Ugly Drum Smoker

[akey]

I am thinking about building a UDS.

http://www.bbqbug.com/forums/general-bbq-grilling/832-our-uds-cooker-how-build-one-part-1-a.html

I saw a few threads in the DIY. Anybody got any tips or tricks after using them for a while?

[dragonsdaddy]

i have an extra one i'll sell for what i have in it. i was recently given my dad's and don't need 2(according to the boss anyway). i used the instructions from the country cowgirl blog.

http://cowgirlscountry.blogspot.com/

[TX_Phil]

I built one Christmas before last for my dad and he loves it. I've never used one but saw the plans and thought he might like it.

I think I had about $80 in the build total and I had it ready to go in 2 days working on it after work.

For me the hardest part was making the coal basket from expanded metal. I don't have a welder or torch so I had to be crafty. I bought the expanded metal (2 sheets) from Home Depot in small sheets, 8"x16" I think. I used my angle grinder to cut the diamond shapes open along each end of the 8" length, all 4 ends. I bent each of those cut pieces over 90 degrees. I then overlapped the 2 sheets by a couple of inches and bent those cut ends the rest of the way over locking both pieces together. Picture fingers pointing in opposing directions, those fingers stick through a diamond shape of the other piece and when you fold them down it locks them together. I sure wish I'd taking pictures ! !

To create the round basket I slid the expanded metal sheet (now about 8x29) between the jaws of my little shopmate work bench. I set the jaws about 1-2" apart and just slowly worked my way from one end to the other making small bends, 5-10 degrees every 2-3 inches. I made several passes until I created a circle the size I needed. I used a bbq propane bottle to check the diameter of the circle. Once the circle was the way I wanted it I closed the loop using the overlapping cut ends described above. I attached the expanded metal loop to an 18" Weber BBQ charcoal grate using heavy gauge tie wire.

The rest of the build is really simple as I'm sure you've already seen, just some drilling and bolting. I kept this one pretty simple but I did place set screws for two cooking heights and I added casters to the bottom and a handle so dad could roll it around as needed.

As for cooking, I can't believe anything this simple does such a good job. Dad says that filling that charcoal basket 1/2 full of lump charcoal with some hardwood for smoke will maintain 225 - 250 degree for 10-12 hours depending on the outside temp.

[Ouch]

I have had good success with mine, but maintaining temperature hasn't been as easy as everyone made it our to be. I cooked a couple chickens at the camp this past weekend and had to add lump coal and fire it three different times over 4.5 hours.