Ugly Drum Smoker

Rmhardie · Nov 14, 2012

Permatex

Just BS said:
We're gonna need more info.

How did you clean out your drum liner?

Did you burn it out? If so, how long?

Additional build specs too....

Standard uds build. Expanded metal basket 3" off floor, food 24" above that, three 3/4 intakes. I used the RTV to seal a band of steel around the top (on the outside of the band) to attach stove rope to accomodate a domed lid. The other application of the rtv was to seal around the intakes (again, on the outside of the drum). A little of the rtv leaked into the fire chamber around the top of one intake. As far as the liner goes, it was sandblasted out. I've cooked on it with the flat lid prior to the mods.

FORY · Nov 14, 2012

I fill my basket full every smoke (16.6 lb. bag & 3-4 fist size chunks of white oak using the minion method). When I done cooking I close off the intakes and exhaust and snuff it out. Usually within an hour its out. On my next cook I shake the ash out of the basket then reuse what is left. I then add wood chunks and top off with more charcoal or lump. I usually only use 1/4 -1/2 of the fuel for a cook (8-10 hours). I have let it go just to see how long it would last on a full basket and lasted over 24 hours. I have thought about making a smaller basket for things like fish and chicken for faster cooks but I use so little fuel with a big basket I haven't bothered.

Sizzl said:
I get the same results. 20# of B & B Lump will burn 24 hrs. 275deg. One cap off of lid with no chimney, one 3/4 open, one 3/4 half closed on the intake

What's the size of your baskets?

Wh1skey6 · Nov 16, 2012

FORY said:
What's the size of your baskets?

I'd be curious as to know as well. I've seen people use the charcoal grate out of a 18" Weber or a 22.5" Weber. That's a pretty big size difference.

Mine is 13.5" in diameter and works fine.

sweetheatbbq · Nov 16, 2012

Starting my first UDS build today. Assuming it turns out I may not have to lug the JOS to all the comps. I have never had a smoker without a water pan. Should I not bother putting a water pan in the UDS?

Sizzl · Nov 16, 2012

Don't bother with the water pan. If you use the minion method to light the coals, they'll never get hot enough to worry about over temperature.

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Wh1skey6 · Nov 16, 2012

Has anyone tried permanently sealing off an intake? I drilled 3 3/4" holes and using magnets. I might try sealing off two of them and using a BGE style intake.

FORY · Nov 16, 2012

Wh1skey6 said:
I'd be curious as to know as well. I've seen people use the charcoal grate out of a 18" Weber or a 22.5" Weber. That's a pretty big size difference.

Mine is 13.5" in diameter and works fine.

Mine, if I'm not mistaken, is about 15" in diameter, and about 13" tall.

My longest burn was about 6 hours... I had the basket half-filled, and I ended up with about 1/2 of the charcoal unused.... I gues mine would go easily for a 18 hr run.

Dr_KY · Nov 16, 2012

Wh1skey6 said:
Has anyone tried permanently sealing off an intake? I drilled 3 3/4" holes and using magnets. I might try sealing off two of them and using a BGE style intake.

Try using a couple of fender or repair washers on each side and run a nut/bolt done tight. If need me make a gasket from silicone or something of that nature.

Pulledporky · Nov 18, 2012

Wow! What an awesome thread, I was going to go the Big poppa smokers kit route but after reading all 688 I definitely doing my own build so its just how I want it and well more rewarding from doing my own build. I traded a couple bottles of leather cleaner and conditioner to our waste management guy at work for a brand new open head unlined drum and im beginning to gather parts. I have a weber kettle lid obtained from a posting on Craigslist but it is just too small so I went the old pliers mod and didn't like the fit or the look. So well working with auto repair shops for 30 years I have made many friends and business relationships with folks whos skillset is most benefiting to me since I do not weld. So called in a favor to a friend and told him what I am doing and got excited and agreed to do a couple things for me in trade for que. Sweet! So first thing he's going to trim the lip of the lin to set perfectly into the flat top lid and weld it then cut out tohe center of the flat top lid. And thats where im at, off and running...I will post pictures and update you fine folks as I go through this build. :-D

Rmhardie · Nov 18, 2012

Domed lid temps

Recently modded my UDS to add a domed lid and second grate. It will park itself all day long at 250!! The problem is that is with all three 3/4 intakes open. When I was just using the drum lid (two bungs) it would shoot up to 400 asap until I closed off two nipples and closed the ball valve down to about a third open. Any thoughts?

Wh1skey6 · Nov 19, 2012

Rmhardie said:
Recently modded my UDS to add a domed lid and second grate. It will park itself all day long at 250!! The problem is that is with all three 3/4 intakes open. When I was just using the drum lid (two bungs) it would shoot up to 400 asap until I closed off two nipples and closed the ball valve down to about a third open. Any thoughts?

