It's a lot easier with a scroll saw with a metal cutting blade if you have one. I cut inside the rim, keep it tight against the rim and you get a clean cut. you won't be able to re-use the lid as a top.
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so there is no way to reuse the lid no matter how you cut it? I dont have any saws and only the hammer and chisel to cut with. If I want to use the lid, how do I? Get someone to cut it off for me?
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Cut it off and use a Weber or Weber knockoff 22-1/2" grill lid. Or a 22-1/2" wok (google it, they exist). Or something else made of metal big enough to cover the hole. Use your imagination -- if you don't have the tools or the materials or the cash, it's by far your best ace in the hole. :wink: |
Originally Posted by MariettaSmoker http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/im...s/viewpost.gif
so there is no way to reuse the lid no matter how you cut it? not that I have read on here. look on craigslist for a 22.5 weber kettle. you get the lid, charcoal grate and cooking grate(if it's in good shape) all for one price. I paid $25 for one and others have paid less or found free ones. |
Were did all the pics go?
Hey there again brothers in smoke, :-D
I am really enjoying all the info and tips on this thread. Up to page 150 of the UDS epic and have another question. WHere did a whole lot of the pictures go?:confused: Lots of folks have said they have posted a pic and there is a little square that says the picture is no longer available. :sad: What's up? :icon_smil Looks like this thread was started three years ago but there's a lot of pictures missing. Not fussing, just wondering about all the great pics I'm missing out on. Thanks |
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I'm just a quiet reader in the background but wanted to thank you all for the enormous amount of info i get here..
Jan Willem |
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Most of the pictures aren't stored here, they're uploaded to a picture sharing site like photobucket, flickr or whatever else. A lot of those accounts have auto-shut off for dormant accounts, so if the person who uploaded the pictures hasn't logged in to the photosharing site in a while, the account will stop hosting pictures. Or the person could have deleted the pictures from the photosharing site as well. It can be annoying on older threads, can't it? Suggestion: try PMing the person at bbq-brethren who wrote the post that had the pictures you want to see. They may be able to get them to you. |
I think somewhere, someone made a tall barrel by using a cutoff saw to cut a barrel at the flare, then clamping it to bottom lip of the second barrel. The tall barrel had room for extra racks.
Another person did put the cutout of a top to good use - by making it into a diffuser plate on the bottom of the drum. They were using a bottom draft hole rather than the traditional 3 pipe nipples. |
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Ok, first post here. After reading all the info here on UDS, I got around to building mine. I had to drive 6 hours to get my food grade barrel and had to make everything, which was ok. I got some ribs on it as we speak. Again, thanks to all who helped me get a bit smarter.
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I'm seasoning mine right now. Its 42 degrees. Have had some issues getting set into a temp been anywhere from 210 to 260 and now back to 210. Hoping to get it dialed in and let it run.
Have to feed people on sunday! |
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Greetings Brethren!!! Just finished this epic thread just in time for dinner off my brand new UDS lol!
