# Lessons learned from my UDS



## russmn (Mar 20, 2017)

I thought I'd share some things that I've learned after building my UDS almost a year ago .....

1) if u don't have one build one! It's sooo simple to build and to use 

2) Calm down!!! Relax ! It's a smoker ... not an oven ... they are very forgiving !  If something isn't going the way you thought it would ... well that's meat for ya ... every piece has a mind of its own! 

3) count your coals that you start in the basket!!! By doing this you will always use the right number of coals to start ! The amount of coals started with will affect your entire cook! Hot day I use about 13 coals to start! Cold day ... 15 to 17 ... running the smoker hot 275 to 300 ... 20 to 22 coals ! Every drum will very 

4) get a smoker note book! Keep notes about the smoke... how many coals did u start with.. how much wood which wood ... what u smoked ... this will help you in the beginning to keep track of what works! 

5) stop adjusting !!!!!!  Once again relax... this isn't a blow torch lol when u turn it down(shut valves ) it isn't going to give u instant results! It.can take 30 min to level out !! Make Small adjustments one at a time and give it time!!!

6) it's easier to raise your smoker temp then it is to lower it! Don't start with all your valves open! Less is almost always more with anything to do with a smoker... if you have only one valve open at the start and it won't go above 200 .. that's perfect .. open the other valve a little ...if it shoots above your target temp quickly u could be spending the next hour or more trying to lower your temp to what you wanted! Also remember what I said before adjustments take time so relax! 

7) fill your basket!!! U can always shut down your smoker when your done to save the left over coals but adding coals in the middle of a cook is ALMOST never necessary with a UDS if you fill your basket! I learned this the hard way in very beginning .. just fill it ! 

8) wood ... use what you want or what you got but don't use too much!!! Less is more !! 3 chunks and you now have plenty! Don't get me wrong here .. 3 isn't the magic number by any means lol but too much wood destroys meat! It makes it taste bitter and it also affects color... id much rather have my meat with not enough smoke flavor vs bitter black meat! Once again less is more ! Use that note book we talked about ... so you remember what 6 big ole chunks of hickory did to that chicken last Sunday lol 

9)seal that dang smoker up! If you see smoke coming from any where other then your exhaust fix it! You can't maintain temperatures and get the amazing benefits a UDS has to offer with air leaks! I can run my smoker in the garage with flex pipe on the exhaust to outside and there's no smoke in my garage! 

10) keep that lid shut! When I started I was so use to keeping an eye on my charcoal grill that I was popping that smoker lid to look at the food so much you would have thought I was participating in a lid lifting relay lol keep it shut! Of course you need to open it for basting foiling all that . Don't be afraid to open it but do it as little as possible

11) go buy a maverick... or something similar... having the wireless remote to show you temps will save you money ! One burnt up brisket and you will realize why you should have bought one right away! Plus you don't need to open that lid to check temps.. it also is a must for over night cooks! Alarms will sound when temps aren't with in your set limits.. plus they are just cool to show off to your buddies! lol people who haven't seen one before love them! 

12)don't give up .. keep trying new ways .. I've always hated my smoked chicken and everyone else's  so I assumed I didn't like smoked chicken ... well I went back to it and now it's the only way to have chicken! 

13)smoke food based off of internal temp not time ! Time is a guideline .. that's it! The meat is done when that thermometer says it's done! If you thought it should take 5 hours and at 3 hours it says it done ... well it's done! Always use the ice bath (make sure it's done the right way) and boiling water test with all your thermometers and do it often! 

14)tin foil a towel and a cooler are your new best friends! Start cooking earlier vs later! If your meat is done early wrap it in foil then in a towel and pack it in a small cooler! Now instead of your guest waiting for hours to eat...your meat will be waiting for them lol .. don't be sick guys!! The meat will stay hot for up to 6 hours and sometimes longer ... 

15)let your meat come to room temperature prior to placing it in the smoker... I know it sounds strange to leave the meat out but trust me this will help maintain smoker temp and concistancy of cooks ... 

16) don't use really cheap charcoal.. if it's in a black bag with white letters that say charcoal and it's 3 bucks a bag just walk away... I'm not talking royal oak (which I like) I'm talking those really cheap no name coals... they are terrible in more ways then I can list .. plus the burn times are usually terrible! Just don't do it!

