Yeah, as it stood in the picture, the bottom of the grate was 9" off the bottom of the barrel. That put the cooking grate at 33" - just under the lip of the drum. Even with a Weber lid; Too high.

The flimsy metal brackets didn't hold up too well in the burn-out so they will be replaced with SS carriage bolts, fender washers and nuts. A little more cash outlay, but worth it. I'll have the bottom of the basket about 4" off the bottom of the barrel. That should give me enough room to do two grates.

The Weber lid I found on the side of the highway coming home from work last week. Looks like it fell off someone's grill as they were transporting it. The paint was a little torn up and it was a little bent, but I had to bang it around a little to fit the drum anyway. Plus, the whole thing will be painted in the end too so I'm not overly concerned about that.

I'll have a few more pics tomorrow.

We should hit 1,000,000 views in about a month.

Fine looking ribs!

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Not sure how old your daughter is (or her boyfriend or her boyfriend's dad...) but the movie "Napolean Dynamite" is a cult classic for us late 30 - early 40 sometings:
http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/a...namite_150.jpg

Any time I see a "Pedro" reference, that's where I go.:cool:

I realize this is an old post, but am new here and would love a copy of the plans to a good UDS. Does a half inch pipe fit 3/4 hole? I have 3/4 bit and 1/2 pipe nipples on hand. Thanks for any advice you can give.

Wow! It's been one heck of a read, but I got through it.:shock:


End result;

Lookin good now your ready to rock that smoker. Post some cookin pics.

That is what works for me.

No real plans. Read the thread if you dare!

Grate placement depends on if you are using the barrel lid or using a Weber lid.

They're coming. I'm going to do a boneless pork loin for supper tonight. I did some back ribs a few days ago to christen the UDS but didn't take any pics because I didn't want any evidence if the cook went bad:tape:


Anyhow, a few details on the build.

I basically followed Norco's thread on a UDS build with the exception of adding a 12" riser for the ball valve.

For the thermo port I bought a 9/32" stainless brad hole T nut.

As for the drum, I'm fortunate to have a place close by that sells plastic & steel drums. The one I bought had a removable plastic liner with bare steel on the inside of the drum. It had a plastic lid, but they threw in a steel lid for free. Total cost 15 bucks. (I liked it so much, I went and bought 2 more
). Got a weber lid from my brother so I used the steel lid to make a barrel dolly with some casters I had.

So far, it's working like a charm. With 5 lbs of charcoal I can hold 225 for 8-10 hrs no problem.

Update......

Took the barrel to a friend to get sandblast on the inside. He told me he wouldn't be able to get it all but he did get most of it. So I'm thinking about finishing the build and do a good 3 hr burn or so. Will this be long enough? Ill get the fire as hot as I can get of course. I took the Weber grate and expanded metal over to a welder. $50.00 to weld it. I think I got took, but He said it would take some work forming the metal...thats one hour labor cost...oh well, I want to start smoking. The lid still has paint down in the groove where it will fit on the barrel. Is this an issue? Will this burn off if I put the lid on the grill while I do a burn?

I'm getting anxious. I have all the parts so I'm drilling and assembling tonight and maybe a burn if I have enough time when I get off.

Thanks for all the help...GREAT SITE. Cant wait for a greet and meat......

If you put the lid on the barrel when you do a burn, you will end up with a UDS full of creosote. Borrow an angle grinder with a wire wheel and dig it out in 5 min.

Not just after it is lite but After I have a good bed of coals, but the angle grinder is a good idea. Thats what I'll do...Thanks.

You just asked for plans on page 408 of the manual.

Here's a pic of the loin.

What the heck is THAT thing? Don't think that's going to cook much of anything. Send it to me and I'll properly dispose of it. What a waste....:tsk:





NICE WORK!:thumb::clap2: