If its down to bare metal you should be fine. Once you get a good seasoning in the drum you will never know since it will be covered in cooked on oil. 18" is fine for a fire basket. That is usually the base for most baskets that people make.

I like your lid. Mine is going to have a flat lid as well. 2 questions: With a flat lid, how far from the top is your grill grate, 2nd: how'd you get the caps on your lid? I was going to drill 8 holes and just use magnets to close them off, but your lid looks sharp.

I have two grates, my first grate from the top is 4 inches and my second grate is 9 inches. As far as the caps, I used a 1" hole saw to drill the holes and a 3/4" pipe plug screws right in. I just primed them and painted them to match.

Here is some progress photos of one of the two UDS I am building.

I posted this in another thread but not to many UDS people going through there so Ill post here too.


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...8/DSC01222.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...8/DSC01223.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/l...8/DSC01225.jpg

Have to install the intakes, season the inside and paint the outside, then they should be ready to go.

I find this thread very upsetting....I went out and Spent a crap load of money on a pellet grill, and then trying to figure out how to use the stupid thing I stumble upon this wonderful world of brethren, and I think to myself damn...I hit the information jackpot!

Then I find this thread....arg!!!

The "best" bbq coming off UDS's...made anywhere from $10-$100....You all know the amount of meat I could have bought with the money I spent on my pellet grill...

Now I have to explain to my wife that I need to stock pile more stuff in my garage until I can make an "Ugly Drum Smoker"! she's gonna say..."WHAT THE FARK IS THAT!!!!"...

will take me about 3 months to get permission, but i am confident that buy the end of summer I will have my own UDS.....

Thanks everyone! (and I truley so mean it...this site is awesome!)


Dave

Workin' on some baby backs and I'm trying the foil method (3-2-1) and both times I took the lid off to foil and unfoil, I got a temp spike. Is the benefit of the foil method worth it to get a temp spike or should I just forget the foil and leave the lid on til they are done. I'm thinking it's not worth the hassle. Any opinions? I even shut the intake down a few minutes before taking the lid off!

Not an expert, but when I just did rib tips on my UDS I shut all intakes and closed exhaust down for 10 minutes before removing lid and never had any temp spikes..May not have gave it enough time.

whenever you take the lid off on a UDS you'll get that dang temp spike.but it doesn't last too long, and has little effect. I like the foil method..but for baby backs, I only use the 2-2-1 method...spare ribs get the 3-2-1- method.

Dan

Thx brickie and flyweed makes sense sounds like some good advice. I will def try that next time. Pulling the ribs off now i will post some pron in a while.

Hey Dave, It's easier to get forgiveness than get permission.:boxing: Happy Victoria Day!

Seasoning test burn

Attachment 52929

Attachment 52930

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Leveled off around 3:30 hoping it will burn through midnight. Used a mix charcoal, lump, with a few chunks of wood. Only had enough to fill the basket 3/4 full so cross your fingers.

Good info in this thread, I used alot of it, hell I used all of it who am I fooling:clap2:

Do a biscuit test while you have it running to test your diffuser. Just get some cheap mini biscuits and spread them randomly around your rack. You will be able to easily identify the hot and cool areas.

Easy enough, send pellet smoker here and I will exchange with a UDS.

Ribs didn't turn out too bad. They were a little lean so I thought they were a little dry. Took the left overs to the neighbors for a last minute get together and they devoured them. As always the fatties went like hot cakes.

Great looking ribs!

Got all my ducks in a row... Finally got 2 drums this morning. $5 a piece! Closed head with 2" bung and a small port of some type. I flipped the drums over and both ends of the drums measure 23" Dia. to the outside of the rolled lid.

I want to use both the flat lid and my Webber lid for turkey cooks. I have my welder all squared away on what I want to do, I just need to open the drums up and burn off the light rust inhibitor. I peered into the bung and there was light surface rust on the drum wall. These drums held kerosene so no liners!!!!!!

I am thinking of grinding around the circumference of the rolled edge of the lid to separate it and still allow me to use the flat lids.

