UDS Build and 1st somke W/pics

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Keith F

Cook
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Messages
86
Location
Ventura, Ca
While poking around here in the forum I herd about the UDS and the Mother of all threads over on the Brethren site. Well after a couple of nights of reading I only made it through 110 pages. With 90+ to go I figured I had enough information to be dangerous.
Last week I acquired a 55 Gal (FOOD GRADE) drum.
UDS_1.JPG


Couple of holes in the bottom and a good burn.
UDS_2.JPG


Used 2" of the the top ring from a (found on the side of the road) Webber one touch. I used 4 stainless bolts to hold ring in place and rest the grill grate on. I ran out of BBQ paint so I also used some regular flat black that I had laying around.
UDS_3.JPG


Mid week I did a test run / seasoning burn with just some oil rubbed on the inside. She ran 5 hrs at 250 with 3.5 lbs of lump and some Lemon sticks.
Friday I got up at 4am and put 3 shoulders on. Loaded the basket up wiht 10 Lbs of Hardwood Briquet's and hickory chunks. She was running a little hot for the first 2 hrs until I got in to settled down to 225. Around the 7 hr mark is started to cool down so I shook the basket to knock the ash down. The total cook was 14 Hrs. Pulled when internal temp hit @ 190.
UDS_1st_Cook_1.JPG


Not too bad if I do say so.
UDS_1st_Cook_2.JPG
 
Keith,

That is is good looking drum and some good looking grub. You should be able to maintain bbq temps for up to 20 hours on one load of lump.
 
I must say it was a far cry from feeding the home made Texas side burner. For the most part the drum held steady temps. Had to shake the ash down once at around 7 hrs.
At one point the wind picked up and temps claimed with it. I choked it down too much allowing the temps to drop to 100 deg. The temps yoyo'ed for a hour until I stopped fussing with it and let it settle in. I need to learn to keep my hands off and the the drum do its thing. Something I could never do with the home made stick burner.

If any one is in So Cal and wants a Home Made side burner and is willing to pick it up................ Come and get it.
 
Nice job,,I've been playing with 1 of those UDS.
A good buddy I worked with for 25 years at CF stopped over
we got to talkin about paint. He tells me that Rust-Oleum has a BBQ paint
1100 degrees and rust proof also.
I leave mine outside for the night to cool down, sometimes it rains

Good Luck with you new toy,,
 
Thanks for all the good words. I can't wait to cook more on it and get it dialed in. My 2nd cook is going to be Thanksgiving Turkey. I will be oven cooking one too. The little lady is not sure if she wants smoked turkey. I was going to go lite on the smoke and see if that makes her happy.
 
You cant go wrong with smoked turkey....even with no smoke it takes the cake compared to an oven bird IMO.
 
As it turned out I put a 12lb bird on a stand (Beer Can Style) and cooked / smoked at 325. The thing was done in 1hr 45min. Never in my life have I had a bird cook so fast. I am thinking it was due to the heat running through the inside of the bird like a chimney, cooking it from the inside and outside at the same time.
It was done so fast I had to hold it in a cooler for 3 hrs till dinner. I foiled with a 50/50 mix of beer and apple juice. When all was said and done I was not 100% happy with the end results but it was still better than the garlic / rosemary bird that was over cooked.

Sorry, no pics. I am not use to photographing my cooks.
 
No Pics = No Bird! :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

I just got done aruing with a friend that no bird on a smoker is done in 2.5 hours.....turns out I cooked one on my 22 kettle (@ 350*) and it takes exactly 2.5 hours inderectly on a 22 weber kettle. 12 lb bird At least here in Colorado. 8) :D

inside outside theory sounds like it makes sense.
 
Back
Top Bottom