Everything takes longer in my UDS

Atombomb182 · Oct 26, 2020

I've been cooking on my UDS for just over 7 years and wanted to share some experiences with the community to see if anyone has seen similar results. I'm not sure if the laws of physics don't exist inside the can, but everything seems to take much longer on my UDS. This weekend, I smoked a 19lb brisket for 32 hours, the meat temp got to 185 before I had to pull it as dinner was approaching. I usually smoke at 225 but allow 15 degrees on either side before adjusting valves. I did have about a 1 hour period where the smoker temp dipped below 200 before I woke up enough to realize.

I've noticed similar results with butts. Baby backs on my UDS are underdone at 6 hours and perfect at 8.

As for my setup, I have a charcoal basket elevated off the bottom of the can by about 1.5" the basket is about 10" tall and the food grate is 18" above the coals. There's about 8" between the food grate and the lid. I'm usually reading the smoker temp just below the food grate. For this cook, the meat probe was in the largest part of the point.

Asking purely out of curiosity. I have a Big Joe III on it's way and will retire the can.

NoNotTheDuo · Oct 26, 2020

When I cook in cans (UDS or Gateway, both are the same), I cook at a much higher temp. Usually right at 300. To me, this is the biggest benefit of a can. Briskets are done and rested in less than 6 hours for me!

cclinard1 · Oct 26, 2020

UDS shines doing hot/fast. Try going up to 275-300 and you'll see better results.

Atombomb182 · Oct 26, 2020

I wish I would have asked this question 7 years ago.

Stlsportster · Oct 26, 2020

For the record it doesn’t have to be 300. I smoke in my drum at the 260-275 range all the time as well with great results.

I also smoke briskets and pork butts at 275-300 regardless of what smoker I use..even my stick burner.

Chicken likes 325-350!!

JS-TX · Oct 26, 2020

I would bet your thermometer is way off.. under by 50*

SmokerKing · Oct 26, 2020

I start all smokes off at 225-250 for 2 hours, then 275-285 rest of cook

mcyork28 · Oct 26, 2020

What kind of thermometer are you using? If it's not digital there is a good chance you might be cooking a lot colder then you think.

Atombomb182 · Oct 26, 2020

JS-TX said:
I would bet your thermometer is way off.. under by 50*

You got me curious. I'll boil some water and test.

Atombomb182 · Oct 26, 2020

mcyork28 said:
What kind of thermometer are you using? If it's not digital there is a good chance you might be cooking a lot colder then you think.

Maverick ET-732

Atombomb182 · Oct 26, 2020

Atombomb182 said:
You got me curious. I'll boil some water and test.

Seems to be right on the money

thirdeye · Oct 26, 2020

Usually it's the other way around, early on people commented that drums cooked 25% faster. What I found was the short stem thermometers mounted in the side read low by 40° or so when compared to the actual temps at the grate. I did some testing with cable probes clipped on the grate, then wound up buying 12" long TelTru thermometers and mounted it so the stem is a few inches under the top grate. So 250° on my side thermometer equals 280° on my 12" thermometer.

The first mod I did was a hanging rack, so with the thermometer fully inserted I can't to a 360° spin of my rack, so I mounted it in a sleeve so I can retract it. I also have to take it out to lower my charcoal basket.

rovster · Oct 26, 2020

My new drum cooks a lot faster than my kamado. I do run it a little hotter but overall it’s a cooking machine and reasonably efficient.

I also would guess your thermometers are off or you’re placing them too close to the meat and it’s throwing you off.

One thing I’ve learned with my cookers (kamado first then drum), get the thing humming at the temp you want THEN put the meat on and don’t touch anything! Just like hot air heats the meat, cold meat cools the air!

JEStucker · Oct 26, 2020

My drum that I built about 3 or so years ago seems to like running at 275* (give or take 15*) - I can go hotter, usually maxing out about 350* if necessary, but it doesn't like to hold 350* at all (lots of fluctuation).
Once I dial in my vents to where I feel comfortable, it'll run 275* for 10-16 hours depending on how much charcoal (briqs or lump) and wood I've fed it,
I've tried 225* to 250* and it always wants to stabilize at 275*, so I just go with it.

If you're truly running 225*, then 32 hours for a 19lb brisket wouldn't be far off... most cooking information says 1.5 hours per pound, so you're looking at 28.5 hours just based on weight alone (that is a MONSTER brisket by the way) - figure you lose heat every time you open the drum to fiddle with something, of even when adding more coals or wood...

rus_bro · Oct 26, 2020

32 hours? at some point you have to give in and crutch that thing

rb

rus_bro · Oct 26, 2020

Stlsportster said:
For the record it doesn’t have to be 300. I smoke in my drum at the 260-275 range all the time as well with great results.

I also smoke briskets and pork butts at 275-300 regardless of what smoker I use..even my stick burner.

Chicken likes 325-350!!

Run the offset and the WSM both around 265-275 for brisket.

rb

P0234 · Oct 27, 2020

As mentioned to get a good comparison you have to put good quality digital probes at the point where your meat is sitting on. I use those clip on probe holders and keeps them about 3 inches away from the meat.

16Adams · Oct 27, 2020

I went through a pretty drastic thinning of the herd the last 24-36 months. I had the OG PBC. Great food. Sold it 5 years after I bought it and got 50% of my money back. I missed drum cooking more than I thought and went to buy the PBC Jr. they had been pulled from Market. AClark turned me in to the 125$ Oklahoma Joe Bronco about the same time I noticed PBC Jr was available again.
I really enjoy cooking on my Ceramic Cooker and having a drum back in the lineup
PBC regular and juniors both currently on sale. My experience was PBC is set and forget. No chasing temps no thermometer. It’s actually the cooker that taught me how to cook.

70monte · Oct 27, 2020

I have a PBC and everything seems to cook faster on it. I don't have a thermometer mounted on it and have never temp checked the inside. I just let it do it's thing.

Bbq_lover · Oct 28, 2020

That’s a huge brisket. I have smoked 12 lb briskets at 250 in about 12 to 14 hours, usually an overnight cook. If I want it faster then I up the temp, but I love my UDS ever since I built it. It runs like a dream and food is always on point. I would test with higher temps in increments of about 25 degrees per cook and see what the results are. Good luck!!

Side note, I don’t wrap anything, in case it helps!!

Everything takes longer in my UDS

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