Horizontal & Offset Drum Smokers

Thawley · Jul 29, 2009

I've been thinking about building a stick burner since leaving Texas a few days ago. The Brisket from Lockhart is the new target I'm aiming for. Since all the pits I saw in Texas (and here) use indirect heat, I'm going to assume there are limits to how close one can get with a direct heat smoker like the UDS.

The Ugly Drum Smoker thread is losing some of its original focus. The term "UDS" is a fun & functional parody on Rocky Richmond's BDS smokers which were the first to use the viral nature of the internet to catch on. Our thread has done a great job educating the masses (Your's T. among them) about the concept and the DYI versions. But it's getting diluted. Anything with a drum now winds up in an already lengthy thread that is nearly unsearchable.

Seems like the time has come for a design resource thread on home-built Horizontal & Offset Drum Smokers. Those of us with a fondness for economical pit building have other options besides the UDS concept. Hopefully this will help keep non-UDS designs out of the original UDS thread and also make it easier to find info on DYI drum-based offsets & horizontals.

Here's what I've found so far (with thread's linked whenever possible)...

The Texas Hibachi

Phubar's upscale Netherlands version

Big Baby Double-Barreled Cooker

Matt Wagner's double barrel build photos

Triple Drum Smoker

BBQBlitz's hammerhead smoker

Big Papa's hammerhead grill

Shopping cart drum grill

Please add yours or any good idea's you find...

ZILLA · Jul 29, 2009

There have been many a great brisket cooked on a 55 gallon offset pit. It's cheap and functional. I agree about having a "build section" that has been sorted out.

ZILLA · Jul 29, 2009

Here in SA they make the 55 gal drum offset with a firebob made from 1/2 of a second drum like a standard pit.

Thawley · Jul 29, 2009

Like to see photos of that. Any links?

Phubar · Jul 29, 2009

Thanks for splicing those topics up Thawley.
I'll post the pics of my drums seperated.
Don't wanna cause too much confusion on the UDS thread.

Thawley · Jul 30, 2009

Found some interesting ideas about baffles that might be used in a hammerhead design. Hell, might even work in a tall UDS or one with firebox access on the side...

Also a good page about firebox design & theory (for offsets)...

Here's a link to the book Meat Smoking And Smokehouse Design. (May the authors see this use as promotion of their copyrighted material and not a violation – happy to remove the images though if they prefer...)

cdollar · Jul 30, 2009

I don't have any pictures, but many years ago I built a quick-and-dirty offset drum smoker for a neighbor using an old 20# propane tank as a firebox. I went to a muffler shop and had a couple pieces of stainless exhaust pipe cut and bent for a chimney and for delivering the smoke from the firebox to the drum. very cheap, and turned out some great Q.

Chuck

Phubar · Jul 30, 2009

Thanx for the links Thawley.
Some good stuff is written down there plus the drawings are acceptable as well.
Monday I'm gonna pick up my charcoal grate which I ordered today.
It's gonna have a sort of charcoal basket attached to it on the right for indirect grilling and keeping the charcoal from touching the drum.
The basket sits above the air intake so the airflow comes from under the coals,I came with this idea from building the UDS.
Just now I saw a drawing in 1 of your links that matches my idea.

flynaked720 · Jul 30, 2009

Awesome pics. some of them smokers are just crazy

Thawley · Jul 30, 2009

Phubar said:
Monday I'm gonna pick up my charcoal grate which I ordered today.
It's gonna have a sort of charcoal basket attached to it on the right for indirect grilling and keeping the charcoal from touching the drum.
The basket sits above the air intake so the airflow comes from under the coals,I came with this idea from building the UDS.
Just now I saw a drawing in 1 of your links that matches my idea.

Please post some photos when you get it. Sounds like a good idea. Hope it'll keep those pesky coals from messing up your killer yellow paint job.

Norcoredneck · Jul 30, 2009

I of all know the pride of building something that works, but there are a lot of offset type (chargriller, ect) that show up on craigslist. They are heavier, usually have nice grates and begging to be modified. One could be easily modified into something like this.

Asking $80

Thawley · Jul 30, 2009

Who are you and when did you steal Norco's laptop?

Thawley · Jul 30, 2009

Norcoredneck said:
Asking $80

Good price. But I am right-handed. Besides, I like this one better.

Norcoredneck · Jul 30, 2009

Thawley said:
Shopping cart drum grill

Please add yours or any good idea's you find...

Hey Thawley how about a drum that slides in under something like this.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/hsh/1269577331.html

Also some look see

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/hsh/1294095113.html

Norcoredneck · Jul 30, 2009

How about this for a start $65

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/for/1297150847.html

Norcoredneck · Jul 30, 2009

$75

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/gms/1297057282.html

Phubar · Aug 4, 2009

This weekend I made some handles from a broomstick,and today I got my charcoal grate and chimney back from the welder.

Thawley · Aug 4, 2009

Nice. I guess the only thing left to do is get it dirty.

Thanks for the report.

Dr_KY · Aug 4, 2009

Phubar said:
This weekend I made some handles from a broomstick,and today I got my charcoal grate and chimney back from the welder.

Nice but you are gong to need to make some larger holes in that grid so the ash falls. Trust me and JD on that one.

Phubar · Aug 4, 2009

Thawley said:
Nice. I guess the only thing left to do is get it dirty.

Thanks for the report.

I know but my buddy who is also responsible for this build doesn't have time (because of his job) this week to be there for the first fire.
He doesn't mind if I start it by my own but still....
Somewhere I can't do that,I'll have to wait till next week otherwise it's gonna feel unfair to me although he doesn't mind.

Horizontal & Offset Drum Smokers

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