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  • UDS Build...Opinions Please

    I secured a drum today and am ready to start building. I have my measurements and before I drilled wanted to get other opinions.

    Drum is 33.5 inches tall and has a 23 inch diameter. For the intakes I have measured 3 holes as best to the same distance apart as I can get. They are 2 inches of bottom of barrel and 1 inch diameter. I will place 3/4 Close pipe fittings in those. One of them will have a 3/4 ball valve and the other 2 have fitted tops. 3 inches of bottom barrel is my charcoal grate that my basket will sit on. I made the 20/20 basket from here and will sit that on the grate.

    I want to add a second shelf so I measured 3 inches from top for 1st grate and 6 inches from top for second. That makes the second grate 24 inches from the charcoal grate. If second grate is used a weber 22.5 kettle dome will be used. Thermometer will be 1 inch below 2nd grate.

    Forgot to mention the exhaust. Have a lid with no holes. I am torn between adding a smoke stack or 8 1/2" holes for exhaust?

    What say you???? Are my measurments okay?
    Last edited by smokedog; 05-23-2011, 10:48 PM.

  • #2
    Sounds great to me.

    The only recommendations I would make are as follows:

    -- If you are going to use a Weber lid, put the closer to the top of the drum. That way you will have room to do butts or thicker stuff on the bottom grate if you need to.

    -- If you are using a flat lid, I'd go with the 8, 1/2" holes around the outside. But I'd really try to get a Weber lid on it if I were you. I think you'd be much happier with it.

    -- Consider putting another set of bolts in for a rack about 16" from the bottom of the drum. That way you can set your charcoal basket on it if you want to use it as a grill.

    Looking forward to seeing your build.

    Dave
    CUHS Metal Shop Reverse Flow
    UDS 1.0
    Afterburner
    Weber Performer
    Blue Thermapen
    Thermoworks Smoke with Gateway
    Thermoworks Chef Alarm
    Auber Smoker Controller
    Proud Smoked-Meat Member #88
    -
    "All welcome, take what ya need, share what ya know. " -- Richtee, 12/2/2010

    Comment


    • #3
      If you have a Weber lid then I'd use it all the time and forget about the flat lid. I'm not sure what a 20/20 basket is. Looking forward to your build so get loots of pics!
      sigpic


      GOSM/propane
      UDS (Cam)/lump
      22.5 Weber Kettle/lump
      Weber Genesis/propane
      Camp Chef Pro 90/ propane

      Comment


      • #4
        Do you have access to a welder? If you are going to use a weber lid then no need to worry about exhaust....If you have access to a welder you can weld on a 2" pipe for your exhaust on the flat lid....good luck
        Jerod
        GOT-Q-4-U bbq team
        sigpic

        Comment


        • #5
          Just a thought that might make things a little easier on you Smokedog. you said that you're setting your charcoal basket on a grate near the bottom. Does that mean that your ashes will fall through the grate and have to be dumped out of the barrel? Alot of us have used 3 1/2" bolts to bolt a pizza pan to the bottom of the charcoal basket so when you lift it out, you also lift the ashes out. I got in a hurry when I built mine and wish I'd used a pizza pan just a little bit bigger, but that's what the dollar store I was in had, so that's what I used. It seems to me that having to dump the ashes out every couple smokes would get to be a pain, plus you'd probably want to rinse the drum out every time it was dumped to get ashes off the walls that could fall on to food on the grates.
          Here's what my basket looks like.

          BTW .... the basket handle is the wire handle from a 5 gallon bucket.



          Comment


          • #6
            sounds good to me... put a stack on the lid though if you plan on still using the flat lid. the stack will help create a draft, which will help you exhaust better and keep the temps up. that's what's on mine and it works fine. get a good set of BIG handles though... something to really graba hold of and yank on. after the "goo" builds up on the lip of the drum and the lid, the lid will be hard to get off.

            Later,
            Andy
            Current babies:
            -Daughter's 10"x24" RF smoker
            -RichTee's Lang :)
            Former Lineup:
            -Charbroil Santa Fe grill
            -1954'ish Philco fridge smoker
            -1950's GE electric fridge smoker in progress (Went to WuTang and will probably never be completed. lol)
            -enough beer to drown any problem/ailment you may encounter

            "if you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough"
            BTW, U of M sucks, Go Big Red! I have bragging rights to 2018!

            Comment


            • #7
              i'd put ball valves on all of your bottom intakes. it's much easier than screwing the caps on an off.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by MichChef View Post
                Just a thought that might make things a little easier on you Smokedog. you said that you're setting your charcoal basket on a grate near the bottom. Does that mean that your ashes will fall through the grate and have to be dumped out of the barrel? Alot of us have used 3 1/2" bolts to bolt a pizza pan to the bottom of the charcoal basket so when you lift it out, you also lift the ashes out. I got in a hurry when I built mine and wish I'd used a pizza pan just a little bit bigger, but that's what the dollar store I was in had, so that's what I used. It seems to me that having to dump the ashes out every couple smokes would get to be a pain, plus you'd probably want to rinse the drum out every time it was dumped to get ashes off the walls that could fall on to food on the grates.
                Here's what my basket looks like.

