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-   -   Ugly Drum Smoker (https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23436)

brewerjamie15 08-17-2011 08:34 PM

Worked on the UDS again today. Not too long though, added the nipples into the holes ( I used 3/4" close) added the elbow for my "up pipe" thingy.
Finalized the green paint, pulled tape from the portions that will be painted gold.
Put another coat of paint on the lid.
The intakes went in quite tightly. As a matter of fact, I had to file out the holes a little bit.
Instead of a 7/8" hole saw I'd use 1" if I were to make another UDS. Even though the nipples were tapered, they were a struggle to get in.

Question-

Has anyone tried to use JB Weld to better adhere the intakes on the inside of the drum? I'm going to try it. I don't want the intakes loosening up and paying a welder costs more than an attempt at JB Weld. (package says it'll hold to 700 degrees F)

hankll 08-17-2011 10:08 PM

It should work on a freshly cleaned surface.

NoviceBBQmovinUp 08-17-2011 10:27 PM

i did it, but i did a nice bead on the outside of the drum around the intakes by putting the mixed JB weld in an old katchup bottle (the all red ones you find at diners),...plus it was a whole lot easier doing it on the outside

rondini 08-17-2011 11:36 PM

Hankll, if u can find STUBBS briquets try them with no lump. If you want a good hot fire go all lump with no briquets. There should be no reason to mix them. Drippings on the briqs should pose no problem. It sounds like u don't have temp control down yet. All holes except ball valve are for cource temp control and the valve is for fine control. I can dial in what ever temp I want with mine(and no diffuser)200,225,250,275,300,325,350,375,400,ect just like my kitchen oven.:-D

Seachaser 08-18-2011 07:43 AM

Rondini, Could you elaborate on your Temp control for each temperature listed. Like when do you close which valve and how much openings you have? Thanks in advance.

coewar 08-18-2011 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disconnect (Post 1754151)
Hmm. I wonder... would standard "flavorizer" bars work just as well?

Those in particular are 21" long.. (and expensive, but they're just the first set I found.) I love the pizza stone idea but I the more I think about it the more I suspect its going to have way too much thermal inertia to work.. (Wif came up with it, she wants a new stone and figures if she lets me burn this one up I'll get her one :-D)

Yes, that's basically it.. but the angle iron is thicker and less expensive because they are not labeled as "flavorizers" :)

coewar 08-18-2011 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carbon (Post 1754164)
I experimented with an 18" pizza screen last week which kept edge to center temps reasonably close, while allowing drippings to hit the coals. I like this set up so far.

(I wanted to add a little smoke to the corn before finishing them off on another grill)

Hey Carbon.. try this for corn.. it works great.

Leave the corn IN THE HUSK. Soak the corn in water for a few minutes, making sure to get that corn "hair" all wet. Then place it on a grill but low heat, or in the smoker. It should take 30-45 mins. The corn will come out very moist. Then just husk it right before eating. It also makes the husk stuff very easy to remove.

Or you can put the corn onto a sheet of aluminum foil, to help further the steaming action. Comes out really good.

coewar 08-18-2011 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hankll (Post 1754354)
I think I'm going to try the angle iron trick on mine. I lost temp to 150* after I started up mine for the first time last weekend. When I finally got it back to temp of 225* it acted like it wasn't able to climb on up past that. That was even with 2 of the caps off. And it wasn't producing much smoke. I took the Loin Back rib meat off and put it in my oven to finish up in foil until it was done. At the time I shut it down, closing all the vents, it was finally starting to smoke again. The next morning I observed the juices were on the charcoal and might have contributed to the lower temp that occurred. I was trying to think of a way that wouldn't cut the flow of heat and smoke down in an unnatural way. I think the angle iron diffuser idea is a good one and I have an 18" grill from my old Charbroil bullet smoker that will be a good donor source for the grill to place them onto and permanently mount them. It would help burn the juices in a way that wouldn't possibly slow the charoal heat, and still allow for the juices to evaporate into the smoke for flavor enhancement in the cooking meat

In the first photo, you can see the lack of burn and the juices on top of the charcoal, and the second one you can see my coffee can that had the charcoal dumped into it from the chimney starter. It only used about 2" of charcoal by volume in a 5 hour burn. I believe if I could keep the charcoal packed in a pile towards the center, after the coffee can was removed to begin the minion method of burning, it might actually be more effective. On YouTube, I saw a video that just distributed the lit charcoal from their chimney around on top of the charcoal and that was the minion method they used to start the burn. I don't know which is the better method, center out or top down. I also noted that they used lump charcoal to light it off with. maybe that was part of my trouble - mixing the two in the basket. Maybe using lump to start the minion method which burns hotter (or it seems to be hotter) in starting the other Kingsford.

