Looking for advice: Bar-B-Que Smoker on the cheap.

[Shores]

Welcome aboard BBQ Central Ashyface.

To throw my $.02 in, I would still recommend you get a WSM. The 22.5" if you can. It's a great smoker for the $$$ and if you want to cook like you're on a UDS/Barrelsmoker all you have to do is take the water pan out. This will bide you some time to build a UDS once you get into your new house or get the tools needed. There's some great threads in the pit/mods forum by both Jester and 92hatchback on recent UDS builds that are real neat.

Have fun with your new addiction!

 

[DarylCincy]

Ashyface, Welcome!

Good advice here, You could build a UDS for around $150 they work as well as a Weber Smokey Mountain, The Weber is a more polished smoker and you dont have to fabricate it, and you should find a 22.5" WSM for $350. But if you really want a good Off-set you need to wait and save up the money and good one will run $1000 up. Then there is the easy no babysitting Off-set pellet feeder Traeger Brand for around $800.
Do your home work!

-Daryl

 

[Ashyface]

Hey-ya Shores! Thanks for the kind welcome! I've been reading that fantastic thread that Justaguy posted, working my way through slowly, and I think I'm just dead-set on a Drum. The WSM is very nice, but something about a UDS/BDS/Whatever folks call it, just appeals to me. It's big, heavy, there is nothing pretty or modern about it. To me, it just "looks" right. A big 'ol ugly, greasy mess of a contraption to smoke the hell out of some fantastic meats! It's just my way of thinkin' mind you, but to me Bar-B-Que--the best stuff--is supposed to come out of some ugly, brutish, nasty, contraption. The WSM is just too polished and nice looking for my tastes I think. It's also the old-way, and I'm a big believer in the "old way" of doing things in many areas of life, not all mind you, but a lot.

I've also been thinking about how to clear some space out in my Garage so that I can setup a suitable workspace. I don't know if I can, but I'm thinking about how to is all I'm saying. I may just build my own. The main problem is that I'm no welder, nor do I have any of those kind of tools, but maybe I could have a welding shop fix me up what I need. I really do like the UDS that guy had in that video I posted; the 2010 UDS one. I dunno man. I'm all a-twitter over this. He-he. I feel like a woman in the shoe department I guess. I'll nail down on a decision in a few days, after I finish some more research.

Thanks all of you guys; truly.


EDIT: Hello DarylCincy! You snuck one in there while I was typing. Indeed, and I hear ya. This Drum is just to get me through until I'm out of the Suburbs, and onto Land. Then I'll be looking into a 2,000 type contraption made of Train Steel, and Wagon Wheels! Thanks for the welcome and direction.

 

[Larry D.]

Whether you decide on a WSM or a drum smoker, check out the Virtual Weber Bullet: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ if you haven't already. The information and cooking techniques for the WSM should work just about the same on a UDS (or BDS, sorry if I offended the guy who sells them ). Also, the people over there aren't as fanatical as they are on some bbq forums - we don't care what you cook on and no question is too "newbie" to ask.

 

[Ashyface]

I had not seen that LarryD. Many thanks!

 

[bigwheel]

Do the big drum smoker. I think that is my old pal Rocky Richmond who has the market cornered on that one.

bigwheel

 

[Ashyface]

The Brits had a saying about the Spitfire back in WWII: If it looks right, it will fly right. I'm thinking this applies to the Drum Smoker too. I'm really leaning towards it. I just wish I could get more information about the two I've found that are S.T.R.A.C and ready to go. If you know Mr. Richmond--and that's the same man--let me know what his product can do please. I didn't have much time to speak with him today, and we couldn't cover the basics because I pissed him off by calling his Smoker a UDS. LOL. He flew off into a 5 min. tirade, so I shut the f*** up. He-he. But I don't care; "Artists" are frequently given to proclivities, that's what makes them what they are. Fill me in bigwheel; please!


P.S. How's Ft. Worth? The last time I was through there it was lookin' like Lil' Mehecho. Keep yer rifle arm strong my-man!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pVJnmejqBE - George.

 

[Tri Tip]

Welcome! 22.5 WSM and don't look back! I added a middle rack to mine and an 18 in top rack on carriage bolts. 4 racks total. Got a record 7 briskets on it for a comp that we served the public. Many Grand Champions have been won on em. Nothing made me more mad than when Triggs said Soo needed to upgrade his pit. :twisted: If you have the patience you can build a UDS correctly for about $160. I sold my 22.5 because I feel a UDS just cooks better, and as Richlen would say the way cool factor is off the charts.

