New here

[chevy power]

As a meat lover I recently got interested in smoking meat. There is a show on pbs often that i enjoy, its about bbq . Im a welder professionally and do a bit of work on the side. I made a small box to hold some wood chips in my propane grill. I grilled some chicken breast and it was great...but i want a true smoker. Thats how i eneded up here, I'm leaning towards an UBS. Steel drums filled with steel shot are scrapped often at work, ideal for smoking because they havent had any chemical in them.
Im having a hard time deciding between a 30 gallon and a 50. I really would like to find a stainless barrel. If i cant source one afforably, ill grab one from work. Either way i will post my build and continue learning.

 

[joe black]

Welcome from SC. This is a great site with lots of folks who are always ready to share their ideas and tips. All you have to do is ask and keep reading. As far as a UDS is concerned, I don't know anything about them. However, If I had the resources and skills that you have, I'd make a 30 and a 50. One thing that I noted from your post is that while they had no chemicals in them, with steel shot, there would probably be some kind of oil that would need to be burned out before you cook in them.

Good luck and good smokin', Joe