I just built an Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS)

[betterthanabox]

Love it!

 

[joesfolk]

I want one!!!

 

[roadfix]

They're very easy to build. The hardest part is finding an unlined food-safe drum or just buy a re-furbished drum and give it a good initial burn with scrap lumber before you begin your build.

 

[Timothy]

They're very easy to build. The hardest part is finding an unlined food-safe drum or just buy a re-furbished drum and give it a good initial burn with scrap lumber before you begin your build.

Wait....I was gonna use a plastic drum that was used for pesticides...

<joking>

 

[Snip 13]

We use those drums here to make braais with (Grill, BBQ). Just cut the drum in half lenghtwise, weld some legs on to it and make a grill that fits on top.

 

[roadfix]

I wanted to season the drum further so I cooked up some chicken thighs last night. Now the drum is nice and greasy inside and the vent door slides smoothly by foot, no squatting down to adjust. I like that.

 

[Timothy]

I wanted to season the drum further so I cooked up some chicken thighs last night. Now the drum is nice and greasy inside and the vent door slides smoothly by foot, no squatting down to adjust. I like that.

OMG, those chicken thighs look awesome! That's my favorite piece on the bird.

By George, I think you've got it!

 

[deepfryerdan]

I've been looking at this for a little while now.. how did you do that bottom vent? Did you cut your own sheet metal and bolt it on? I'm kind of confused

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

I wanted to season the drum further so I cooked up some chicken thighs last night. Now the drum is nice and greasy inside and the vent door slides smoothly by foot, no squatting down to adjust. I like that.

Fix mate I love it, I want it. Have you named her/him yet?
Tis truly a thing of beauty

 

[roadfix]

I've been looking at this for a little while now.. how did you do that bottom vent? Did you cut your own sheet metal and bolt it on? I'm kind of confused

Yes, I cut a piece of sheet metal, sandwiched 2 strips of metal top and bottom to channel the draft door, riveted them to the drum, then drilled vent holes through the sheet metal and drum at the same time. Then I inserted the draft door.
The vent holes are 3/4" ea and I left a little space there for a 4th hole just in case 3 were not enough.
The drum will chug along at 250F for hours with only a partial opening of just one vent hole as shown in the previous photo. You would open all three vent holes only during start up to bring drum up to operating temp or if you need to do high temp cooks.
Hope this helps

 

[deepfryerdan]

Yes, I cut a piece of sheet metal, sandwiched 2 strips of metal top and bottom to channel the draft door, riveted them to the drum, then drilled vent holes through the sheet metal and drum at the same time. Then I inserted the draft door.
The vent holes are 3/4" ea and I left a little space there for a 4th hole just in case 3 were not enough.
The drum will chug along at 250F for hours with only a partial opening of just one vent hole as shown in the previous photo. You would open all three vent holes only during start up to bring drum up to operating temp or if you need to do high temp cooks.
Hope this helps

I get it now. Simple and effective - the way it should be. Once again, good job!

 

[roadfix]

I did some wings and beef ribs last night. The ribs were in there for 4.5 hours at 240F. They all came out might tasty.

 

[pacanis]

Beautiful color.

 

[Kayelle]

wow.......look at that beautiful smoke ring on those ribs!!

Your smoker is a thing of beauty RF !! I was amazed at your home made gorgeous pizza oven, and now this!! FABULOUS !!

 

[pacanis]

Road, are those what they refer to as back ribs? I saw some in the store the other day for the first time. beef back ribs. They looked about like those, but were cut apart already.

 

[roadfix]

Thanks folks!

Kayelle....I haven't been using the brick oven as often as I'd like to lately because seasoned cooking wood is quite pricey around here......besides, I wanted to get away from pizza for a while...lol...

pacanis....yes, they're beef back ribs. I usually get them at Costco or Sams as they're much meatier (and a little more expensive) than ones I find at local supermarkets. And I've also seen them sliced up in individual ribs too at supermarkets.
A local butcher sells bison back ribs which I've done in the past.

 

[pacanis]

Nice. I'll have to see about getting some. Maybe I can get some from the back before they cut them up.

 

[roadfix]

I did some spatched chicken in the drum last night, brined them overnight, they were pretty juicy.

One nice thing about the drum is that I can load it with 15 lbs of briquettes (a bag of Stubbs briquettes) and get 3 separate long smoking sessions out of that single load without having to clean out the ashes. Shut the vents and the heat completely dies out in about an hour. On the next smoking session toss about a dozen fully lit briquettes over the old, plus a couple of chunks of smoke wood and it's ready and up to temp in about 30 minutes.

 

[Timothy]

I did some spatched chicken in the drum last night, brined them overnight, they were pretty juicy.

They look absolutely delicious! Beautiful color!

 

[pacanis]

Very nice, Roadie. That UDS is really serving you well.