Been reading for quite some time... started collecting parts about post 2000, started assembly by 3000, did my burn about 4000.... yes I got impatient. But I have absolutely no, zero, nada, zilch questions. KISS was the rule of thumb. Did everything new and in stainless. Haven't added any bling, wheels, exhaust pipes, or other such extravagance.... yet. I got a Brand NEW 55 Gallon Open Top Drum with no linear and no anti rust spray from a local place in Los Angeles, CA that refurbishes drums (Industrial Container Service). For $65 instead of $20, I saved the hassle of linear removal, buying a weed burner (even though I shop at HF once a week), locating/transporting pallets, and pissing off the neighbors or getting a visit from the local fire dept. Good investment IMHO. I picked a barrel with straight sides instead of ribbed though (gotta a car door magnet from VistaPrint on order for FREE) The top of my lid has the 8 exhaust ports for ideal convection uniformly spaced and 1/2 inch in diameter. It is worth noting at this point that I used the 3 Pack of Smooth Step Bits from HF which have two - 1/2 inch and one 3/4 inch steps. I used the charcoal grill from the firebox for a template for my ring on the lid. I went with Four 3/4 in intakes 2 inches from the bottom of the barrel. Magnets are cheap and plentiful. In fact I have so many if anyone needs some send me a PM. I went 6 inches from the top to add 4 stainless steel 2 in machine screws with wing nuts and finishing caps from Lowes. This gives me approximately the 24 inches from the Bottom of my firebox to the grill. My Grill is an original replacement Weber 22.5 inch SS grill also from Lowes. None of the big box stores or home improvement shops have expanded metal but the guys at True Value hooked me up with a local fabricator/welder who was able to cut me scrap metal for the firebox, I tipped him a $20 for his time and scraps. The Firebox is 11 inches high and wraps all the way around an 18 in replacement Weber charcoal grill. I raised the charcoal grill to 3 inches instead of 2 after my first test burn because I was getting a lot of ash but it's easy to adjust as the entire firebox is held together with Stainless Steel Zip Ties from HF again. That was my favorite tip in the entire thread - to use those SS Zip Ties. The reason I went 11 inches high for the expanded metal was so I could SS zip tie the mesh to my pizza dish Ash Catcher after drilling 4 holes in the dish. That's it in a nutshell. Post picts as proof of life when the wife gets home with the camera... that is if I'm not too busy eating... Cheers. UPDATE: added pictures. Couple of notes... some surface rust where my fingers left their dew... burned it, tide, towel dry, lard, cured. Firebox with charcoal sat at 2 inches above pizza pan. Firebox with lump is at 3 inched up. The meat probe goes through a coax end that was left over from a cable TV install... looking for something better but for now just wanted to get the probe off the wall. Last pict is a 6.5 lbs Picnic, temp 1 in below grill hovered around 225 for 7 hours and internal temp hit 189 before my wife yelled at me to serve up dinner. Took it off, wrapped in foil, stalled for an hour, sliced and served. |
Oh my gosh this thread is long. I read it and took notes. I already have my 3/4 nipples ball valve and caps. Just need a Drum and all the other odd bits and I will be able to start building. Nothing fancy here just the basic tried and true build.
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CmdCtr, nice build and that is a great summary of the thread. Where in LA is the place you got the barrel?
Thx |
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Hey JW! Good to see you here! Introduce yourself in Cattle Call!:-D |
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http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8...A&z=16&iwloc=A Call em first, you can't really see the entrance from the road. Corporate Headquarters Western Regional Office California - Los Angeles 1540 S. Greenwood Avenue Montebello, CA 90640 323.724.8507 Enjoy! |
Nice job! I've never seen a drum without ribs before.
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Now that is how it's supposed to be done. Do it right the first time and you won't have any questions. Nice work.
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Smoke Brothers a consensus please….
I'll try to redo the message it didn't display correctly.
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I burned my drum 3 times now and there is still liner in it. The last burn was extremely hot and still had flames coming 2-3 feet above the top 6 hours after i started. Can i just grind this **** off with a flap wheel?
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CmdCtrl, that is a very nice UDS you built there. I am sure you will enjoy it for years. |
The only open head food grade drum they had available at the yard close to where I live. had a dark brown coating that the dealer said was Teflon. He did not think that the Teflon would burn out. What do you guys think.
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Smoke Brothers a consensus please…. (2nd try)
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. _________Cook __Int. ___Aprox_____ Start Flip_ Flip _________Temp__Temp_ Cook Time _at Hrs ___ How Often BEEF Brisket, Packer Tri-Tip PORK Butt Ribs, Spare Ribs, Baby Back Ham, Fresh Loin, Whole Chicken Beer Can Whole, Flattened Leg Qrts Wings |
Babyboomerboy I've done four UDS's so far. Two for me and two for friends and all were done with the K.I.S.S. method and all run the exact same way..................Perfect. I did make one once that had some spiking issues but it wasn't built the same way the others were but I even corrected that problem (air leak).
