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Yes Richard you will need a charcoal basket ! coals on the bottom of the drum might work but I would recommend a charcoal basket - and one that elevates the charcoal from the bottom 2 to 3 inches ideally you want the lowest cooking grate 24 inches from the top of the charcoal grate << go back and re- read that many times thats 24 inches from the grate you elevated off the floor of the drum to hold your charcoal so -- math class here -- if you elevated your charcoal off the bottom of the drum 2 7/8 inches and your charcoal grate is 1/8 in thick - the bottom of the lowest cooking grate would be 24 + 3 =27 inches from the bottom of the drum AS MEASURED FROM THE INSIDE of course you will need to make the measurements and math for the parts and elevation you use |
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http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x...GDII-10001.jpg |
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finally some progress , just need to wire wheel it and paint , build the charcoal tray and set the grill height as well as get some thermometers
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j9...ySmoker001.jpg http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j9...ySmoker004.jpg |
Can i throw in some flavored wood pellets from my Traeger instead of wood chunks and get the same results?
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my charcoal basket 11x12x6, found an egg cage , then welded in some expanded steel for the sides and welded some 3" bolts for the feet:mrgreen:
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j9...ySmoker008.jpg http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j9...ySmoker007.jpg |
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Looks good Richard. I will be right over. haha
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Drumlaw!! |
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:hangshedinshame: |
Finished mu UDS this weekend :grin: and cooked on her twice...My problem is I do not think I have enough draw. :eusa_clap
My build: I have eight 3/8 holes in the lid and four 3/4 inch pipe (2 inch long) intakes. The intakes are inserted so that most of the pipe is in the drum no elbows or anything. I had to leave all 4 intakes wide open to get the temps to hit 230-250 and on occasion I had smoke coming out of the the bottom intakes (not being drawn to the top??). And even with one small chunk of wood the smoke was pretty strong (stale smoke not being able to leave the cooker fast enough??) I had to crack the lid about a inch or more to get close to 300 for the chicken I cooked. Wide open with the lid on it would hold at 250 pretty well but I noticed that with all 4 intakes open like that the wind would really affect the temps and with them all the way open to get to 250 on a 96 degree day I am pretty sure I will have a hard time getting this thing up to temps on a cool day. So now that Ive rambled on and on here is my question...I believe from my reading that most of the UDSs with eight holes in the lid have 1/2 holes, mine are 3/8, so having holes @ 3/8 inch I have lost 8/8 or 1 inch of air vent. (Correct?). The holes are centered in a circle ala the BDS and I thought about drilling 4 more hole outside of the main circle say one at North, South, East and West so that i would have the 8 main vent hole and four other holes closer to the outer edge of the drum. Do all you drum gurus think I should punch the existing holes to 1/2 (or larger) or can I add the extra four 3/8 inch holes? Would more holes or bigger holes draw better? Any ideas? To finish off the build My charcoal grate is 2 inches off the bottom the cooking grate is 6 inches from the top, any lower and it would have been closer then 24 inches from the charcoal grate. I con not use the weber kettle lids because the drum is too wide, without the handles and legs the entire kettle will fit inside the drum. I need to get his figured out so i can do a brisket and a few butts in it on the 4th of July so I can also do some ribs on the Hondo! Thanks |
I think either way of opening up the exhaust holes (adding or enlarging) should solve your problem. That is what I did with mine. I started a fire (no food) and let it burn and kept opening up exhaust holes until I had plenty of draw. It isn't pretty, but it cooks very well.
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I agree stx cue. You need to open your exhaust holes to 1/2". That should make things work a lot better. It works well on mine.
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one exhaust hole 2.25 dia. works great , held 210-225 for 10 hours on about 2-3lbs of charcoal briquettes
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j9...ySmoker011.jpg |
Don't want to toot my own horn, but can't go wrong with this.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...1&postcount=86 Guaranteed to work. |
Is there a reason why drilling the bottom holes and then covereing each hole up with something wouldn't work as well as putting in the valve thingys at the bottom? I am trying to do this on the cheap, but I want to make sure it works right too.
BTW major thanks to HoDeDo who hooked me up with a drum!! I'll try to do ya proud!! |
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I pretty much did exactly like you did in the link Norco except my holes are/where smaller :) and closer to the center of the lid...I can not move the holes but I can/did make them bigger. Also my nipples are longer but I don't think that has much to do with it, but I could be wrong.
Old hole size pic... http://xs228.xs.to/xs228/08261/uds23432343234524.jpg |
My feelings on smaller (shorter) nipples is that it makes cleaning/scraping bottom easier.
