Pappy
is One Chatty Farker
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Location
- Granite...
Once the exhaust is heated up it will draw more air than a drum without a exhaust tube. The same way a charcoal chimney speeds up starting the charcoal. Heat rises.
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TASTE LIKE ASHTRAY? DON'T USE HARDWOOD LUMP COALS FOR SMOKING.
Just throwing out a contrary opinion. Lump is fine to use adds nothing more /less then KF blue. But does it with less ash build up, more heat and less fuel usage. I swapped form KF blue to WG weekend warrior lump and had more stable temp can run hotter and no ash build up killing the heat on long burns. I do cook in a extreme environment so that may be the difference. I don't know, but try it for yourself makeup your own mind
pwa
I have built 5 of these pits and on my latest build I drilled only one hole for intake ventilation, put a t-nipple in it and then attached the hose from an electronic temperature controller to it. Game over. No more fiddling with the ball valve, taking nipple covers on and off, etc. I know it costs a bit more but you don't have to drill as many holes nor do you buy the gate valves which can run up to $25. The electronic temp controllers can be bought for as little as $150 and in my opinion, they are worth it for when you want to put the meat on and go to bed.
I have built 5 of these pits and on my latest build I drilled only one hole for intake ventilation, put a t-nipple in it and then attached the hose from an electronic temperature controller to it. Game over. No more fiddling with the ball valve, taking nipple covers on and off, etc. I know it costs a bit more but you don't have to drill as many holes nor do you buy the gate valves which can run up to $25. The electronic temp controllers can be bought for as little as $150 and in my opinion, they are worth it for when you want to put the meat on and go to bed.
Does anyone have issues with juices building up in the bottom of their drum? I haven't used mine but a few times and have liquid in the bottom built up.
So please explain your process. When do you light it? How long do you let it burn before putting into the smoker? How much of it? Do you have un-lit coals in the drum? Do you add other wood for flavoring? Do other people like the taste of the food you cook in there?
Have you ever tried using just plain charcoal briquettes?
Well the drums were lined but it was the tan one. Not too bad to mget out. Just one burn with some oak fire wood and a leaf blower and that baby was glowing. Now just too assemble. Got 3 3/4 close nipples, 1 3/4 ball valve, Stainless carriage bolts 1/4" for the grates. 1 new 18.5 Weber fire grate. All I need is some expanded metal for the basket. Can I do a seasoning burn with just a chimney? Heres some PRON.
PVC will work.
<snip>Can I do a seasoning burn with just a chimney?</snip>
Im still haveing trouble getting my MUDS to 300. I built a bigger basket 8" sq 8" deep out of all expanded metal. Its a fifteen or twenty gallon drum and it is every port is wide open and it is only at about 210. I cant figure it out.
Im using lump and I started thinking that maybe it has had something to do with it. But after reading the last several posts that cant be it.
I built and used severl 55 gallon UDS and never had a problem.
Im kinda stumped.
Is the 18.5 grate for your fire basket or cooking grate? I'm assuming fire grate, as the 22.5" weber is great for a cooking grate.