Ash catcher for charcoal basket

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chiefusn

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Feb 22, 2013
123
16
Chesapeake, VA
When I built my UDS I didn't have a catch pan for the ashes. It wasn't a big deal at first but now I'm starting to get tired of having to tip the drum over to empty the ashes. I was looking for an 18" steel pizza pan that I could weld to the legs of my basket but can't seem to find one anywhere. Does anybody have a link to one or what are you using? I don't have a metal bender so making one is out of the question if I have to bend metal to make a rim or something.Chad
 
Hello Chad.  I don't have a UDS but I have work with someone building one.  The one thing we found was that the sides can't be very high or you lose air flow to the basket ( I'm sure you figured that out ).  What about lining the bottom with foil held down by some stones or brick pieces.  Then just reach in and grab the foil and ash at one time.  Just a thought.  Keep Smokin!

Danny
 
I have two restaurant wholesalers here in town that both have pizza pans starting at 10" and going all the way up to 32".  I was looking for the same thing and they have 18"

Try this online supply (add the www to the front and the .com to the end) Guess we aren't supposed to post outside links anymore... 

foodservicewarehouse

amazon has them too.
 
Try GFS (Gordon Food Service) if they have them near you. They're restaurant suppliers but open to the public, thats where I got my pizza pan that I use when we make homemade pizza, not sure on the size though.
 
I have two restaurant wholesalers here in town that both have pizza pans starting at 10" and going all the way up to 32".  I was looking for the same thing and they have 18"

Try this online supply (add the www to the front and the .com to the end) Guess we aren't supposed to post outside links anymore... 

foodservicewarehouse

amazon has them too.
Case, you can pick up drum lids for free...it ends up being like a 19 inch pan.  The u-bolt i put on was a couple of bucks.  
 
Case, you can pick up drum lids for free...it ends up being like a 19 inch pan.  The u-bolt i put on was a couple of bucks.  
Here drums are hard to come by unless I go over the mountains to the valley. Then of course that makes the fuel more expensive than a pizza pan! I'm going to bolt my ash catcher to the feet of my basket. Or actually the feet are going to be bolts. SO I will drill holes in the pan and then run the bolts through the pan, run nuts down to secure the pan then I'll attach the charcoal box to the top of the bolts. Best get all my parts together, that Drum is going to be done at the powder coaters and I'll have all weekend to work on it!
 
Here drums are hard to come by unless I go over the mountains to the valley. Then of course that makes the fuel more expensive than a pizza pan! I'm going to bolt my ash catcher to the feet of my basket. Or actually the feet are going to be bolts. SO I will drill holes in the pan and then run the bolts through the pan, run nuts down to secure the pan then I'll attach the charcoal box to the top of the bolts. Best get all my parts together, that Drum is going to be done at the powder coaters and I'll have all weekend to work on it!
Can't wait to see how the powder coat looks and works out.  

Drums and especially lids i can get them all day long at a metal recycler here in town.  You have to have a metal recycle joint around...especially on the left coast!
 
Can't wait to see how the powder coat looks and works out.  

Drums and especially lids i can get them all day long at a metal recycler here in town.  You have to have a metal recycle joint around...especially on the left coast!
We do but they no longer sell to the public. Fall out from the meth heads stealing and selling metals. I have to go to the valley to find one that sells publicly now. My 18" pizza pan was $20, so that'll work!
 
God Bless Texas! Haha that's all I can say, free oil barrels, 7 dollar food grade barrels blue or white. Trees galore, plenty of cattle, swine, a gulf for seafood, wild game. Plenty of oil refineries to allocate cheap metal. Man!!! I love Texas.
 
NOW, NOW Backwoods.  Be nice.  Not everyone was lucky enough to be born in GOD'S BACK YARD.  We have to support our less fortunate neighbors. 
icon_biggrin.gif
 Keep Smokin brother!


Danny
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. I will check them out and see what I can come up with. I think I still have the left over steel from the drum lid. Just got to find it in the mess of a garage I got.

Chad
 
I think I found the pizza pan/ash catcher I was looking for. Was searching Amazon and came across this review. Pretty funny I thought.


It's aluminum but I think I will be able to make it work with my basket. I was wanting to weld it to the legs on the basket but have an idea how to do it

Chad
 
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I think I found the pizza pan/ash catcher I was looking for. Was searching Amazon and came across this review. Pretty funny I thought.


It's aluminum but I think I will be able to make it work with my basket. I was wanting to weld it to the legs on the basket but have an idea how to do it

Chad
Chad it'll probably be easier to clean and empty if it's not attached....jmo....I just needed a way to pull it up easy.  It's nice when i use lump i don't have to empty it very often....KB is another story.  You threw out your lid metal didn't ya?
 
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You threw out your lid metal didn't ya?
I haven't had a chance to look for it. I was at work and bored so I decided to research the suggestions. What's cool is that same pizza pan has a combo at the bottom of the page for it and a 16" pan which I need for my 30 gallon UDS. Worked out perfectly. I would go ahead and order them but I have to wait until we get back from vacation. I don't want a package sitting on the front porch for 2 weeks.

Chad
 
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