UDS Build and first cook With pron!

STX Cue

Full Fledged Farker
Joined
Apr 3, 2008
Messages
274
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Location
Schertz, TX
So here it is. My first UDS build and cook. The UDS is not quite complete. I need another 90 degree to put the ball valve on, but they only had one at the time. I had building and cooking to do and couldn't wait on the parts to get started. The thing also needs paint, but I am still deciding on how I want to paint it, so that will wait a couple of days, too.

The build went well, it only took a couple of hours. All I needed was a drill, a screwdriver, and a couple of other hand tools...there are some things I would do differently on the next build, but nothing major.

Thanks to all of you who contributed to the design process (everybody who has posted in any UDS thread on the forum) and specifically Barbarian, who sent a parts list and some diagrams. I deviated some from them, but that is the idea, as I understand it.

Oh yeah, the pron is HERE
 
Good looking UDS and meat pics. I was wondering about that thermometer you have on drum. Where did you buy? Hardware store? Also, do those just show temp on surface of drum, or inside drum?
 
Shows inside temp at the rack level. It was reasonably accurate, but an oven thermometer paced in the center of the rack showed a temp about 20 degrees higher than on the edge.

I got mine at Academy Sports for about $9.
 
Nice. So I wonder if it would be reasonable to add 20 degrees to a surface thermometer as a standard?
 
I know a couple of other posts said that they had a difference of up to 50 degrees. It was those posts that prompted me to put the oven thermometer in mine to see what it showed. The oven therm cost me about 3 bucks and is worth every penny. In the Bandera, I usually hang it in the middle of the rack that the meat is on (below the meat). That gives me a true temp at the meat when I open the smoker.
 
Cool another Texas drumhead.
Nice job on the UDS and the pron.
Boy those grates must be stable with 8 studs holding them up. Any trouble getting the bottom one.

For smokinvic, take a look at the thread on the UDS heat shield.
 
The only reason there are 8 screws there is that I found 22" grates for 6 bucks each. That half inch difference between the 22 and 22.5 inch grates meant a lot of extra room in the drum. The extra studs were to help keep the grate from moving around too much and falling into the coals. And no problem getting the coals or the grates down there. They are still a little shaky and may need longer bolts.

I was surprised how quickly that thing cooked! At 225 the pork was done in a little over 4 hours and the brisket in about 6. And the meat was great. I was really impressed. I am now a drum convert. My neighbor has already asked me to build him one.

Thanks again, Jerry!
 
Back
Top