Unattended UDS safe or not safe

DC_BBQ · Jun 28, 2011

How safe do most people feel about leaving a UDS unattended? When you are doing a long cook how far away from the drum are you. I am thinking about starting a butt on the UDS in the morning going to work and finishing it up when I come home. My UDS is on a brick patio in a walled in garden so it won’t be bothered by anyone or thing and there is really nothing to burn if it should somehow flipped over.
But the idea of leaving a fire going goes against my grain and all those years of boy scout training

Pyle's BBQ · Jun 28, 2011

If you feel comfortable that nothing, and I mean nothing will come near it during your absence go ahead. I have not left one that long but have left them for an hour or two. If you have someone that can check on it once in a while would be ideal.

colonel00 · Jun 28, 2011

I have thought about setting up a webcam so I could monitor cooks from afar. Granted, that would almost be worse when you see it flame up or a neighbor helping themselves and you are 20 minutes away.

SmokerKing · Jun 28, 2011

I wouldn't do it, besides it takes a few tweaks along the smoke anyway.

Rich Parker · Jun 28, 2011

At comps i fire mine off and go to bed for about 4 - 5 hours and it hasn't burned down yet. I probably would want to go any longer just to make sure the temps aren't off the mark either.

Carbon · Jun 28, 2011

You can train your webcam on the smoker and monitor it on your smartphone.

CenTech · Jun 28, 2011

I left mine for a few hours Saturday morning while I went to the farmers market and took my wife to he doctor. It was fine. I'm not worried about anybody messing with it, but leaving a burning barrel unattended does give me some pause. Us I like to tweak the temperature every once in a while. Don't yet have the confidence to do an overnight cook.

DC-Q · Jun 28, 2011

There was a post a while back where someone caught their deck on fire
(or maybe it was someone they knew, my memory isn't what it used to be).
I do remember there was a picture though.
I think they said they thought they had shut it down.

I leave mine. but I have a fenced in yard & only one cat. (which is not to say a neighborhood dog couldn't get in the yard maybe somehow) but the drum is on the stone patio so the dog will probably get burnt toes getting my meat & not burn my house down.

BRBBQ · Jun 28, 2011

My UDS had a lid lock, but I'd be afraid of the temp change, might need a temp controller such as the IQ110

smokeyw · Jun 28, 2011

I do overnighters cooking butts or brisket with the iQue 110 hooked up. I set the maverick remote thermometer alarms and set it beside the bed and sleep all night. I have left the house a few times but only for a short time to run to the grocery store or something.

Soybomb · Jun 28, 2011

I leave my WSM burning several feet from the house on a concrete patio while I sleep or run errands regularly. I'm not worried about winds or anything knocking it over. If I had bears in these parts maybe

I think people tampering with it would be the only real concern.

The only bbq "accident" I've ever had is lighting my chimney on the patio. I'd always start it on the edge of the patio. It was convenient. Then sometime into bbq'ing I'd heard you shouldn't do that, that the concrete can explode. After that I started it on the grill sometimes but still usually used the patio. Afterall I'd done it lots before and been ok, and when do you ever hear about that happening? Sure enough one day I came outside to find the patio blown up and chunks of coal and concrete everywhere. Still nowhere near the house but it would have been a problem if I'd been bending over to pickup the chimney when it went.

Take from that what you will. Its either the story of a guy that doesn't learn or an evaluation of probability.

N8man · Jun 28, 2011

I have but felt uncomfortable leaving a fire unattended. So I don't as a general rule now. But I do nap while it's Smoking Overnite, so's that is pretty much the same as leaving it. I do lock it down with the lid clamp, so that makes me feel a little better,
we have Black Bear in the area and if one knocked it over at least the fire would be contained.

Mitch · Jun 28, 2011

If it is on concrete and NOTHING and Nobody is or will anywhere near be it, it should be okay. Then again, I'm a firm believer that if it can go wrong, it will. I will leave my Stumps unattended because it is all enclosed and it doesn't get hot on the outside.

Qing · Jun 28, 2011

It's only a problem if there's a problem :becky:

Skidder · Jun 28, 2011

I do overnight cooks all the time. My UDS just sits on the lawn though it is on casters. We have a pretty good bear problem but they never go after my cookers just the trash.

RevZiLLa · Jun 28, 2011

Qing said:
It's only a problem if there's a problem :becky:

True

Sammy_Shuford · Jun 28, 2011

On a concrete patio, plenty of space, a pid controller. Works for me.

energyzer · Jun 28, 2011

It isn't the "burn down" factor that I worry about, it is the tempature swings. You just never know when the thing is going to skyrocket, or plummit. Personally, I like to be around mine in case it needs some tweaking. The one time I left it to take the kids to the park, my Maverick's alarm was going off when I got home for low temp. I just like knowing what is going on with it.

jestridge · Jun 28, 2011

You shouldn't leave any fire unattended especially if you have it on a deck or near a building.

DC_BBQ · Jun 28, 2011

Thanks for the thoughts. Here is what I think
Bears – :-D Not likely I am smack in middle of the city. The only wildlife around here is rats (human and otherwise.)
Grill being bothered – My “back yard” is a little brick patio with enough room to park a car on but it is completely walled off with very high walls.. No one but spider man gets into my back yard.
Holding the temp – In all honesty I guess I am too much of a newbe with a UDS. I have done several cooks on it so far and it holds a temp nicely but practice make perfect.
Proximity to neighbors - That is what gives me the greatest pause. As a wise man once said.

Qing said:
It's only a problem if there's a problem :becky:

And the down side risk of that is wa to high.
After thinking it through I think I need more experience with the UDS and perhaps I will do an overnight smoke and hold it in the cooler. DC is nice and hot right now so keeping it in the safe zone shouldn’t be a problem.
So better safe than sorry.
Thanks for the imput

Unattended UDS safe or not safe

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