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View Full Version : Gateway drum..3 out of 5 stars


Rockinar
10-10-2020, 02:55 AM
Sold my Evie Maes trailer at the end of last year. Recently bought a 55 gallon Gateway drum to see what the hoopla was about and if they are really as good people rave. I have not done a brisket yet, but plenty of ribs, chicken, steaks and burgers.

Conclusion.....so far, this thing kicks ass and probably one of the most under rated cookers there is. In hindsight, I wonder why on earth anyone would buy a kamado or a pellet grill over a drum is beyond me. It will do anything a kamado can do, it's lighter, it grills better, wont shatter or break, it's mobile, it has more rack space and it can hold a temp well enough to at least close your eyes for awhile or mow the lawn, etc.....for hundreds of dollars less. I think it grills better than a Kettle. It's for sure a reverse sear steak and burger champion in my book. All my steaks and burger have had a pretty consistent level of pink throughout. Kettle was always hit and miss.

It will flat out whip any pellet grill hands down, and with a weed burner I can have it up to 275/300 and ready to go in 10 minutes flat. The "I don't have time to fire up a charcoal grill or offset so I bought a pellet grill" excuse is totally out the window. You have to be lazy as hell to pick a pellet grill over a drum. Your results wont be anywhere near as good, and your pellet grill still not as versatile.

Cons: Limited rack space if you want to do large cooks, and smoke profile a tad on the heavy side on poultry. I have not noticed it on ribs.

For backyard family cooker, I don't think a drum can be beat. Id be really hesitant to even buy another backyard offset over a drum. I still have not done brisket so it only gets 3 stars right now. It will get another star if brisket results are good or at least good enough. I image it will be tricky to keep the bottom from drying out, but we'll see. Some of my best ribs and steaks have been coming off the Gateway I think. No need to remove the membrane on ribs, the bottom heat will cook it off and you wont even notice it.

I only did one SCA event, but If I did more, Id for sure buy a 30 gallon drum for it.

Sooner21
10-10-2020, 06:29 AM
Different strokes.....I had a drum. It was messy and produced a higher smoke profile then what we want. I have a handful of different cookers and the drum was my least favorite. After I gave it away to a buddy that was interested in smoking I bought a MAK 2 ⭐️. Hands down puts out better food than the drum did. I work 50 hours a week and have a 4 year old so the convenience can't be matched. Glad you like your drum, but don't assume people get pellets because they don't have time to start charcoal. I do 90% of my grilling on a Weber 26.


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Lahawk1
10-10-2020, 06:39 AM
I have built a few UDS and agree with the ease of use and excellent food they produce. I really like the slightly heavier smoke as well. The thing I do not like is the fact they are a pain to clean. I like to keep my smokers clean inside and out, but cleaning the bottom of a drum requires a lot of work, sometimes even requiring a pressure washer to really clean it. Due to that I seldom fire one up anymore.

Cookb4
10-10-2020, 07:53 AM
I have never cooked on a drum, but your post really makes me want to try one.

Stingerhook
10-10-2020, 08:00 AM
Looks great, thanks for the review.

Nuco59
10-10-2020, 08:58 AM
I have a 16 gallon, a 30 gallon and a 55 gallon - I guess I like drums too. As far as limited space goes, it's all relative to what and how much you need to cook. I can put 2 racks on all of my drums- but it's easier to go a size up until I hit the 55 gallon if I need more space. And it too can use 2 racks- but I hate like hell to do it.
Let us know how your brisket cook goes - my uds does put a bit more heat on the brisket bottom than I'd prefer- but short of running a water pan on a lower grate, I don't know how to get past that.

4ever3
10-10-2020, 09:31 AM
Killer lookin’ ribs, but yull have to pry my MAK from my cold dead hands...

mcyork28
10-10-2020, 09:57 AM
Love cooking on drums. I have a BPS kit I put together probably 6 or 7 years ago. I also have an OKJ Bronco that is great for smaller cooks like a rack of ribs or a pork but. If I cook brisket in the drum I run a water pan or diffuser reduce the direct heat.

rovster
10-10-2020, 10:10 AM
I’m loving my Hunsaker drum. Always looking for an excuse to fire it up? How do you grill on it? I’ve contemplating putting the charcoal basket on the lowest shelf and a rack over it for grilling searing but I just fire up my kamado for that. I still feel kamados have their place but my drum does add a whole new dimension to my backyard cooking...

