SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
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Ugly Drum Smoker
- Thread starter jgh1204
- Start date
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
There are several guys on CL selling drums - 1-2 on Ft Worth side. Most Feed/Ag stores have them - that's where mine came from.
http://dallas.craigslist.org/sdf/grd/4866493996.html
http://dallas.craigslist.org/sdf/for/4856237865.html
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/for/4851514479.html
I got my well seasoned 3 rack flat top UDS up for sale.
nathan
Found some matches.
Newbie here. Ordered my drum a few days ago and have my basket already made. Excited to get the drum in the garage and drill some holes. Thanks to all for the great tips and ideas.
BaronVonOttomatic
Knows what a fatty is.
Alrighty then, here's a picture of the firebox. Air inlet up top and three holes opposite. This is before I welded in the tabs across from the inlet to support the grate.
Picture before paint:
Painted and seasoning:
Picture before paint:
Painted and seasoning:
ebijack
Babbling Farker
I believe your going to find your coal basket does not have good quality air flow and might be blocking some of the intake air from getting to the coals. But that is just my experience.
BaronVonOttomatic
Knows what a fatty is.
Affirmative, once I removed the Guru the charcoal left in the basket went out. With the Guru it stays rock steady at 250° the charcoal runs out and there's nothing but ash. I designed it to use with a Guru so mission accomplished there.
nathan
Found some matches.
Sorry if this question has already been addressed, and with 820+ pages I am sure it has, but with a reconditioned drum do I still need to remove the paint on the exterior of the drum? Is this paint typically "high heat" or do I need to burn that paint off and reapply the correct type of paint? Thank you for any light you can shine my way.
TXLX
Full Fledged Farker
You don't have to burn the paint off the exterior. I have a standard 55 gallon, new 16 gauge drum and had it over 400° with no damage to paint. If you are going to reaping it, of course go with a high heat BBQ paint, engine paint, or high temp powder coat (some powder coaters won't guarantee standard powder coat with high temp applications).
nathan
Found some matches.
Thank you for the help! Looking forward to the assemble today.
nathan
Found some matches.
Finished my 1st. build today. Excited to get this thing smoking.
BaronVonOttomatic
Knows what a fatty is.
After burning for 12 hours at 250° (~50° ambient temperature) there's probably about another hour worth of charcoal left in the firebox.
paquette11b
Well-known member
on my first UDS smoke and noticing that there is a lot of leaking smoke around the entire circumference of the flat lid. I have all 3 intakes open and am having a difficult time after 3 hours pushing higher than 225 degrees. Is this due to the leak? and what can i do to fix it? I was thinking a gasket but it almost looks like the lid is slightly too small for this drum because it almost just sits on top without locking into the rim. thanks for the help
TXLX
Full Fledged Farker
How big are the intakes and how big is the exhaust? Do you have some pictures of the lid & barrel? If possible, you could carefully bend out the rim of the lid and use a rope gasket in the groove. The lid on my drum fits pretty tight, minimal smoke escapes.
If the lid can't be fit better and too much heat is escaping around the lid, you could make your existing exhaust smaller or close it completely and create a new exhaust with smaller adjustments. I found my drum wouldn't run hot enough with three 3/4" intakes, so I made two of them 1" (or 1.25") and kept the 3/4" ball valve. I can hit 400° with all intakes open and standard 2" bung exhaust.
Wahoo95
Knows what a fatty is.
Did you remove the little gasket material from the lip of the lid? I had similar issues on my first drum till I pulled that stuff out which allowed the lid to fit down snugly into the top of the drum
paquette11b
Well-known member
I removed the gasket and it's just metal now. three 1inch intakes ( 2 with 3/4in pipe, 1 with 3/4 ball valve) and 8 3/4inch exhaust holes. the larger intakes are a great idea. The lid almost seems like it came from a different barrel and won't even come close to fitting. Maybe a rope gasket will help. Thanks guys...tried to upload pics but the phone isn't cooperating
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
Leaking smoke around the lid won't hurt nuttin. More airflow = more charcoal/wood burning= higher temps. 3 3/4 intakes should be enough - I have 4 and one is usually capped. Wood burns hotter than charcoal - more wood chunks it'll run hotter. How much lit charcoal did you dump in? How long till you put lid on? I'll dump 3/4 chimney lit in and spread it around with a stick then I leave top off for 20 minutes or so I'll let it run 30 more minutes before meat goes on. More meat will keep temps down and block airflow. I like to get my UDS up to 10-15* higher than I want before meat goes on then it'll drop 30* because of meat then level out where I want it or close within 30-45 minutes.
Take the lid off for 10-15 minutes then put back on and see where your temp levels out.
tharris811
Found some matches.
Her is a picture of my 30 gal and 55 gal. drum I just got done with. I did the 30 gal so we could take it to the lake this summer. The 55 will stay here..
12ring
Full Fledged Farker
Hello, I have decided I want to build a uds for a good friend of mine. After finding this epic thread, I have become consumed with reading it. I have read hundreds of pages and I thought I had decided what I wanted to do. Then I came across this A&W root beer drum. Problem is I don't know anything about it. I was sent the pictures but I don't know the dimensions or what it is even made out of. I assume it is aluminium or stainless. It might even be aluminium on the outside and stainless on the inside. It appears to be doubled walled or something. I do know my buddy says it has been around his moms house for about 20-30 years or so.
I was hoping somebody on here might know something about the drum. Maybe somebody worked with them back in the day and can tell me what it is made out of. Thanks for any help.
I was hoping somebody on here might know something about the drum. Maybe somebody worked with them back in the day and can tell me what it is made out of. Thanks for any help.
bstomper
Full Fledged Farker
Yep listen to smittyjonz. Through my limited experience this is what I have found out also. I have 3 3/4" intakes and a single 2" exhaust and I have reached temps of 450* in -27 celcius temperatures with a naked drum without a problem. Like smittyjonez said, light more charcoal in your chimney upon start up and don't pour it in the basket until it is ashed over and white. Then open up all intakes and exhaust. It should climb. What is your charcoal basket made of. it should be out of expanded metal to allow the maximum air flow possible through it from the bottom and the sides.
