Czarbecue
Babbling Farker
UDS sizes are mostly 55 since it’s the same diameter for a 22” grate (24"). If your 44 has a 24” diameter but just shorter then that is fine too.
Ugly Drum Smoker
- Thread starter jgh1204
- Start date
UDS sizes are mostly 55 since it’s the same diameter for a 22” grate (24"). If your 44 has a 24” diameter but just shorter then that is fine too.
ebijack
Babbling Farker
The drums I have bought/used were all 22 3/4" I.D. to 23" I.D.
Weber grates are 21.5" Some cheap copy grates are only 21"
Drums I have bought are pretty close to 35" tall.
Shorter drums are not a problem. At 24" tall you still have plenty of room for 2 cooking grates and a diffuser/drip pan grate. 3" tall legs for the coal basket with 6" high sides.
Example
I would not recommend aluminum flashing for a coal basket sides if you are going to do high temp cooking. Aluminum flashing is very weak/flimsy across the flat surface. Probably won't hold up with a handle attached for lifting said basket full of coal/wood. And yes you get more even heat around the drum using expanded metal. My experience.
But there is no problem using aluminum flashing for intakes/exhausts. All of mine have seen 700-800* multiple times/years.
A couple examples, this was when new. Cooking at 600*
A few years later, still working just fine.
One on my vertical cabinet. But it does not see high temp
Flat lid drum
Even on my Acorn for an intake. This was when new. Smoke Ninja still using it today. Many nuclear cooks. No problem.
Weber grates are 21.5" Some cheap copy grates are only 21"
Drums I have bought are pretty close to 35" tall.
Shorter drums are not a problem. At 24" tall you still have plenty of room for 2 cooking grates and a diffuser/drip pan grate. 3" tall legs for the coal basket with 6" high sides.
Example
I would not recommend aluminum flashing for a coal basket sides if you are going to do high temp cooking. Aluminum flashing is very weak/flimsy across the flat surface. Probably won't hold up with a handle attached for lifting said basket full of coal/wood. And yes you get more even heat around the drum using expanded metal. My experience.
But there is no problem using aluminum flashing for intakes/exhausts. All of mine have seen 700-800* multiple times/years.
A couple examples, this was when new. Cooking at 600*
A few years later, still working just fine.
One on my vertical cabinet. But it does not see high temp
Flat lid drum
Even on my Acorn for an intake. This was when new. Smoke Ninja still using it today. Many nuclear cooks. No problem.
Last edited:
44 gallon drum vs 55 gallon
Titch said:
Never heard of 55 gallon here,[/QUOTE]
Yes you have- y'all just call it a 44. You guys use imperial gallons (tad larger than US gallons. Both your 44 and our 55 hold right at 200 liters. There are minor differences in the actual dimensions of our 55 drums depending on mfg- I would expect the same in your neck of the woods.
Most common steel drum in the world plus the grates of the most common sized charcoal grill - it's no wonder why that is the "normal" uds config.
Titch said:
Never heard of 55 gallon here,[/QUOTE]
Yes you have- y'all just call it a 44. You guys use imperial gallons (tad larger than US gallons. Both your 44 and our 55 hold right at 200 liters. There are minor differences in the actual dimensions of our 55 drums depending on mfg- I would expect the same in your neck of the woods.
Most common steel drum in the world plus the grates of the most common sized charcoal grill - it's no wonder why that is the "normal" uds config.
Yes you have- y'all just call it a 44. You guys use imperial gallons (tad larger than US gallons. Both your 44 and our 55 hold right at 200 liters. There are minor differences in the actual dimensions of our 55 drums depending on mfg- I would expect the same in your neck of the woods.
Most common steel drum in the world plus the grates of the most common sized charcoal grill - it's no wonder why that is the "normal" uds config.[/QUOTE]
wow didnt' even look where he was from. Good catch.. Thats why a 44 gal drum seemed so foreign to me....b/c it is hahaha.
anyone else want to weigh in on the benefits of putting my diffuser right over the coal basket instead of on teh lower great about 8 inches above?
Czarbecue
Babbling Farker
The Hunsaker basket has the deflector right on top because why waste vertical cooking space? If you’re not hanging then it’s no big deal. Doesn’t make much difference where it starts, from my experience.
ebijack
Babbling Farker
3 bolts/nuts and you can have a 3rd grate/diffuser/drip pan location.
Keeping the diffuser above the basket a bit will have better airflow than sitting on top of a full/mostly full basket. IMHO
Snakestyle5
MemberGot rid of the matchlight.
I’m a new member/new to smoking. I built a homemade UDS and tested it this weekend. I have to say I’m quite pleased. I have a bit of learning to do as I figure out exactly where my intake should be set to get my target temps. I used a homemade slider instead of ball valves. Has anyone else done something similar? If so what are your thought. I did it this way because it was much cheaper. I may change that down the road as the slider is a bit stiff. Also need to make a mount for my meat probe. Would post photos but I don’t know how. Lol.
Big Dan
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2012
- Location
- Coastal...
Heat rises.
I have a bit of learning to do as I figure out exactly where my intake should be set to get my target temps. You will have it figured out in a couple of cooks- a UDS is very easy to dial in.
I used a homemade slider instead of ball valves. Has anyone else done something similar? If so what are your thought If it can open or close to regulate air, it's probably been used on a UDS. Big fan of the slider. If your slider is stiff, work it a bit - it will get easier. Might need to tweak it a bit with a pair of pliers or a persuader.
