Help me decide if I should buy a uds

[work2play2]

So I have a egg, wsm, and a 26 inch kettle. I like the looks and the amount of food you can put on these uds I see. When people come over I need more space to cook. More cook space. But do these uds turn out good ribs? I can see chicken. But ribs directly over the coals? Also at the end I like to glaze with honey and bbq sauce. It doesn't look like it's possible with this and seems direct heat might get drier ribs then normal. Let me know y'alls thoughts.

Thanks

[SmittyJonz]

Yes.....you can run a deflector or water pan when needed......

[aawa]

I love my UDS. It can cook any bbq you want. To answer your question about ribs on a UDS. You tell me if these look good to you.

Baby backs from last weekend.
https://i.imgur.com/Y0PEvvN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YGDkJNb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Jf6R8Lx.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3KQuFSc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oUC1KMf.jpg

St. Louis trimmed spares getting loaded in to set the sauce.
https://i.imgur.com/GVJLBwP.jpg

St. Louis trimmed spares during a practice cook for a competition.
https://i.imgur.com/p2j5Gq0.jpg

Another St. Louis trimmed spares for dinner album.
https://imgur.com/a/E1mst

[work2play2]

Aawa, so do you hang them cook then to glaze not hang them but put the grate down? My concern is if you are cooking 7 slabs how do you glaze on that 1 grate? Mind sharing tips and tricks? Yes those ribs look great. You use a water pan?

[SmittyJonz]

These guys Sell an 85 gallon, 26” UDS.......

http://www.old66grill.com

[Burnt at Both Endz]

These guys Sell an 85 gallon, 26” UDS.......

http://www.old66grill.com

I want one, anyone used the 85 gallon UDS?

[Baychilla]

Paging el luchador to this thread.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bob C Cue]

You can hang 8 racks of ribs on the Pit Barrel Cooker. The following video shows you can glaze toward the end of the cook and rehang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1skLsFWUr4

PBC is a great value at $299 and should last for years to come with it's porcelain finish.

[WilliamKY]

I had a 55gal drum already so I just ordered a kit and built it myself. If I did purchase one it would have probably been a Gateway or Hunsaker. The PBC is nice too and a bit smaller at 30gal. It has some nice options included. My offset which I love has gathered dust since I built my UDS.

[aawa]

Aawa, so do you hang them cook then to glaze not hang them but put the grate down? My concern is if you are cooking 7 slabs how do you glaze on that 1 grate? Mind sharing tips and tricks? Yes those ribs look great. You use a water pan?

My method for ribs.

Remove the membrane of the ribs then apply rub. Let rub "melt" into the ribs.

Get UDS going at 300-325 degrees

Place ribs on UDS grate

Check in 2 hours to ensure bark is set and color is where I want it. If it is not set and color is not where I want it, check back in 30mins, repeat till bark and color is where I want it.

Wrap in double layer of foil w/ sauce. Can add butter, brown sugar, honey/agave nectar, hot suace, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, whatever you want to help impart flavor. I put meat side down into the wrap mixture so the seam is on the bones. Put back on the smoker meat side down/bones up.

After about 30mins to an hour, check to see if ribs are done. I will typically pick up the foiled ribs and can tell by the way it feels/bends in the foil. If you are not sure, you can open up the foil and probe for tenderness.

Once they are done or close to done, unwrap and apply sauce/glaze. I tend to use the same foil I wrapped in by creating a boat around the ribs. This makes is to there aren't any big drips and also helps protect the bottom from getting darker.

After 10-15 minutes to set the sauce take them off smoker and let rest for 15-20 minutes, slice and serve. If the ribs were close to done when unwrapping I'll let it go a little longer unwrapped without saucing to get them done. Then sauce when they are showing signs of being done.

[ulc]

So I have a egg, wsm, and a 26 inch kettle. I like the looks and the amount of food you can put on these uds I see. When people come over I need more space to cook. More cook space. But do these uds turn out good ribs? I can see chicken. But ribs directly over the coals? Also at the end I like to glaze with honey and bbq sauce. It doesn't look like it's possible with this and seems direct heat might get drier ribs then normal. Let me know y'alls thoughts.

Thanks

Your WSM is basically UDS. I use mine as such with the hanging rack. But I also use empty water pan as deflector shield as I dislike the harsh smoke taste of grease drippings burning on hot coal.

[el luchador]

Please don't buy a uds.

Build one.

[jermoQ]

You jave a WSM. Not sure, but i think i have heard you can get a hanging kit for a WSM? Even if your WSM is only an 18 inch, you should be able to hang as many as the PBC i would think?

However, if you wanted to build a 55gal, that was designed to hang food like a PBC, that would get you a lot of food yoo.

[SmittyJonz]

Do it.......

[Firerunner]

Best ribs I've ever had were off a UDS.

When I finished mine, I never used my Weber kettle again. The only reason I'm building a new pit now is to see if I can make a gigantic UDS design work. Otherwise, I'd just build more drums. I can fit seven racks on mine.

[Ole Man Dan]

Please don't buy a uds.

Build one.

I've built several UDS's. I love em. I buy most of the parts at LOWES, and for a basket, I buy a 12 to 15" Weber grate at Walmart. I have a welder buddy weld expanda metal around the grate.
All of the directions are on the UDS threads. Easy to build and it smokes great BBQ.
I'm on my 2nd UDS. I gave my first to some Firemen...

I bought new barrels from Buckner Barrel.
I live about 30 miles from their facility.

I keep my UDS under a TinTop over my patio, and it wears a Weber grill cover when not in use.

[Bob Wiley]

If you "need help deciding" on this then you should probably just hold on to your money.

Spend your money when you find something you don't "need help deciding" on.

[work2play2]

If you "need help deciding" on this then you should probably just hold on to your money.

Spend your money when you find something you don't "need help deciding" on.

You have helped me make up my mind. I believe I'll buy one today

[Kevin89]

If you have a wsm already just get a hanging rack, lot cheaper, works the same.

[Clay-b-que]

You have helped me make up my mind. I believe I'll buy one today

Where are you buying one? A UDS is usually a home made unit and ugly. Are you buying a barrel smoker like a gateway, hunsaker, or PBC?

[Cook'n with Wood]

Hunsaker Vortex Drum with hybrid grate you can hang 5-6 racks at a time?

[SmittyJonz]

Just Don't get a Red One.........

[Blythewood BBQ'er]

They do great at ribs!

[JEStucker]

They do Ribs -

http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s545/Jeff_Stucker/IMG_03171_zps0u5m909i.jpg


They do pork chops - Though this was a lower grate and more a direct cook on the coals
http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s545/Jeff_Stucker/IMG_0403_zpsyfnyufet.jpg


And they look good puffing away in the snow...
http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s545/Jeff_Stucker/IMG_00311_zpstcfssunm.jpg