Thank you for watching and commenting and hopefully subscribing. I’m glad the video was helpful. If you decide to build this smoker, you will have zero regrets! Thanks-
T-Roy is correct. I am very proud. Thank you soooo much for the credit and the shout out! Your build came out beautifully. I can't wait to see how it cooks for you. I am gonna have to keep my eye on you! Great Job once again!
Thank you sir. Your compliment is much appreciated and respected. I owe my success to your videos on the UDS. I plan on a seasoning video soon. Hope it works as well as yours! Keep your videos coming. HAPPY SMOKING MY FRIEND!!!
Thank you William Kasper, for the shop that you found for me on the barrel. it's a great barrel only $15. I'm going to start my build this weekend. I found all my parts. you and big daddy were great help
I don't know if anyone has figured this out but when I built mine, I was replacing my old Webber grill that was rusted out in the bottom to nothingness. When I went to burn it out for the first time my Webber was sitting right there and after looking for a second I sat the lid on the barrel and it fit just perfect.
I gotta give it to you. THAT'S A NICE BUILD! And? Very versatile. The second rack gives you another cooking level but you could easily do a layer of charcoal on the 2nd/lower level if you just wanted to do burgers and dogs. You could add hooks to the lid and hang ribs, chicken or other meats without either rack. The biggest congrats I'll have to say is this looks DOABLE to the handy guy or girl or the not so handy. Either I missed it or would add 2 things. Air flow control top and bottom and handles for the top. I really like this paint job looks good to.
Thanks for the input my friend. I do actually have airflow control on the kid with the use of caps for the elbow vents and bung holes. This configuration works perfectly because usually I only have to adjust the large bung hole vents. The only problem with using this unit for grilling would be the extreme heat produced from the charcoal if placed on second rack. The heat would damage the paint and cause damage or warping to the hardware used in supporting the rack including the rack itself.
Wow, what a great looking UDS!!! Phil would be proud of you! Great job on the video also. I look forward to seeing you fire up that UDS and do some cooking on it. Cheers!!!
Thank you for dropping in. Appreciate the comment. You gotta try some of these recipes yourself. I have a lot of great smokes planned in upcoming videos. Stay safe and healthy!!!
Finally ready to build one of these this weekend. Any chance of you doing a followup video of how it's holding up over the years? Anything you'd change about it if you were to make another?
Awesome idea. I just did a review on a rib rub the other day using the UDS. Check out the video. It is holding up very well and I have no issues with it. Actually I would not change anything other than make a hook to hold the lid. Love this smoker!!!
Thank you for the video William! I am also a SE Michigan guy and will be moving into a house soon. Looking to build one and would love some more info on how you connected the elbows to the lid and bottom for the vents. Been watching your videos for a few hours now! Thanks again! Stay safe brother.
Thank you for watching and supporting my channel. Much appreciated. The elbows and tubes at the bottom are connected with non-galvanized conduit nuts. You can find these at any home improvement store. You will not regret doing this project - the drum smoker is an amazing cooking beast!!! Keep me posted on your progress. All the best and stay safe and healthy!!!
Hi Adam, Hope this was helpful. You will absolutely love this smoker. It really does an amazing job. I wish I would have built one a long time ago. Thanks for watching. Your support is appreciated. Please subscribe if you haven't already. All the Best-
Casket my friend ,enjoy your videos immensely. I am in the process of building mine. I was wondering if you could tell me what the red paint is that you used?
Thank you for your kind support. I used Rustoleum (automotive - hight temp.) spray paint. Any automotive parts store will sell this. Don't worry about finding an extremely high temperature paint; the drum itself will not reach extremely high temperatures. Although, the lid would be the hottest area of the smoker. Any High-Temp. Automotive paint will work just fine!
Thank you for your kind words. The project was a lot of fun and the machine turns out amazing cuts of smoked meat to perfection. If you don’t have one you will be amazed once you build and use it. My family prefers all cooks to be done in the UDS! Let us know how yours turned out. Happy Smokin’ my friend.
Hi there! This is still one of the more useful videos out there for a new build. Thank you. I need your help planning though: around how many bottles of spray paint did it take to coat the exterior? Did you prime? Appreciate any feedback.
Really enjoyed your video, I got some ideas how to improve my smoker. I have 3 smokers, I Santa Maria pit and a small grill (addicted to smoke) lol wife made me give 2 other smokers away. Thank you bro for your time and effort 👍😎
Hey Robert - Thank you for your kind support. I am interested in the Santa Maria pit and will have to find one. They look extremely versatile and easy to use! I hear you about the wife and smokers! I have three smokers and am currently looking to put a deposit on a Shirly Fabrication 24X60 trailer model. Check them out at: www.shirleyfabrication.com/offer/smokers-cookers . Thinking about trying the BBQ vending circuit at fairs and festivals in coming years. I'm learning there are lots of hoops with health department and licensing to jump through!!!
I’m late to your video, but what an awesome project and great results...checked out your brisket and ribs videos. One question - what was the thought process on four vents versus using stacks in the bung holes of the lid? Steve from Winnipeg
The build looks fantastic...I think I will attempt building one of these myself but also include the option to hang. I watched your and Sneak's videos. The main Question I have is why you put so little space between the 2 racks and the top rack and the lid. It seems like that would be a major limiting factor as you cant put anything thicker than 3 inches and use both racks. Is there a design reason for this? It seems that as long as you move/recenter your thermometer when you drop the racks you could adjust the temp (assuming its hotter lower down) and cook slightly lower but allow more spacing between racks and the upper rack and lid.
Scott p Hi Scott. With this UDS you absolutely positively would NOT want a door. This would cause air leaks and render the unit useless. Also, there's no tending to the fire needed. I smoked approximately six separate smokes over the summer on one 18 pound basket of charcoal. One smoke was a full packer brisket of 17 hours. Still had plenty of fuel to do more. Just add a few chunks of wood to your charcoal and that's it. Snuff it out after your done In preparation for your next smoke/cook. Extremely efficient machine! Anyways, if you need a little extra smoke you can always add another chunk of wood when you open the top to spritz or baste your meat.
You certainly could do that. The top is the warmest area in the cooker. I placed mine near the racks just to get an average between the coolest and the hottest.
