Moving beyond an UDS?

So, I built an UDS smoker maybe 12 or 13 years ago. I've gotten a lot of use out of it on and off over the years, and I've been smoking a lot more this year than in a few of the more recent years. My UDS has been pretty good overall, I'm sure everyone has some frustrations with their smokers from time to time, but I've been making some fan favorite BBQ on it for as long as it's been around.

Recently I've found that I'm having some more significant issues with getting the charcoal to extinguish properly when I'm done and/or controlling temperature properly. I bought some food grade silicone as I thought that I might have some air leaks in or around the vents. I haven't applied that (or the gasket tape that I also bought) but I'm starting to wonder if maybe the barrel is starting to rust out and that could be what is actually leading to air leakage. I also bought a large sheet of reflectix which I've been setting up around my smoker to try and make a bit of a wind break when I'm smoking.

On the brisket that I made over the weekend, I think there were several issues that I experienced that all came together. It was my 3rd brisket ever (I was pretty intimidated to take brisket on in general), and I struggled to get the temperature up at first. I opened up a second air vent (I normally run with just one ball valve open 1/2 to 3/4 of the way). It kept staying around 200 for a very long time. I may have put my air temp sensor too close to the brisket, and I definitely didn't pay enough attention to it as it started up, so at about 4 hours in I found my temperatures at around 325 and climbing. Knowing that the smoker was at this point fairly out of control and that I've had a lot of trouble getting the coals to extinguish, I pulled the brisket off the smoker (it was around 170 at the time), wrapped it in butcher paper, and threw it in the oven at 225 (for the next 10 hours). The smoker was still going even with all the vents shut 10 hours later. Hey, it got 4 hours of smoke and I didn't want it burning up.

I had a similar experience earlier this year where I shut down the smoker on Saturday and decided to do something else on it on Sunday and I opened the barrel up as I lit the chimney of new coals. When I came back to the chimney, the barrel had started the coals back on fire in the bottom on its own.

All of this points me in the direction of trying to determine what I want to do moving forward. I am interested in continuing to bbq, so that seems to point me in the direction of replacing my UDS. I could just buy a new barrel and build a new (and likely improved) UDS, but there are lots of other options as well. I could buy a WSM, which seems like a similar build but more professionally made. I could buy a stick burner mass produced like an Old Country BBQ smoker. I could get something custom from a local fabricator (I definitely don't want a trailer based build, but something porch focused with wheels would be good), so like this. I've been watching Craigslist to see if there's something that I could pick up used for a decent deal to try my hand at a different smoker. I could buy something like a pellet smoker. I'm sure there's other options.

I don't want a straight electric or propane smoker. I have a Thermoworks Smoke (which is so much better than my experiences with much cheaper Mavericks).

Cost isn't my primary concern, but I do want to get something that would be good value for the money. I probably wouldn't want to go much over the $1250 range. It absolutely has to fit at least 1 full size packer brisket from Costco, 2 pork butts, or a whole turkey.

Currently, I like that when my UDS runs properly, once I get it dialed in pretty well I can set it and it just runs. I'm not sure if I want the more high maintenance associated with maintaining an actual fire. It's always easy to smoke for just yourself since who cares when it finishes, but smoking for a party or something means more sleepless nights. Also, it would mean stocking wood, as well (as a new 1st time homeowner, I worry a bit about termites).

Given all that long story, what would you guys recommend I look at? Do you have any advice in general?

Here's an example of something I might look at on Craigslist:

20" Horizon Classic

Yeah, I never took care of my UDS real well. It hasn't had a cover ever and sits in exposed locations at every place I've lived. I've also never cleaned the ash out of the bottom of the can directly. When I built the firebox, I put a metal plate under the expanded metal and a ring welded around the edge about an inch high. When I load in new charcoal, I normally try and knock out the existing ash from the plate and ring. I don't get much ash at the bottom of the can (not saying there's none), but I haven't actually removed any since I tried one time with my vacuum (not a shop vac) and that vacuum smelled like smoke and ash for the next several months whenever it ran.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out I need to replace the can itself. Just trying to get advice about whether I should stick to an UDS or go exploring other paths. I'm not saying I didn't get my money's worth out of the old smoker, it just may well be time to replace it.

If I rebuild an UDS, at least I know what details to pay the most attention to now. The can that I have is narrower at the top, which has always made it a little tricky to get the grate in and out of. I've thought for a long time about putting in a second shelf for either more capacity or to hold a terra cotta heatsink (I've bought the extra grate and terra cotta base, but never actually installed them). When I reinstall the pipe nipples I'll put ball valves on all three (probably from Harbor Freight this time). I will make sure that the fittings are sealed around with high temp food grade silicone. I'll make sure that the nipples leave the ball valves with their handles pointing up.

My concern on BGE's is that they seem to not really be big enough most of the time. A coworker recently made his second brisket and had to split the flat from the point to be able to fit inside. What size egg do you need to do a whole brisket?

I'm not likely to buy an UDS from a builder, if I go that route, I'll pick up another barrel and build it myself again (it'll be a lot easier without having to do the firebox again). If I do that, I could always pick up one of the fan controller solutions like a BBQ guru.

I actually recently installed chains on my firebox that I've put a carabiner on and hold on one of the rack screws so that I can pull the firebox out without reaching down into the smoker (since I was experiencing the same issue with stained shirts).

Now when I need it out I lift the chains up and I lower it back down with the reverse.