Ugly Drum Smoker

[fisherfrk]

Originally Posted by Roguejim

Alright, I'm very interested in what I've read here, although, I can't go through 800+ pages. So, I'll just ask a few questions, if that's alright.

I can get a 55-gal drum for $20. The only other significant expense I can think of is the charcoal basket, ball valve,and a grate. Maybe paying to have the drum sanded down? I'm trying to figure out if it would be more cost effective to go the Big Poppa Drum Kit route, or piece it together. Any help? I only have a Weber 22.5" kettle, so, a drum would give me a pretty versatile, and inexpensive arsenal, I think. Thanks.

I am totally sold on making my own. Drums burn out really well and after a good burn, most of the outside paint is gone. I found a great deal on ball valves on e-bay, 10 for 42.99. If you have a 22.5, you have a dome lid for the smoker, 90% fit easily, if they don't fit on the top of closed barrels, they will fit on the bottom. The only other costs are the bolts, the nipples, and the grates.

The basket is the toughest. I use 2" expanded cut to 8" x 4 ft. that wraps perfectly around the charcoal grate from an 18" webber kettle. I have been using hog rings to put it together and it seems to make a very clean basket. I finish it off with a 16" pizza pan to catch ash and 3" bolts for the legs. about 12 bucks in the basket.

Good luck, if you want to take it to the next level, get a guru for it.

[wdpope1]

Has any one ever made a wood lid for there UDS I`m a carpenter and have the skills and ability to make a lid out of wood

[SmittyJonz]

Originally Posted by wdpope1

Has any one ever made a wood lid for there UDS I`m a carpenter and have the skills and ability to make a lid out of wood

I have not seen one - I saw one knucklehead using a 1/2 sheet of plywood. should work fine - if you make one be sure and post pics

[Dick Danger]

Building a 110 gallon UDS. I wanted to have two grates one 14" down and one 7" down. This is what I came up with. I used eye bolts to support the grate on the U bolts. Bottom grate is around 25" above the bottom of the charcoal basket. Using three more eye bolts to support the top grate which sits directly on the lower grate. Not ideal, but 14" down was right in the middle of the middle drum roll and I didn't want to drill into the curve. I hope to have it smoking by Sunday.

[IMG]110 gallon UDS by getinmyhead, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Untitled by getinmyhead, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Untitled by getinmyhead, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Untitled by getinmyhead, on Flickr[/IMG]

[Wahoo95]

Just finished this one today for a guy that's a Cowboys fan. Set him.up with a Weber Lid and a Flat Lid.

[BeginnerBBQ]

Looks good! Is the logo a magnet or a sticker. Does the heat affect it? I'm assuming if its a magnet you take it off when your cooking. Sorry for my ignorance I've seen similar things elsewhere but never known what was used. I was going to get a stencil and use engine enamel high temp spray paint for a logo but wanted to look into options.

[Wahoo95]

Used a car magnet for the logo. Should hold up to cooking temps but I told him it'll probably last longer if he removes it during cooking. Lots of folks use magnets to control air flow so it should hold up fine.

[BeginnerBBQ]

Ok, I will be venturing on my first UDS build over Christmas. I am pretty excited. I will have access to a ton of metal working tools (my father-in-law runs an autobody shop) but from what I can gather (as I try to find important info on this huge thread) it will be best to just keep it really simple especially since this is my first build. Does anyone have any other tips/things to avoid for a first build to make it a successful build?
Thanks

[Budman1]

K.I.S.S. Best part about a uds is you can always modify it. Do yourself a favor, read the thread. Good luck and post pics!

[fmaster360]

I am in the process of burning my ethanol drum out. It had tan paint inside. It's been burning four about 4 hours now, and the pictures are the current state. Trying to decide if it's good once the fire stops, if I should do another burn tomorrow, or if I should just hit it with a weed burner tomorrow. Thanks in advance! Hoping to finish putting it together Saturday and smoking Sunday!

[fmaster360]

Here's the current state. Was having a really tough time using the weed burner inside the barrel. How does it look? Ready to clean out with some soap and water, then assemble?

[blockhd]

Just a quick advice i got for guys wanting to grill on uds. For me it works a lot better if i put the basket on the floor instead of lifting it up higher closer to the grate. When I did that, meat was pretty much browned(burned) all over, but if i do the floor thing, i get a really nice grate charring, which i haven't been able to achieve with coals really close to the grate. I believe that is because too much oxygen gets to the coals and the heat is just overwhelming.

[TXBronco]

I'm in the process. Burned it once last summer, sand blasting for free this weekend. I cannot get all of the liner out. Also, where can I find a dome lid without having to buy a Weber. While I would love to have a Weber, both are not in the budget. I guess I could look at Walmart for some other cheap off brand. My flat lid is warped so I'm trying to figure out what it needs to work but it'd be nice to have both.

[fmaster360]

Dude, get another cheap drum, and use that as a lid. Check this out. Sometimes it won't seal properly, so if you use aluminum foil as a gasket, it's perfect.

[SmokinJohn]

Originally Posted by Wahoo95

Just finished this one today for a guy that's a Cowboys fan. Set him.up with a Weber Lid and a Flat Lid.

My vote for best. drum. ever.