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Amen to that, I already learned that little lesson...but if my new larger holes help with the draw I will leave it as for the time being, until I build my next one. I already have 3 more barrels! :-D |
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You're not going to let that die are you. That's ok. There will come a time soon.....
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I never know if i should do my own UDS thread or keep adding to this monster, good thread. Its almost a right of passage to read it all.:icon_bugeyed
So... New BIGGER 1/2 inch holes, if its still not enough I will add 4 more closer to the outer edge of the drum... http://xs128.xs.to/xs128/08263/lidfghbn316.jpg Inside...in real life its not this blurry... http://xs128.xs.to/xs128/08263/insidefgtrf174.jpg The whole enchilada, the cart idea was stolen from someone on here. (sorry I do not remember who)... http://xs128.xs.to/xs128/08263/allwedfrtg937.jpg I still need to decide if/what color I am going to paint it, as of right now its got oil on the outside. My daughter whats to to a flame job on it but I kind of like it Ugly. 8-) |
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Kidcurry, with enlarging your 8 holes to .5' you will equal one 2' opening. The 2' exhaust works well on mine.
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I decided to try building my first UDS after running across this forum while doing a search on google for a DIY smoker. I'll post pics of my buildup once the drum gets here, and hopefully this can help someone else out as well. I went through 60 pages of this thread, and well most if not all my questions were answered.
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Man I wish I had seen those photos before I built mine, Norco. Mine turned out well, but I would have done some things differently for sure!
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I have a question that will hopefully DRUM up some more UDS conversations...
I found some more Drums because my brother-in-law wants to build one now as well, but they are sealed at both ends. I was reading a post on here about some one cutting off the lid, but my question is... Do I then have to go with a Weber lid, or can i put the cut piece back on it? |
Weber .
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Weber lids don't fit most drums. There is a kingsford 22.5 grill that fits better. Groceries stores of sometimes Lowes or CVS has them .
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I use one on windy days - works great |
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I got 4 drums here, the lids falls into each, actually the entire kettle will fit in it with out the handles...taking a lid with you when you look for drums is a good idea!!
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You must be at work Norco! I'm going to Hesperia this weekend if you're off, can come along.
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The place I get my drums has a tool that will roll the edge and bend it in for you if that is what you need. Must be different sizes for different purposes. If anybody needs drums ever gets around San Antonio, bring a trailer. This guy says he has about 10,000 in different sizes, shapes, and materials. I would have guessed more, looking at the place. They will cut them, drill them, roll the tops, anything you need done. They have some 500 gallon plastic ones that I am thinking about trying to convince my 3 year old is a swimming pool....
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22 inch grate
okay...........only up to page 53 of this long thread, but thought i would jump to the end, and ask this question.......
My drum is only 22 1/4 inside dia., so the weber grate won't werk........does anyone know where i can find a 22 inch grate? TIA..... |
Take a weber lid with you is VERY VERY GOOD ADVISE!!!!!!!!
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21 1/2 inches so it should fit. Maybe I jipped on an inch on my grate and everyone else's is bigger. This is a replacement 22.5" grate from weber so maybe the ones that come with a kettle grill are actually 22.5" but this one fits fine. |
A Weber grate should work; should be 21 1/2" in diameter. My Weber replacement grate is 21 1/12" and fits in my 22 1/2 outside diameter barrel.
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thankx guys...........will take my tape measure to Home dePOT tomorrow and check...........while i price the other parts
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WOW!!! I did it! I made it all the way through this entire thread. I found my drums locally for $30 and have been cleaned, burned and ball bearing blasted. I will be building my first UDS as soon as I get back from Cali next week!!
I wish I would have made notes as I went seeing how I will have to wade back through to gather my ideas. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this thread!! |
Where you going/coming to in Cali?
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I will be in Orange County on the 3rd through the 7th. |
Drum Smoker:
I got my drum smoker completed and did a second test run today. Temps have held between 200 and 235 for the last 12 hours. Couldn't ask for better temps.
I put in three 3/4 intake vents in the bottom using ball valves on two opposing holes. Only using the 2 inch and 3/4 inch exhaust holes in the orginal drum top. My charcoal ring is six inches high and thirteen inches in diameter and holds approximately twelve pounds of briqs and it probably will burn 15 to 16 hours total which is far more than needed. All I'm waiting on is some much needed rain so I can do my burn out. We haven't had rain in months and we are under a NO BURN ban here in Western NC. Thanks to all you guys for all the info that was posted on this topic. |
I can to cut the lid off my drum as it was a little too big to fit the kettle lid. I ground down the lip with an angle grinder, then a belt sander and finally a little hand sanding. Worked great.
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