 

[bigwheel]

Yes that was most likely him. All artistes are eccentric. Far as I know this barrell mania deal started with what was called the LDS (Little Drum Smoker) invented by somebody. Lanny maybe? Anyway it was a smaller barrell like the kind grease come in at the Quick Lube place. 30 gallon maybe? It had a handle on the lid and a few strategic holes drilled in the lid and around the base. Its claim to fame was a 5 lb. bag o Kingsford and 2 chunks add two briskets or butts or one of each and come back later to find bbq. I would guess since the BDS is a take off on that one (a take off I first suggested by the way I would use 10 lbs of Kingsford and 4 chunks. Easy huh? Now some on the comp circuit was carrying around the LDS's for chicken for some reason unbeknownst to me. Yes on the little Mejico. We might as well go ahead and merge the countries. They have oil..tequilla..good looking senoritas etc. They should be gladder to see us than was the Iraquis. Will just need to add a few stars to Old Glory. I think one extry for each state should work out fine. Smart thinning Senor Queeks Draw.

bigwheel

The Brits had a saying about the Spitfire back in WWII: If it looks right, it will fly right. I'm thinking this applies to the Drum Smoker too. I'm really leaning towards it. I just wish I could get more information about the two I've found that are S.T.R.A.C and ready to go. If you know Mr. Richmond--and that's the same man--let me know what his product can do please. I didn't have much time to speak with him today, and we couldn't cover the basics because I pissed him off by calling his Smoker a UDS. LOL. He flew off into a 5 min. tirade, so I shut the f*** up. He-he. But I don't care; "Artists" are frequently given to proclivities, that's what makes them what they are. Fill me in bigwheel; please!


P.S. How's Ft. Worth? The last time I was through there it was lookin' like Lil' Mehecho. Keep yer rifle arm strong my-man!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pVJnmejqBE - George.

 

[Tri Tip]

WSMs don't rust

 

[Ashyface]

@Tri Tip: Everything metal rusts...eventually. Maintenance is the key; but I hear what you're saying.

@bigwheel: The problem with Mexico is that it's full of people who tolerate open, ball-faced, corruption with a shrug of their shoulders. 3rd World People make 3rd World Nations. Texas was a wasteland. We made it into something wonderful. It will be a cold day in hell before I let it go without a fight, just because the Mexicans don't want to tend their own house, instead of invading ours, and saying it's their right to do so! I'm all for legal immigration, but it's a slap in the face to every person, and family that did it the hard way, for these people to come up here, lower the wage scale, refuse to learn the language, and say they have a "human right" to do so. Life ain't fair, and Texas is great because we fought tooth and nail, and sweated in the sun in wasteland soil to make it that way. Nobody has any "rights" so far as I'm conscerned; only what you "earn."

But I digress; Thanks for the history lesson bigwheel. I don't know who holds the original patent on "cooking meat in a vertical, sealed, tube" but I dare say it's Biblical in reality.

 

[bigwheel]

Great dissertation. Got kin who particpated in the War with Mejico myself. In fact I had an uncle who died at the Alamo. He choked to death on the Jim Bowie Corn Dawg at the concession stand. That was the yankee uncle by marriage of course. I do not believe them folks from South of the River could be much if any more immoral than we'uns. We are all sinners saved by grace don't you think.

bigwheel

 

[Ashyface]

[youtube:25xk5odi]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0-h3SAASmI[/youtube:25xk5odi]
HAHAHAHA!


I think life's a bitch and then you die, but Texans take care of their own.

 

[Tri Tip]

Looks like you are leaning toward a UDS. I built two and was so happy I sold off the WSMs. We have been very successful in comps with em. Because the charcoal is 2 feet under the meat, you not only get a smoke/roast like other smokers, you also get somewhat of a sear/grill to the meat. We cook on 4. One for each meat. We are frequently the only team cooken on 55 gallon drums. We continually have a small crowd around us during turn ins. Point is they are just about the coolest smoker there is in my opinion. The reaction from friends and the public is overwhelming. We have gotten better scores than dudes cooken on $7000 pits. My teammate got his drum from ULINE for $90 and it didn’t have a lining. He added the hardware for another $150 and was done with it. My other teammate bought one for $15 and had it professionaly sandblasted and powder coated for $130. I took the low road. I hit mine with a torch for 2 hrs and then grinded the finish off the inside and out. All in all it took 5 hours and 8 hours total from start to finish. You’ll want to season it before you cook on it also. We get 20+ hours from a 15 lb bag of Stubbs. Them fancy offset pits sure are pretty but for $4000 + and having to tend to the fire all night I’d rather tend to my pillow Either way it’s all about haven fun.

Not that I care to show our ugly mugs but you can see two of our UDS's to the left.

 

[bigwheel]

Thanks for the action shots. I cook the same basic way in the upright of my offset. The tube is just rectangular in shape as opposed to round. Great system obviously or we wouldnt be using it

bigwheel

 

[JWJR40]

WSM is the only way to go

 

[Ashyface]

Many thanks for the photos and advice, but I'm going 'drum.' I've read too many good things, and since you can build one yourself, and get better results, it strokes my Rugged Individualist side.

 

[BeeRich]

What Vermin said.

 

[Tri Tip]

Many thanks for the photos and advice, but I'm going 'drum.' I've read too many good things, and since you can build one yourself, and get better results, it strokes my Rugged Individualist side.

You will not be disappointed PM me anytime for questions on the build. Use stainless hardware.