Hey man thanks so much for this video. I've been researching UDS for a while and you were the first one that showed some of the things that I really wanted to see, and answered a bunch of questions I had. Got me pumped to get this project going now.
Glad I could help. I absolutely love this machine. Easy to use. Holds temp steady. Fuel lasts forever. Be sure to use only two or three small chunks of wood or you'll over smoke. I can't say enough great things about this UDS!!! keep us posted on your outcome. Happy Smoking!
Great smoker! I'm looking to build one now after watching this. A couple of questions if I can - is the drum a stainless steel drum, or just a normal steel drum? Also, how do you close the vents on the lid? Or do they always stay open?
I actually got mine from my place of employment- the county morgue. No joke. It had never been used by County Buildings Dept. And had sat near the heating/cooling chillers for 3 years untouched. There are several places in my area however, where one can purchase a similar barrel. Thank you for watching & commenting.
Sorry, but I'm new to the whole DIY smoker scene so this might be a stupid question but what is the "burnout"? Is it to give the barrel flavor or to burn out the zinc or what? Thank you in advance for the answer and love the content, please keep it coming!
Hey Christopher - The burnout procedure remove any contaminates such as oil or residual chemicals that may have been retained in the drum. The burnout also removes old paint on the exterior of the drum and will aid in your new painting process later on. hope your planning on building on. You'll love the smoker.
William Kasper Thanks for the info, and I most definitely will try this build! One more question, how long is the burnout process? I'd imagine it would take half a day to get all the chemicals and paint off.
Bill Siebel - Thank you my friend. I just went out and looked at my thermometer. No brand name on it but I think it is a Charbroil brand. It was purchased at Lowes I believe. Nothing expensive. I do have a Horizon brand thermometer on my offset (Oklahoma Joe Highland) I ordered from Horizon BBQ. Really, the thermometer is mostly aesthetics. You really need a digital probe positioned on your grates for accurate monitoring of your smoker temps.
Awesome UDS! I will be using both yours and Daddy smokes build ideas. just bought my drum along with about $170 worth of materials for the build. only question I have is are you now using a drippings catch pan?? If so, wouldn't that act as a heat deflector? Happy holidays!!
There is no drippings pan at all. The drippings fall into the burning charcoal basket and steam upward adding more to the smoke flavor. After every smoke you will find a significant amount of fluid in the bottom of the drum. I simply lift and dump the liquid out then wipe it dry with a bunch of paper towels. Fortunately the drum is light enough to pick up and flip it upside down and drain it. Thank you for your support. You're going to love this smoker once you learn the temperature control process. Happy Smoking.
That’s just it- the beauty of this drum smoker is that you don’t need to manage the wood or the coals. Once you’re fired up and you control your damper and your exhaust to your desired temperature, this thing chugs along at whatever temperature you set it at for 20+ hours. If you want to add a couple pieces of wood chunks to the coals you can drop them in to the basket when you open the lid to spritz your meat or move things around. However, that’s usually not necessary. After a couple hours there’s enough smoke flavor introduced to the meat to suffice. This truly is an amazing way to smoke meat without fussing and playing with the coals. When you’re done smoking just close the exhaust and the intakes and the coals will snuff themselves out. When the drum cools in a few hours, you take the basket out of the smoker and give it a few shakes to get rid of the ash and then put the basket back in and you’ll have plenty of coals left for your next smoke. Just amazing!
That’s the beauty of the drum smoker. You don’t have to add fuel. For example I did a 14 hour brisket and when finished, I had enough charcoal for at least two more cooks (maybe 12 hours left). Don’t forget the idea is to create a very slow smolder with some wood chips for smoke. It’s not a full blown burn like you would find in a barbecue grill.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your ideas. I’m building one myself. I’ve completed two burns yet I can’t get all the paint burned. About 90% is gone yet small areas haven’t come off. Is it critical to get ALL the paint off?? Thanks!
It is not critical to get ALL of the paint off. Just put a wire brush wheel on the drill motor and go over it. Then paint with high temp paint. It will be just fine. Your drum will never get hotter than your burn out!!! Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe if you haven't already. Let us know how your project turned out. All the Best-
William, I'm close to building a drum smoker (I have all the parts) and am trying to decide on how many air inlet/exit holes to use. I noticed you went with the three inlet holes (two adjustable) and four exit holes (open/closed) - using 3/4" pipe size for all of them. Can you tell me how this is working out for you? For instance, on your cooks, what combination of open and closed air openings do you find ends up giving you cooking temperatures of 225 degrees? 325 degrees? It seems to me that using only one adjustable inlet would be enough (vs. two to four which I've seen in some designs). Anyway, a little input would help guide me before I start drilling holes, and help me decide how many brass adjustable valves to use. If you could do it over, how many/what size air holes would you use? Thank you, Brad
Hi Brad - This configuration works very well. Like any cooker, you will need to learn its idiosyncrasies. After introducing the lit charcoals to the unlit charcoals in the basket, I usually wait for several minutes with the lid on the unit and the bung holes (in the lid) uncovered before I screw on the back cap. With both valves open, I start to close down the valves evenly yet very so slightly as the internal temperature approaches my target (i.e. 250 degrees). I have found that one inlet may not be enough and don't forget there area many factors weighing in with each cook - weather, temperature, humidity, size of the meat that is in the cooker, etc. All of these variations will require different combinations of air flow. Let us know how your machine turned out - keep us posted. All the Best and Happy Smoking!!!
As you season the smoker ; Do burn off all cad/zinc/galvanize plating with a torch - that stuff is No Good for people . ( Old welder's advice ; If Exposed to any of those coatings when burned , burning or even 'hot' , drink milk . It cancels the poisonous aspects ).
@@SmokinwithKasket The shiny crap is cadmium ( cad for short ) . Here's something else from my past yrs ; back in my day many folks were making their own BBQs , the racks were a pain-in-arse to make up so many shortcut by using refrigerator racks , Those are chromed , & not safe for use either . The chrome is a heavy metal as are the others listed - ALL are no good . The Only way is to burn off the plating - of any kind . Back then , many folks did come down sick as dawgs after cooking on unprepared racks . Just throw the hardware in the incinerator ( trash burner barrel ! ) get a good fire going , 'stir' occasionnally - any coatings usually turn yellow , or off-white when burned off - hose the hell outa it then season all ya like , why risk poisoning your family ? ( 'Food Safe' , Nickel Plated racks need the same process , 'Fire' from cooking isn't what the nickel is for ) .
