Hello! I'm new to the forum, but not really to smoking. I've used several different rigs over the years. None to much success, with the exception of my cardboard box smoker based on Alton Brown's design.
The only commercial smoker I ever used was a Wood Hollow electric smoker that, well, to be blunt ... sucks. It cannot maintain temp. It jumps from 80 to over 300 without any involvement from me. It currently rusts on my back patio probably destined for a garage sale or Freecycle. I used it to heat up the Easter ham one year and that's about it. Over the past few years I figured out ways to use my propane grill with the lid propped open and the tank on real low which works somewhat well.
That brings me to now. I finally found an affordable 55 gal drum locally to build my UDS!!!! I was introduced to the UDS by the Popular Mechanics article. The problem was I didn't research it enough and ended up with the dreaded red epoxy lining. I'm finding it's not as difficult to remove as I have read. A 60 grit sanding wheel on my angle grinder is working nicely, however tedious. Once I finish getting it down to bare metal I'll be ready for seasoning and then the build. So I am looking for all the great advice that your forums offer and updating you all on my build.
I go by ThFerret, Ferret, TF or my real name, Dean and I reside in central Missouri.
The only commercial smoker I ever used was a Wood Hollow electric smoker that, well, to be blunt ... sucks. It cannot maintain temp. It jumps from 80 to over 300 without any involvement from me. It currently rusts on my back patio probably destined for a garage sale or Freecycle. I used it to heat up the Easter ham one year and that's about it. Over the past few years I figured out ways to use my propane grill with the lid propped open and the tank on real low which works somewhat well.
That brings me to now. I finally found an affordable 55 gal drum locally to build my UDS!!!! I was introduced to the UDS by the Popular Mechanics article. The problem was I didn't research it enough and ended up with the dreaded red epoxy lining. I'm finding it's not as difficult to remove as I have read. A 60 grit sanding wheel on my angle grinder is working nicely, however tedious. Once I finish getting it down to bare metal I'll be ready for seasoning and then the build. So I am looking for all the great advice that your forums offer and updating you all on my build.
I go by ThFerret, Ferret, TF or my real name, Dean and I reside in central Missouri.