Pit barrel, Gateway or build a UDS?

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tbag

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Have been wanting a drum smoker for a while and had my eye on the 55 gallon Gateway drum smoker.

In Europe we can get some cheap drum smokers, Pit Barrel and the Gateway.

Does anyone have any of these two?

I know all the differences between them by reading, youtube videos, emailing the companies but not yet seen them in person. The gateway is the one I really want but it is expensive here.

In the us they cost $800 + $95 in shipping , but here in Europe the cost $1218 + shipping and tax = $1665.

While the Pit Barrel would cost $650 included shipping and tax.


Also thought about building one but it won`t look as good and be near as good as the gateway.


What should I do?
 
If those were USD prices, I'd build a UDS. 200L open top, some hardware, a grate or two and off to the races.

The "won't look as good" is purely subjective. It can look as nice as you are willing to make it. Or it can be as rough as a 30 year old farm truck- totally up to you.

"Won't be near as good" - are you talking about the food coming off a Gateway being better than that off a UDS? They are both drums- operating basically the same. Getting similar results is no big thing.

Of the three, the Gateway is a bit nicer- no doubt about it.

You mentioned PBC, Gateway and UDS... have you considered getting a Hunsaker kit? https://www.hunsakersmokers.com/collections/diy-kits IF I wanted to build a nice looking UDS, with all the bells and whistles, this is the route I'd go.
 
I was in the same boat here in the UK, well UDS Vs PBC Vs WSM and very happy with my UDS so far and cost wise it's been economical, and a decent upgrade on the kettle.
 
Nuco59 said:
If those were USD prices, I'd build a UDS. 200L open top, some hardware, a grate or two and off to the races.

The "won't look as good" is purely subjective. It can look as nice as you are willing to make it. Or it can be as rough as a 30 year old farm truck- totally up to you.

"Won't be near as good" - are you talking about the food coming off a Gateway being better than that off a UDS? They are both drums- operating basically the same. Getting similar results is no big thing.

Of the three, the Gateway is a bit nicer- no doubt about it.

You mentioned PBC, Gateway and UDS... have you considered getting a Hunsaker kit? https://www.hunsakersmokers.com/collections/diy-kits IF I wanted to build a nice looking UDS, with all the bells and whistles, this is the route I'd go.
Click to expand...


Sadly it is USD pricesđź‘Ž. The drum itself is $1219 but with shipping and tax it gets pretty expensive.


"Won’t be near as good": After all ive read/videos the Gateway is superior when it come to controlling the temp because of the intake pipes and exhaust.


I have also looked at hunsaker but they don’t ship overseas.
Maybe I will find something on eBay but none of the companies can ship overseas. They can ship to the border but that’s where it stops.( Most of the companies don’t have a dealer in Europe)

There are no drum smoker for sale here in Norway except old rusty ones so it’s not easy to find:(

Everyone that lives in the states don’t know how lucky you are when it comes to bbq compared to the rest of the world. The only grill/smokers you can find in normal stores is Weber kettles and Weber gas grill. That’s it.

There’s one store that opened three years ago which has Traeger,primo,hast bake and to more brands.
 
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Can you order a drum kit like what big poppa sells?
 
It really depends on how you will use it. All are good options. The PBC is more of a hand’s off cooker, but is smaller. The Gateway will give you full control of cook temps, as will a home built UDS.

Take a look at amazingsmokers.com for parts. These parts are made by Mark Hunsaker and are the same used on his pre-built drums. Using these parts would give you a more professional look for a home built UDS.
 
Sorry boss - I mi-spoke- I meant if that was the "local pricing" for those same items.

We are blessed in the USA- and in more ways than just BBQ.

The Gateway IS great. But - it is a UDS- albeit a very pretty one. Temp control is part of what makes a drum a drum. If you build a UDS and it's tight, it will hold temp like a champ. I have heard the that the Gateway is very responsive if you want to adjust temps...and it might be. That is not a sell point for me- I cook at one temp- and if I want it a little hotter or a bit cooler, that's easily done. As quickly as the Gateway- prob not.

good luck sir.
 
The PBC is a 30 gallon Drum same size as the WSM 18.5, the Gateway is a 55gal although they do make a 30gal as well. A lot of happy people out there with both the PBC and Gateway, had a Hunsaker and wasn't using it a lot so I sold it and now I miss it. Looking at picking up a 30 gallon Gateway in the fall even though it's more than double the cost of the PBC, want to be able to cook at higher temps than the PBC was designed to cook at. Also thought about ordering a new 30gal Stainless Steel drum and building a 30gal UDS.
 
