Family Guy
07-29-2011, 10:38 PM
Hi everybody!
I've been lurking for a while, and let me start by saying a huge THANK YOU to all who contributed the great info. on the UDS monster thread. Thanks to you awesome farkers it was pretty easy for me to complete my goal: Obtain a smoker to satisfy my primal need for fire and meat without going broke. :hail: As I do a lot of the cooking around here for my bride and daughter it's a lot of fun to have a new method to go with. I soon became addicted to the Mother of all threads and was on the road to building my own UDS.
It started with a $20 barrel I found on CL and a 60 mile trek to the boonies and back. A few hours of burning, drilling, sanding, grinding, measuring, and painting yielded a cool thing. Another $10 got me a huge Char-broil lid that was too big, but seemed to provide a "good enough" seal. The first cook produced three fatties and a few moinks. Without a thermometer I managed to overcook everything, and I might have used a little too much Grill Mates rub. Most of it was way too dry and salty; probably could've just pitched them into the water softner tub! :laugh:
The second cook was a rack each of loin and baby backs, followed by a slab of salmon and a couple of catfish fillets. Better control was had with a Tru-Tell thermometer, and didn't overcook. But.... things were awfully salty again! And to top it off Mrs. Guy admitted to detecting a "metallic taste." :tsk: So it was back to the ol' drawing board.
Last week I purchased a $67 new, un-lined, open head drum from Consolidated Container Co. here in Minneapolis. Transfered the hardware, seasoned, and cranked out a fatty and a rack of fresh (not injected) loin backs. Momma did NOT get a sense of metal on her finely tuned pallet and gave the "new & improved" UDS her praise! :clap2:
So, tomorrow will be my maiden voyage with a pork butt. I have plans to start early and so some finish work on my daughter's 10 x 12 playhouse while waiting and monitoring our "pork gold". Not ready to do an unattended overnighter yet, and this way I can enjoy a couple of cold ones later in the day. Wish me luck, see ya on the threads!! Thanks again!! :-D
John
I've been lurking for a while, and let me start by saying a huge THANK YOU to all who contributed the great info. on the UDS monster thread. Thanks to you awesome farkers it was pretty easy for me to complete my goal: Obtain a smoker to satisfy my primal need for fire and meat without going broke. :hail: As I do a lot of the cooking around here for my bride and daughter it's a lot of fun to have a new method to go with. I soon became addicted to the Mother of all threads and was on the road to building my own UDS.
It started with a $20 barrel I found on CL and a 60 mile trek to the boonies and back. A few hours of burning, drilling, sanding, grinding, measuring, and painting yielded a cool thing. Another $10 got me a huge Char-broil lid that was too big, but seemed to provide a "good enough" seal. The first cook produced three fatties and a few moinks. Without a thermometer I managed to overcook everything, and I might have used a little too much Grill Mates rub. Most of it was way too dry and salty; probably could've just pitched them into the water softner tub! :laugh:
The second cook was a rack each of loin and baby backs, followed by a slab of salmon and a couple of catfish fillets. Better control was had with a Tru-Tell thermometer, and didn't overcook. But.... things were awfully salty again! And to top it off Mrs. Guy admitted to detecting a "metallic taste." :tsk: So it was back to the ol' drawing board.
Last week I purchased a $67 new, un-lined, open head drum from Consolidated Container Co. here in Minneapolis. Transfered the hardware, seasoned, and cranked out a fatty and a rack of fresh (not injected) loin backs. Momma did NOT get a sense of metal on her finely tuned pallet and gave the "new & improved" UDS her praise! :clap2:
So, tomorrow will be my maiden voyage with a pork butt. I have plans to start early and so some finish work on my daughter's 10 x 12 playhouse while waiting and monitoring our "pork gold". Not ready to do an unattended overnighter yet, and this way I can enjoy a couple of cold ones later in the day. Wish me luck, see ya on the threads!! Thanks again!! :-D
John