I plan to have:
-(3) 3/4" ball valves +1" from the bottom. 4" off bottom for use of an ash pan
-Coal grate at + 2" from the bottom.
-First grate at + 26" from the bottom. 24.5" off bottom
-Second grate at +31" from the bottom. 29.5" off bottom
-Top of drum head is +33.5" from the bottom.
-(4) 1" holes in flat lid for vent.

Does this sound like a good plan to you fellas?
After some consideration, I plan on making the changes in red

My thoughts...

1" is really close to the bottom for the intake valves. I've been really happy with 2".

If you are not using an ash pan under your coal grate, 2" is good, or if you have an ash tray, 2" above it or so.

Lid vent holes aren't necessary if you wish to use the 1" bung hole instead.

I think grinding the lids off is a great idea. When I fit my weber to my barrel, I was able to grind the outside down a bit at a time till it fit perfectly.

I'd think about washing it out good before you go grinding that lid off.

Is just the 1" bung large enough to vent? Maybe I could use the larger bung?

I would appreciate hearing input from anybody who is using a BBQ Guru to run his/her UDS.

I certainly get the sense from reading the whole thread that most people think a Guru/Stoker isn't required on a UDS.

Still, for any who have done it, did you find it added more stability or predictability to the cook?

Also, I currently use a 4 CFM fan on my Backwoods Chubby. Will that unit produce enough air to stoke a UDS?

Looking forward to hearing thoughts on this as I plan for an 85 gallon "salvage" drum build later this summer.

Ryan

Use the 2" bung and you will be fine. I used PVC for exhaust stack on mine and painted to match my LSU drum.

Threads on the PVC or did you just jam it into the hole?

What he said.

There are lots of examples of people just using this and I personally know two who use just that.

Four 3/4" holes would be just like the weber so that would be fine instead.

Just keep in mind you'll want to keep them covered up from rain, whatever you do.

UDS blues...
 

:tsk: Not really bad...but, I was really hoping a trick I read along the way in this thread (the Easy-Off) would work to get the inside cleaned up. Here's a couple of pics...thinking of just getting a new unlined barrel, this one had sunflower oil in it.

Oh, and I'm a woodworker...not a metal worker, obviously, haha :becky: I do have another barrel though, if I really screw this one up.

For those who did grind their way through, about how long did it take?

Thanks in advance,
Jalon

WHERE TO FIND DRUMS

I looked back several pages, and don't remember seeing this thread when I spent two weeks reading this thing. Here you go drum seekers.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=85478

I used the larger bung hole and an metal electrical conduit fitting - threads matched.

Personally I don't like the idea of just using holes - I think you would get a lot of water in your drum during a rain.

2" Male pipe thread connector glued to the PVC.

Will-do...
Any way I can use the 1" bung to place a thermometer or are they better placed at rack level?

Saw a cast iron wood chip box the other day at Wally-world. Was wondering if that thing was loaded up with chips and then placed on top of the UDS fire basket if it would offer enough smoke to do the job. I had planned on placing small chunks of wood in the basket, but if this would work with wood chips, then all the better... right?

I used a foil pouch on some rib tips last week and thought smoke was great,maybe a little strong for my taste.I think you'll be fine. I would have used my cast iron smoke box but pharking mouse made a house in it, so now gotta be sterilized to wifes standards!

brickie

Ummm... fire sterilizes...right???? All the mouse turds would burn up before you put meat on the grates anyway.

Do you still soak the chips in water before putting them in the box?

Rack level if you want accurate reading.

Put wood chunks in fire basket and don't worry about wood chip box.

"For those who did grind their way through, about how long did it take?"
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...ffly/083-1.jpgBurn the barrel, 2 hours a rack of beer, and a ball game on the radio. Then pressure wash with a 4000psi,1/2 hour takes most off then light grinding if needed. Can't find my pics of the Pressure washed barrel interior. 1/2 hour.