Also need to make a mount for my meat probe I used a thin strip of sheet metal (18 gauge) about 3" wide by 9" bent into right triangle -painted it black- used a couple of strong magnets to attach it to the drum. Stick my DOT to that - move it from cooker to cooker as needed.
Enjoy your drum- built my first one about 4 years ago- still cook on one about every other weekend.
I used a homemade slider instead of ball valves. Has anyone else done something similar? If so what are your thought If it can open or close to regulate air, it's probably been used on a UDS. Big fan of the slider. If your slider is stiff, work it a bit - it will get easier. Might need to tweak it a bit with a pair of pliers or a persuader.
Also need to make a mount for my meat probe I used a thin strip of sheet metal (18 gauge) about 3" wide by 9" bent into right triangle -painted it black- used a couple of strong magnets to attach it to the drum. Stick my DOT to that - move it from cooker to cooker as needed.
Enjoy your drum- built my first one about 4 years ago- still cook on one about every other weekend.
el luchador
is Blowin Smoke!
congrats!!!!!111
you have just built a smoker that has proven capable of winning multiple competitions in the right hands. there is nothing wrong with a slider. might even be a better way of doing it vs ball valves as its more repeatable.
just remember to sneak up on your set temp and, a UDS does not need a lot of intake air to maintain 225-275. it uses surprisingly little intake area so have it wide open till its within 25 degrees of your set temp, then close it down till its about 10 degrees away, then close it down quite a bit. if it stops rising or starts dropping, then open it just a bit more.
for reference, my drum will hold 225 degrees with just two 3/8 holes providing intake air.
Snakestyle5
MemberGot rid of the matchlight.
Thanks. This is my rig so far. A few mods I want to make yet. I’ll keep the slider but need some way to mount my temp probe.
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1....=3fcb4e0f5a6b63e288099454bef6364e&oe=5B462B03
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1....=3fcb4e0f5a6b63e288099454bef6364e&oe=5B462B03
Czarbecue
Babbling Farker
ebijack
Babbling Farker
Sans 007
This is the first time using "stubby 007" burning pure wood since the stubby mod was completed. My raised grate ring 4" above the barrel. That 4" allows cooking over fire burning wood splits. With fire management. You can grill from 250* up to 550*. Those are the temps I was able to maintain before shortening the drum. Stubby follows suit very well.
I smoke/grilled wings (marinated in Franks over night) at 250-275* for 1.5hrs till the wings were in 190*+ intenal temp range.
Anyways, with this set up I have 24" between the coal basket and cooking grate bottom. For those that want to know :becky:
Got stubby fired up, a bit of hot coals to help to make a nice coals bed quickly.
Toss the wings on and add dry rub
Flipped wings around the 45 min mark
Fire/flame control cooking at 275* Very easy to maintain thru the cook.
Wings done
Thanks for lookin.
This is the first time using "stubby 007" burning pure wood since the stubby mod was completed. My raised grate ring 4" above the barrel. That 4" allows cooking over fire burning wood splits. With fire management. You can grill from 250* up to 550*. Those are the temps I was able to maintain before shortening the drum. Stubby follows suit very well.
I smoke/grilled wings (marinated in Franks over night) at 250-275* for 1.5hrs till the wings were in 190*+ intenal temp range.
Anyways, with this set up I have 24" between the coal basket and cooking grate bottom. For those that want to know :becky:
Got stubby fired up, a bit of hot coals to help to make a nice coals bed quickly.
Toss the wings on and add dry rub
Flipped wings around the 45 min mark
Fire/flame control cooking at 275* Very easy to maintain thru the cook.
Wings done
Thanks for lookin.
Czarbecue
Babbling Farker
Were you inspired by Baby Back's video? :heh:
ebijack
Babbling Farker
Nope
Been doing this since
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231293
But now I have a "stubby". My next(new) UDS will be a stubby. Except for not being able to hang full racks of ribs. I see no benefit to staying full size.
This is easier to clean (shorter and less reach). Cooks/operates just like full size. More mobile.
And no more getting grease stains on coats, shirts etc from bending over to get the coal basket handle.
Been doing this since
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231293
But now I have a "stubby". My next(new) UDS will be a stubby. Except for not being able to hang full racks of ribs. I see no benefit to staying full size.
This is easier to clean (shorter and less reach). Cooks/operates just like full size. More mobile.
And no more getting grease stains on coats, shirts etc from bending over to get the coal basket handle.
instead of using a pan under the meat to catch drippings for ease of clean up does anyone just line the bottom of the drum with foil then later the next day just clean up the foil. Any fat that didn't make it into the fire basket that would have hit the bottom of the drum will now be solid and stuck to the foil for easy clean up right?
Thoughts on this? I was mainly thing about this from when cooking 3 racks of ribs where where the meat would over hang if i put a pan under and also would over hang the area of my basket and ash pan.
Thoughts on this? I was mainly thing about this from when cooking 3 racks of ribs where where the meat would over hang if i put a pan under and also would over hang the area of my basket and ash pan.
D&D BBQ
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2016
- Location
- Redding, CA
On a tip from a Gateway comp cooker, I line the bottom of my UDS and PBC with Floor Dry, a product gearheads use to clean up oil spills. It’s not flammable and easy and cheap to get at Auto Zone and such. I use about 1/8” thick of the pellets on the bottom and every few cooks I scoop it out with a dedicated pooper scooper from Amazon. Takes maybe 30 seconds and no muss, no fuss compared to foil.
Good idea. Thanks!
el luchador
is Blowin Smoke!
whats the chemical composition. I would be afraid of fumes from that getting on my food.