17) always start your smoker a minimum of an hour before you plan to start your cook! It will give you time to really dial in your temps ! I'm not talking about starting the coals! I'm talking about having your coals ready and in the basket inside the smoker ... remember it takes time to dial in your temps. Especially when your new to using a smoker! 

18) water pans ... some people use them ..I always did .. then one day I did two smokes one with water and one with out ... no difference at all except my guests all like the ribs with out the water pan .. so I haven't used one sense... a drum smoker provides a moist environment on its own with out a water pan.  it's your choice but in the beginning if you are using one use it every time! After a while you can switch it up but maintaining temperature will change with or with out a water pan .. so dial in one way consistently and then you can try the other.. also remember to fill that water pan when you start. 

19) smoker temps... don't be to hung up on them but don't ignore them either.. if your shooting for 225 and for some reason the smoker wants to sit at 235 .. well today it's going to be 235....remember we're cooking until the internal temperature says it's done so if you keep an eye on that it will still be a perfectly cooked piece of meat..At the same time if it's sitting at 300 ... well looks like your food is going to have to wait... that's why we Always start our smokers early! Also try to cook at the same temperature for the first several cooks... say 225 for an example... that way you can learn to dial in that temp... if you are trying different temps daily it takes a different process for each temp .. lets learn one first then move on to the next! 

20) think ahead!!! This is sooo important! Smokers take a long time but that's just half of it! Making sure you give your self time to properly thaw your meat so you can get rubs and marinades going the day before the cook .. time for brine .. time to properly clean the meat .. time to plot out cooking times especially if you have guests coming ! Time to run to the store to get more charcoal cause you left the last bag outside and forgot about lol I've done this many times cause I get to excited when the food is done lol bottom line plan ahead! 

have fun and be creative! I hope this helped













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__ russmn
__ Mar 20, 2017


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## geezer (Mar 20, 2017)

Nice job.


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## crankybuzzard (Mar 20, 2017)

Great write up!  I've only used a UDS a few times, but a LOT of what you wrote hit home with me!


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## russmn (Mar 20, 2017)

Thanks ... i just realized I went from 13 to 15 lol can't figure out how to edit


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## russmn (Mar 20, 2017)

Ok I got it lol ... thanks a lot guys


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## SmokinAl (Mar 21, 2017)

That was a great thread & should be a must read to anyone who uses a UDS, or for that matter any smoker that uses charcoal and or wood.

I put this on the carousel so hopefully a lot more people will read this!

Nice job & a point to you!

Al


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## goodtiminsmoker (Mar 21, 2017)

​Perfect timing on this post! I just completed my UDS build this yesterday and I'm excited to get it smoking this weekend. Thanks for the tips!!


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## russmn (Mar 21, 2017)

Welcome !! Enjoy !! Ur about to make some great BBQ


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## pastafazool (Aug 26, 2017)

Excellent information.  Planning and looking forward to building one in the very near future.

Where did you get the logo's on the smoker?
Looking to do something like that involving my favorite sports teams.


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## brentranome (Apr 29, 2018)

Awesome write up! I just finished my UDS and my set up is very similar to yours. I did the 90 degree angles with black iron stand pipes on the front, but I had trouble regulating my temp during break in/test. Would you recommend placing my charcoal basket closer to my air inlets if I cant quite get it to hover at 225? It is sitting happy at approx 205-215 deg. I have 3 3/4" vents in the bottom, one is always capped, the other two are on stand pipes with ball valves which were all the way open. The exhaust is a 2" black iron nipple with a 90 at the top. I love the real estate I now have for long cooks, just trying to absorb any info I can from people with experience.


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## russmn (Apr 29, 2018)

pastafazool said:


> Excellent information.  Planning and looking forward to building one in the very near future.
> 
> Where did you get the logo's on the smoker?
> Looking to do something like that involving my favorite sports teams.


Amazon ..they are magnets


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## russmn (Apr 29, 2018)

brentranome said:


> Awesome write up! I just finished my UDS and my set up is very similar to yours. I did the 90 degree angles with black iron stand pipes on the front, but I had trouble regulating my temp during break in/test. Would you recommend placing my charcoal basket closer to my air inlets if I cant quite get it to hover at 225? It is sitting happy at approx 205-215 deg. I have 3 3/4" vents in the bottom, one is always capped, the other two are on stand pipes with ball valves which were all the way open. The exhaust is a 2" black iron nipple with a 90 at the top. I love the real estate I now have for long cooks, just trying to absorb any info I can from people with experience.


I 2ould suggest lighting more coals to start


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