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It's raining here in Los Angeles so I had to drag my UDS into the garage for it's 1st round of upgrades.
I added a 6in gate handle to the side of the drum. Messed up there as I originally intended to put it 4in down from the lid which unfortunately would interfere with the ease I get my cooking grate in and out. So I patched the 2 holes with magnets - lol - and moved my handle down to grill height. Now my grate is resting on 6 screws. If I had thought about this in advance I could have saved me some drilling. Live and learn... Also added the HF pick handle to the lid. It serves to not only look good but also allows me to remove my lid easier. The handle is mounted just inside the perimeter of the lid for maximum leverage. My lid seals up really tight and when the barrel expands from the heat it is a ***Insert Myron Mixon expletives here*** to get off. Here are the pictures: 1st one is stock KISS 2nd with my handle mod 3rd post season, post 1st cook build up on the side. Do you see any rust? Nope, thought so. Good to go!!! |
I am still in the planning phase of my UDS, and I have a question.
I am not sure if I want to do 1 grate or two. I have a nice offset if I want to do any large amounts of meat. And I mainly want to build the UDS for another smoker that will need less watching/stoking and can handle a butt and maybe a slab or two of ribs (small amounts of meat) The question I have is; What is the difference in temperature from the lower grate to the upper grate if they are around 6" apart? I have read that people set their thermometers about an inch under the lower grate and that's where people determine cooking temps. |
Typically, the higher grate will have the highest temp because heat rises. So, knowing that you may be 5 to 15 degrees higher on the top grate than the lower is usually no big deal. But, if the lower grate isn't at the temp you want, that can be more of a problem.
So, the thermometer at the lower grate is usually sufficient. If the lower grate is at cooking temp, you know the upper grate is at that temp or a little higher. If the thermometer is reading the upper grate, you can't be sure what the lower grate is because heat will seek to rise to the upper grate. I will be building my UDS first with only 1 grate but I will put in the supports for a lower one. I have an offset smoker if I want to cook a lot more at one time, but I doubt that I will very often. In addition, I want to experiment with a diffuser. |
I don't know if the top grate is hotter, but the food burns more on the bottom one, since it is closer to the fire. I did 4 butts on mine, and put the biggest one on the bottom. It cooked as fast as the smaller ones on top, and was quite charred on the bottom. No prob- I had the fat cap on the bottom. I have two other uses for my lower grate. One is to put a drip pan on when I do a turkey. I catch the drippings to make the best gravy you've ever had in your life. I also made my fire basket so I can mount it to the lower grate position. With a grate on top, I now have a direct heat grill. Since I grill more than smoke, this has been a very useful mod. It's also a good place to mount a water pan, if you're so inclined. A friend of mine does his ribs with a water pan, and I can't argue with the results. I have a tiny back yard, so I have to have a Swiss Army knife for a UDS!
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Mushcreek -- I was thinking of doing the elevated firebasket mod, too! Glad to see that someone else does that for using the drum as a grill. :)
Boshizzle... you're correct in that heat rises, but only because of air convection, it's hot air that rises, not all heat. Go to your rangetop some time, turn on a burner and hold your hand a foot above the flame. Then raise your hand 6 inches. Which position was hotter? ;-) |
I guess Im not really understanding something about this...and maybe I just missed it in the thread, but specifically WHY cant you use the lid that is cut off of the barrel? I see so many uds cookers with the flat top lids that look like they were one a part of the barrell. I just dont understand it and hope that you guys can help...
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Now I understand. Thanks for clarifying for me.
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My first UDS
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Maiden Voyage for my UDS. 11 degrees with the wind chill 30 miles north of NYC. Blazing at 260 degrees with 2.5 one inch intakes open. Picking up the webber lid from the in-laws tonight.
Attachment 36837 TELL YOU WHAT!!! |
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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. |
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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 |
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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!!! |
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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 |
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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
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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.
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Not sure you will be able to do a small hog in a UDS...unless it is a piglet. :D
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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 |
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