3rd cook on the new UDS

[mrboy]

Today I fired up the new UDS for my 3rd cook and learned a few lessons...

St. Louis style ribs rubbed and cooked 6 hours @230º.

1.) This was the first cook with a heat diffuser, 16" clay pot saucer, placed over the charcoal basket, filled w/water.

2.) One stick of seasoned apple wood (about 1/4 of a split log) cut into fist sized chunks distributed throughout the fire.

3.) 13 briquettes started in the chimney using vegetable oil soaked paper towels, and then placed the coals evenly over the top of charcoal basket full of lump charcoal.

Results:

I've been trying to replicate and improve the ribs I've smoked for years on my Weber.

My first try on the UDS was mildly disappointing. I thought the ribs were a little dryer than I like (not dry, just not as moist as I can do on the Weber), and I wasn't fond of the "old school" flavor of the fat dripping onto the coals.

This time, using the clay saucer filled w/water solved the moisture problem and cut the bitter, "old school" flavor in half. There was just a hint of bitterness that added to the whole picture.

I was really satisfied with the results and plan to keep tweaking. The next cook will have a little more wood and a little less rub to let the wood make more of an impression on the pork.

Thanks for all the guidance and help from the brethren.

[IamMadMan]

Today I fired up the new UDS for my 3rd cook and learned a few lessons...

St. Louis style ribs rubbed and cooked 6 hours @230º.

1.) This was the first cook with a heat diffuser, 16" clay pot saucer, placed over the charcoal basket, filled w/water.

2.) One stick of seasoned apple wood (about 1/4 of a split log) cut into fist sized chunks distributed throughout the fire.

3.) 13 briquettes started in the chimney using vegetable oil soaked paper towels, and then placed the coals evenly over the top of charcoal basket full of lump charcoal.

Results:

I've been trying to replicate and improve the ribs I've smoked for years on my Weber.

My first try on the UDS was mildly disappointing. I thought the ribs were a little dryer than I like (not dry, just not as moist as I can do on the Weber), and I wasn't fond of the "old school" flavor of the fat dripping onto the coals.

This time, using the clay saucer filled w/water solved the moisture problem and cut the bitter, "old school" flavor in half. There was just a hint of bitterness that added to the whole picture.

I was really satisfied with the results and plan to keep tweaking. The next cook will have a little more wood and a little less rub to let the wood make more of an impression on the pork.

Thanks for all the guidance and help from the brethren.

To remove the bitterness try cutting the wood in smaller pieces. Too much wood burning in a closed cooker can create deposits of creosote which will cause a bitter taste in the meat. You need a balanced amount of chunks with the charcoal. Thin blue invisible smoke.. not white or grey smoke.

Remember you are using a UDS not a stick burner.

.

[El Ropo]

St. Louis style ribs rubbed and cooked 6 hours @230º.

6 hours straight up is an awful long time. The UDS is very efficient and tends to cook things faster than other types of smokers.

Try starting out at 250 grate temp (after thin blue has set in). After first hour, crank the pit temp up to 300+. St louis style spares should be done around the 3.75 hour mark. That's 2+ hours of your life back with better results. Hot n fast is the new low n slow. :becky:

That cook shouldn't take longer than 4 hours on a UDS that's running in the 250-300 range.

I've said this many times, but when cooking un foiled meat in a UDS, you can listen to the meat cooking via the exhaust. The sizzling sound will get real intense during the rendering phase (stall or plateau). When the sizzling starts to die down, that is when it's time to open the cooker for the first time and check for "done".

[El Ropo]

Quick FYI, you don't need more than 4-6 half fist sized chunks of wood buried within the unlit coals.

If you are experiencing a bitter taste, check the exhaust smoke for clean burn. The smoke should be thin blue to invisible. If you are putting the meat on while there is billowy white smoke coming out of the exhaust, that'll ruin the meat every time.

A simple test, just place palm of hand over exhaust for several seconds then smell palm. If it smells like heaven you're good to go. If it smells like a smoldering telephone pole, you know you've screwed the pooch.

[martyleach]

I'm with El Ropo here. UDS does cook fast. I cook ribs at 275 for 4 hours max. Spritz with AJ a lot (every 15-30 minutes). Good stuff!!

[Smokendink71]

getting ready to build my first UDS hope it goes well

[mrboy]

Thanks guys - I'm tak'in notes.