Discouraged

[bstomper]

Ha ha. That's good to here

 

[Milkman_d83]

I agree with bludawg and bstomper. Try a bigger basket. I have a similar basket to what they describing. I believe I could get 18 hrs out of 20 pounds at 250. Best of luck with it.

 

[Zin]

Hello all,

I don't understand what's going on. I smoked a brisket on my big poppa UDS a while back. After 7 hours, I burned through a whole basket of fuel (kbb). I thought it might have been a bad bag. I bought a 2 pack at SAMs yesterday and thought I'd try again. I lit my coals at 6:30 am, 15 coals in a chimney starter, got my temp up, put the butt on and closed the lid. Did not open for 6.5 hrs when my internal reached 160. I'm almost out of coals. WTF. how are some of you getting 10-15 hrs out of a basket of coals. So far in two smokes, I got 7 hours on a basket each time. I must be doing something wrong. My excitement for my UDS is almost gone. Help.

Get a WSM and it will solve all your problems. Its simply the best.

 

[jham0077]

Don't give up on your UDS. My basket is the measurements of a 5 gallon bucket with a 20 gallon steel trash can lid mounted to it's bottom to catch ash. I've gotten 12 hours easy @325+ out of mine burning Stubbs without packing it full. I've never let it go to see how long it would last.

 

[DjPorkchop]

The longest I have ever got out of my Big Poppa UDS coal basket was a freckle over 11 hours. and that was in the 225-275 back and forth category. If I need to cook any hotter, the basket will burn out very quick. As for those reporting 15 hours plus, I call bull chit. I would have to witness it with my own eyes to believe it.

It seems when ever I cook a 10 pound butt in my Big Poppa UDS I have to take the butt out, put it in the oven, refill coal basket, get coals going smooth once again and then and only then when coals are set, re set my meat back in the smoker. it is a royal PITA to be quite frank.

If I need to go over 10 hours, I will fire up my old leaky UDS. I have burned 10 pounds of coal in it for well over 17 hours and had some left over for a quick fatty cook.

Now all that said, I DO LOVE my big poppa UDS and love to use it.

 

[bstomper]

Agreed, dont give up. While the WSM looks like a great smoker, and I would absolutely love to have one, The $500 plus price tag up here in Canada is a huge deturent for me. Especialy when I can do the same things and get the same results from my UDS at $50 in parts and a day of fun fabrication.

 

[jasonjax]

Try the Royal Oak lump ... sooo much better than KBB IMHO.

 

[chingador]

Hang in there. The Big Poppa charcoal basket is just really small. Everything has to line up right to get a very long burn time out of a basket on that thing. I have had the same thing happen several times.

 

[lacajunman]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not giving up yet.

 

[USMC]

I have been using KBB. Either comp or blue bag. What brand do you prefer?

I use Stubb's mostly. I usually have a stock of it, but if I run out and it's not available I'll go with Royal Oak or K Comp.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not giving up yet.

Don't give up. You'll get it dialed in eventually. Just experiment with different charcoals and try the bigger basket and you'll be on the way to some stress less good eats in no time. Don't ever give up!

 

[chingador]

Short of building a larger basket, use a good quality hardwood briquet. It would be better to use a good quality lump but the basket is so small that with all of the odd sizes you get in a bag of hardwood, it is hard to stack up the lump to get the max amount in the basket with minimum amount of air pockets. When using the hardwood briquets, carefully arrange them to where they are touching with the minimum amount of air pockets. Instead of a chimney starter, just throw a single weber starter cube in the dead center top of the basket and light. The temp will come up slowly, but you will have a smaller fire which will allow for a long as possible burn time. Stubbs, or B & B would be my first choices. Here in Texas, HEB has a quality hardwood briquet.

Even doing everything perfectly, you will only get so long of a burn time due to the smaller basket. I am usually cooking 2 or 3 pits, so I have to transfer and rebuild the fire. If you are getting 6-7 hours out of your basket with what you are doing, wrap the brisket in butchers paper or foil, place in a small cooker and fill the rest of the air space with old towels or a blanket. It will stay plenty hot while you replenish fuel. It shouldn't take long, then back on the pit goes the brisket. Not perfect, but it will work.

 

[Gato Gordo]

I think you should switch from the Kingsford briquettes. I, too, have a Big Poppas Smoker UDS and I have done pork butt several times with no problem. I use Royal Oak lump and have never had to reload during the cook.

 

[Pstores]

Also light a very small area on the top of the charcoal.... I do this with RO.... Burns along time... 10sec torch light with just two three pieces in the same spot in the very top. Let it burn down

 

[SmittyJonz]

I could get 12 hrs at 275* with my non big poppa basket on 20 lb bag of KBB. I bought 400-600 lbs of the 2 x 20lb twin packs on half price sell. Always used a full bag on a long cook 10-12 hrs.

My basket was 10" Deep. At 6" deep how much charcoal is it holding? 12 lbs.? 12 lbs would only get me about 7 hrs like you are reporting.

Get a piece of expanded metal 10-12" tall and wrap it around your basket - inside or outside- and wire tie it together. Fill it with 16-20 lbs and see how long it'll go.

 

[dummy que]

Try the Royal Oak lump ... sooo much better than KBB IMHO.

kbb is just two steps above cow pattys why would you use it after reading the msds sheet

 

[LouisianaSmokesman]

I would definitely use Hardwood Lump. In my 19 years of experience smoking I had the similar problem. Once I changed over that was a wrap. Good luck and keep your head up!