Is the 18.5 grate for your fire basket or cooking grate? I'm assuming fire grate, as the 22.5" weber is great for a cooking grate.

PVC will work.

Seriously? Better keep that smoker low 'm slow! PVC will soften at 200 degrees; puddle of goo at 375.

As for the exhaust stack- mine ran hot without a stack, and a 9" stack brought it back under control.

Im still haveing trouble getting my MUDS to 300. I built a bigger basket 8" sq 8" deep out of all expanded metal. Its a fifteen or twenty gallon drum and it is every port is wide open and it is only at about 210. I cant figure it out.

Im using lump and I started thinking that maybe it has had something to do with it. But after reading the last several posts that cant be it.

I built and used severl 55 gallon UDS and never had a problem.

Im kinda stumped.

Haven't personally ever tried to cook with that few coals, but you need to get it up to temp and hold it for awhile to cook something like a fattie to season it.

I'm stumped with getting my 55 gal drum above 210. First burn was with a 2" exhaust stack and all 4 vents open. Second burn I drilled 4 more 1" holes in the lid and it didn't do much better. I'm thinking of making my charcoal basket a smaller diameter cause I think I used a 20" grate for it.
Sure would appreciate some advise from anyone who has had this problem. There's another drum waiting in the wings but I'm not touching it until I get the first one working right.

How did you light the coals. Was the charcoal old or new? Could it have gotten damp. I'm sure it's not the drum

The first burn was some older blue K and some lump. Second was brand new blue K. I put a coffee can in the middle of the basket, fill the basket with charcoal and a few wood chunks then pour half a chimney of lit coals on after I pull the can out of the middle.
Drum has three 3/4" pipe nipples and a 3/4" ball valve and all were wide open.

Try lighting more coals....always works for me.

Fire grate is from 18" weber to make fire basket. I'll get a couple new 22.5" grates for cooking.

I will try that next round. Sure wish I was cooking on it tomorrow but I'm not ready for that with the temp issue right now.

[QUOTE=Mr. Bo;1859888]I put a coffee can in the middle of the basket, fill the basket with charcoal and a few wood chunks then pour half a chimney of lit coals on after I pull the can out of the middle
[QUOTE]

Lose the coffee can? Search minion method. Works for me!

trying to upload pix. test 1. Fire basket for turkey cook last weekend. Aprox 15# of Stubs Briquettes, (4) chuncks of apple wood and pre lit K from chimney. ran 325 - 350 for 5 hours with 3-4 intakes open.

[quote=otterpop;1860060][QUOTE=Mr. Bo;1859888]I put a coffee can in the middle of the basket, fill the basket with charcoal and a few wood chunks then pour half a chimney of lit coals on after I pull the can out of the middle
Duh! I thought I was using the minion method but it seems I don't need the hole in the middle. The coffee can is a goner.

Well, the coffee can is a somewhat modified Minion Method......same principle, I would say..