Charcoal Basket for UDS

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dburgette - find a local weld shop, especially one that builts trailers... lots of scrap pieces!!! I have a good friend that has a metal shop... he helps me with my projects that my little Mig won't handle (plus he's just got some awesome metal tools...he and I together have a thousand ideas for building projects...if we just had an investor!!!).

As far as the size, I have 3 3/4 inch pipe size inlets, one with a ball valve. my current basket is 15" dia and almost 20 inches tall (don't need it that tall...it came off a propane heater I canibolized) I can put 11 lbs (half a big Kinsford bag) and not come halfway up. With 11 lbs of charcoal and as many as 12 2" dia hickory chunks, I can get this up to 225 degrees in about 20 minutes, put my meat in, cap one inlet completely, leave one open, and set the ball valve about 1/3 shut and run at 225 for 16 +hrs...I know that I can, because I just shut it down from a smoke I did last night with 40 lbs of butt; meat on at 8pm, checked it every 30 mins for a while the hourly then at 2 went to bed...that UDS never varied more than 3 degrees either way. This morning I pulled the meat off after 12 hours, left the smoker going and just shut it down at about 4 pm today temp just starting to drop off (it was at 190) THATS 20 hrs!!!...still a bit of charcoal in the basket!!!!
 
Those are some impressive numbers. If I get half the numbers you got I will be elated. I just retired my ECB, so I am ready to do some real smokin'. The ECB is a PITA. I am in the middle of my UDS build. The only thing I need is a lid. Where to get one? I looked on Craigslist and ebay, but seems like I am going to have to buy an entire grill setup.

I called a metal shop locally and the guy was very friendly. He told me they always have scraps of expanded metal and he would just give me some. He also said he would cut it and round it for me. I will let you know tomorrow if it works out.
 
Those guys are always friendly!!! I smoked 40 lbs last night and will be taking my metal guy lunch tomorrow...!

I think you will be amazed at the efficiency of the UDS...I have been. I spent a lot of time "learning" my brinkman pitmaster; this UDS has been a breeze! it is literally "set it and forget it"!
 
Yeah, he was extremely friendly. He even got the forklift out to get a few sheets down of scrap. I got exactly what I wanted and he rounded it for me. With the tools he had it took no time flat.

My brinkman frustrated me to no end, so I wanted an efficient cooker. I just finished my UDS and have a smoke planned for tomorrow. Shoulder and some ribs...can't wait to get the smoker fired up.
 
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