@@SmokinwithKasket Well , it's a responsibility to pass on ignored or forgotten knowledge of 'stuff' - I'm older (& wiser too ?! ) But having knowledge that may protect someone's health matters - we shouldn't expect to take it with us , so if it benefits others - & their families , we pass it fwd . Hope your project goes well !
2:42 Before you do this, make damn sure the old contents of the drum were not flammable. Vapors can be just as explosive as the former contents, and guys have gotten killed cutting into "empty" drums that exploded. I was just reading about a guy in Pennsylvania who got killed by a burn barrel last week. And I know of another incident in Iowa that killed a man who was welding on top of a barrel, using it as a workbench. Filling the drum with water before cutting into it can displace explosive vapors, if done correctly.
Good advice. My barrel fortunately was clean and never used. This one has a removable lid which is perfect for this application. There are places you can buy these drums that’s never been used. Look around in your area for these places when you begin your project.
The only concern or question I have is how hard it is to clean the inside of the barrel? Seems pretty hard to reach the bottom of the barrel for a deep cleaning
looks great! awesome job. I just got a 55 gallon drum and I want to do the same as you. Gonna follow your advice as well as I can. Roughly, how much did you spend on materials? Budgets kinda tight being Christmas time, and wife said i gotta build cheap lol. thanks! Again,looks awesome!
I have somewhere around $200 into it. I got the barrel for free. There are many corners you can cut to lower the cost. First of all, the step drill and the two valves are most expensive. The step drill bit runs around $25 and that was at Harbor Freight. The ball valves run around $15 each. You can skip the riser pipes and install the valves directly to the bottom holes eliminating elbows, pipes and U-clamps. Drill the holes in the lid and use magnets to cover the vents eliminating more elbows and conduit nuts. I'm guessing you could squeeze a decent smoker out of your drum for around $100 dollars or so. Think of ways of making the charcoal basket at a lower cost. However, the basket is an important component of this machine. Good luck my friend.
William Kasper I do appreciate the reply. I seen that number and my jaw dropped lol. I told the wife it would be about 30 bucks so she wouldn't flip out. I'll keep this as a little secret lol. But I have the drill. Probably have the exhaust pipes too. If you're on Facebook, there's a smoking low and slow group. check it out
Just slowly collect the pieces you'll need over the next few months of winter. Might get the grates on sale now along with other pieces. Buying the parts here and there - you won't feel the pinch. Then you got a cool project to look forward to come April or May.
Never smoked anything (except contraband) but recently got a wild hare to smoke some ribs or something. Have access to numerous drums at times so here we go on another adventure. One smoker on the way.
Hey there. It is a tim sign. I did use self tapping screws but I still predrilled anyways. I started to use spacers however it worked just fine without. The metal sign is solid and sturdy with only the threads of the screws holding it. Only screwed in the drum several threads per screw. I was surprised to find that during a smoke, the outside of the drum barely gets warm. Only near the top where the heat accumulates does the drum get really warm. The tin sign stays very cool and would even if it were nearly touching the drum itself. Hope this helped.
Hey there. It is a tin sign. I did use self tapping screws but I still predrilled anyways. I started to use spacers however it worked just fine without. The metal sign is solid and sturdy with only the threads of the screws holding it. Only screwed in the drum several threads per screw. I was surprised to find that during a smoke, the outside of the drum barely gets warm. Only near the top where the heat accumulates does the drum get really warm. The tin sign stays very cool and would even if it were nearly touching the drum itself. Hope this helped.
Hey Jack, the problem with doubling as a grill is that you will have very high temps as opposed to a smoker. You will have ongoing issues with peeling paint and rust. Otherwise, you could make a rack to raise your charcoal basket closer to the grate and use it as a grill. If you love to smoke you will love the UDS!!! Good luck. Keep us posted.
William Kasper the only reason I was thinking about having a 2 in 1 was too save space in my garden. Here in the U.K. We don't have a lot of outdoors space. I'm going to start collecting all my components and build it in the summer
Ah yes. Makes sense. Design it for both grilling and smoking. Just keep up with the paint and rust and you should be good to go. Keep us posted on your design and final outcome. Can't wait to see it.
If I use the right paint will the grill be that much of a problem? Do you have any ideas for the grilling design? Iv been trying to find a video, but I have had no luck. Once I'll start building it I will keep you posted Thanks
One idea is to place your charcoal basket on an upside down ceramic flower pot. That would raise the hot coals closer to the grates. I have seen a video on this a long time ago. Let me search fir it and I will send you the link.
Wow, that looks awesome! I'm in S.E Michigan too (Warren), and need to score a 55 gal drum somewhere. Any tips would be appreciated. Also curious why the intake pipes extend up so high with the ball valves. Wouldn't the shortest piece of pipe to allow it to be threaded on both ends to fit the elbow and the valve be adequate? I mean it looks great, just curious.
Not sure if you're still looking. It's been a year but I found a company called Cmar Products. They are in Detroit by I-94 & I-75. They sell reconditioned drums for about $25 and they have unlined so you don't have to worry about burning out a food liner.
Awesome tip. I’ll look that place up. I work at I-75 and E. Warren Ave. (by I-94). Thank you. Hopefully OnTheFtitz602 is still around. Happy New Year!!!
Hey Kasper! I'm curious how you put the cool "Keep Out" sign on your Drum Smoker. I have a Pit Barrel and would like to add a sign with spacers myself. Is drilling holes in my Pit Barrel necessary to put my own sign on? Thanks!
Hey there buddy- I drilled four holes at each corner and positioned the sign on the barrel, marked the holes and drilled. Be very careful to get the sign leveled so it's not crooked. I initially planned on using washers as spacers however, turned out that self tapping screws once screwed all the way into the metal sign was enough to hold it tight. I then hand turned the screws into the barrel until the sign seemed to be the right distance from the barrel (approx 1/4 inch). Drilling holes into the barrel is no big deal and won't effect cooking. You'll need to bend your sign carefully to match the contour of your barrel. Not sure if there would be any other way to affix the sign without holes drilled. Good luck. Let me know how it turned out.
