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DevineSwine

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I have a uds and would like to upgrade to something different except I want to build it myself!! I have a full fab shop in my garage its what I do when I have long cooks. Here is my dilemma, I really like the easy accessibility of vertical cookers but I don't see a lot of fellow brethren using them. Offsets look like they would have some cold spots if not baffled right and reverse flow seem to big for what I need. I would like the capacity of a good size vertical but a firebox like a offset that's easy to maintain temp and service. I could be all wrong on my way of thinking of these units so please tell me your thoughts. I really have no interest in purchasing one already built.
 
Here is a current build by dinosdeuce.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=172088
About 5 posts in I've provided a link to a build my son and I finished recently. We have found cooking on the vertical stickburner is real interesting: lots of cooking realestate, easy to maintain temps, easy to get a wide range of temps (225*-375* no problem) and very fuel effecient all with a minimum footprint (26 inches in our case).
 
As sliding_billy and dwfisk indicated above, I just got a vertical cabinet with an offset firebox on Saturday, so I am still learning the ropes. But I can try to answer any questions you might have...
 
I really like DWFisk and Son's Build!!! :thumb: a Super UDS with Doors!!
If I had a Fab Shop I'd build something very similar!
 
SmittyJonz said:
I really like DWFisk and Son's Build!!! :thumb: a Super UDS with Doors!!
If I had a Fab Shop I'd build something very similar!
Click to expand...
That one is VERY cool! Great work dwfisk!
 
Upgrade from UDS?? You can upgrade the capacity of a cooker but imho you can't upgrade the cooking quality of a UDS type of cooker. Bandera type of smokes are nice but no juices dripping on the coals.:sad:
 
SmittyJonz said:
I really like DWFisk and Son's Build!!! :thumb: a Super UDS with Doors!!
If I had a Fab Shop I'd build something very similar!
Click to expand...

peeps said:
That one is VERY cool! Great work dwfisk!
Click to expand...

Diesel Dave said:
I second that, great build right there
Click to expand...

Thanks all, we learned a lot in the build and even more learning to cook on it. For anyone considering one like this I would offer a couple take home messages: (1) the thin wall of the original tank was a PITA, we adapted & overcame but find some 1/4 inch pipe like dinosdeuce is working with if you can; and (2) I can't emphasize enough the importance of the heavy heat deflector plate (a water pan might work but we really like all that thermal mass and radiant heat).

To the OP, like the others I'm always here to offer my $0.02.
 
I am thinkin I like the idea of a square design do you think the cylinder type have a advantage? I would like a 30x30 by maybe 42tall cook area with the fire box offset a bit.
 
Do you have the ability to roll in your fab shop? If you do go round, I would do like dwfisk did and make your racks where they can slide out. That is the main reason I went square. That and for a cooker that takes up essentially the same footprint, you get more grate area with square.
 
DevineSwine said:
I am thinkin I like the idea of a square design do you think the cylinder type have a advantage? I would like a 30x30 by maybe 42tall cook area with the fire box offset a bit.
Click to expand...

peeps said:
Do you have the ability to roll in your fab shop? If you do go round, I would do like dwfisk did and make your racks where they can slide out. That is the main reason I went square. That and for a cooker that takes up essentially the same footprint, you get more grate area with square.
Click to expand...

The other great advantage of going square/rectangle design for a home fabricator is you can have your steel shop pre-cut to size on a brake - good clean square edges. You need to be careful to consider joints and steel thickness and it's a little more expensive, but it really helps the home fabricator to only have to deal with right angles. In our case (and I suspect many others) we were starting with a free cylindrical pressure tank and we were trying to maximize it for a cooker. If you are starting with a "clean sheet of paper" you might be better off going the square/rectangular route and doing something like peeps cooker.

Best of luck, keep posting - I really like build threads!
 
Man, Now I gotta look for a 60-80 gallon compressor tank cheap.......
 
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