Added wheels!
Harbor Freight had these cool ball bearing rollers.
Didn't want to drill more holes especially on the bottom (makes cleaning a pain)
So JB welded them to the bottom... waiting for them to cure.
Whacha'll think?

[QUOTE=brotherbd;1170562]I’m really getting fired up about building my UDS’s within the next few weeks and Ive got another question, this one not so much about the build but about the cook thereon.
Now before you answer that I just gotta do it to figure out my own, I realize the cook times can vary, but that’s why I am looking for a consensus.:-D

I’ve been cooking with a propane Smokey Mountain by Great Outdoors smoker for about 3 years and I’ve never been as happy with it as yall are with your UDSs. I have noticed here and there to times being shorter than water smokers and many talk about flipping their meat over during cooks.

Would you share with me and the other brothers, newbies or not, your approximate times temps and handling of your cooks on the basic meats? :confused:
I appreciate all the info on the building of your UDSs and all the pron pics of your cooks, I will post mine as soon as I have any to share.:grin:

If you want to pm the info to me that would be fine also, I just thought an out in the open consensus would be helpful to everyone now and for the future. I know it takes a lot of room but it the feedback won’t last long and I feel it will be an invaluable help to those of us who are starting out with this epic cooker of the common man. :mrgreen:

If enough share I'll assimilate the info and repost the consensus so it may be readily available to all in a condensed format.

Here’s a grid of what I’m looking for info on.

Cooking on the UDS.
_________



The advice i can give you is...

Build it, keep it simple.

Measure 12# of charcoal in a plastic bucket, mark level on bucket.

Get yourself a butt and 2 fatties prepped and ready to go. Don't forget a cooler of adult beverages.

Get up @ 4 am.
Start your fire as described over and over in UDS thread, 10-12 coals one cap off valve 100% open.

Put lid on tight. Get meat out on counter. in about 20-30 minutes check side gauge and when @ 180 put cap on. Check in about 15-20 min more. Adjust and shoot for 200 on side gauge. No more than 250 on gauge. Open up drum add a few chunks of flavor wood and meat. Seal up tight and let rock. Get a feel for temp your drum cruises at. Every time you make an adjustment make slight adjustments and let it settle, have a beer when you feel the need to peek inside and DON'T! At 2 hours quickly lift lid and check fatty temp. This is where a thermapen is great to have. If 165 internal pull and foil. Reseral lid and let go. Have a vew more beers and at 4.5 or so open, flip and reseal. Kick can to rattle ash loose. At 8 hours check temp of butt, foil if you are happy with color ar let it ride. If at 160-170 you probably have 2 more hours if 180+ maybe an hour to 1.5. Pull @ 200 internal and fiol and cooler. Let rest while you drink more beer and brag about the fatties you ate. That's how I roll.

Pork Ribs, same I go 4-4.5 for trimmed spares, 3.5-4 for babybacks. Brisket all depends on meat, prep, appetite.

Thing is practice is what makes good BBQ. not timing. It's done when it is done. Too many variables to have a standard time format. Important thing with a UDS is keep it sealed, minimize lid off times, shake/knock ash loose before adjusting on long cooks, let drum settle between adjustments (don't be anal about temps), have plenty of adult beverages on hand.

Get it built, start a thread when you start your cook and you will get plenty of advice along the road.

Honestly, It is good not to drill in bottom for eaze in clean up but I am willing to bet the JB will get brittle and when the bottom flexes the rollers will pop off.

Thanks Norco!
 

Thanks for the tips Norco,

Like I said in my post I know there is a balance between temp and time. I've been cooking for 40 years, mostly in the kitchen, but it always pays to ask the experts their advise and listen when they speak.:biggrin:

I figure the stupid question is the one you don't ask.:-D

Keep propounding the truths of barbecue and the UDS to us brother, we are listening.:-P Even when our mouths and bellies are full :shock: and we are licking the sauce from our fingers, we are listening so speak to us for we are eager to learn the ways of the masters. :lol:

brotherbd

Thanks for the advice Norcoredneck, that is why I left the wheels till my 3rd set of upgrades and honestly if they pop off oh well no big deal. I didn't put any holes in the bottom and I have plenty of bricks to prop the UDS up on...

I'll keep ya posted.

Gonna do a couple of Butts and ribs for the big game tomorrow... more important than the upgrades is the eat's!!!

I used casters on the bottom of mine without any problems.

http://www.richardmparker.com/storag...v1/Casters.JPG

Casters on mine also. Hard to see but there's four.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...cture136-1.jpg

Get a bunch of wood, light a fire and use an air compressor, shop vac set to blow, or a leafblower to push air thru the air hole you drill in the bottom of the barrel. Itll glow red, and I guarantee that coating will be gone.

She is beautiful! And don't you dare paint her. She was made to rust.

tide wash?
 

I know ive seen it in here somewhere, but does any one know the ratio of tide to water that Norco recomends to wash out an oil barrel? I just got some more barrels, and am ready to start my 2nd build. But 330 some pages are alot to search through. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks drumheads!

8:00pm, take ball peen hammer and brand new chisel and knock the top off of 55 gallon drum. 8:15 pm, drill 3, 1" holes in bottom of said barrell 3 inches from bottom. 8:35 pm, carry drum from basement to yard. 8:17pm, gather wood whole wife tears up newspaper to start fire. 8:25 pm, strike match and set paper on fire and add kindling wood to get fire started. 8:30 pm, consume adult beverage while watching the inaugural burn of my new uds.

The journey has started. Uds is an inferno right now. Will babysit it until the flames go out and go to bed. Wake up early and assemble it. I can't believe I've started it. But I have! I gotta go back out with the wife and tend my fire. Just came in for a cold one!

that must be recod time with a hammer and chisel. i would have loaned you a saw zawl

how to do a whole hug 50 to 75 lb on a uds
 

I want to do a small hog for my sons grad. party. Any help would be greatful.

Not sure you will be able to do a small hog in a UDS...unless it is a piglet. :D

Second Cook
 

Second cook on UDS. Couple of notes.
- Used Cowboy Lump, seemed to have a harder time keeping consistent temp compared to Kingsford Competition.
- Definitely need to get a therma pen. I had the pork shoulder on for 13 hours, still indicated only 160 internal. pulled off wrapped for 30 minutes and then pulled. it was definitely done and tender.
- Same with the Fatties, never did indicate right. left on for 4 hours, pulled and sliced. Definitely done and best breakfast sausage I've eaten.
- A friend gave me a weber lid that I modified to fit. I didn't use it for the cook, but put it on after pulling the pork. The temp was higher at the cooking grate using the dome lid compared to the flat lid. (using same valve/cap settings) May have been due to the dome not fitting as well as the flat lid.

All in all, still best BBQ I've cooked or eaten in a long while.

The missus wants me to make another shoulder for Valentine's Day to have while watching Daytona 500. So, I must be doing something right!

Dave