Built myself a UDS this weekend. Got a 55 gallon bare steel drum, some expanded metal, and put it all together with an angle grinder and nuts and bolts.
For the grates and the bottom of the fire box I got 3/4" #9 expanded metal from a local shop and cut it to size with my angle grinder (went through and entire cut off disc). I rolled up a 1'x4' piece of the expanded metal and held it together with nuts and bolts for the body of the fire box. Drilled some 1/4" holes for the bolts to support the grates and a 1/2" hole for the thermometer.
The drum body and lid both had 2" bung holes so I decided to use those for the air in my initial run and adjust it from there, if needed. For my first cook I loaded it up with about 6 lbs of lump and 2 pieces of hickory. I spacthcocked and brined 2 5 lb chickens, dried in the fridge, and rubbed with salt and pepper. I lite the charcoal and put the fire box in the drum and it got up to about 375 or the next 30 minutes or so. I brought the air intake down a bit at this point and the temp stabilized. After a bit though it started dropping slowly over the duration of the cook even with the intake wide open. Needed to use more charcoal?
After about 1 hour and 40 minutes the birds were about 150 breast. I flipped them over and let them finish up a bit, the skin didn't get quite as crispy as I would have liked but I didn't have them flipped over for long, was getting hungry and they were at 160ish breast. They were really tasty and super juicy so overall quite pleased with the result. Some corn on the top rack and it took about 45 mins at 275.
1. Any thoughts on declining temps? Just needed to use more charcoal or do I need more air?
2. Flow control for the 2" bung? I tried a magnet sheet but it was too thin and didn't work well. I could try a ball vavle but I'm not sure I'll get enough air flow.
http://imgur.com/a/mVFBh
For the grates and the bottom of the fire box I got 3/4" #9 expanded metal from a local shop and cut it to size with my angle grinder (went through and entire cut off disc). I rolled up a 1'x4' piece of the expanded metal and held it together with nuts and bolts for the body of the fire box. Drilled some 1/4" holes for the bolts to support the grates and a 1/2" hole for the thermometer.
The drum body and lid both had 2" bung holes so I decided to use those for the air in my initial run and adjust it from there, if needed. For my first cook I loaded it up with about 6 lbs of lump and 2 pieces of hickory. I spacthcocked and brined 2 5 lb chickens, dried in the fridge, and rubbed with salt and pepper. I lite the charcoal and put the fire box in the drum and it got up to about 375 or the next 30 minutes or so. I brought the air intake down a bit at this point and the temp stabilized. After a bit though it started dropping slowly over the duration of the cook even with the intake wide open. Needed to use more charcoal?
After about 1 hour and 40 minutes the birds were about 150 breast. I flipped them over and let them finish up a bit, the skin didn't get quite as crispy as I would have liked but I didn't have them flipped over for long, was getting hungry and they were at 160ish breast. They were really tasty and super juicy so overall quite pleased with the result. Some corn on the top rack and it took about 45 mins at 275.
1. Any thoughts on declining temps? Just needed to use more charcoal or do I need more air?
2. Flow control for the 2" bung? I tried a magnet sheet but it was too thin and didn't work well. I could try a ball vavle but I'm not sure I'll get enough air flow.
http://imgur.com/a/mVFBh