rainy day today. the uds was nice and dry on the inside . I do like the exhaust coming out the side

https://i.imgur.com/Bw0s7rv.jpg

I've never seen that before. It seems a valid alternative is rain is an issue.

I borrowed the idea from the pbc.

my uds lives outside so rain or shine it is protected.

Build a UDS and a DIY temperature controller. Set it and forget it.

\\

Please tell us about your DIY temp controller.

thanks,

Robert

I cooked an ungraded brisket last night. Came out great! $1.68 per lb.

I also rigged up a humidity sensor and the drum was purring along at 10% humidity at 225 degrees.

Well, I got my barrel this weekend from Big R as a brand new drum and there were a few unexpected things. It looks painted on the inside but luckily I believe it is paint as it comes off with very little work with a screwdriver and shows bare metal. I was not planning on burning it but this way I get to play with fire. The second unexpected surprise was that the lid from my ancient Weber kettle which I was planning on using (when needed) damn near falls into the barrel I don't think there is any modification that can be done to fit it except making the lip completely flat which I'm sure will make it have air leaks for days, but also I would like to use it on my grill still. My question is Could it be that the lid comes off a very old kettle and maybe a newer kettle would have a bigger lid? From reading over 557 pages of this post it sounds like the Kingsford 22.5 grill might have a bigger lid. I own a 2 door sports car and it is not as simple as driving the thing around to test fit lids. I'm honestly ok with only having the flat lid but it would be nice to have a domed lid for big cooks. Oh, and I did check to make sure that my kettle is not the 18" variety. I am slowly acquiring parts and don't have a junk pile to grab from unfortunately to make this faster or cheaper. Hope to have everything I need in a month or 2. Will post here when I am done and hopefully provide some worthy pron.

Measure the I.D. below the top lip of your drum. Then measure the seal area of your Weber type lid. I'm guessing the lid will fit perfect. The drums I have cut (different types/brands) the lids all fit very well after removing the rolled lip. Different brands of lids also.
Or you can put a piece 2" wide aluminum strip around the inside sticking up enough to support your lid. Lots of those have been done and posted in this thread.

I'm not talking negligence here... but how long does a garage kept, 16 gauge drum usually last with general maintenance after cooks?

9 years

I've heard the bottom Rusts out in 8-10.

Then turn it over and use it upside down and just change lids.

Or I imagine a stainless drum would last a lot longer

My completely neglected UDS and by that I mean, left outside 24/7 365 with ash on the bottom, lasted 5-6 years before it developed a hole in the bottom center. Four years later the hole is roughly 12"x12" but I still use it all the time.

You could paint the interior bottom and it would delay the rusting much longer. Still a decade is pretty good given the low cost of ownership.

Hi all, I just joined the forum and wanted to share my first smoke experience. I decided to build a UDS after trying to decide on a smoker. I've never smoked anything in my life but I wanted to start. My first smoke was Memorial Day. I've done a lot of research online and decided on doing 4 pork spare ribs. I was more than happy with the results. So tender, one broke in half taking it off of the pit. I am excited to finally be able to start smoking.

Attachment 159512

welcome aboard. you built a super affordable smoker that will serve you well for years to come. congrats. :thumb: :rockon:

if you want it even easier, add a heater meter with a fan for automatic control and wifi access to and control of your temps.

using splits now in my charcoal basket

Im finding it gives a more robust, present flavor. and still thin smoke rolling out of the cooker

https://i.imgur.com/YPYqB0k.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o7t9foZnfk

Just did my first degreasing cleanse of my 110 gallon UDS. Holy chit. Some people do this after every cook? I am exhausted... started at 7 pm and worked well past 9pm with the flood light on. Getting it ready for perhaps an extended long term shelving while the stick burner get some attention.

Looks blue to me, mango.

I think you are blazing the trail with the 110 gallon. The 55 gallon is far easier to clean

I've never cleaned the UDS. Just the grates. I think of it as next cook flavour 8-)

Maybe I am doing it wrong??? I pour in a boiling pot of water, swish, dump, repeat, rinse and dry. The rest is just seasoning.

I would like to get a drum that big! How wide is your grate, and how tall?

