Couple of quick UDS questions

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dataz722

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I am going to be firing up the UDS for the first time today and have a couple quick questions. I plan on cooking some ABTs, a fatty, and some MOINKs for this afternoon and night but then before bed plan on throwing on a butt to have for tomorrow. When the food for tonight is done should I shut everything down then relight for the butt later on or should I just keep it barely going? Also I have about a 1/2 bag of Competition K and just bought a 15lb bag of Stubbs. Do you think the 15lbs of stubbs would be enough for everything or should I add some of the K too? My coal basket is pretty big so it should be able to fit a ton of coal.

Also about what are the cooking times on the stuff for tonight? I was thinking MOINKs and ABTs would be about 1.5 to 2 hours and the fatty 3-4. Does that sound about right? And do you usually take an internal temp of them or just when the bacon is done the rest usually is too?

Thanks.
 
Ok, I must have lit way too may coals. I held the propane torch on them for 1-2 minutes but the temp jumped up to 400+ in no time. Now I am having one hell of a time getting it back down. I will get it to drop down to 200-250 then as soon as I take the lid off it jumps right back up to over 400. I am just going to let it sit until the coals go completely out.

Any idea how long it takes to extinguish the coals? It looks like I might have to come up with something else for dinner tonight.
 
dataz722, I too am a newb at using the UDS. Built mine 4 weeks ago and today is the second time Ive used it. Halfway through my brisket cook my coals went out. Today halfway through my Butt cook the coals again went out. I use an entire bag Stubbs Lump Coal. Mine always jumps to low 400s after I dump my chimeny in. Just close the valve half way. Gotta be patient with it. I have yet to find that magic spot on it to "set it and forget it". Best of luck
 
Guys, lump can be a bitch. I used charcoal for the first few years, now trying to switch back to lump. You might try putting in unlit lump and then put in about 10 lit briquets. If your temps spike that quickly, you are starting with too big of a fire. Much easier trying to bring the temps up than trying to bring them down as the old poohbah would say. I shoot for 175-185 as a starting point.

Unless I am doing chicken, then I like to cook it hot and fast at 350.
 
I am using briquettes and I put probably about 20lbs in the basket and help a propane torch over the middle just trying to light a few but I think I lit waaay too many.

What is the best way to light it with a propane torch? How long and how close should I keep it?
 
Can't tell you, I use a chimney. BTW, when I start my charcoal, I have a rectangular basket, I pour the coals in one corner. You might try lighting off to the side. Also, 20lbs is a lot. I usually get a 12 hour cook out of 10.
 
Ok, this is really pissing me off now. All the coals and everything had gone out and the temp was down to about 150. I took the lid of and opened all the vents and after 5 or 10 minutes it was down almost to 100 and nothing relit. I assumed everything out completely out. Well then I took what little pieces were left in the bottom of my OTS from my last cook a couple nights ago and put that into a chimney with about 6 or 8 new briquettes and lit that. Waited until the new ones were just about completly ashed over and dumped that into the middle of my basket. Qith 5-10 seconds one of the wood chunks lit on fire so I quickly closed off all the intakes and clamped the lid down. Within 2 minutes it was around 300 degrees. I have everything closed up and waiting for it to drop again.

Once it drops to just below 200 I am going to try and just crack open the intake and hopefully it doesn't completely take off again.
 
Try this;

Fill your charcoal basket with briquets or lump (whatever you like) and some chunk hardwood (I like hickory).

Turn your chimney upside down (so the small part is on top), and put 10-15 briquets (or an equal volume of lump) in the small end.

Light it however you like (I like 3 paper towles lightly coated with vegetable oil due to less ash).

When the briquets or lump is just about uniformly grey, pour it on top of your charcoal basket and spread it around evenly (the fire will burn where it wants, and I've never noticed controlling it by putting it just on one side).

Put on your lid and leave all intakes open until the temp hits 200.

At 200, close one intake completely.

At 220, put on your meat, and close the second intake completely.

At 225, close any remaining intakes by 50%, and fine-tune to keep temps around 225.

