Incomplete Burn! Help!

[Sammy_Shuford]

First, I did read the ENTIRE mega UDS thread!

Fire ring is 8 inches tall, 15 in diameter. it is 2" off stainless ash pan. 3 bolts not visable is this picture.

Loaded with 8 pounds cowboy hardward charcoal, got several peices glowing read and smoking with small propane torch.

Temp begain to come up, shut nipples and it settled at about 225. After 4 hours, I went to bed. Woke up this morning and it was cold.

Got 4 good hours and all that left, but why did it go out?

 

[jetfxr27]

Need more info.
Obviously its an airflow problem, (lack there of).

Nipples are on or off, valves are shut, opened or somewhere in between.
How is your intake system set up? Pictures, sizes etc.

 

[devious]

you might want to try and get more than a few pieces going, i get about a handful of lump going in my chimney, or when i use K i get about 8 or 10 going.

 

[Sammy_Shuford]

Need more info.
Obviously its an airflow problem, (lack there of).

Nipples are on or off, valves are shut, opened or somewhere in between.
How is your intake system set up? Pictures, sizes etc.

3/4 nipples, 4 total. Started with 2 caps off, and 3/4 ball valve fully open.

Nipple holes 2" from bottom of drum, drum sets on 3" brick.

 

[N8man]

What was your air intake configuration at the time you went to bed?
What kind of exhaust?
It appears to be a lack of oxygen that put your fire out...

 

[Sammy_Shuford]

3 caps on 3 nipples, ball valve ~3/4 open.

Top is a weber kettle top, with the standard vent fully open.

 

[BRBBQ]

What was your air intake configuration at the time you went to bed?
What kind of exhaust?
It appears to be a lack of oxygen that put your fire out...[/QUOTE Also sounds like not enough lump burning, you state you got a few peice's glowing then left, that sounds like it wasn"t enough. You want to get the drum temp up and then start backing down intakes. You can't just start a fire and walk off, you have to adjust the temps 1st. Put more hot coals in your basket then watch the temp rise, about an hour later you might have a good drum temp. You have to baby the drum for awhile.

 

[N8man]

I don't have a ball valve on mine, and I'm not an expert,
but I think I had read somewheres that the DrumPits with 3/4" intakes that do have ball valves are run with one cap off and the ball valve choked some.
Also, as had been suggested, I think you needed a few more coals lit.
The main thing is don't be discouraged, and try again...

 

[N8man]

In general, this is the lit amount I usually start with...

 

[Ken V]

sounds to me like air intake was shut down too much. I have 3- 3/4" nipples on mine. 1 with cap and 2 with full port ball valves. For me to hold 225 or so, I leave cap off one and 1 ball valve about half open, 2nd ball valve shut.
I found on my second drum build that I had problems when I used regular valves and not full port valves.

Ken

 

[BruceKWHP]

Was this your first bbq in this UDS?

My first bbq was beef ribs, it ran for over 4 hours on less than a chimney of k-blue... I lit the whole chimney and dumped it in. When temp hit 240 I capped the nipple and left the ball valve (mine are 1", not full port) 3/4 or so open.... the beef ribs dripped so much fat it ran hotter than many cooks have since then making spares or chicken.

cooking chicken burning k-blue with 1" nipple open and ball 1/2 open gets me 260

Exhaust on my flat lid is a 2" pipe, open 1/2 or more, usually full open.

 

[markpmc]

I had a similar issue a few weeks setting the burn off fire for my vertical pipe smoker. MY fire didn't take off until I dropped a lit chimney in the charcoal basket. I didn't have an airflow problem, I just couldn't get the fire to take off w/ the torch.

FWIW I was using an old bag of cowboy.

Mark