Ugly Drum Smoker
 

Someone on the Hunsaker page suggested degreasing after every cook (comp) so I decided to do it since I haven’t cleaned it out since the original build. I have six 29” grates built by Shirley Fab but only use three of them so far. Really only two since the third is a catch all resting on the Hunsaker vortex basket.

I spent most of the time cleaning the drum, heat deflector, and the basket itself. Oh, and the lid needed a good coat of degreaser as well. Did everything twice to use up the whole bottle.

I have 23” of vertical space from the top grate to the catch all grate. The drum itself is 42” tall.. then add the 4” casters I put on it. Overall it’s a little shy of 48” tall. Farking thing is a beast.

I know that UDS are extremely efficient when cooking DOTC (direct over the coals). I would cook with a full basket of LUMP charcoal and the volume would hardly change, so I finally decided to test how efficient the uds is.

I wanted to see how much lump charcoal by weight and volume a uds cooking DOTC would use for a typical cook. I used a bone in pork shoulder for the test. I wrapped it after 6 hours and then took it to 202 degrees. I cooked at 250 degrees using the heatermeter to keep temp, and total cook time was 10 hours.

ambient temp started around 97 degrees and it cooled to probably 90 degrees after dark.

I measured the full chimney before cooking and then after cooking I shook off the ash and measured again.I did not use any wood chunks as I wanted to test only the charcoal efficiency

I used the chimney as my charcoal basket and just stuck it in the uds. only mods were to remove the plastic handle, and turn the bottom upside down for more space.


Results. wow!!! I wasnt surprised but it was impressive none the less.

not only are UDS super cheap to build, they are also super cheap to use.:rockon:

cooking at 250 for 10 hours dotc, the uds only used 2.5 lbs of lump charcoal,
or 0.25 lbs of lump per hour of cook time .
therefore a 20lb bag in theory should give 80 hours of cooking time.
and at $16/bag my charcoal cost for a 10 hour cook comes out to only $2.00 per cook :rockon::rockon::rockon:



chimney base installed upside down for more space in chimney
https://i.imgur.com/tSQEHga.jpg


full chimney weight 7lb 9 oz
https://i.imgur.com/D0sj0w4.jpg


full chimney lit and in place for cook. notice the plastic handle grip has been removed.
https://i.imgur.com/p9kEvur.jpg


volume after the cook before ash shaken out. looks like used about half volume
https://i.imgur.com/zQ8KRBv.jpg


ash shaken out, finish weight 5lbs 0.9 oz
https://i.imgur.com/zSNz3WV.jpg


heatermeter burn log
https://i.imgur.com/JhBlbFz.png


Delicous pulled pork
https://i.imgur.com/sANH75p.jpg

I like the idea of the side exhaust holes. Are those just 1" nipples with PVC caps?

thanks. the side exhaust is one of the best mods Ive done to the uds
Iirc its 1 1/4 pipe with screw on pvc caps. inside diameter I believe is 1.380"

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/a...1&d=1523842880

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ct5KL2CkbQ&t=5s
.

Is anyone using a hitch mounted cargo rack to transport their drums? Any advice if so or other methods assuming no truck bed available?

I’ve seen many of them used for transporting drums. Just look for one that is 23-24 inches deep to hold the drum.

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb...ier-69687.html
This one is wider than the metal ones.
27 5/8" wide

Cheaper narrow one
https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb...ier-66983.html

I can't believe I made it though this entire thread. Only took me couple months.
Thanks everyone for sharing. I avoided many mistakes due to this thread.
Seasoned and getting ready to smoke first fatty this weekend. Still weird saying I rolled and smoked a fatty. Plenty of funny looks when I tell people that. :laugh:

On Friday I loaded my UDS with two rib racks

https://i.imgur.com/miuOD9wh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VKXFAzDh.jpg

2.5 hours later. Foiled them and laid on the grate.

https://i.imgur.com/hiNMa3ah.jpg

4 hours total.

https://i.imgur.com/ISnAbXfh.jpg

In the time they were on the grate I cooked some chicken breasts, corn and mushrooms on the lower grate.

https://i.imgur.com/xD4hahHh.jpg

The table

https://i.imgur.com/6ncQbddh.jpg

The ribs

https://i.imgur.com/Jwdw6XHh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/boDx8NNh.jpg

Clean bones. Not fall off but I like it not so tender.

https://i.imgur.com/0IxcTpJh.jpg

Every bit of that looks great! :clap: I am really wanting my corn to be ready now.

