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.
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.