Butts on the UDS

[Cliff H.]

It has been at least 4 weeks since I smoked some butts.

Off to a late start with these four. On at 12:00 am.

Three with Wolfe Rub Original and one with a rub that I threw together.

 

[john a]

That's a great start, can't wait to see the finish.

 

[Hillbilly1]

Lookin mighty fine!

 

[Bbq Bubba]

Lookin good Cliff!

Do you find problems with getting the temps up with the drum full like that?

I've also had problems with all the fat dripping on the coals and snuffing the fire.

 

[dmtky]

looks like you got it under control, Cliff. Can't wait to see the finished procuct.

 

[Cliff H.]

Drum ran solid between 230-260 all night. I dumped an entire 10 lb bag of Ozark Oak lump in with some pecan and cherry. The drum never spiked. When It started it's predictable temp decline after 4-5 hours I mad a minor adjustment and it went right back up.

It is now 12:00 pm and I have had the butts off for about 30 min.

I had to leave the drum alone some today which is out my comfort zone a bit but only because of what would happen if the lid was off and not because of my confidence in the smoker.

I think there is enough fire to cook something else.

 

[Puff1]

You are the drum king Cliff!

 

[Toby Keil]

What a great way to start the day!

 

[LarryWolfe]

I'm going to Cliffs for dinner!

 

[Hillbilly1]

Stop an pick me up, I wanna go to!

 

[Tannehill Kid]

Started your weekend off good. You are ahead of the cold front too.

 

[bigwheel]

Looks good Cliff. Now on my PDS (purty drum smoker) if I plugged up the top rack with that much meat I would not get much bounce down type relective heat and smoke from the lid. I would be spanking the bottom real hard but the top gonna remain fairly unscathed cuz the fire products from the bottom find it hard to bypass all that meat. Now do your UDS suffer from these type of maladies? If not how come? Do that stuff ever need flippin I guess is whut I'm axing. How many cooking grates you got? How come you don't use a water pan..blah blah blah. That would at least keep the grease from smothering the fire. Now my grease always make the fire burn brighter. Maybe I giving it too much O2. I'm lost here. Could you take it from the top and splains it? Thanks.

bigwheel

 

[surfinsapo]

Good job Cliff !

 

[Griff]

Cliff, you are indeed the drum man.

 

[Cliff H.]

Looks good Cliff. Now on my PDS (purty drum smoker) if I plugged up the top rack with that much meat I would not get much bounce down type relective heat and smoke from the lid. I would be spanking the bottom real hard but the top gonna remain fairly unscathed cuz the fire products from the bottom find it hard to bypass all that meat. Now do your UDS suffer from these type of maladies? If not how come? Do that stuff ever need flippin I guess is whut I'm axing. How many cooking grates you got? How come you don't use a water pan..blah blah blah. That would at least keep the grease from smothering the fire. Now my grease always make the fire burn brighter. Maybe I giving it too much O2. I'm lost here. Could you take it from the top and splains it? Thanks.

bigwheel

BW I will be glad to give you my .00012 on this but it will be have to be in the am. I don't sleep well when I cook overnight. Kinda like the night before opening day of hunting season.

 

[Griff]

I don't sleep well when I cook overnight. Kinda like the night before opening day of hunting season.

Yep

 

[Cliff H.]

There have been a couple of folks ask if four butts was to much for the drum on one rack. I will say that three would be better. Six on two racks may have cooked better that four on one rack.

I smoked eight on two racks last year and vowed never to attempt that again.

As I was loading the butts on the drum I checked to make sure there was some clearance around the outside edge, the middle and a between the cuts if possible knowing that they would skrink some and the gaps would expand.

There is some convection going on that I can't prove or explain very well. I know that drums cook faster. The only way that can happen at low temps is if there is some airflow ( convection ) going on around the meat.

Some folks say that you have to flip. I don't and never have had any problems. As far as fat dripping in the fire, It gives UDS cooking it's distinctive flavor.

A drip pan may be a good idea. A heat shield is not. I tried a clay saucer mod once and had a hard time keeping temps up.

 

[007bond-jb]

Looks great Cliff

 

[Cliff H.]

Here.......Sony can explain it better than I.

After 11 hours, the butts came off. I decided that there was plenty of fire left for a rack of beef ribs and a rack of spares.

The drum held bbq temps for 18 hours on ten lbs of lump.

 

[Impailer]

Everything looks great - great job once again.