Always leave the exhaust fully open, except when extinguishing coals at the end of the cook.


Good luck!
 
Thanks, I never thought to turn the chimney upside down.

I did get it to hold steady at 230 but then it started to drop quick after about 15 minutes. I opened everything completely up took off the lids and stirred up the coals a little bit. I had it hold right around 255 and if it holds that for 30 minutes or so then the ABTs and MOINKs are going on. I don't think I have time for the fatties now. If all goes well around 10 i'm going to toss on a butt.
 
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I am about to take this damn thing to the scrap yard. After 10 minutes it had dropped to 148 so and I had both end caps off and the valve about half open so I opened to valve all the way. 10 more minutes and it is down to 243.

I am starting to think that I don't have enough airflow because I did screw up and only did 3 1/2" nipples instead 3 3/4". I figures it would still be ok though but guess I was wrong.
 
15 more minutes and with everything all the way open it is at 244. I guess that is as high as she is going to go.
 
And now it is up to 260. I am afraid to let this thing go overnight now. Who the hell knows what it will do.
 
Looks like 266 might be the magic number. Been there for over 30 minutes. Considerably higher than I wanted but if it is steady I will live with it.
 
266 not a bad temp for butts I ran 3 all night doing a bunch of butts. Don't get frustrated with the UDS they take a few times to get right. Once you get the hang of it you will sing it's praises.
 
No, and I could have lived with that if it would have stayed steady. I went back out and checked on it and it started dropping again. It didn't drop much but enough that it didn't want to just let it go all night on its own. I closed everything off and will give it another go tomorrow with the small stuff and toss the butt into the freezer. I have no idea when I will be able to have the time to do that.

I am frustrated, just ordered delivery and opened a bottle of tequila.
 
Dataz, just a suggestion but I think you are not being patient enough. Drums act very slowly to changes. It may take an hour to settle in to where it wants to be a a certain setting. Looking for 15 to 20 minutes and readjusting may be way too soon. I start my UDS and let it run for an hour before putting the meat on as I know it has stablized the temp by then. You will get the hang of it brother. Just slow down a little and you will figure it out and be fine.
 
I agree with Meat Burner slow down and keep the lid on that sucker or it takes less than a minute to get away from you and you will fight it for some time.When I started my three yesterday I used a full basket of charcoal and started a half chimney full. I burned the chimney til coals were white the divided them between the three baskets and put the lids on. I have two flattops and one domed that I am using now. I opened ball valve all the way and one side port,when I hit 200 on outside therm 225 grate temp I shut down the side port and let it sit at 225 for a while. I put 4 butts on two of them and three on the other the temp dropped because of the meat and took about an hour to get back to 250 where they sat all night and most of the day today all three stayed within 5 degree of each other you just have to be patient drink a beer or two and don't get mad. I promise it will work out.
 
I agree with the above two My Drums take about an hour to change and level out. once you find the sweet spot it'll will come to you. You have to take it slow. I had the same problems when I started out But after a couple cooks i figured it out. Also when you take the lid off it only takes seconds to jump the temp. I Usually get jumps of 60-100 deg if it is off for a wile, just let it sit and it will come back.

What do you have for an exhaust on your drum?
 
OK, as I sit here and watch my UDS "Robot" hold 235/240 2 1/2 hours with One weber chimney of K blue cooking 10 lbs of spares I have my 1" ball valve full open, my 2" exhaust on the flat lid fully open, and the opposite side 1" intake cap off, or fully open.... If I cap or close the valve 1/2 way it drops to 220..... I want 235 or so. each change reacts slowly, and I have not had the lid off since I put the spares on.

3 - 1/2" nipples is NOT the redneck UDS vent setup. I did not do it "by the book" either... but I think you might need 2 1/2" pipes open to hold 230 using K blue.... lump may be hotter, I don't know.

I have never tried lump, I will.... my last cook was with a different charcoal cooking Beef Ribs that added a lot of fat fuel to the fire and it held 235 with my 1" valve fully open, the exhaust full open and the opposite 1" intake capped closed.

Open another beer, smoke a Cigar... enjoy the day!
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