UDS Build Stall (Build Stalls Over, We're Smokin' w/Qview!)

[deannc]

solaryellow - Thanks!  I'm in the Fayetteville area.  Might have to shoot you a message and pick up a couple barrels and some lump if I can stop smoking long enough to make the drive one weekend! lol I haven't been able to find any lump in the stores here.  I was hoping to try it because all I've been using is the Kingsford original briquettes.  

Today's seasoning burn went great...for almost 7 hours the temps stay solid and never went over 240*, even after lifting the lid a couple times.  I think I've just about got this figured out! LOL (I hope I don't regret having said that!!!!) 

 

[solaryellow]

solaryellow - Thanks!  I'm in the Fayetteville area.  Might have to shoot you a message and pick up a couple barrels and some lump if I can stop smoking long enough to make the drive one weekend! lol I haven't been able to find any lump in the stores here.  I was hoping to try it because all I've been using is the Kingsford original briquettes.  

Today's seasoning burn went great...for almost 7 hours the temps stay solid and never went over 240*, even after lifting the lid a couple times.  I think I've just about got this figured out! LOL (I hope I don't regret having said that!!!!) 

Let me know. I had to pick through the barrels to find 4 good ones last weekend but the guy had plenty. And if you happen to be traveling through Winston, this is the place I normally get my lump from.

http://ifhchefsmart.com/

 

[smokinthesmc]

Dean Nice paint job, Looking great !  Thanks for the start up info, it'll help when I get around to firing up mine.

 

[pandemonium]

Nice paint job Dean wow, would like to see more pics of that!! the fire looks great!!

 

[deannc]

solaryellow - thanks, I'll probably get up with you after the first of September to pick up a barrel or two...maybe 3..lol  I wish we had a store around here that catered to the Q'ers!  Surely there has to be, but, if I have to drive 3 hours it'll looks like that store would be worth the trip.

SMC - thanks, I ran across that start up information some where on here and it has worked great the last two times firing her up.  Had no issues with the lid etc and believe pandemonium was probably right a few posts ago about using to many coals and things got to hot.  It was quite a coincidence though that when I wrapped the blanket around the lid the temps dropped 30 some degrees in 15 or 20 minutes.  Another thing I just realized is make sure you make your basket first (3" above the drum bottom), then measure up from the coal grate to mark your first rake holes.

If you recall I started mine out at 2" and after raising it to 3" I haven't had any issues with the coals burning out, however, my first rack is now measuring just about 23 1/4 inches from the coal grate.  What I've noticed with these first two smokes the bottom of the butts were stuck to the rack when I pulled them and I'm thinking that is being caused by not having a minimum of 24 inches from the coal grate.  Thinking about abandoning the first rack bolts in place and just install another set of ss bolts so I can get the first rack minimum of 24 inches above the grate.

One other thing I've found, the expanded metal used to make the basket really doesn't need to be 12 inches tall (wide), 8 inches would be plenty and also if you go with the larger coal grate (18" or whatever it is) you'll be able to cut 3 pieces (8"x24") from a 24"x24" piece (Home Depot) which I believe would give you enough material to wrap the larger 18" grate.  For the smaller 13 1/2" grate I used, I cut the 24"x24" in half (12"x24") and when joined together it was just enough material to go around the circumference of the grate.

pandemonium - thanks!  My son did a nice job on it. It was his first flame attempt after coming out of retirement from an earlier career in rattle can art.   

 

[pandemonium]

Damn that looks killer!! nice air brushing

thanks for more pics, she's a beauty.

 

[pandemonium]

Also I was just thinking about the high temp problems that I and others have had and I think its because the damn heat outside makes it cook hotter, its already a hundred and fifteen in the drum with no fire so that has to be why their running hot lately?

 

[deannc]

pandemonium - thanks, he did that with a paint can and a little to much brandy. lol  I had a great smoke this past weekend.  I had no issues with temp spike etc even after I began spritzing every hour.  This smoke I had great control of the temps (YAY..lol)  

The only issue I had was around the 13 hour mark I had to bump the drum a couple times trying to fire some more coals after I had to open all intakes to keep temps up.  But that was only because I didn't overload or use a lot of coals to start with.  

 

[pandemonium]

thats painted like that with regular spray paint in a can?

 

[deannc]

Yep...I picked up about 4 cans of spray paint on my way home Friday and he insisted on "hooking" it up for me. LOL  Ended up using 2 more cans to finish it up.  

 

[pandemonium]

wow i cant see how that looks like that from a spraycan? I wanna learn that trick

 

[erodinamik]

Thank you very much for all the photos and commentary.  I just bought a Char Griller, and if I would have read more on this forum, I think I might have tried to make a UDS first.  Don't know if the wife would have gone for it though.  I do however want to make one of these, they look so cool, and just my style!  If I ever come across a barrel, I'm in trouble :-)

 

[deannc]

erod - congrats on the new smoker!  You'll definitely have build a UDS, just gather you some parts along the way.  During my search for a barrel I did find a couple sources in your area, one was an ebay seller and google, reconditioned barrels, las vegas and you'll find you a barrel with no inside liner, ready to build! lol  Not that I'm trying to get you in trouble or anything!  LOL

 

[erodinamik]

I think I could get the wife on board as long as I keep some killer Q (especially brisket) coming out, she'll be happy.  She's from TX and can't seem to find decent BBQ around here so she's on board so far with this smoker business!

 

[nwdave]

Dean, I see what you mean about your UDS build.  Quite the saga.  Looks like a lot of lessons learned.

 

[jrod62]

This is an old post but some good reading.