UDS build

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bstomper

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Ok, after a summer of cooking on my quickly built uds, I have decided to build my DREAM UDS. I am also building three basic ones for friends. I have found barrels that will fit my non-webber kettle lid perfectly. The lid has hinges and a integrated rack for some extra cooking space. It will have 2 cooking racks besides the one in the lid. One at the very top and one 7" down. I will also install another layer of grate bolts a bit lower so that I can move the lower grate down and set the charcoal basket on it so I have the option to grill/bbq as well as smoke. I have a 15" stainless pizza pan that I will bolt to the bottom of the charcoal basket. There will be a couple holes with high heat grommets, for my maverick probes. I will be powder coating this one so it stays looking good for a long time. I will eventualy build a cart to set it in, similar to the ones like the big green eggs have, but i'm not sure of the design yet. see link below.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=big+...rGdOwyASF_oCIDQ&ved=0CCgQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=955

My only thing that I am debating is the air intake. The uds I have now has 3 3/4" ball valves and works great, but I am not a fan of the ball valve look. I have seen the post on here somewhere where a guy used a 9" stainless cake pan and bolted it in the center of the bottom of the barrel and drilled four 1" holes and made a handle to rotate it to open and close the holes. My only concern with this is if the air will be completely shut off to extinguish the coals. Also, If I did this I would have to put legs on the bottom of my ash pan to lift it off the bottom of the barrel to allow combustion air to come in. Any thought on the intake air issue would greatly be apprieciated.
 
Does anyone know the dimensions of the primo intake?
 
Another intake possibility.
intakevent_zps2e8eb2f2.jpg
 
For my UDS's, I wanted something to not be bothered by snow build up/blowing in and wind in general. I've been quite happy with the 1-1/2 pipe elbows I welded on and magnets that I can operate with my foot. If I know I'm going to want 250/275, I use a reducer bushing down to 1 inch pipe( 1-1/4 gives 315 most often). Once up to temp it hits it every time. I also did the N8man legs for the grates as I do not like tipping grates with food on them to get them in/out. I made a 17inch grate with 3 or 4 inch sides to use on my second grate down for searing. With all three intakes open I can easily get 750+ degrees ( I destroy most every gauge if I let it get over the 700 degree mark, 6 gauges and counting) for doing pizza. Also having apposing intakes can give much more even burns when required. And you can add stand pipes if your not wanting to use your foot to adjust the temps, the magnets work great. Just a thought.






 
Interesting. I was doing some searching and decided to go with one stand pipe intake. I need this done before New Years and don't have time to wait for shipping. Plus to get those vents here in Canada it will be around 60-70$. Bit too much for a simple little vent. I did the math and a 1.5" single intake has more area than three 3/4" ones. So I was just going to go with one but if I put 2 on would I be able to get my temps up high enough to do pizza. How many do you have on yours to get it up to 700 degrees.
 
I use all 3) 1-1/2 pipe elbows wide open, you also need 4 inches of exhaust, either one large hole or 2 smaller holes. The stand pipes reduce air flow, with those installed I can not get 700+ degrees. Also to help with the higher temps, as I do like the flavor of burning wood like a real pizza oven I use a lot of wood chunks, some folks on here don't care for any wood flavoring that gets into the pizza. You don't have to reach those temps to cook good pizza, mine were experiments to see if I could do it, and if I liked it. As I cooked at the high temps on my Acorn, so I wanted my UDS's to be able to do the same, just with more room and no gaskets to burn out. Also with the available air flow, I sear steaks at those high temps, I just use my extra coal grate. Beware, it does get hot enough to take all the hair off your hand/arm in a split second if your not careful. Been there a few times. The temp gauge usually is pegged when I'm searing steaks. Now I take the gauge out of the lid so I don't destroy it if I'm searing a lot of meat.
 
bstomper said:
I did the math and a 1.5" single intake has more area than three 3/4" ones.
Click to expand...

a simple way to think about it when to comes to pipe is that when you double the size, you quadruple the volume. (i.e. 1-2" pipe supports the same amount of flow as 4-1" pipes).
 
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