Smokers (BBQ - not grilling)

[Knifemaker]

I detailed my UDS build earlier in this thread. All of the photobucket photos should still display since Im back on good terms with them.

Yes, I remember it. Not sure where in the 1,860 posts in this thread it was, (early on somewhere) but someday when I got a few hours to kill I'll go back through them.
The propane conversion option I have for my smoker has worked well on the few long cooks I've done.... but there's just something about charcoal and wood when it comes to "smokey flavor", that I've found lacking with the gas.

I'm pretty handy fabricating stuff. And I know a great welder. So yeah, it's going to happen eventually. Having something like the Digi Q would be a definite part of the build from the get go.

As for the "water pan"....I can understand the concept for a vertical unit like a UDS. You're looking for something to defuse the direct heat. But water produces steam, and that's not my idea of what a smoker is supposed to do. Seems a layer of lava rock or something would make more sense.

 

[Fred W]

Results were, meh. Ive definitely done much better. I think Id skip the catch pan in the future for a couple of reasons. Pushing the heat to the outside of the drum causes more lost BTUs and uses more fuel. The bark that Ive been so prolific at in the past was OK, but not up to prior standards. And the smoke flavor was seriously subdued. Live and learn

Ill get a few photos up tomorrow from my desktop PC

 

[Knifemaker]

Other than the catch pan, what was different? Do you think the spikes in temperature (without using the Digi Q) helped create a firmer bark?

Perhaps you should try doing it again with a bit higher base temperature setting? (240-250)

I'm surprised that after that long it didn't have a crisp bark.

 

[Fred W]

The bark was firm, but not as dark as Ive had previously. Id have been ok with that except for the lack of smoke flavor. Other than the catchbpan, I was using the stoker to maintain a low and slow temp. Ill admit that without the stoker the temp swings were significantly bigger. But I really think that its the lack of direct heat and smoke exposure that made the big difference.

Its still good eats. Good thing since we only ate about 1/3 of the pork today and will stash the rest in the freezer. And the pork was very tender and cooked to near perfect. Just missing the zippy smoke flavor Im used to.

Who knows, maybe some competition judge would score this effort higher than my regular fare. I just know what I like.

 

[Knifemaker]

Well, next time use more wood.

And seriously I mean that. I've read on BBQ sites about "measuring" or "weighing" the wood you use. Then I see those using "stick burners" that basicly use nothing but wood. Seems a bit confusing. All the smokes I've done I pretty much use charcoal to get a bed of hot coals going and I then just keep feeding it with wood. Last time I did ribs I used 8 pounds of charcoal and 8 pounds of wood.

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, thinking about the results last night and it may just come down to that. Not enough wood in the charcoal basket. Yesterday’s cook was a travesty of non-scientific method changes. Too many variables to blame any one thing on the results. I’m sure that you other guys can relate here, but my wife told me I’m just being too critical and she and the rest of the family thought it was great. The cook is always his own toughest critic.

 

[Knifemaker]

Yep, always better to make small changes to evaluate them independently. I'd still like to see some photos of the new toy and how it's hooked up. Does definitely sound like it does exactly as advertised.

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, photos still coming. I cant seem to figure out how to post photos reliably here from my phone or iPad. Have to go use my desktop PC.

Tried hooking the DigiQ up to my OK Joe this afternoon, but the blower that I bought for the UDS (called their Pit Viper) doesnt have enough air flow for the offset smoker. Need to get a larger blower (Pit Boss). Wish I knew that up front as I bet the bigger blower could be throttled back for the drum and I could have got away with the one blower.

I might still be able to use the small blower if I use lump charcoal as that burns hotter. Ill probably try that before I spend another $60 on a second blower.

Smoked up a few fresh Italian sausages since I had the pit already warmed up, using straight Stubbs charcoal, no wood at all, and got fantastic smoke flavor and real nice smoke ring.

 

[Fred W]

Eric, my UDS build photos are in post #131

Alright now, time to quit slacking with the photos. Here's how the DigiQ stoker hooks up to a UDS

You can see the "Pit Viper" fan module at the bottom. It has a male slip-fit with rubber o-ring seal into a female adapter that has 3/4" threads to screw into the UDS ball valve. Easy peasy. Fan power wire goes up to plug into the DigiQ.

DigiQ has two temp probe inputs. The primary pit temp sensor clips inside the pit. I was not using the meat temp probe as I was tracking things with my ThermoWorks Smoke dual sensor thermometer. You can see that the DigiQ is regulating the pit at 225F and the Smoke was saying pit temp was 222. This was during the stall (meat temp is 160F) on Sunday morning, about 8 hours into the cook..


And here was the finished goods:

Good. But I was expecting more.