Very simple, I have a cookie sheet underneath the basket that catches the ash. I have all four corners bent up so it's easy to grab and lift up and out. Check out my video on the project - you'll see how i did that.
Hey, awesome job. Just a quick question, after a period of time did you find the inside of the drum began to rust or has any part of the drum began to rust? If so did you find a way to prevent it? Thanks man.
Your question peeked my interest. I just went to the garage and inspected the drum smoker. Looked inside and out- not one speck of rust anywhere. I do keep mine in the garage and rarely if ever leave it outside.
For my ugly drum smoker I don't use charcoal like most people I fuel my ugly drum smoker with radioactive uranium. All you need to do is light it once and it will stay hot for at least 25-50 years.
Using the elbows for the air intakes, if I want to decrease the airflow I can screw in a plug into however many I want to block. Full disclosure though I generally don’t ever block any of the intakes.
@@SmokinwithKasket thanks. but my question was about the purpose / net effectiveness of those long pipes vs a simple surface mounted damper... not trying to debate. just wanting to educate myself on the purpose of the various components
@@waynegranzin3824 - I think I may have misunderstood your question I thought you were referring to the elbows on the lid. You could simply mount an adjustable damper down below and that would probably work fine. The tubes or snorkel simply makes it easy to adjust the airflow without bending over to reach to the bottom of the drum. Convenience. Just be sure that the damper is below grate level down at the bottom because you want the air to flow in under the grate up into the coals.
Be sure to use a steel drum and its best to find one with a removable lid instead of having to worry about cutting the top off. Food grade drums may pose the problem of a liner they sometimes install. The liner can be difficult to remove even after a hot burn-out. Many times the liner is simply a liquid that the inside of the drum was coated with. Use a non food grade drum without a liner. Check out craigs list or computer apps listing local items for sale. Many times drums are listed for sale in your area. You may also check with local lumber yards or welding shops as they may know a local supplier or outlet. Best of luck.
My particular barrel had a removable top and I suggest if you’re going to build a UDS that you find one that has a removable top. There is usually a metal band with a bolt and nut that goes around the top and you would tighten down the bolt and nut like a turn buckle and it would clamp the lid onto the barrel. I threw away the band. If you cannot find one with a removable top like mine then you can simply buy a wheel cutter and remove the top.
Well, lets see - Weber Grates on sale for 12.99 x2, Ball valves $18 x2, 36" Black Pipe $25, fire grate $10, expanded metal $15 x 2, misc. hardware: $50.00 = Fire Basket: Approx. $60.00. Remainder: Approx. $137.00 for a Grand Total: Less Than $200.00. The barrel was free and the temp. gauge was a gift. Less than $200.00 for this smoker is a great deal!!! The performance is amazing. I would have NOT purchased the Oklahoma Joes Highland if I had assembled and used the UDS first.
This is the first I have heard of the UDS it's my type of smoker but at $200 is it really that good of a value over a 22" Weber Kettle for $100? I will be checking out yours as well as other UDS smokers as I need a new grill & smoker and have a drum. Thanks for the well put together vid.
Larry Koziol - Absolureky no doubt that this is well worth the investment!!! Less than $200 and you can even eliminate the vertical tubes and mount the valves right at the bottom to save more. The Webber Kettle is NOT a smoker like the UDS and functions differently than the kettle grill. You will not regret this smoker if you decide to build one. All the Best. Keep us posted on your decision.
A friend and i tag along to build each one following you’re step by. Very excited to see the final result
William i think you have given me some info that i have been needing thank you so much and i love the smoker alot.
Thank you for watching and commenting and hopefully subscribing. I’m glad the video was helpful. If you decide to build this smoker, you will have zero regrets!
Thanks-
T-Roy is correct. I am very proud. Thank you soooo much for the credit and the shout out! Your build came out beautifully. I can't wait to see how it cooks for you. I am gonna have to keep my eye on you! Great Job once again!
Thank you sir. Your compliment is much appreciated and respected. I owe my success to your videos on the UDS. I plan on a seasoning video soon. Hope it works as well as yours! Keep your videos coming. HAPPY SMOKING MY FRIEND!!!
Whats the cost on material around $100 plus
Nice DIY UDS!👏😀
Thank you. Appreciate you watching and commenting. Have a great day!!!
I built a basket similar to that, but I also attached a pan to the bottom as an ash catcher. Works great and makes it easy to clean up.
Thank you William Kasper, for the shop that you found for me on the barrel. it's a great barrel only $15. I'm going to start my build this weekend. I found all my parts. you and big daddy were great help
I don't know if anyone has figured this out but when I built mine, I was replacing my old Webber grill that was rusted out in the bottom to nothingness. When I went to burn it out for the first time my Webber was sitting right there and after looking for a second I sat the lid on the barrel and it fit just perfect.
Hi Troy - That is an awesome tip. The Weber lids do fit most 55 gallon drums. I considered using one on mine. Thank you.
Thats not ugly at all my friend. On the contrary the best looking ugly smoker ive seen, i would buy this everyday...... VV Well Done.
Thank you fir your kind words. Appreciate you watching and supporting. Stay safe and go build yourself one - You’ll love it!!!
My buddy wants me to build him one. I always use heavy wall material so hopefully I dont damage the barrel. Nice build
Just finished and seasoned my uds yesterday. made my first brisket today and it turned out great.
Yes sir, just a man, doing what men should do!
"Mom loves it when you spray paint her flowers and rock garden path..." LOL
I gotta give it to you. THAT'S A NICE BUILD! And? Very versatile. The second rack gives you another cooking level but you could easily do a layer of charcoal on the 2nd/lower level if you just wanted to do burgers and dogs. You could add hooks to the lid and hang ribs, chicken or other meats without either rack. The biggest congrats I'll have to say is this looks DOABLE to the handy guy or girl or the not so handy. Either I missed it or would add 2 things. Air flow control top and bottom and handles for the top. I really like this paint job looks good to.
OOPS! I now see (since watching more of your videos about the air flow vents. Again. Great build.
Thanks for the input my friend. I do actually have airflow control on the kid with the use of caps for the elbow vents and bung holes. This configuration works perfectly because usually I only have to adjust the large bung hole vents. The only problem with using this unit for grilling would be the extreme heat produced from the charcoal if placed on second rack. The heat would damage the paint and cause damage or warping to the hardware used in supporting the rack including the rack itself.
