dumb uds smoker! long story

[bbq enthusiast]

so I built this smoker, thinking I was cool and could show the old lady that I was good at something other than drinking beer. well after burning the inside with lots of wood (and almost cought the house on fire, a story for another time) to get the coating out of it, I installed the 1/2 in. nipples w/ caps and a 11/4 vent tube. I made my fire ring 15"x6" out of wire mesh added a grate and put a 2"pipe coming out of the lid and yes its 36"long to keep the smoke out of everybodys eyes.
So I did a trial run with nothing in it to see what it could do. well I put 6lbs of lump in the fire ring and got 10+hrs on it.

the problem is I cant get the temp to drop to 220 and stay there with out covering the smoke stak almost all the way.

all vents are closed and yes the top fits well. I don't see any holes in the drum. So I dont think its sucking air from some where.I heard if I cover the stak then the chance of creasot(sp) is very possible in the meat. I did use some apple wood in my test today. mybe i should forget this whole uds thing. I heard it was fool proof, mmmmmm want to smoke some ribs for my little girls 1st b-day. we will be having the family and friends over and everyone knows I'm building thid thing. bottom line I need help!

 

[richtee]

How big is the vent feeding the fire?

 

[bbq bubba]

Where do i start???
How many vents did you have open?
I find the raised intakes are a pain in the arse!!
Lower your exhaust, who doesnt want smoke in their face???
How did you lite your coals??
Ran mine tonight for 14 hrs on 10 lbs of Rancher at 240* and hardly ever touched it!!
Also, are you kicking it once in a while to drop the ashes so it doesn' t choke out?

 

[bbq enthusiast]

the intake is 1 1/4 inches wide and 36 inches long

 

[richtee]

Not enough air going in. Drop off the pipe, might be enough then...

On edit: You open up that MSU stack yet Bubba?

 

[bbq enthusiast]

no vents are open thats whats making me mad

I will lower the exhaust.
lit the lump using the minion(sp) meth.
yes The ash is away from the coals. I did "kick" it.

 

[bbq enthusiast]

The smoker runns hot 275-350 cant get it low enough.

 

[bbq bubba]

No, i mean how many intakes do you have open, you said you installed 1/2" nipples with caps??
With 3 intakes open i can cook chicken at 325 with no problem!

 

[richtee]

Ahhh. From the first post I assumed too low... cut the 'coal then.

 

[richtee]

See last post heh

 

[bbq enthusiast]

sorry for not making myself clear.

 

[bbq bubba]

Just trying to help bro!!

 

[bbq enthusiast]

And I thank you for your input. really!!! I really want to make this thing work. I here there the greatest thing for the price of the materal that is used.

 

[bustedluckbarbq]

Add a ball valve to the intake you extended up the side.... this allows you to adjust the amount of air you have going in..... close for cooler open for hotter... anywhere in between.... open the exhaust all the way open all the time!

 

[richtee]

I guess I'm not sure, but is that a damper flap over the black intake tube in the pict? Or, I thought it was anyway. If not... put on a ball or damper flap as BLBBQ suggested above.

 

[peculiarmike]

$.02.
I open all vent holes in the lid of my drum, it has six 1" holes. I light it using an electric lighter. I put it vertically in the center of the basket and pour lump around it a bit at a time, adding chunks of smoking wood here and there so they light as the charcoal burns to them.
My drum has four 1" air intake holes around the bottom 2" up from the bottom of the drum. With one of those open it will run 300°-350°. I have a plug I drilled to 1/2" which is the one I use. With it in place the drum runs about 200°-210°. I pull the plug out a bit which increases air flow just enough and it runs 225°-250° without supervision. I have a long handled hook made from 1/4" round rod that I use to stir/shake the basket any time I remove the lid.
If you are running 350° you are putting too much air into the drum. Restrict your intake air, that is your temperature control. Make sure your exhaust is wide open all the time, don't restrict it.
My drum turned out a perfect butt yesterday, then I reloaded it with 15 ABT's, a pan of BBQ beans, 3 fattys. After they were done I reloaded with a pan of stuffed mushrooms and two chubs of baloney.
Then I capped all holes and killed the fire. There is a good amount of lump left in the basket.
$.02

 

[bbq enthusiast]

ya its got a flapper on it. I didn't have a ball valve at the time so I made a flapper instead. with all the air intakes fully closed This dumb thing still runs 300+ think I will give up on it.

 

[bbq enthusiast]

May be I should fill this thing full of water and see if I can find any holes that I cant see. The only way to lower the temp is by capping the exhust for awhile. And by what i read is you don't want to do this.

 

[bustedluckbarbq]

Dumb question.... the bottom is still in the drum right?

Is the thermometer your using accurate?

 

[bbq enthusiast]

ya the bottom is still intact and I boiled water and both of the thermometers read 215 so for the most part I think their right in there, for the hell of it I filled the drum full of water to see if there where any leaks that I could'nt see. all the bolts that I used had just a trace of water coming out. where I welded the 3 nipples in the lower part of the smoker the water was leaking alittle more. so I found some high temp silicone and coverd every weld,bolt that I installed. I did'nt use it on where the thermometer enters the smoker.