savagebrood
10-10-2020, 01:13 PM
+1 on the gateway. I have one too and cannot understand why anyone wouldn’t like it. That said, bbq is all about preferences and what I like differs from what you might like. Here are a few pics of a 5 hour pork butt I did recently. 5 HOURS! Cooking hot and fast rocks.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201010/d208c12b7057b361eeffe4400ca71161.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201010/5368febe9bf0638f5e09e27d99e92fde.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201010/5018822f9e1c13eba98c95da969bdb63.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201010/eef175ef2ac03f17d203c237913966e9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201010/2db11ce7a1590b0a5ae0a756f09f74a4.jpg

WilliamKY
10-10-2020, 01:57 PM
I sold my UDS after buying a Shirley. I liked the drum a lot but like others said it was a pain in the butt to clean and besides I really took a liking to burning sticks. If I could ever find a stainless 55 gallon drum for a reasonable price (Holy moly are stainless drums expensive) I would build another UDS. It was a fun cooker and produced some great Q.

gtsum
10-10-2020, 02:51 PM
I’ve never had food off one, but lots of folks seem to like it. I’d like to give it a whirl sometime. 70% of my cooking is grilling/reverse searing though...do many people use a gateway for that?


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TBoneMac
10-10-2020, 02:59 PM
After trying a lot of different smokers, I've settled in with 2 PBC drum smokers (18" for the house, 14" for tailgating), and an offset (Jambo Backyard).

I tried a Hunsaker, but it wasn't a good fit for me. I sold it. I would love to try a Gateway some day, but I don't need the 55 gallon model. If I'm cooking for a gathering that requires that much space, I'll always use my Jambo.

CivilTrojan
10-10-2020, 03:45 PM
I too am curious about how you grill/sear using the gateway... would you please elaborate?

rwalters
10-10-2020, 04:36 PM
Super happy to hear that you are enjoying your drum! They are definitely proven cookers. Sure wish you didn’t have the mindset that all that love and enjoy pellets are lazy people. Some of the hardest working guys I know burn pellets. Sometimes convenience allows a person to get other “work” done... or better yet, spend time with those they love with zero interruption. To top that, some of us nuts even enjoy the flavor profile of pellets to charcoal. I know I more often than not do.

To each their own buddy :)

Rockinar
10-10-2020, 04:40 PM
I’m loving my Hunsaker drum. Always looking for an excuse to fire it up? How do you grill on it? I’ve contemplating putting the charcoal basket on the lowest shelf and a rack over it for grilling searing but I just fire up my kamado for that. I still feel kamados have their place but my drum does add a whole new dimension to my backyard cooking...


I put grilled stuff on the top rack with the lid on at 300* and cook till I get an internal meat temp I want. Then drop it on the bottom rack above the basket to get some char with lid off. If the fire basket starts to get out of control I put the lid on. A super long set of tongs is required or you're going to burn you hand flipping and messing with the food while on the bottom rack.

I have considered putting the basket on the bottom rack, but was worried about running the risk of burning the paint off the lid.

Rockinar
10-10-2020, 04:55 PM
I too am curious about how you grill/sear using the gateway... would you please elaborate?




Put food on top rack at cook at 300* till meat has an internal temp of what you want...steaks..125, 135 or whatever. When you reach that temp take the food off and put the rack on the bottom level and throw meat on to get a sear above the coals. Basket will start raging, so just put the lid on to calm it down. After a few seconds remove lid, flip, rotate food, put lid back on, etc. You are going to need a really long set of tongs and move fast....its hot!

ssv3
10-10-2020, 06:04 PM
Hunsaker is the best drum I've ever owned. Period. The removable baffle gives you a choice of raw, over the coals dripping flavor or clean subtle flavor with the baffle on. The 5 position adjustable rack, the hinged lid, the oversized tires, stainless grates...list goes on.

And what Jeremy said^^^. I love my Yoder YS640 dearly. Don't sleep on pellet grills. Still can't wrap the "can't get enough smoke flavor from a pellet grill" around my head. :noidea:

jermoQ
10-10-2020, 09:19 PM
I would rather have a Gateway than an egg and when I explain people how good a drum is, I compare to an egg that isn't made of porcelain.

Make sure you cook your brisket fat down to keep it from drying out. In my UDS, I flipped it, and wrapped it.

NYC 'Que
10-10-2020, 10:23 PM
I had two Gateway drums. Sold them both. Still have my MAK and Weber Kettle. Different strokes for different folks.