Very Nice. I need to make one of these.
This was a great project. Thank you for watching.
Wow, what a great looking UDS!!! Phil would be proud of you! Great job on the video also. I look forward to seeing you fire up that UDS and do some cooking on it. Cheers!!!
Hey! T-Roy! Fancy meeting you here. Lol!
Hey Scott, it's a small world brother! I like to check up on my followers and get excited when they make videos about cooking.
Hey just started watching your videos yesterday. You make some really great food
Thank you for dropping in. Appreciate the comment. You gotta try some of these recipes yourself. I have a lot of great smokes planned in upcoming videos. Stay safe and healthy!!!
Yea my friend is helping me build a offset drum smoker now. I'm really excited to finish
I used your video on a smoked shoulder and it came out perfect. I'm definitely a fan.
Wow! Great to hear. I've gotten so much out of TH-cam I'm glad I can give back something.
Finally ready to build one of these this weekend. Any chance of you doing a followup video of how it's holding up over the years? Anything you'd change about it if you were to make another?
Awesome idea. I just did a review on a rib rub the other day using the UDS. Check out the video. It is holding up very well and I have no issues with it. Actually I would not change anything other than make a hook to hold the lid. Love this smoker!!!
Thank you for the video William! I am also a SE Michigan guy and will be moving into a house soon. Looking to build one and would love some more info on how you connected the elbows to the lid and bottom for the vents. Been watching your videos for a few hours now! Thanks again! Stay safe brother.
Thank you for watching and supporting my channel. Much appreciated. The elbows and tubes at the bottom are connected with non-galvanized conduit nuts. You can find these at any home improvement store. You will not regret doing this project - the drum smoker is an amazing cooking beast!!! Keep me posted on your progress. All the best and stay safe and healthy!!!
Thank you for posting this. I’ve always wanted to make one but wanted better ideas
Hi Adam, Hope this was helpful. You will absolutely love this smoker. It really does an amazing job. I wish I would have built one a long time ago. Thanks for watching. Your support is appreciated. Please subscribe if you haven't already. All the Best-
Casket my friend ,enjoy your videos immensely. I am in the process of building mine. I was wondering if you could tell me what the red paint is that you used?
Thank you for your kind support. I used Rustoleum (automotive - hight temp.) spray paint. Any automotive parts store will sell this. Don't worry about finding an extremely high temperature paint; the drum itself will not reach extremely high temperatures. Although, the lid would be the hottest area of the smoker. Any High-Temp. Automotive paint will work just fine!
great looking build!! makes me want to put wheels on my pit barrel cooker.
White Thunder BBQ - that's the way to go.
Nice project. Great looking uds I’ve been thinking of doing one of these. Love the sign and colors. 🍻
Thank you for your kind words. The project was a lot of fun and the machine turns out amazing cuts of smoked meat to perfection. If you don’t have one you will be amazed once you build and use it. My family prefers all cooks to be done in the UDS! Let us know how yours turned out. Happy Smokin’ my friend.
Hi there! This is still one of the more useful videos out there for a new build. Thank you. I need your help planning though: around how many bottles of spray paint did it take to coat the exterior? Did you prime? Appreciate any feedback.
No primer. I put on 2 to 3 coats. I think 3 cans of spray paint. Thanks for the positive feedback - much appreciated!!!
Really enjoyed your video, I got some ideas how to improve my smoker. I have 3 smokers, I Santa Maria pit and a small grill (addicted to smoke) lol wife made me give 2 other smokers away. Thank you bro for your time and effort 👍😎
Hey Robert - Thank you for your kind support. I am interested in the Santa Maria pit and will have to find one. They look extremely versatile and easy to use! I hear you about the wife and smokers! I have three smokers and am currently looking to put a deposit on a Shirly Fabrication 24X60 trailer model. Check them out at: www.shirleyfabrication.com/offer/smokers-cookers . Thinking about trying the BBQ vending circuit at fairs and festivals in coming years. I'm learning there are lots of hoops with health department and licensing to jump through!!!
beautiful smoker bro thanks!! now I know exactly how I want to put mine together thanks to you, much appreciated sir.
Looks good brother
Thank you. Appreciate you watching.
I’m late to your video, but what an awesome project and great results...checked out your brisket and ribs videos. One question - what was the thought process on four vents versus using stacks in the bung holes of the lid? Steve from Winnipeg
The build looks fantastic...I think I will attempt building one of these myself but also include the option to hang. I watched your and Sneak's videos. The main Question I have is why you put so little space between the 2 racks and the top rack and the lid. It seems like that would be a major limiting factor as you cant put anything thicker than 3 inches and use both racks. Is there a design reason for this? It seems that as long as you move/recenter your thermometer when you drop the racks you could adjust the temp (assuming its hotter lower down) and cook slightly lower but allow more spacing between racks and the upper rack and lid.
Looks pretty cool. Wouldn't you want some kind of firebox door, you know, to tend the fire?
Scott p Hi Scott. With this UDS you absolutely positively would NOT want a door. This would cause air leaks and render the unit useless. Also, there's no tending to the fire needed. I smoked approximately six separate smokes over the summer on one 18 pound basket of charcoal. One smoke was a full packer brisket of 17 hours. Still had plenty of fuel to do more. Just add a few chunks of wood to your charcoal and that's it. Snuff it out after your done In preparation for your next smoke/cook. Extremely efficient machine! Anyways, if you need a little extra smoke you can always add another chunk of wood when you open the top to spritz or baste your meat.
Liked your build I'm working on one now...how about some measurements of where you placed risers and any other hardware
👍looking forward to the next uds video
Thank you. I'm editing a Father's Day Beef Rib and Beef Short Rib video as we speak.
Great job! the smoker looks beautiful 👍👍👍
Thanks much!!! I appreciate that. Its is truly an amazing smoker. You must build one for your self!!! All the Best-
Why not put temp probe in the top?
You certainly could do that. The top is the warmest area in the cooker. I placed mine near the racks just to get an average between the coolest and the hottest.
Hey man thanks so much for this video. I've been researching UDS for a while and you were the first one that showed some of the things that I really wanted to see, and answered a bunch of questions I had. Got me pumped to get this project going now.
