I would not, I repeat not get a food grade barrel. That liner that makes it food grade is so dang hard to remove. I found candle wax barrels for free in my neighbor's back alley.
You just burn the liner out. Get a couple of hard wood pallets break them up, and use them to light a fire in the barrel. Burns the liner right out, but you got to get it HOT!
Can you find A kettle BBQ lid around? Maybe at the same scrap yard if your lucky. I guess I was lucky to get Barrels with removable lids. I would really try to find that type of drum or A webber or similar lid that seals well. Otherwise you lose that airtight seal that is the beauty of A UDS. My first one was food grade and I had to burn it out so hot that I ended up with thin spots around the air inlets. You might watch craigslist for A cheap kettle or maybe a big box store for a Webber type grill. With having the whole grill you get the grate, the bottom of your fire basket, handles, and lid. Just a thought.
