14" x 24" barrel

[8sumpok]

Im a newbie here and have learned a lot. While checking my old Weber 22' lid for fit on a drum the Smokey Joe lid came to mind. It fits the top of a 14" dia. x 24" tall barrel just right. I'm divorced and mostly cook tri tip and chix for one or two people. I'm going to build a smoker and add the small brisket to the menu. How about stacking one and a half of these barrels to get the grill far enough (24") away from fire? Would a fuel holder shaped like a spiral staircase hold 12 hours of fuel? Insulating a barrel this small wouldn't be a big deal. Firewood around here is mostly orchard wood with a load of chemicals in it. High efficinecy is good. Has anybody tried this? Is it a waste of time?

 

[pandemonium]

I dont really understand the questions? staircase? if your going to build a uds your better off using a full sized drum imo. wood doesnt work well in a drum either, use reg charcoal or lump

 

[8sumpok]

The fuel holder question is about the barrel being 14" in diameter and not holding as much fuel as a 22"-23" barrel. I was thinking of something like a coiled ramp with exp. metal upright pieces every so often to keep the lump from self leveling. Would the meat need to be as far away from the fire in a smaller dia. barrel? Do people insulate UDS's? I've read that the UDS design is more eficient than some other designs. Is insulation worth the effort? 

 

[pandemonium]

No you dont need to insulate it and yes you still want to be 2 feet from the fire no matter what the barrel diameter, heat would be the same, I would find a full size barrel if I were you.