Glad I could help. I absolutely love this machine. Easy to use. Holds temp steady. Fuel lasts forever. Be sure to use only two or three small chunks of wood or you'll over smoke. I can't say enough great things about this UDS!!! keep us posted on your outcome. Happy Smoking!
that smoker looks just great .
Thank you. What a great smoker. If you don't have one of these you must build one this spring.
Nice and easy, just finding the 55 stainless steel gallon barrel ios probably the hardest part. Thanks.
You don't need stainless steel. That would be unbelievably expensive!!! find an unused one or a food grade barrel with removable top. All the Best!!!
Great smoker! I'm looking to build one now after watching this. A couple of questions if I can - is the drum a stainless steel drum, or just a normal steel drum? Also, how do you close the vents on the lid? Or do they always stay open?
I think the top vents stay open and temp is controlled by the valves on the fresh air side.
Where did you get the barrel with the nice lid that actually works
I actually got mine from my place of employment- the county morgue. No joke. It had never been used by County Buildings Dept. And had sat near the heating/cooling chillers for 3 years untouched. There are several places in my area however, where one can purchase a similar barrel. Thank you for watching & commenting.
Excellent detail. How many cans of paint did you use for the black semigloss coat(s)?
Two cans of paint. That was high heat paint. Thanks for watching. Stay safe and healthy.
How did you attach the lid smoke 90° vents? Please could you post a few pictures of what you did to secure them to the lid. Thank you Richard
Thanks for the inspiration William..Great job! Hey how long were those I screws?
A thing of beauty! Nice video man!
Also good music!!!!
Sorry, but I'm new to the whole DIY smoker scene so this might be a stupid question but what is the "burnout"? Is it to give the barrel flavor or to burn out the zinc or what? Thank you in advance for the answer and love the content, please keep it coming!
Hey Christopher - The burnout procedure remove any contaminates such as oil or residual chemicals that may have been retained in the drum. The burnout also removes old paint on the exterior of the drum and will aid in your new painting process later on. hope your planning on building on. You'll love the smoker.
William Kasper Thanks for the info, and I most definitely will try this build! One more question, how long is the burnout process? I'd imagine it would take half a day to get all the chemicals and paint off.
Christopher Santos - Just a good hot fire for several hours. I found 3 or 4 pallets I broke apart and burned them up.
Looks awesome well done
Thank you. Appreciate the comment. You must build one for yourself!!! All the Best-
What brand thermometer is on your smoker? Very nice job. Have to paint mine this week. All I need now is thermometer. Great video!!
Bill Siebel - Thank you my friend. I just went out and looked at my thermometer. No brand name on it but I think it is a Charbroil brand. It was purchased at Lowes I believe. Nothing expensive. I do have a Horizon brand thermometer on my offset (Oklahoma Joe Highland) I ordered from Horizon BBQ. Really, the thermometer is mostly aesthetics. You really need a digital probe positioned on your grates for accurate monitoring of your smoker temps.
Wow simple enough! Thanks William
Thank you for watching. Stay safe!
Beautiful done! Congratulations.
Thank you.
Great job! I'm headed to pick up pieces parts right now to build my first two UDS's! LOVE the T-shirt too! ;) lol Thanks for the vids...
ken jepsen - Sounds great my friend. You'll love this cooker for sure! You familiar with Put in Bay? Fun place for sure!!!
I got stuck at work this weekend but two boats of guys are headed for Wild wings and Put-in-Bay this Friday!
Awesome UDS! I will be using both yours and Daddy smokes build ideas. just bought my drum along with about $170 worth of materials for the build. only question I have is are you now using a drippings catch pan?? If so, wouldn't that act as a heat deflector? Happy holidays!!
There is no drippings pan at all. The drippings fall into the burning charcoal basket and steam upward adding more to the smoke flavor. After every smoke you will find a significant amount of fluid in the bottom of the drum. I simply lift and dump the liquid out then wipe it dry with a bunch of paper towels. Fortunately the drum is light enough to pick up and flip it upside down and drain it. Thank you for your support. You're going to love this smoker once you learn the temperature control process. Happy Smoking.
How do you manage the coals and wood without a door? You have to take the meat out every time?
That’s just it- the beauty of this drum smoker is that you don’t need to manage the wood or the coals. Once you’re fired up and you control your damper and your exhaust to your desired temperature, this thing chugs along at whatever temperature you set it at for 20+ hours. If you want to add a couple pieces of wood chunks to the coals you can drop them in to the basket when you open the lid to spritz your meat or move things around. However, that’s usually not necessary. After a couple hours there’s enough smoke flavor introduced to the meat to suffice. This truly is an amazing way to smoke meat without fussing and playing with the coals. When you’re done smoking just close the exhaust and the intakes and the coals will snuff themselves out. When the drum cools in a few hours, you take the basket out of the smoker and give it a few shakes to get rid of the ash and then put the basket back in and you’ll have plenty of coals left for your next smoke. Just amazing!
Doesnt look ugly at all ! You can sell those bad boys on amazon i bet ! Great professional looking unit.
I like.
Thank you. you MUST build one of these!!! Awesome smnoker!!!
Awesome smoker nice job
Thank you. Appreciate you watching.
That looks amazing i'm really liking the paint.
Quick question about the external vents. How effective are they?
Ryan R - As long as you can adjust the vents from fully closed to fully open, they should work just fine.
great built mate looks fantastic
Great video William
glenncol - Thank you. Appreciate your support. Hope it helped with some UDS ideas.
How do you add to the fire box when doing long cooks?
That’s the beauty of the drum smoker. You don’t have to add fuel. For example I did a 14 hour brisket and when finished, I had enough charcoal for at least two more cooks (maybe 12 hours left). Don’t forget the idea is to create a very slow smolder with some wood chips for smoke. It’s not a full blown burn like you would find in a barbecue grill.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your ideas. I’m building one myself. I’ve completed two burns yet I can’t get all the paint burned. About 90% is gone yet small areas haven’t come off. Is it critical to get ALL the paint off?? Thanks!
It is not critical to get ALL of the paint off. Just put a wire brush wheel on the drill motor and go over it. Then paint with high temp paint. It will be just fine. Your drum will never get hotter than your burn out!!! Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe if you haven't already. Let us know how your project turned out. All the Best-
Nice build.. how did u cut the top cover off with the round edges?
