After two years of wanting to build one, I finally got some extra time and a free barrel. Over the last week I spent a lot of time screaming and cuzzing at the cheap wally world kettle lid. Finally got it to fit but I learned a lot in the process. Next build will be much easier.
Well here it is:
I use a digital temp probe, but I thought it looked kinda weird without a dial termo. So ran to lowes and threw on a 7$ Brinkman thermo.... I was shocked on the boiling water test... it was just about spot on and read the temps pretty quick for a dial.
Decided to get fancy with my welder, and made a diffuser. I got to thinking about Webers "flavorizer" bars, and that inspired my design for the UDS. In my head this is why I think it will work good....it still allows drippings to hit the coals, but also may help even out the temps, plus gives something solid in the smoker to heat up and hold heat.
So glad I welded on some handles because that joker is HEAVY!
And got the seasoning run started this afternoon with a mix of bluebag, royal oak, and some red oak chunks that I have seasoned for about a year and a half. I think next time I will just stick with wood chunks and KF, the royal oak had its usuall temp spikes and smoked like crazy.
I started with 10 lit coals, and got her stable at 225 without a problem at all. Over the 5 hours I seasoned I had two temp spikes. One was immediately after wifey opened the lid, and the other was just random. Both times it went from 225 to 300 in less than 5 minutes. I closed off the ball valve, and covered half of the exhaust and was able to get it back down in less than 20 minutes both times.
And here are my first fattys going on the UDS
And finished about 2 1/2 hours later
This one I stuffed with country ham chunks, and colby jack cheese. Wife requested ham and cheese for dinner, so I said "how about ham and cheese fattys"... She looked at me like I was retarded and said "let me guess something on the smoker?" She is so smart!
And this was my creation, Smoked summer sausages and peper jack cheese! Yum!
We never made it to the side dishes... fattys are awesome!!!
So.... I learned a lot from this cook, and this building experience. For the UDS I wish I never would have cut the top lip off trying to fit the kettle lid. Now the barrel is very flexable and difficult to keep round. Next one I will just go straight to the flat bar mod, which worked great. I am going to keep experimenting with charcoals, but I think this one will be just like my Mini WSM... have to run KF no matter what, for even temps without spikes. The diffuser I made worked great. Had about 5-7 degree difference is temps from middle to edge on the top grate. I also wish I would have let the paint cure for 7 days like the spray can said... I had some pam get on the outside, and I didn't notice it until I started cooking. I tried to wipe it off, but the paint came off with it. Got two nice streaks of no paint now, but I can fix it pretty easy.
The fattys were awesome, and a big thanks to pmad for showing me how to build the fatty piston. It worked like a charm. I built two in a matter of minutes.
Well that is it for tonight. I am going to leave it running all night to see how well it does. Tomorrow is a pork butt, and sunday is Brisket and potato bombs for dad.
Will have more pics tomorrow.
Well here it is:
I use a digital temp probe, but I thought it looked kinda weird without a dial termo. So ran to lowes and threw on a 7$ Brinkman thermo.... I was shocked on the boiling water test... it was just about spot on and read the temps pretty quick for a dial.
Decided to get fancy with my welder, and made a diffuser. I got to thinking about Webers "flavorizer" bars, and that inspired my design for the UDS. In my head this is why I think it will work good....it still allows drippings to hit the coals, but also may help even out the temps, plus gives something solid in the smoker to heat up and hold heat.
So glad I welded on some handles because that joker is HEAVY!
And got the seasoning run started this afternoon with a mix of bluebag, royal oak, and some red oak chunks that I have seasoned for about a year and a half. I think next time I will just stick with wood chunks and KF, the royal oak had its usuall temp spikes and smoked like crazy.
I started with 10 lit coals, and got her stable at 225 without a problem at all. Over the 5 hours I seasoned I had two temp spikes. One was immediately after wifey opened the lid, and the other was just random. Both times it went from 225 to 300 in less than 5 minutes. I closed off the ball valve, and covered half of the exhaust and was able to get it back down in less than 20 minutes both times.
And here are my first fattys going on the UDS
And finished about 2 1/2 hours later
This one I stuffed with country ham chunks, and colby jack cheese. Wife requested ham and cheese for dinner, so I said "how about ham and cheese fattys"... She looked at me like I was retarded and said "let me guess something on the smoker?" She is so smart!
And this was my creation, Smoked summer sausages and peper jack cheese! Yum!
We never made it to the side dishes... fattys are awesome!!!
So.... I learned a lot from this cook, and this building experience. For the UDS I wish I never would have cut the top lip off trying to fit the kettle lid. Now the barrel is very flexable and difficult to keep round. Next one I will just go straight to the flat bar mod, which worked great. I am going to keep experimenting with charcoals, but I think this one will be just like my Mini WSM... have to run KF no matter what, for even temps without spikes. The diffuser I made worked great. Had about 5-7 degree difference is temps from middle to edge on the top grate. I also wish I would have let the paint cure for 7 days like the spray can said... I had some pam get on the outside, and I didn't notice it until I started cooking. I tried to wipe it off, but the paint came off with it. Got two nice streaks of no paint now, but I can fix it pretty easy.
The fattys were awesome, and a big thanks to pmad for showing me how to build the fatty piston. It worked like a charm. I built two in a matter of minutes.
Well that is it for tonight. I am going to leave it running all night to see how well it does. Tomorrow is a pork butt, and sunday is Brisket and potato bombs for dad.
Will have more pics tomorrow.
D