                BTW .... the basket handle is the wire handle from a 5 gallon bucket.


                I love the idea of the handle from 5 gallon bucket!! I will make that mod!! My basket is the one from this forum....

                http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/sho...d.php?p=127100

                That should be big enough for the UDS and I can add the pizza pan to it. So I guess i can use 3.5" carriage bolts to attach to the bottom and any old screw and nut for the handle! THANKS

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by GOT14U View Post
                  Do you have access to a welder? If you are going to use a weber lid then no need to worry about exhaust....If you have access to a welder you can weld on a 2" pipe for your exhaust on the flat lid....good luck
                  No welder access...i like the idea of a stack better than the exhaust holes. Easier to cover up when not in use or to snuff out and save fuel. I plan on using the kettle lid whenever i can, however if i fire up both UDS and grill i would need the flat lid... Any other ideas to install a stack?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by smokedog View Post
                    So I guess i can use 3.5" carriage bolts to attach to the bottom and any old screw and nut for the handle! THANKS
                    Not to take anything away from the 20/20 basket but here's how I made a round charcoal basket with 3" legs. (3-1/2" bolts)

                    http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12848

                    Dave
                    CUHS Metal Shop Reverse Flow
                    UDS 1.0
                    Afterburner
                    Weber Performer
                    Blue Thermapen
                    Thermoworks Smoke with Gateway
                    Thermoworks Chef Alarm
                    Auber Smoker Controller
                    Proud Smoked-Meat Member #88
                    -
                    "All welcome, take what ya need, share what ya know. " -- Richtee, 12/2/2010

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by DDave View Post
                      Not to take anything away from the 20/20 basket but here's how I made a round charcoal basket with 3" legs. (3-1/2" bolts)

                      http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12848

                      Dave
                      Where would I get a piece of expanded metal that long? I know Ace carries some but it is only 24x24.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Any local welding shop should be able to hook you up. Either that, or call a local steel supplier like state steel, ryerson-tull, alro, etc. When shopping around here, a 4'x8' sheet of that expaned metal (3/4x9), I would be charged about $66 and change.

                        Later,
                        Andy
                        Current babies:
                        -Daughter's 10"x24" RF smoker
                        -RichTee's Lang :)
                        Former Lineup:
                        -Charbroil Santa Fe grill
                        -1954'ish Philco fridge smoker
                        -1950's GE electric fridge smoker in progress (Went to WuTang and will probably never be completed. lol)
                        -enough beer to drown any problem/ailment you may encounter

                        "if you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough"
                        BTW, U of M sucks, Go Big Red! I have bragging rights to 2018!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by smokedog View Post
                          No welder access...i like the idea of a stack better than the exhaust holes. Easier to cover up when not in use or to snuff out and save fuel. I plan on using the kettle lid whenever i can, however if i fire up both UDS and grill i would need the flat lid... Any other ideas to install a stack?
                          What about using 2" hole saw in lid for stack..2" PVC and jb weld? Can u use jb weld on PVC? If so, would 6" tall be sufficient?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Try your local scrap yard for some cheap expanded metal.
                            sigpic


                            GOSM/propane
                            UDS (Cam)/lump
                            22.5 Weber Kettle/lump
                            Weber Genesis/propane
                            Camp Chef Pro 90/ propane

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by smokedog View Post
                              Where would I get a piece of expanded metal that long?
                              Originally posted by aczeller View Post
                              Any local welding shop should be able to hook you up.
                              What he said. Local guy down the road from here cuts a piece to whatever measurement I give him. I think that one was $10 and probably about the same for the one for the smaller basket.

                              Originally posted by smokedog View Post
                              What about using 2" hole saw in lid for stack..2" PVC and jb weld? Can u use jb weld on PVC? If so, would 6" tall be sufficient?
                              PVC on the stack might be okay as long as you don't plan getting the drum too hot. Sometimes that happens. Plus if you like to do chicken at 350°+ like me, PVC is not a good idea on top.

                              Also, I see no appreciable benefit from a vertical stack on a drum. There is no problem creating a "draw" because a drum is like a big charcoal chimney anyway. The trick is keeping temp down, not keeping it up. If I was using the flat lid, I'd just go with the eight 1/2" holes around the edge like the Big Drum Smoker.

                              Dave
                              CUHS Metal Shop Reverse Flow
                              UDS 1.0
                              Afterburner
                              Weber Performer
                              Blue Thermapen
                              Thermoworks Smoke with Gateway
                              Thermoworks Chef Alarm
                              Auber Smoker Controller
                              Proud Smoked-Meat Member #88
                              -
                              "All welcome, take what ya need, share what ya know. " -- Richtee, 12/2/2010

                              Comment

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