I have tried putting coals in the middle.. I actually made a smaller "fire basket" to put inside my larger one and I'd put the lit coals in it. But what I have found, is that the best way, is simply fill the big firebasket with un-lit coals, and just pour the lit coals on top, and just mix them around, all over the top. This creates a nice even burn without worrying about any of the coffee can stuff or whatever to focus on doing something special in the middle.

coewar 08-18-2011 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewerjamie15 (Post 1754697)
Worked on the UDS again today. Not too long though, added the nipples into the holes ( I used 3/4" close) added the elbow for my "up pipe" thingy.
Finalized the green paint, pulled tape from the portions that will be painted gold.
Put another coat of paint on the lid.
The intakes went in quite tightly. As a matter of fact, I had to file out the holes a little bit.
Instead of a 7/8" hole saw I'd use 1" if I were to make another UDS. Even though the nipples were tapered, they were a struggle to get in.

Question-

Has anyone tried to use JB Weld to better adhere the intakes on the inside of the drum? I'm going to try it. I don't want the intakes loosening up and paying a welder costs more than an attempt at JB Weld. (package says it'll hold to 700 degrees F)

Overkill in my opinion. I never welded anything on my UDS. The electric conduit nuts worked totally fine. And say after a year or so if they loosen up, just get another one. The nuts that I found were not exactly identical on both sides. One side the "teeth" kind of bent in one direction. So I "aimed" those teeth into the metal from inside the drum and the one on the outside. Then I just tightened really well and it stuck just fine. Most of them actually don't even touch the metal yet because the whole was tight enough.

coewar 08-18-2011 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rondini (Post 1754878)
Hankll, if u can find STUBBS briquets try them with no lump. If you want a good hot fire go all lump with no briquets. There should be no reason to mix them. Drippings on the briqs should pose no problem. It sounds like u don't have temp control down yet. All holes except ball valve are for cource temp control and the valve is for fine control. I can dial in what ever temp I want with mine(and no diffuser)200,225,250,275,300,325,350,375,400,ect just like my kitchen oven.:-D

Rondini... what is your exhaust looking like? Do you have a like a chimney pipe? or do you have some holes drilled in the lid? The good temp control depends on the right air flow. My UDS has three 3/4 inlets and I actually used to have 1 ball valve but I replaced that with 3 magnets so I can have all vents open like half way to let coals burn from all sides more. Temp control is good in mine but it depends on how I exhaust. I actually have multiple exhaust methods built into my UDS from the different variations I've put it through.

Disconnect 08-18-2011 10:21 AM

Did my first cook on it (couple of random chicken thighs I found in the freezer) and it worked out ok. (Overcooked a bit, but still food and -beautiful- smoke ring.) No pics yet.

I think I've got some air leaks. I closed it down around 1:45am, and now (11:15) its still at 205/175. (Vent is still open, bottom is all closed.)

I didn't put in 'flavorizer bars' yet, but fyi it looks like the $5 adujstable-length ones will work if you get 2-3 sets. For anyone who hasn't got a good source of angle iron.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1702438/UDS%202_480.jpg
No idea why it woke back up this morning, maybe it was just napping.. (Since its hard to read, the time markers are 9:30, 12:48, 4:00, 7:12, 10:24. Looks like it woke up at 4am and again at 9..)

Disconnect 08-18-2011 01:45 PM

I'm undecided today between caulking up the intakes (to kill off the airflow problems) or ignoring that and getting the stoker bolted in. I closed off all the intakes at 1:45am and it was still running 175F at 2pm today. (I dumped the remaining fuel into the fire pit and it lit back up. So maybe I'll have a campfire tonight :rolleyes:)

I originally put in 1" nipples, but they were way too big - control was either valve wide open and not quite enough, or valve closed/one nipple open and it was too much.. I put 3/4 reducers on them but I think its leaking air. The problem is, I can't imagine where - the nipples are all tightly threaded into the holes and the electricians nuts (inside & outside) are super tight all around.

I'm thinking that I'll do the baffles/flavorizors and the stoker, see if the airflow problem goes away. Got ribs to cook tonight and caulking seems like it'll take half of forever. (Got 400 degree kitchen/bath/plumbing silicone - if its kitchen-safe, it should be food-safe in the unlikely event it comes in contact with food. I hope. And the 4" nipples should keep the temp below 400 - they seem to get warm but not excessively hot.)

Chopjaw 08-18-2011 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by righteousdog (Post 1554479)

this one has to do with losing stuff

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2253176_n.jpg

What valve is this? Did you make it or what?

Inquiring minds want to know...LOL

Chopjaw 08-18-2011 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilipW (Post 1629500)

Hey nice Mug shot!!! LOL JK...

Thanks for the plugs! They fit like a champ!!!

righteousdog 08-18-2011 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chopjaw (Post 1755513)
What valve is this? Did you make it or what?

Inquiring minds want to know...LOL

yes that is made from a bunch of loose hardware - 2 of which are just fender washer and EMT set-screw connector.


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