I've just googled the Gateway smokers, and whilst they look very good, it just looks like a pretty UDS, and with s bit of imagination, you can knock that up yourself, I managed the below with 2hrs work and just drilling/cutting a few holes!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GawPudLTSFs37pEU7
 
I might get flack, but I genuinely don't like my PBC very much. I find it's far less "set it and forget it" than advertised where I live with nearly ALWAYS a decent amount of wind. Problem is, there really isn't too much controls to adjust so aside from working the lid on and off in small doses, you're out of options if your cook runs long (like, 50% longer than usual sometimes).

I think it's the PERFECT thing for somebody who doesn't really want to learn and occasionally (like once a month) might want to smoke some ribs on a nice sunday or something, but seasoned cooks who have learned control with their fire and cookers might be frustrated.

There's NOTHING a PBC can do that a UDS can't - and the UDS can do a LOT more of what you want it to do than a PBC.
 
I’ve had a PBC and loved it
I’ve built my own mini WSM and loved it
I’ve owned 2 18.5” Weber SM and loved them
If you love something let it go, or is that someone?

However as I’ve progressed down this BBQ Trail, I’ve reached a point where I don’t want to wrestle any cooker. Big cookers Wheels - Little Cookers handle.

At the Walmart they have Oklahoma Joe Bronco Barrel Cookers $294 with wheels. If they marked it half price (not unusual at certain times of the year) I would be putting it together. I’ve already showed it to The Bride like a French bulldog on Craigslist. Timing, all in the timing.
 
tbag said:
Have been wanting a drum smoker for a while and had my eye on the 55 gallon Gateway drum smoker.

Also thought about building one but it won`t look as good and be near as good as the gateway.

What should I do?
Click to expand...

muTEK.jpg

I've been cooking on drums for 13 years and mine are one of the early "manufactured ones". They are taller than a 55 gallon, the intakes and vents are simply holes with snap in plugs. My drums were in the $400 range and I think shipping was around $100, which was expensive. The builder, Rocky Richmond, had tested 8 or 10 prototypes so mine was the latest version. The instructions were simple and I had no problems from day one and use one often, my second one lives in a shed and is used as an overflow smoker. I don't regret my purchase at all. Several companies currently sell kits and have very good plans, so if you are at all handy with basic tools you can build one at home. Some versions do not require any welding.

My drums are not as pretty as a Gateway or Hunsaker, and I've seen plenty of UDSs that had custom paint and more features than my drums. I've eaten food from truly ugly, UDSs that was fantastic. So my advice is... if features or looks are going to bug you... go with one of the high end manufactured drums, they are sweet. Or do a cost analysis for building your own. The bottom line is, drums do cook excellent barbecue and I am glad I got on board early.
 
Sounds like you need to build it. Dont worry about looks, unless you need it to look appealing. If you need it to look pretty, the Gateway is the way to go. If you build it, just use some 1 to 2 inch holes for the intakes. That would give you plenty of airflow to simulate the Gateway although their drafting system is set up different inside. You ought to be able to build one for 1/3 of the price you will buy one, especially with the price of the gateway.
 
Do you have any relatives/friends in the military? They are sometimes able to get stuff shipped free or minimal cost to a local base.
Just a thought.
 
jermoQ said:
Sounds like you need to build it. Dont worry about looks, unless you need it to look appealing. If you need it to look pretty, the Gateway is the way to go. If you build it, just use some 1 to 2 inch holes for the intakes. That would give you plenty of airflow to simulate the Gateway although their drafting system is set up different inside. You ought to be able to build one for 1/3 of the price you will buy one, especially with the price of the gateway.
Click to expand...

I'm with Jeremy For those prices, I'd build one.
 
You can get a kit from Big Poppa Smokers that has everything you need but the drum and a lid No welding I believe and they look really nice They are a vendor on this site
 
One thing I forgot to ask. We have a wooden deck outside of our house. That’s where the drum is going to be. Pit barrel has legs and gateway has wheels so the should be safe to put there? Or will it get to hot underneath? If I would build a uds I would put some wheels on it. But just wanted to be 100% sure that it’s safe.
 
tbag said:
One thing I forgot to ask. We have a wooden deck outside of our house. That’s where the drum is going to be. Pit barrel has legs and gateway has wheels so the should be safe to put there? Or will it get to hot underneath? If I would build a uds I would put some wheels on it. But just wanted to be 100% sure that it’s safe.
Click to expand...

I used to have a wooden deck. I had mine sitting on three bricks laying flat (two inches) that were underneath the bottom edge, in a tripod sort of layout. I cooked from 250 to 330 on mine and didnt have any trouble with the deck burning. If you were more concerned, use a taller block or turn the bricks on their side. Or you can get fancy and use wheels or a cart.
 
So if the drum has wheels then its safe?
 
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