Ugly Drum Smoker

[Big Dan]

I completed a new drum smoker last week. I bought the floating hinge assembly from Mark Hunsaker plus the lid handle. The bottom vent I got from Big Poppa smokers, as it is for a medium size fan for use with my DIGI Q. I splurged and bought a cast iron grate from Napoleon. I LOVE it! I can use it without the fan, and with the stack it hits and holds the temps right on the nuts. I use a basket I bought from Jeff on Giveittogodbbq.com
I couldn't be happier. The rest of the parts I got at Home Depot. Here are a few pics.Happy Smoking Farkers!!

 

[JEStucker]

Temperature be damned... I'm smoking Pork Butt tomorrow.
Meat rubbed and resting, will be ready to go on the UDS in the morning

 

[SmokerKing]

To me, the whole cooking with multiple racks on a UDS is almost more trouble than it's worth. I did 4 good sized briskets on 2 different occasions- I won't do it again. Rotating grates because one cooks at a different temp, meat wrapping, spritzing or flipping are all the pits.

I'm with BigDan- you don't need a ton of different heights. 3 more studs set in a good spot will take care of you just fine.

That being said- if you do need (or think you need) a ton of height options, the setup that Smokerking uses seems to be the best of the bunch.

Agreed, but with a cone top, it gives you more room for adjustability. Meat can be further away from the fire.

With a vertical smoker, I'm in the mindset, as far as away from the fire is best. If I want to get closer, I can.

 

[Hinds15]

Hinges work better for multiple grates, they flip up as you lift lower grate and you can flip them up before putting in lower grate.

Any pictures?

 

[el luchador]

I completed a new drum smoker last week. I bought the floating hinge assembly from Mark Hunsaker plus the lid handle. The bottom vent I got from Big Poppa smokers, as it is for a medium size fan for use with my DIGI Q. I splurged and bought a cast iron grate from Napoleon. I LOVE it! I can use it without the fan, and with the stack it hits and holds the temps right on the nuts. I use a basket I bought from Jeff on Giveittogodbbq.com
I couldn't be happier. The rest of the parts I got at Home Depot. Here are a few pics.Happy Smoking Farkers!!

Hi. Very nice build. What is the source of that grate?

 

[Big Dan]

Hi. Very nice build. What is the source of that grate?

Right here:https://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Charcoal-NK22CK-C-PRO22K-LEG-Cast/dp/B00CYUELZY

 

[NotSoBigDan]

I believe I was the first to utilize the rack guides in a UDS. However, I do not use that style of guide or clip. Here is what I use and they have worked out great for me, for years now;

Lowes track=107828

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Lowes bracket= 107820

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I weld mine in, but you don't need a welder, there are through holes for screws. Sure beats fixed bolts IMO. Allows for complete adjustability for multiple grates.

I also cut the brackets short for the grate support. I keep them long for the diffuser and saucer support;

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I may give this a whirl. My current pilasters are bolted in so this would be the simplest "fix" and it looks like it would end the current issues. I have it setup now for a grate at the top and one 6" below that. The top grate works for most everything except for turkeys. I stand them up on a beer can and almost always do 30 pounders, so I remove the top grate and use the second grate. The domed lid allows for enough room.

About the only time I use two grates at once is for ribs. It works well if do spares on the lower grate and baby backs on the upper. That way I don't need to rotate them. I put the temp probe at the lower grate and the temp difference has them done pretty much at the same time.

 

[el luchador]

Right here:https://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Charcoal-NK22CK-C-PRO22K-LEG-Cast/dp/B00CYUELZY

thanks a bunch

 

[el luchador]

looking at the 2017 kcbs team of the year results,

it looks like THREE of the top 5 teams are cooking on UDS.

if thats the case, WOW. lowly drum in high places.

2. Shake N Bake bbq
3. Gettin' Basted
5. Big Poppa Smokers.

Can anyone confirm that these teams are indeed cooking on drums?

 

[Hinds15]

Question for you guys. A business owner local to me is selling 55 gallon drums for 60$ bare metal on the inside with no liners or coatings and was used once to store coconut oil. Is that a fair price? It's appealing to me because I won't have to burn it out.

 

[wihint]

Hinds that seems fair since it is ready to go. I can get a stainless one here in PHX for about $75. I will never go through the pain of having to burn out a liner etc again.

 

[10miler]

Question for you guys. A business owner local to me is selling 55 gallon drums for 60$ bare metal on the inside with no liners or coatings and was used once to store coconut oil. Is that a fair price? It's appealing to me because I won't have to burn it out.

I can get brand new unlined drums for about that in my area. See if there is a drum retailer close by and check that. If you can get new for the same price I’d use that info to drive down the cost of the used drums.

 

[NotSoBigDan]

Question for you guys. A business owner local to me is selling 55 gallon drums for 60$ bare metal on the inside with no liners or coatings and was used once to store coconut oil. Is that a fair price? It's appealing to me because I won't have to burn it out.

I paid $20 for mine and it was the same scenario. Unlined, had been used once for some type of cooking oil. The guy I bought it from is a member here, although I can't remember his username. He owns a recycling business and he'd get the drums from the company that was on the receiving end of the oil purchase. I think he no longer gets them but it might be worthwhile to check with your local recyclers.

In hindsight, I wish I had bought a few as opposed to just the one.

 

[el luchador]

Question for you guys. A business owner local to me is selling 55 gallon drums for 60$ bare metal on the inside with no liners or coatings and was used once to store coconut oil. Is that a fair price? It's appealing to me because I won't have to burn it out.

what part of texas are you in? Im in dallas and a couple of sellers sell the unlined drums for $35.

but even at $60 I would still buy an unlined drum for the convenience. at that price you can still have less than $120 in the cooker.

 

[bakerk7]

Question for you guys. A business owner local to me is selling 55 gallon drums for 60$ bare metal on the inside with no liners or coatings and was used once to store coconut oil. Is that a fair price? It's appealing to me because I won't have to burn it out.

I'd go for it. I got mine for $51 and even though I didn't have to burn it out I did to burn off the outside paint.

 

[el luchador]

I'd go for it. I got mine for $51 and even though I didn't have to burn it out I did to burn off the outside paint.

btw, I didnt burn off the outside paint on mine and the original paint has stayed intact.

 

[DRMSMKER]

Hinds that seems fair since it is ready to go. I can get a stainless one here in PHX for about $75. I will never go through the pain of having to burn out a liner etc again.

You can get a complete stainless steal barrel for $75? Aren't they more like 10x that price?

 

[wihint]

You can get a complete stainless steal barrel for $75? Aren't they more like 10x that price?

Oops that clearly was a typo on my behalf.
Here is the ad for the guy I used last year.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/for/d/polished-steel-barrel-55/6439201785.html

 

[DRMSMKER]

Oops that clearly was a typo on my behalf.
Here is the ad for the guy I used last year.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/for/d/polished-steel-barrel-55/6439201785.html

Haha make sense now. I was about to book a flight to phoenix and drive a uhaul full of them back at that price. My buddy works for mcmaster carr and he got me a brand new with removable lid unlined for $60 with his discount so I'd think anywhere around that price for unlined is worth it. If found cheaper, great.


On a side note, when you store your drum, do you leave a vent open or is it sealed? Would you think keeping silica gel packs or a larger desiccant packet to keep moisture down would be helpful to control service rust prevent mold growth if stored for a while?

 

[Steve S]

I can get unlined barrels in my are for $20-30.