maybe more. Do you still have enough space between your charcoal grate and your cooking grate?

Southern Home Boy said:

So, "The Thread" has inspired me. I'm building my very own, very first UDS. I work for a chemical manufacturer, so I can get new, unlined drums for free. I can even get 85 gal. salvage drums for free when they show up.

That being the case, I plan on making an insulated UDS with a 55 gal. inside an 85 gal. wrapped in insulation (not sure of the type yet; probably either mineral wool or aerogel or I'm open to cheaper alternativesray.

But before I begin the "big" project, I wanted to do at least one "basic" model. And, because I'm a cheap bastard, I'm trying to do it for as absolutely little outlay as possible using what I have at hand.

So... here's my almost free fire basket:

I took 12" wire shelving from closetmaid that I had from a closet redo a couple of years ago and bent it around the charcoal grate of a donor Weber that a buddy of mine gave me when he moved:

Then, I found a cheap 18" grill at the dollar store:

Put the basket on top of the grill and bent the supports around to hold the basket to the grill pan to act as an ash catcher:

Burned it out last night to get the paint off both the fire basket AND the barrel (no pics yet. I took 'em, just haven't downloaded 'em yet).

Thing cost me less than $10.00 and holds a LOT of charcoal.

Click to expand...