Ken V
Full Fledged Farker
Thanks to all the guys that welcomed me at the cattle call. I have a couple questions about the UDS.
I built my first last Friday, super easy to make and thought no way this thing is gonna work. I had a 55 gal. drum the wife got me from her work, drilled 3 1" holes in the bottom and brazed in 3" 3/4" black pipe nipples, one got a cap and the other 2 got ball valves, mounted my thermometer, drilled 8 1/2"holes in the lid, mounted my bottle opener above and to the right of thermometer, put in the bolts in to hold the cooking grate and put the charcoal ring that I made at work in. Saturday I put in about 8# of charcoal and got it dialed in pretty quick to about 240, played with it thruout the day, up...down, just to see what it would do. Lit it off at about 9a.m. and by 10:30 that night when we got back it was still at about 180.
Sunday morning I figured I was ready to try it out, I had put a rub on a bone in pork butt on Sat. night and had it on the UDS by 8:30 Sunday morning. I did flip this one at about 2 hours in and spritzed it down with apple and oil about twice more before it was up to about 195 by 4:30. That was the best pulled pork I have had in a long time. I am sold on the UDS. I did make one modification, on the bottom of the drum between my 2 ball valves I drilled out and brazed in a 1" to 3/4" bushing with a plug in it. This is so I dont have to kick it or bang it around to move the ashes, I can pop out the plug and stick a piece of 3/16" stainless rod and knock the ashes out of the way when they get too high. I wish I new how to post pics, especially of my charcoal ring....it really turned out nice.
Sorry I am rambling but this thing has me stoked. I already have a second one almost done and am thinking of trying this one with a stack instead of the 8 1/2" holes in the lid.
Now for my questions, how and how often do you clean your UDS?
Next is, I am thinking of smoking a turkey on this thing and wanted to get some advice from the more experienced on how to go about this on the UDS.
Thanks again for the help and look forward to learning and hopefully adding to the forum.
Ken
I built my first last Friday, super easy to make and thought no way this thing is gonna work. I had a 55 gal. drum the wife got me from her work, drilled 3 1" holes in the bottom and brazed in 3" 3/4" black pipe nipples, one got a cap and the other 2 got ball valves, mounted my thermometer, drilled 8 1/2"holes in the lid, mounted my bottle opener above and to the right of thermometer, put in the bolts in to hold the cooking grate and put the charcoal ring that I made at work in. Saturday I put in about 8# of charcoal and got it dialed in pretty quick to about 240, played with it thruout the day, up...down, just to see what it would do. Lit it off at about 9a.m. and by 10:30 that night when we got back it was still at about 180.
Sunday morning I figured I was ready to try it out, I had put a rub on a bone in pork butt on Sat. night and had it on the UDS by 8:30 Sunday morning. I did flip this one at about 2 hours in and spritzed it down with apple and oil about twice more before it was up to about 195 by 4:30. That was the best pulled pork I have had in a long time. I am sold on the UDS. I did make one modification, on the bottom of the drum between my 2 ball valves I drilled out and brazed in a 1" to 3/4" bushing with a plug in it. This is so I dont have to kick it or bang it around to move the ashes, I can pop out the plug and stick a piece of 3/16" stainless rod and knock the ashes out of the way when they get too high. I wish I new how to post pics, especially of my charcoal ring....it really turned out nice.
Sorry I am rambling but this thing has me stoked. I already have a second one almost done and am thinking of trying this one with a stack instead of the 8 1/2" holes in the lid.
Now for my questions, how and how often do you clean your UDS?
Next is, I am thinking of smoking a turkey on this thing and wanted to get some advice from the more experienced on how to go about this on the UDS.
Thanks again for the help and look forward to learning and hopefully adding to the forum.
Ken
