New Barrel Smoker Quirks

[cyberstrategist]

I should say it's new to me. I picked up a stainless steel 55 gallon drum smoker late last week off of Craigslist for $100. It's about 4 years old but being stainless, you'd never realize how old it is.

I found that this has a quirk I'd like some opinions on... Fire management is the topic.

It has three 3/4" inlets at the bottom and what looks to be maybe a 2-1/2" stack in the lid. (Sorry, I didn't measure that) I did my test run and was abble to hold 255 for about 14 hours with a full basket of charcoal. This was with nothing in it, of course.

Here's the quirk - I loaded up the basket last night to do two briskets over night (fat side down since the heat is coming up directly under the meat) and with the same inlet setup, it wants to spike to 400. The only difference was that it was a new bag of charcoal vs one that was opened about a month ago. Both lump and not briquettes.

I don't know why this would be the case. Any ideas?

I have two WSM 18-1/2" smokers and even those didn't fire as hot as this thing when I first started using them a few years back.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Fat dripping on coals.? Windier or less windy outside.? Lid not on tight.? Damp charcoal vs Dry.?
More Wood chunks.?

 

[cyberstrategist]

Fat dripping on coals.? Windier or less windy outside.? Lid not on tight.? Damp charcoal vs Dry.?
More Wood chunks.?

Wood chunks this time over last but not many since I use hickory lump and I added cherry chunks.

I wasn't thinking fat drippings would make it spike that high with the same air intake, though, but maybe I was wrong with that assumption.

 

[Q Junkie]

How are you monitoring temps?

 

[cyberstrategist]

I have a long thermometer that goes through a pinhole in the side of the barrel that almost reaches the center just under the bottom rack.

 

[Fwismoker]

Cyber don't worry too much about temp spikes, just slowly dial in the temps by adjusting the intake air.

BTW are you opening your lid? When you do the coals get an influx of oxygen and will burn hotter as a result. I always closed off my intakes before opening the lid when tending to the meats on longer cooks but don't open the lid unless you have to.


Also when doing long cooks like beef brisket I'd never cook direct the whole cook. Think of it like being in the sun too long without protection. Part of the time is fine but it needs some "shade" so to speak from the direct energy off the coals.

My preferred way to run a UDS is with what some of us call a holey diffuser. I think of it like part shade because it will let some of the direct energy though but not completely and still lets good convection through and catches "some" of the drippings.

 

[cyberstrategist]

I'll need to make one of these since mine didn't come with it. I only took the lid off to check the temps of the meat around 4AM this morning. Outside of that, I leave it on the whole time. That was a good analogy.

At this point, I just hope the meat isn't ruined. I pulled them of when the flat hit 205 and the point had a few degrees to go. They're in the hotbox now.

 

[cyberstrategist]

As a side note - How do ya'll clean out the ashes? This is going to be extra tedious to reach into the drum and get everything. You guys just dumping it over or have a special shovel? lol

 

[Herkster]

As a side note - How do ya'll clean out the ashes? This is going to be extra tedious to reach into the drum and get everything. You guys just dumping it over or have a special shovel? lol

Shopvac!

 

[aawa]

As a side note - How do ya'll clean out the ashes? This is going to be extra tedious to reach into the drum and get everything. You guys just dumping it over or have a special shovel? lol

I tip the barrlel over some while holding it, and use a fireplace shovel to take out the ash.n I have also been known to just pick the drum up and dump the whole thing in my ash can, this cauess some ash to stick to the side of the drum though.

I need to stop being lazy and modify my charcoal basket to have a cheap aluminium pizza pan attached to the bottom of it, so I just lift the basket out and dump the ash. Just need to get a couple of washer and bolts and my drill to do it.

 

[Fwismoker]

I wanted something to catch not just ash but grease drippings as well so I used a drum bottom and cut it out then bent up the edges. It served well as a catch all pan.

My new drum cooker the 007 I only have to clean ash out ever month or two because it burns splits and produces little ash. Never been a big fan of cleaning out cookers of ash after each cook, that's one thing I don't miss about charcoal.

 

[Yellowhair42]

How about a pic of your UDS? I love seeing the stainless ones.ray:

 

[mchar69]

I use a garden hoe to lift out the ashes.

 

[Nuco59]

Pizza pan wired to the bottom of my coal basket works Jim Dandy. Hey you are pulling the basket out to charge it anyway- the ashes might as well take a ride to the top too, right?

 

[cyberstrategist]

How about a pic of your UDS? I love seeing the stainless ones.ray:

Here she is... I'll get pics tonight of the inside.

 

[leanza]

I use a pan from a WSM full of water. I think as suggested a diffuser is in order

 

[Nuco59]

I saw that one the DFW CL -watched it,-semi lusted over it.... and wondered it took so long to find a new home. If I were not already up to my A$$ in cookers, I sure would have like to have had it.

She looks like a keeper.

Grats on the find!

 

[cyberstrategist]

I saw that one the DFW CL -watched it,-semi lusted over it.... and wondered it took so long to find a new home. If I were not already up to my A$$ in cookers, I sure would have like to have had it.

She looks like a keeper.

Grats on the find!

Yeah, I know what you mean. When I saw it, I was at work but I knew, since it was a stainless drum, it wouldn't last long. I took a long break and went and purchased it.

This is now my third smoker on my back patio and I have another in the garage being refurbished and upgraded. I'm quickly running out of room. Everyone here swears by them plus it gives me the experience with something new to me.

The brisket I did on it was "extra smokey". I'm assuming that because it was directly in the path of the smoke from right underneath it. Whereas my offset firebox on my trailer isn't as strong. I'm assuming that's because it's in a indirect path of the smoke instead.

I like the water pan and diffuser ideas so now to determine which to go with.

Thanks everyone for the help (and patience) as I'm learning this type of smoker!!


-Cyber

 

[aawa]

The "extra smokey" flavor is from the fat hitting the coals and causing that flavor to get onto the meat. It is part of the magic of direct cookers such as UDS's, carolina pig cookers, and santa maria style grills.

If you find that you don't like that flavor, you can just use a drip pan/foil on the 2nd rack directly under the meat and it will eliminate that flavor.