William, I'm close to building a drum smoker (I have all the parts) and am trying to decide on how many air inlet/exit holes to use. I noticed you went with the three inlet holes (two adjustable) and four exit holes (open/closed) - using 3/4" pipe size for all of them. Can you tell me how this is working out for you? For instance, on your cooks, what combination of open and closed air openings do you find ends up giving you cooking temperatures of 225 degrees? 325 degrees? It seems to me that using only one adjustable inlet would be enough (vs. two to four which I've seen in some designs). Anyway, a little input would help guide me before I start drilling holes, and help me decide how many brass adjustable valves to use. If you could do it over, how many/what size air holes would you use? Thank you, Brad
Hi Brad - This configuration works very well. Like any cooker, you will need to learn its idiosyncrasies. After introducing the lit charcoals to the unlit charcoals in the basket, I usually wait for several minutes with the lid on the unit and the bung holes (in the lid) uncovered before I screw on the back cap. With both valves open, I start to close down the valves evenly yet very so slightly as the internal temperature approaches my target (i.e. 250 degrees). I have found that one inlet may not be enough and don't forget there area many factors weighing in with each cook - weather, temperature, humidity, size of the meat that is in the cooker, etc. All of these variations will require different combinations of air flow. Let us know how your machine turned out - keep us posted. All the Best and Happy Smoking!!!
How much do you have invested in your build? Nice job.
awesome set up ..im sold ..im making one hell ya
You wont regret it!!! This a an amazing smoking machine!!! Thank you for watching.
Good work fella
Thank you sir!!!!
As you season the smoker ; Do burn off all cad/zinc/galvanize plating with a torch - that stuff is No Good for people . ( Old welder's advice ; If Exposed to any of those coatings when burned , burning or even 'hot' , drink milk . It cancels the poisonous aspects ).
No galvanized parts used in this project.
@@SmokinwithKasket The shiny crap is cadmium ( cad for short ) . Here's something else from my past yrs ; back in my day many folks were making their own BBQs , the racks were a pain-in-arse to make up so many shortcut by using refrigerator racks , Those are chromed , & not safe for use either . The chrome is a heavy metal as are the others listed - ALL are no good . The Only way is to burn off the plating - of any kind . Back then , many folks did come down sick as dawgs after cooking on unprepared racks . Just throw the hardware in the incinerator ( trash burner barrel ! ) get a good fire going , 'stir' occasionnally - any coatings usually turn yellow , or off-white when burned off - hose the hell outa it then season all ya like , why risk poisoning your family ? ( 'Food Safe' , Nickel Plated racks need the same process , 'Fire' from cooking isn't what the nickel is for ) .
Thank you for providing that awesome information for everyone. Appreciate you watching unsubscribing. Stay safe my friend.
@@SmokinwithKasket Well , it's a responsibility to pass on ignored or forgotten knowledge of 'stuff' - I'm older (& wiser too ?! ) But having knowledge that may protect someone's health matters - we shouldn't expect to take it with us , so if it benefits others - & their families , we pass it fwd . Hope your project goes well !
Well put and thank you. Appreciate you watching and commenting.
2:42 Before you do this, make damn sure the old contents of the drum were not flammable. Vapors can be just as explosive as the former contents, and guys have gotten killed cutting into "empty" drums that exploded. I was just reading about a guy in Pennsylvania who got killed by a burn barrel last week. And I know of another incident in Iowa that killed a man who was welding on top of a barrel, using it as a workbench. Filling the drum with water before cutting into it can displace explosive vapors, if done correctly.
Good advice. My barrel fortunately was clean and never used. This one has a removable lid which is perfect for this application. There are places you can buy these drums that’s never been used. Look around in your area for these places when you begin your project.
The only concern or question I have is how hard it is to clean the inside of the barrel? Seems pretty hard to reach the bottom of the barrel for a deep cleaning
looks great! awesome job. I just got a 55 gallon drum and I want to do the same as you. Gonna follow your advice as well as I can. Roughly, how much did you spend on materials? Budgets kinda tight being Christmas time, and wife said i gotta build cheap lol. thanks! Again,looks awesome!
I have somewhere around $200 into it. I got the barrel for free. There are many corners you can cut to lower the cost. First of all, the step drill and the two valves are most expensive. The step drill bit runs around $25 and that was at Harbor Freight. The ball valves run around $15 each. You can skip the riser pipes and install the valves directly to the bottom holes eliminating elbows, pipes and U-clamps. Drill the holes in the lid and use magnets to cover the vents eliminating more elbows and conduit nuts. I'm guessing you could squeeze a decent smoker out of your drum for around $100 dollars or so. Think of ways of making the charcoal basket at a lower cost. However, the basket is an important component of this machine. Good luck my friend.
William Kasper I do appreciate the reply. I seen that number and my jaw dropped lol. I told the wife it would be about 30 bucks so she wouldn't flip out. I'll keep this as a little secret lol. But I have the drill. Probably have the exhaust pipes too. If you're on Facebook, there's a smoking low and slow group. check it out
Just slowly collect the pieces you'll need over the next few months of winter. Might get the grates on sale now along with other pieces. Buying the parts here and there - you won't feel the pinch. Then you got a cool project to look forward to come April or May.
William Kasper But I'm very impatient lol. I'm hoping to have something smoking on Christmas.
I hear you loud and clear. Totally understand!!!
Phil gets way more credit than he deserves. He's built 1 mediocre smoker. Good job
Nice job, looks great
Thank you - Appreciate your support. If you don't have one of these already, be sure to build one. You won't be disappointed. Happy Holidays. .
I'm looking into building a uds did you sand inside of barrel after burn out?
No sanding. Just a hot burnout.
You’ll be good to go after your initial seasoning. Thank you for watching. Let us know how you did.
Never smoked anything (except contraband) but recently got a wild hare to smoke some ribs or something. Have access to numerous drums at times so here
we go on another adventure. One smoker on the way.
Awsome!!! Please let us know how it turned out. Keep us posted. You won’t regret building a UDS!!!
Great guide! Thanks for sharing!
Cheers from Norway
Elton's BBQ-pit - Hey Eltons BBQ-pit, thank you for your support my friend. Best wishes to you and your BBQ in wonderful Norway. Happy smoking.
Couple of questions.
- Did you use spacers for the sign?