Wow that looks so great

I see you are using the Vortex without the deflector plate?

Does the Lavalock or such gasket (1/2" x 1/8") do a good job sealing the lid on a UDS? I'm trying to get a no leak seal on the lid.

I use it on and off.
Ribs tend to drip a lot of liquid which builds up on the deflector and turns to hard burnt gunk.
With the deflector off it reaches the coal and turns to vapor which goes back to moist the meat on the outside.

If I'm making lean meat like chicken I use the deflector as it helps a lot with stabilizing the heat and distributing more evenly it in the barrel.
It actually gets hotter on the top grate then the lower one which is closer to the fire.

In this cook it was off during the hanging period and back on when I foiled and left the ribs on the grate, adding the chicken and vegetables.

I use it. Attached to the lid. Works great.

OKAY. I've spent way too much time browsing this thread, and now I simply have to build myself an UDS. I do have a question tho, that I don't think has been answered exactly.

Has anyone purchased a new drum from either U-Line or McMaster-Carr? If so, does a Weber kettle lid fit it, and what type did you get (open top, closed top, with or without the 2" drain in the bottom, etc)?

I know all drums are slightly different. On some the lid fits perfect, some it takes some work, and some it actually fits the 'bottom' perfect but not the top.

I may be able to pick up a lightly used Kettle for cheap to use as an organ donor for a UDS build. For the drum itself, I'm leaning towards just buying a new one, hence the question. Both McMaster Carr and U-Line are local-ish to me so I could pick it up and save on shipping, but I doubt either of them want me wandering their warehouse checking the fit of the kettle lid...

Just explain your need to the floor manager, most are sympathetic to a good cause. And what better cause than BBQ? Easier yet, call the shop and explain, maybe they know the answer you seek.

I've found most drums that are open top (and some closed top). If you cut the top ring off. Most every Weber and knock off lid fits as long as you do a straight cut.

Was me, I'd go with an open top and use the flat lid that it comes with. Having a "weber" dome so you can have 2 grates sounds good but in practice - not so much. I got a "freebie" stainless closed head drum and had no choice but to adapt a weber lid to it. I did set it up to use 2 grates- but I won't cook on the lower grate. I use it for a catch pan...when I use it at all.

I'd pay good money (but not retail) to have the same SS 55 gallon drum with a removable flat lid

First time posting here, read through 1/4 of this thread and here is the first result of my build:

https://preview.ibb.co/hX6mzp/IMG_5850.jpg

Thanks, everyone! So far I have been only reading here but I hope that in future I can contribute.

I have a stainless open head drum with the weber lid. I use the hunsaker vortex basket and have no issues cooking on both grates for ribs pork butts or anything else. I am not typically cooking that much food where I need both grates but when I'm cooking more than 3 slabs of ribs the second grate is great to have.

I just completed MY First UDS!
Weeks of planning and gathering what i needed and it payed off big time! Reading this tread helped alot!

https://i.imgur.com/6WkITVe.jpg

I had a tiny little water smoker and it was great $50 from Home Depot! It worked, but i wanted to step up and looking at the intermediate smokers, whew thats $500 on up and When i saw Drum Smokers I was sold!

Here is a build log if anyone is interested (just on IMGUR)

Cant wait to get Ribs, Brisket, Pork Butt, and wings on there, Just dont know what to do first LOL!

Looks beautiful. Welcome to the dark side:thumb:

Nice 1!

New to site
 

I am new to this site and apologize if I am posting my question in the wrong place. But, can someone assist me in finding an accessory for an ugly drum smoker? I am looking for the device used to hold the digital meat probe to the UDS. It appears to be stainless Steel and has a pivoting head that that is detachable from the main unit but is attached to the meat probe. Thanks for all your help

LOL Its So bad i am already thinking of my next one!

Hey I am new to this stuff as well and i think i have seen what you are talking about (holds the digital thermometer on the outside not the actual probe inside) I cant seem to find it but this is my best guess

Magnetic door stop

Maybe glueing a big HUGE magnet to the bottom of it?

Good Luck

You are correct, it holds the thermometer on the outside