Regarding the fire basket, Is it best to have smaller diameter basket and 12" high. or 18"X12" high? Does the smaller basket with the same number of charcoal last longer?
Thanks,
Rick

My first one is 16" in diameter, and 6" high above the bottom. Subsequent ones I've made using a Weber charcoal grate, which is 13-1/2" in diameter. I make the sides of those about 8" above the bottom. I use a piece of expanded plate that is 3" taller than that to keep the bottom up out of the ashes instead of using feet. I haven't noticed any difference in cooking time or conditions with either size basket. I've never filled one all the way, either. Usually about half full. The longest smoke I've done was about 20 hours, and there was still fuel left.

Yeah fire probably would, but without some easy-off and pressure washing ol lady would never eat anything where I used it and wouldn't let the kids either.

Sort of like when she came home and I was cooking pidgeons on grill. She politely took everybody out to dinner.:laugh:

And yeah I would agree, if you have chunks use them....I just had all these bags of different chips and want to make use of them.

brickie

I have always wanted to try pigeon... any good??? :confused:

Thanks Mush Creek:
Rick

Actually for the cost of what they sell them for, not worth it to me. If I remember a little bit more than cornish hens, and nowhere near as much meat.Taste itself was okay,nothing special. Should have followed wife honestly out to dinner.

One meat that is great that you should try if you can is bear, love it!!

brickie

Oh... I would never BUY pigeon... A pellet gun would get you a whole bunch real quick.
I have been wanting to try bear meat for quite some time. Kindof like eating a dog i guess. They will eat pretty much anything. I have no qualms about eating dogs... (if times were tough enough...) Wonder what kind of smoke ring you can get on a hunk of bear meat??? hmmm....

To get things back on track of UDS. I have ALL my material and will be fabricating on friday! WOOHOO!!!

Ok... so one of the two UDS i will be making this week is going to my dad as a surprise. I have been using Lump lately and will be trying my first bag of Royal Oak soon.

Dad, on the other hand, is a Big K fan. I am building the coal basket 9.5" high with expanded metal and wrapping it around a 13" or 14" salvaged Webber charcoal grate.

Using that coal basket, how do I instruct Dad in the proper Minion Method to cook with his Big K?

He has also been a big fan of starter fluid, so I am thinking about buying him a chimney when I give him the UDS.

That's just like my setup. Depending on how long I plan to cook, for example under 8 hours, I'll put just over a half basket in, and 3/4 of a chimney. I let that chimney get going really good, flames coming through to the top and pour that on top of the basket and set the whole thing in the barrel. If I'm cooking more than 8 hours, I'll go 3/4 on the basket and full up on the chimney. I'm using lump all the time.

I always start the chimney with two pieces of crumpled paper, and the last couple times have made a snake out of it and left the center open. In all my starts in the last couple months, I had a couple that didn't fire up, which is why I'm trying the snake method now.

Buy Dad the chimney and show him how to start the coal without the use of starter fluid.

Try drizzling some veg. oil on the newspaper before you crumple it up... It will last a LOT longer and you will have more consistent starts on your chimney. Learned that trick from Alton Brown...

Looking for quantities of BIG K to put in the basket and Chimney...

Got my UDS built and did my first cook on it this weekend. I bought a 8 pound boston butt and it was done in like 4 hours. Why did it cook so fast? I know my thermometer is reading correctly because I calibrated it with boiling water. I kept temps at 225 - 250 the whole time. From what I have been reading it isnt possible for the meat to cook as quickly as it did if that is accurate. Is it possible that the temperature on the side of the drum is that far off from the center of the smoker? The thermometer has a very short stub sticking off of it, maybe an inch. Any other ideas?

You are exactly right. If you do not use a diffuser of any sort then it was much hotter at the middle than all the way to 1" from the side. Many people including myself use $5 turkey fryer thermos from walmart. These will read the temp at the center of the drum. You can also get cheap oven thermos and place them on the rack around the meat to test your temps.

BTW, how did the hot and fast butt turn out?

Finally got around to posting some shots of my build. Ho-hum to most of you I'm sure, as my design is simply a rip-off from others that have already been posted on here. It smokes great though! :-D

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...r/IMG_0462.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...r/IMG_0472.jpg

Thanks to everyone who's posted on here and helped with my project! :thumb:

Great looking drum mchaggis! I hope to have mine finished by the weekend.