How much exhaust is in the dome lid? My guess is that it is not enough. One sure fire way to tell is to prop the dome lid slightly open. If the temps go up, than I would add more exhaust.

Rmhardie · Nov 19, 2012

Domed Lid Temps

Whisky, thanks for the reply. I should have included the exhaust in the original email. Now that I've looked at the calculations, looks like I've got 1.32 sq inches of intake (three 3/4" pipes). I've drilled five 1/2" holes in the lid, but that's less than 1 square inch of exhaust. Comparing the exhaust in the dome versus the original drum lid with two bungs, certainly looks like I've got about half the exhaust of the original flat lid. The two bungs on the flat lid equal 3.92 sq inches of exhaust, almost twice the intake. Sounds like I need more and/or bigger exhausts on the dome.

LostSoul · Nov 19, 2012

First off I'd like to thank everyone who has posted in this thread! New guy here, found a drum and fired up the initial burn. I waited a couple of days and emptied out the ashes only to find a hole burned out of the bottom of the drum! I'm pretty bummed out. Can I still use the drum? I don't have a welder so I can't weld down a new bottom but I was thinking of bolting down some sheet metal. Has this happened to anyone else? What do y'all think?

Pulledporky · Nov 19, 2012

And what I have learned is the 3 rib barrels are a thicker gauge steel, good for longer lifetime but bad for dome lid usage because these barrels are about 1/4 inch larger in diameter so lid mods are required if using the open head. Watch out for this folks

Just BS · Nov 19, 2012

LostSoul said:
First off I'd like to thank everyone who has posted in this thread! New guy here, found a drum and fired up the initial burn. I waited a couple of days and emptied out the ashes only to find a hole burned out of the bottom of the drum! I'm pretty bummed out. Can I still use the drum? I don't have a welder so I can't weld down a new bottom but I was thinking of bolting down some sheet metal. Has this happened to anyone else? What do y'all think?

I'd trash it and start over. They're only like 15 bucks.....

Just BS · Nov 19, 2012

Rmhardie said:
I used the Permatex Red Hi Temp red RTV sealant to mod my UDS to add a domed lid and seal up around the air intakes at the bottom. On the first trial run, I built a small fire to test the temp performance, etc. I noticed a chemical type smell coming through the exhaust vents. I've seen plenty of posts using this product and would assume that if its not safe for a UDS, that would be well documented here. However, I'm really concerned about off gassing during the cook. I don't want my guests getting ill from my modded rig! Any input would be appreciated

krshome said:
I pulled this from another post here on the BBQB: The Permetex site said this:
" When heated to temperatures above 300 degrees F. in the presence of air, this product can form formaldehyde vapors. Formaldehyde is a potential cancer hazard and a known skin and respiratorysensitizer. Safe handling conditions may be maintained by keeping vapor concentrations below the OSHA permissible limit for formaldehyde"

Rmhardie said:
Standard uds build. Expanded metal basket 3" off floor, food 24" above that, three 3/4 intakes. I used the RTV to seal a band of steel around the top (on the outside of the band) to attach stove rope to accomodate a domed lid. The other application of the rtv was to seal around the intakes (again, on the outside of the drum). A little of the rtv leaked into the fire chamber around the top of one intake. As far as the liner goes, it was sandblasted out. I've cooked on it with the flat lid prior to the mods.

Looks like krshome already answered your question.... I'm not a big fan of formaldehyde, but I've drank beer in the Phillipines that supposedly used it in their bottling process. I'd start over....

pal251 · Nov 19, 2012

Any ideas on thermometers? Also any way to prevent my iron nipple caps from rusting so quick

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Skidder · Nov 19, 2012

pal251 said:
Any ideas on thermometers? Also any way to prevent my iron nipple caps from rusting so quick

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Get some brass ones. I actually attach a wire with self tapping screws to the drum so I don't misplace the caps.

Bludawg · Nov 19, 2012

pal251 said:
Any ideas on thermometers? Also any way to prevent my iron nipple caps from rusting so quick

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Old Smokey thermos are good and cheap, I painted my nipples:shock:and I use PVC caps. 4 yrs later no rust issues.

Wh1skey6 · Nov 20, 2012

Rmhardie said:
Whisky, thanks for the reply. I should have included the exhaust in the original email. Now that I've looked at the calculations, looks like I've got 1.32 sq inches of intake (three 3/4" pipes). I've drilled five 1/2" holes in the lid, but that's less than 1 square inch of exhaust. Comparing the exhaust in the dome versus the original drum lid with two bungs, certainly looks like I've got about half the exhaust of the original flat lid. The two bungs on the flat lid equal 3.92 sq inches of exhaust, almost twice the intake. Sounds like I need more and/or bigger exhausts on the dome.

Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think you just need a 1:1 ratio of intake to exhaust. I'm guessing this isn't a Weber dome lid?

Ugly Drum Smoker

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