Yesterday I made an plate to replace the normal intake air adjustment on my OK Joe, to allow the same 3/4" threaded adapter to screw in. It worked neat and tidy. I just cut out a steel plate the same shape as the draft adjustment door and hole sawed a 3/4" hole in that.

Assembled a 3/4" close nipple to a black iron 3/4" female threaded coupler, and used a couple of 3/4" conduit lock nuts on the inside. The blower directs the air underneath the charcoal basket in the firebox

Worked pretty good. Just did not have enough air volume for the heat required by this pit.

I contacted BBQ Guru and found out that the Pit Boss blower has the same size output fitting, so if I buy one of those it will fit right into the same 3/4" threaded adapter just fine. I may see if they will do an exchange of a Pit Boss for my Pit Viper. I wouldn't blame them if they wouldn't as I have already used the blower.

 

[Knifemaker]

I think the Digi Q is more useful on the UDS, as its more suited to

long cooks.

(Although the "smoke flavor" was lackluster in your opinion, it did seem

to go all night with zero input from you. Held its target temp as advertised. Likely if you just ditch the catch pan and use more wood all would have been good?)

Then again, if they want just $60 for the bigger blower for the O.J. That's not a bad price as the control unit is swappable.

As for your UDS. Just to be clear from your earlier post....you have just two intakes on the bottom, (ball valve and capped pipe opposite of that) and , are using the "stock" exhaust vent on the Weber clone lid?

I can kick myself, I saw that my neighbor had a slightly used Weber up at the curb with a sign that said "FREE"' going to work a few weeks ago. I should have stopped and rolled it home...instead i went to work and hoped it would be there when I got off work. But it was gone.

I sent a text to my smoker builder and asked how much he'd sell an unused drum to me for. He cuts the top off and fits a lid to them. Unlined and not painted its $10 for the drum and $10 for the lid. Looks like I'm

going ahead with this.

 

[Bounce]

Works well with my kamodo style smoker too.

Oh crap! After lashing Fred for loose lips and secret smoker techniques, I went and referenced it too.

Oh no! I did it again.

(Nee!)

 

[Fred W]

Already ordered the larger blower. Will be here in 2 days. I should have just got the big one to begin with but didnt know any better.

Even on the offset it will be nice to set the DigiQ for a temp and not have to monitor it constantly. My baby backs take 5 hours. Dont need to be sitting around watching them that long. Roasts and poultry only take a couple of hours so not such a big deal.

Yes, I only have 2 inlets on the UDS and the standard outlet. No need for a chimney as the whole barrel creates an upward draft. Even without the blower, I never needed more than 2 inlets. I only needed to uncap the 2nd port when bringing the pit up to temp, or for running a higher temp for poultry, with the ball valve side only partly open. For cooking at 225-235 the cap is on and the ball valve partially closed.

I may get another barrel and move all the parts to it. The barrel that I made my pit from has a small taper at the top. Id rather that the sides were perfectly straight to make installing and removing the grates easier. So watch out for that when you are shopping barrels.

The big difference my pit has is that lid. The domed lid makes it look much more civilized and keeps stuff from dripping off a flat lid onto your meat. Check for Weber clones at the big box home stores. For 30-40 bucks youll get a lid, 22 inch cooking grate and a smaller diameter charcoal grate to make your basket from. You can fill the clones bottom half with sand and turn it into a small fire pit, or use it as a grille when not smoking, or else just give it away.

Just looked and there is a clone available from Lowes called Mr Bar-B-Que that looks promising for only $35. It even has a nifty looking lid hinge and latch that might be incorporated in the UDS build.

 

[Auburn]

Thanks Fred. You are correct on the limitations and it doesn't smoke constantly (pellet feed rate and pause), but for me it's great.
I bought the Treager at Costco. A friend had the Green Mountain Grill, loved it. I wanted one but yes the price is steep. I could have got one for about 30% off but I would have had to drive way up to NorCal east of Chico to get it, after time and gas$$ forget it.

The story goes... I got home a from a trip late one Sunday afternoon from Arizona, just got off the plane and on the way home my wife and I stopped for Costco chicken for dinner. I enter the building and there's the Treager reps getting ready to clear out and go back to Oregon, Costco was about 30 minutes from closing. I was like a kid in a candy store, MOM! I want one! The price was about $100 off and the guy enticed me with another $100 of extras, covers, spices, pellets, and then my wife comes back with the chicken and says, "just buy it." The rest is history.

I have the Costco Treager too. Mine would jam up at the grate inside the pellet box and starve it for fuel. I ran into the rep at Costco and he said they had to put the grate in the pellet box as a safety item for Costco, and to just remove it. I did, and have had not issue with the pellets getting jammed up since.

 

[Knifemaker]

After I went back to re-view your UDS build I read a several pages of the posts after it up to and past where I received my pit. Some great discussion there and some wonderful photos. So sad some photos from other posts there were lost to the damn Photobucket thing.

