WSM and UDS question

[jdub]

2 fer one:
WSM-why is there a door? Well I kind of know why, but I did something this weekend. I put foil "gaskets" around the door. n Temp settled much faster than ever and I burned less coal for the short cook I did.
The real question is, has anyone completely sealed that silly door off? I think I am going to get some foil tape and try that, whaddya think


UDS-Would somebody PLEASE fess up and tell me/us of any goofs or mistakes in building a UDS? Has anyone had a hard time with one not cooking as well as all seem to claim? I won't tell if you tell me here.
Just seems to tipping the top peg of "too good to be true". Just gathering as much info as I can before I start one.

Two fer one have at it!

 

[Azinine]

The door is there to allow you to add more fuel and/or water on longer cooks. I doubt you would want to completely seal it off. Some sort of gasket seems like a great idea, though.

 

[sksmoker]

judb - I have fought with my uds for a month. I have ruined 2 pork butts, and 3 racks of ribs. I have never cooked with charcoal and dove right in. I finally solved my problem which was my lid. Long story short, my drum is out of round on one side, and the metal lid I found didn't fit, leaving a 2" gap on side about 1/2 way around the drum. I would close my valves and the temp would just keep going up. I have made a plywood lid with a tension mod to hold it closed along with a hinge and some high heat silicon gasket around the lip of the barrel.

I did a test run on Saturday and the temps were between 200-250. I still have yet to find that "Set it and forget it" settings on my ball valves, but cooking on it seems much more of a reality than before. If that coal pile gets air, it will just keep getting hotter. Basically, I made it air tight, and now the only air getting in, is through the valves like it supposed to.

Just remember, if it smells bitter, it ain't right! You want a slightly sweet smell. When you smell it, you'll know it. You have probably cooked with charcoal much more than myself, so you know all about choking a fire, creosote, etc...

If you build it right the first time, think about things, it will work, 1st time. I personally gaurantee it. On my vacation my friend and I build him a UDS, and we made 2 of the best pork butts I have ever had in my life. I know it works, and I know the results, that is why I am so frustrated!!

-Sk

 

[tntitan]

i can not give you any bad thing about my drum i was going to spend alot of money on a smoker guess what no more i will make another drum soon they are greatttttttt

 

[VitaminQ]

I prop the door on my WSM open sometimes when I'm trying to get the temp up, and occasionally will add fuel through it.

 

[Dovid]

Any mistakes in the drum is my own and not attributable to the drum, its maker or any of the hardware employed in its construction!

That said, I am having difficulty in keeping the temp down to 225. I think it is due to lighting too many coals on the top with my weedburner and trying to come up to 225 too quickly?

Any thoughts? Thanks so much from Chicago Kosher Que

 

[sksmoker]

Dovid - I lit a whole chimney full when it was 85F outside. Needless to say, I had no temperature under 300F that day! <lol!!>
Have you tried starting with a set # of briq's? I use the RO briq's <only thing avail to me> and I only use 20 in the chimney. Let them ash over as usual, and open your valves before you put it in. Your temp should go up right after you pour in the coals, but once you put your lid on and wait a few minutes, the temp should drop, then come back up and you can regulate the temp on the way up, instead of the way down.

I started with 20 briq's and have been doing a few test runs with diff amounts lit. 20 is slow to get the temp up, but very controllable and you can get it down to 200 and up to 300+ if you open everything wide open, or higher. You want a small hot fire that gets as much air as it needs, instead of making a big fire that you have to choke back to get the temp down.

 

[Ron_L]

I thought the door was so the gnomes who live in the WSM between cooks can get in and out.

 

[swamprb]

The only problem I've had cooking on the drums was fire management using mesquite lump charcoal, you use less and it burns hotter and the ashes need to be shaken occasionally into a long cook, once I got hipped on that its just part of the operating procedure. Now then my drums do not have ball valves for intakes and there are only 3 of them and when it is cruising most of the time they are all plugged. They are not set and forget in a sense you can walk away and leave them, I turn my meats and and keep an eye on the drum temp, but for the most part, they are the easiest and most fun of my cookers.

http://bigdrumsmokers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=2614

Brian

 

[Brian in So Cal]

I thought the door was so the gnomes who live in the WSM between cooks can get in and out.

Is that why I find cookie crumbs on the bottom of my WSM?

 

[JimT]

WSM + "flower pot base" mod + BBQ GURU + lump charcoal

Haven't use the door in a loooong time. It's probably so gunked up now (and air tight) that I'd have to pry it off!!!

JimT

 

[Norcoredneck]

On Drum it is important to get the lid to fit. I hoisted the drum up the first time to dump it. I did the old trash man slam and now mine is out of round. I use the clamp band to clamp lid on for long cooks. I tack welded a inexpensive pair of vice grip clamps so I don't have to thread bolt each time.

Make a Hoe scoop like Thirdeye did. It's easier than hoitsting up drum every time.

 

[ipls3355]

How NOT to burn a drum

The conversation went something like.....

BIL: Go ahead and throw that drum on that brush and we'll burn it out...

Me: I don't know, I think your supposed to start a fire inside the drum

BIL: Nah, that will take to long, hold my beer and watch this...

Off to get 2 more drums:roll:

 

[Ron_L]

Off to get 2 more drums:roll:

But you had fun, right?

 

[ipls3355]

But you had fun, right?

Can't go wrong with beer and fire:lol: :wink:

 

[leanza]

Bonfire...Yeeeeehaaaaaa!

 

[Dovid]

Thanks for the reply and comments! I weighed out 12 lbs rancher plus 2 small oak/cherry sticks which I stuck vertically in the charcoal. That was the first 7.5 hour session which left at least 3/4's of the charcoal ready for the next session! Temps ranged from 225 to 278 with the majority of the upper range near the end of the cook.

For the second session, I put some chips along with the sticks, and about 10 briquettes on top, lit them with the weedburner and put the food on. I cooked an 8lb chuck roll to 200 and a silver tip roast to 135, foiled them for hours. The silver tip sliced was wonderful and smoky with a crust of salt, pepper and garlic.

There was about half of the coals left chugging away after the second cook. The second cook varied mostly to the 250-270 range. This cook ran longer, about 10 hrs. I guess that is because I had about 12 lbs of meat cooking at once?

Well, I need to pull the chuck roll in an hour. I'm tired but smoky and satisified.

Does anyone have what to add to the juice after slicing the silver tip? I am slicing ahead and freezing in advance of my need, so I need suggestions to keep the meat moist and able to be make ahead.

Also, do I need to pull the meat right after it cools a few hours or can I pull it without difficulty later, say, after I defrost it prior to needing it?

Thanks for all replies!

Dovid

Chicago Kosher Que

 

[Rookie'48]

Dovid; Much easier to pull first, vac pac, defrost/heat, sauce, serve. Trying to freeze, heat, then pull is way more trouble than it' worth. Just my $0.02.
Dave

 

[sksmoker]

Just backing up what Rookie48 stated. You will be glad you took his advice

 

[Dovid]

Thanks everyone! That's what is so nice about this group. I will pull ahead. I will also slice the silvertips too. My wife added some wine to the little gravy already in the pan so we had the juice frozen and ready.

Thanks again,

Dovid
Chicago kosher Que