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Robert
10-11-2020, 05:17 AM
I have built a few UDS and agree with the ease of use and excellent food they produce. I really like the slightly heavier smoke as well. The thing I do not like is the fact they are a pain to clean. I like to keep my smokers clean inside and out, but cleaning the bottom of a drum requires a lot of work, sometimes even requiring a pressure washer to really clean it. Due to that I seldom fire one up anymore.

One thing a lot of competition cooks do is to sprinkle Shop-Dri on the bottom of their drums. I absorbs the grease from the cook. Some clean after each use while others claim to only clean after 4 cooks. Might be something to try.

I have an 85 gallon Hunsaker Clone that we built. With the hole in the bottom, it is very easy to clean as opposed the the regular UDS types that we have.

Good luck.

Robert

Nuco59
10-11-2020, 07:39 AM
The drum clean up process is not terribly onerous to me- but I don't cook competition. I seal it up- let the fire snuff out- and clean it up in the morning... sometimes it goes a bit longer-and a bit longer than that. But no "surprises" after all these years - so yay me!

midwest_kc
10-13-2020, 08:52 AM
I too am curious about how you grill/sear using the gateway... would you please elaborate?

The best way, imo, is to put the heat deflector in, and set the basket on top of the deflector.

GA1dad
10-13-2020, 09:16 AM
A drum will cook a great brisket in my opinion. Never considered a Gateway or any of the other commercial options. They look nice though. Look forward to hearing how the brisket goes for you!

SweetHeatBBQnSC
10-13-2020, 09:37 AM
If you take the water pan out of a WSM isn't it essentially a drum smoker?

chingador
10-13-2020, 09:47 AM
Upright drum smokers are good cookers. I have cooked on a Big Poppa Smoker kit drum for years. Quality of food is good. You can set temperature and it will hold it for a long time. The Horizon looks like a better drum cooker than my BPS, mainly due to the fact that the vent tubes have the controls higher instead of having to get down to near floor level to adjust air intake vents.

That said, you lost me at the statement "I don't know why anybody would buy a pellet grill" or "this thing whips a pellet grill hands down". Just silly statements.

1. Even while drum cookers are easy to use. Pellet grills are still way more easy and way more convenient. Push a button and turn a knob to desired temperature. Nothing easier than that. With a drum you have to light charcoal. That means you have to disassemble your cooker to get down to your charcoal basket which is at the bottom of a 55 gallon drum. A bit awkward. I had a hook that I could grab mine and pull out to light. Or dump a chimney on top of the coal basket. Not a big deal but a pellet grill is still way easier. Oh, and many pellet grills, mine included and be started remotely with a phone app. It is really cool to start the grill from the office or the store and have it up to temp ready to roll when I get home. does your horizon do that? guess not.

2. Once the charcoal is lit, you have to adjust the vents on the way up to insure a locked in temperature. Anybody who has ever run a kamado or drum knows that the best way to do this to gradually close off the intake vents until you hit the right temp. You just don't start shutting down when the temp hits 275 or whatever your desired temp may be. This would take me an hour or so babysitting this pit to make sure I got it right. If you get it wrong, you overshoot your temp and it is a long process to get it back down. Once again, not a huge deal, but well beyond the simplicity of a pellet grill. With my pellet grill, I can hit a button, throw some meat on and I am out the door. No adjustments needed.

3. Did I mention overshooting a temperature? Of yeah. Good luck getting your horizon down very soon if you have overshot your temp. Once again, the horizon is a much better looking drum than my drum but in my experience, once you overshoot your temp, just ride with it and don't expect to get it down much. That also goes for a kamado. With a pellet grill, if you are cooking at 275 and decide you want to bring it back down to 225 for whatever reason? No problemo and you can get this done reasonably quick.

4. Food quality? all subjective. I preferred flavor on my drum to the kamado to be honest. But I like the cleaner taste of burning pellets too. I actually prefer ribs cooked on my pellet cooker. Of course, the best tasting food comes off of stick burners, and pellet cookers, kamados and drums are always chasing that standard. It is all a tradeoff, but they all have their place.

5. Quality of combustion: Cooking with charcoal, especially lump can be a bit inconsistent. Reasonably close, but you have some days where you are burning cleaner than others. With pellets, you get the exact same combustion every time. You will get stronger smoke at different temperatures and a little more intensity depending on pellets used. But when I burn cookinpellets 100% hickory at 250, I know exactly what I am going to get with no surprises.

Plenty reasons to own a pellet grill as there are plenty good reasons to own just about any other quality cooker, whether it is a drum, kamado or whatever else.