I was wondering if anyone else had fitted a Weber lid to their UDS. You mentioned your drum tapered in at the top and I was thinking if that's why it fits?

I'm going to try to pick up the drum for my build this weekend, and I'll be posting photos the next few weeks on my progress with it.

I do need to ask..anyone that has a UDS.... If you could add or alter anything on the smoker, what would it be?

I already have a few ideas on some different approaches on the design but would like some ideas/suggestions from those that already have one.

 

[Fred W]

Its a pretty common mod to fit a Weber 22 kettle lid onto. 55 gallon drum. Unlike the Weber Smokey Mountain lid, the kettle grille lid has a lip that fits over the outside diameter of the bottom (or drum). Ill get you the exact measurements of the inside of that lip so you know what outside diameter the top of the drum has to be. Mine is a bit smaller than normal because of that taper, and is a loose fit.

Ok. Just measured. The inside of the lip on my Weber clone lid is 22 5/8 in. The outside dimension of my drums top lip is 22 1/4 in. I think nominal drum diameter is 22 1/2 in.

To answer your question about things Id do different, the only thing I would change other than getting a drum without the taper is the height of the grate stops. If you are going to have a domed lid the most useful height would be about 3 - 4 in below the top lip, with a second position about 8 in below that. The upper position is used the most because its more convenient and the space in the dome allows it . I initially put my grate stops too low because I was thinking Id be using a flat lid. If you are using a flat lid youd want the grate 8-10 in down.

 

[Knifemaker]

Cool. I was just going to wait till I got the drum to measure and then go from there.

Two things I'm considering for the smoker, adjustable grates, and possibly a door to add more fuel/wood.

I did find this a available online, but the price is a bit high for me:

https://bbqsmokermods.com/lavalockr-quick-coaltm-wsm-door-mod-for-22-5-weber-smokey-mountain-or-55-gallon-uds-smoker.html

I did find a fairly cheap farkle for it, this silicon probe port:

https://www.ereplacementparts.com/grommet-p-2127046.html

 

[Fred W]

Good find on the probe ports. Im going to get myself a couple of those.

I dont see the need for a side door. On a smaller pit like the 18 in WSM I bought for my son, you need to access the fire during a long cook, but not really on a big drum

 

[Knifemaker]

Yeah, was watching a review of the Weber SM to see how they did their door, and saw the temperature probe thingy. Thankfully Weber offers replacement parts to all their products, so was easy to track down where to get those.

As far as the door... I believe you are likely right, on a 55 gallon UDS you wouldn't really need one to add more fuel...(perhaps more wood?) But I was also thinking it might be handy to snag meat off a bottom grate without having to open the lid.

My look back showed that at one point you were trying out a diffuser plate (pizza pan with holes in it) and recently you mentioned using just an aluminum pan. Have you given up on the diffuser idea? I know the "water pan" concept has always been debated.

And I would guess the idea of catching yummy drippings from the meat wouldn't work anyway as they would likely be cooked off.

 

[Fred W]

My pizza pan with holes is still viable. It is made from thin steel though, not aluminum. The key is finding one they didnt put any Teflon coating on. I set that right over the top of the charcoal basket. It does let all the dripping run into the fire and burn up, though I dont know how much that really matters in the grand scheme.

I also have a cast iron pizza pan that I havent given up on entirely. I just need to try using that one suspended up on a grate above the charcoal basket. I think it would block too much flow if set right on top of the basket.

Funny, Ive been cooking with that drum smoker for almost five years now and Im still tinkering. Guess thats what keeps the hobby fun.

You could probably fab up a door by cutting a section out of the barrel and then welding metal strips around the door to put gasket seals on. That wouldnt be all that hard. Or sacrifice one barrel for cutting doors from, and cut them larger than the holes cut in the smokers.

My son works at a brewery and thinks he can get me food grade drums for free pretty regularly. That would make building up a few nice smokers for selling on the local Crags List pretty cost effective.

 

[Knifemaker]

If I were a rich man....

https://www.usedstainlesssteelbarrels.com/shop/stainless-steel-barrels/55-gal-304-new-stainless-open-head-barrel-1-0mm/

Andy has made a few stainless steel cookers. He had a 60 year old 30 gallon beer keg he made a grill out of for someone.

I used to work at a place that made stainless steel food equipment (sinks, tables, coolers, etc) We made complete commercial kitchens, for schools, prisons, and restaurants. Once we made a grill for Grants Farm* by cutting two stainless steel 55 gallon drums down the sides, welding them end to end, made hinged duel tops, stainless steel 1/4" rod custom welded food grates, with a butcher block shelf along the front. Think we charged them $2800 for it.

.

* https://www.grantsfarm.com