BBQ Central "Official" UDS Thread

[Nick]

Shazaam!!! I finally finished this weekend, and as soon as I get a chance to throw my pictures up... I am going for it.

I got the firepan welder pickledpig style 2 weekends ago (solid as a freakin rock) and used a $5 cajun deepfryer thermometer from walmart (12 in...lol @ it fitting to the exact center of the drum). So I managed to finish up for just another $5...

i didnt get pics of the meat(they may be on facebook, i will link em here if they are), but I got pics of the cooker.

Normally i dont post placeholders like this, but i have been excited, but too busy to post.

[Tri Tip]

Our team just picked up 5 food grade drums for $10 each. 4 for the team and one to bring to a comp and sell. These photos are just after they were sand blasted inside and out and powder coated. Mine are the black one's. Figures I'd get the one with the dented lid!
I should have some finished and up close picts, after I transfer the hardware from my current two spray painted UDS's. Anyone in the So Cal area can come pick up my old UDS shells for free.

[Koopdaddy]

For those of you with a UDS, how many butts can you smoke at one time? Does it affect the length of time required to do pulled pork? I wanted to try and do 5-6 depending on how they fit at one shot and just wanted to know if there is anything I should do different.

[Nick]

2 weekends ago I did 4 at once with some room to spare (I have 2 weber 22" racks in there). I think I could have done 6. It took 12 hours at 235 to get mine to pull. Took them to 190, then let em rest for 2 hours while I did other stuff.

By the way, here are the pics I owe:



thing worked like a charm...i still had enough fuel left after the 12 hour burn to do some ribs and a chicken(5 hours total) the next weekend without adding anything.

I love my UDS.

[Tri Tip]

Ive done 8. The bottom ones get done about 3.5 hrs earlier. You can also swap the racks mid cook.

[Tri Tip]

Just got these back from the powder shop. They are as shiny as a new weber kettle. Had em sand blasted inside and out then powder coated. I'm using all the hardware from the spay painted ones I have.
Here are some close up's.

These are going to live in the team trailer when not in use.




Looks like the sand blaster missed a couple of spots down on the bottom side. Oh well, no biggy.

[Massey Q]

That is a thing of beauity.

[Tri Tip]

Finished these last night and seasoned them overnight. Gonna make some ribs on one and chicken on the other Sunday. My buddy had his high temp powder coated. I did regular powder and it held up fine.
We have a comp in early Nov. so I want to get them real gunked up. They just don't cook the same when they are new. Temps hold better and more stable the thicker the caking is on the inside.

[Griff]

Impressive job Tri Tip.

[Nick Prochilo]

A work of art!

[Nick]

Wow...takin the ugly out of that drum! I have been studying up a storm, but I think I will get to do some smokin this weekend. I want to try a brisket, but I think capacity is a problem if you try to do a whole packer.

Anyone have any experience with whole briskets or a bone-in pork butt?

[consecrow]

Just starting to get parts for my two UDS ... Can't wait

[backyardbbq]

I am nearly done with my first UDS build and can hardly wait to cook on it. These photo's were taking before giving the inside a final bath to remove the liner dust and any surface rust that had started to form.


I also scavenged an old weber grate, it needs a little elbow grease with a wire brush to remove the rust.

I used a lid from an old ECB I had setting around, seems a bit poetic if you ask me. I do want to add a piece of all thread across the top to have something to lift it out if needed, and add a pizza pan below the fire basket to catch the ash.


I'm planning on adding some handles to the body and lid, as well as a bottle opener.

[Jester]

I figured I'd post my build here even though I have my own build thread, but this should be helpful to people trying to start...

Top is cut off and the inside is cleaned....


Laid out some tape and marked the hole for my BGE vent...


I cut the hole out using the Dremel and everything is ready to be burned out...


I did a traditional pallet wood burn out...


SS u-bolts installed...


Black high-temp paint sprayed..


BGE Vent installed with high-temp silicone...


Charcoal grate built and ready...


Grates installed, inside coated in lard and the test burn started..




Hope this sparks some ideas...

[Tri Tip]

Looking good. I like the BGE Vent too!

[backyardbbq]

I added some new parts to my UDS. I now have a lid handle, body handles, new smoke stack, and a thermometer in the lid.

[John20]

I will be cooking on my UDS this weekend for the first time. I can't wait to see how it cooks. Do you use a water pan in your UDS while cooking??!


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[bigwheel]

I bet that water pan deal is at least optional if you can fit one down in there. The predecessor on the UDS concept was called a LDS..Little drum smoker. They made them out of the smaller grease buckets..20-30 gallon maybe. Knew several folks who bought one. They just used drilled out holes of the right quantity and location for the intake and exhaust. Never saw anbody trying to poke water down in there. I know the guys name who invented the LDS. Lanny something or other seems like.

[Nick Prochilo]

Originally Posted by John20

I will be cooking on my UDS this weekend for the first time. I can't wait to see how it cooks. Do you use a water pan in your UDS while cooking??!


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Uhmmm, you do know we need pictures for proof????

[John20]

I will post pics of my cook tomorrow from start to finish. It's going to be a great day!?


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