- if not did you use self tapping screws?
- is it a tin sign?
Hey there. It is a tim sign. I did use self tapping screws but I still predrilled anyways. I started to use spacers however it worked just fine without. The metal sign is solid and sturdy with only the threads of the screws holding it. Only screwed in the drum several threads per screw. I was surprised to find that during a smoke, the outside of the drum barely gets warm. Only near the top where the heat accumulates does the drum get really warm. The tin sign stays very cool and would even if it were nearly touching the drum itself.
Hope this helped.
Hey there. It is a tin sign. I did use self tapping screws but I still predrilled anyways. I started to use spacers however it worked just fine without. The metal sign is solid and sturdy with only the threads of the screws holding it. Only screwed in the drum several threads per screw. I was surprised to find that during a smoke, the outside of the drum barely gets warm. Only near the top where the heat accumulates does the drum get really warm. The tin sign stays very cool and would even if it were nearly touching the drum itself.
Hope this helped.
Awesome. Thank you sir!!!
I like. What size was that sign and how did you roll it???
I’ll measure that sign. I simply flexed it a little to get an even bend that matched the drum.
Planning something like this in metalshop. Thanks for the vid
Great Uds. I'm thinking of making one myself. Have you got any advise on making it into a grill aswell as a smoker?
Hey Jack, the problem with doubling as a grill is that you will have very high temps as opposed to a smoker. You will have ongoing issues with peeling paint and rust. Otherwise, you could make a rack to raise your charcoal basket closer to the grate and use it as a grill. If you love to smoke you will love the UDS!!! Good luck. Keep us posted.
William Kasper the only reason I was thinking about having a 2 in 1 was too save space in my garden. Here in the U.K. We don't have a lot of outdoors space. I'm going to start collecting all my components and build it in the summer
Ah yes. Makes sense. Design it for both grilling and smoking. Just keep up with the paint and rust and you should be good to go. Keep us posted on your design and final outcome. Can't wait to see it.
If I use the right paint will the grill be that much of a problem? Do you have any ideas for the grilling design? Iv been trying to find a video, but I have had no luck. Once I'll start building it I will keep you posted
Thanks
One idea is to place your charcoal basket on an upside down ceramic flower pot. That would raise the hot coals closer to the grates. I have seen a video on this a long time ago. Let me search fir it and I will send you the link.
Wow, that looks awesome! I'm in S.E Michigan too (Warren), and need to score a 55 gal drum somewhere.
Any tips would be appreciated.
Also curious why the intake pipes extend up so high with the ball valves. Wouldn't the shortest piece of pipe to allow it to be threaded on both ends to fit the elbow and the valve be adequate? I mean it looks great, just curious.
Not sure if you're still looking. It's been a year but I found a company called Cmar Products. They are in Detroit by I-94 & I-75. They sell reconditioned drums for about $25 and they have unlined so you don't have to worry about burning out a food liner.
Awesome tip. I’ll look that place up. I work at I-75 and E. Warren Ave. (by I-94). Thank you. Hopefully OnTheFtitz602 is still around. Happy New Year!!!
Very nice work
Thank you my friend. Was a fun project!
Great video---thanks--I am headed to Lowes--David
Great! Get that thing on line and smokin!!!
Hey Kasper! I'm curious how you put the cool "Keep Out" sign on your Drum Smoker. I have a Pit Barrel and would like to add a sign with spacers myself. Is drilling holes in my Pit Barrel necessary to put my own sign on? Thanks!
Hey there buddy- I drilled four holes at each corner and positioned the sign on the barrel, marked the holes and drilled. Be very careful to get the sign leveled so it's not crooked. I initially planned on using washers as spacers however, turned out that self tapping screws once screwed all the way into the metal sign was enough to hold it tight. I then hand turned the screws into the barrel until the sign seemed to be the right distance from the barrel (approx 1/4 inch). Drilling holes into the barrel is no big deal and won't effect cooking. You'll need to bend your sign carefully to match the contour of your barrel. Not sure if there would be any other way to affix the sign without holes drilled. Good luck. Let me know how it turned out.
Thanks for the info Kasper! You Rock Dude!
How do you clean out the ash after it builds up? A simple flip over dump into the trash can or...?
Very simple, I have a cookie sheet underneath the basket that catches the ash. I have all four corners bent up so it's easy to grab and lift up and out. Check out my video on the project - you'll see how i did that.
Well done Sir.
How much do you spent to make all this ?? Thanks !!!
What size caster wheels did you use?
I will measure and let you know. I’ve forgotten the caster size.
Hey, awesome job.
Just a quick question, after a period of time did you find the inside of the drum began to rust or has any part of the drum began to rust? If so did you find a way to prevent it?
Thanks man.
Your question peeked my interest. I just went to the garage and inspected the drum smoker. Looked inside and out- not one speck of rust anywhere. I do keep mine in the garage and rarely if ever leave it outside.
William Kasper great news, thanks bud.
Once you season it, it seals the metal
@@kylesonsalla7620 how do you season it?
@@MarshallBLewis
Cover it all with vegetable oil and do a trial burn
For my ugly drum smoker I don't use charcoal like most people I fuel my ugly drum smoker with radioactive uranium. All you need to do is light it once and it will stay hot for at least 25-50 years.
Where did you buy the uranium? Trying to get some but its very expensive and most supplier want me to ship it into the country myself.
curious about the point of the snorkel-style air intakes? vs just a damper?
Using the elbows for the air intakes, if I want to decrease the airflow I can screw in a plug into however many I want to block. Full disclosure though I generally don’t ever block any of the intakes.
@@SmokinwithKasket thanks. but my question was about the purpose / net effectiveness of those long pipes vs a simple surface mounted damper... not trying to debate. just wanting to educate myself on the purpose of the various components
@@waynegranzin3824 - I think I may have misunderstood your question I thought you were referring to the elbows on the lid. You could simply mount an adjustable damper down below and that would probably work fine. The tubes or snorkel simply makes it easy to adjust the airflow without bending over to reach to the bottom of the drum. Convenience. Just be sure that the damper is below grate level down at the bottom because you want the air to flow in under the grate up into the coals.
@@SmokinwithKasket oh yeah. I guess my original question was a bit ambiguous. Thanks for clarifying!
I hope you’re planning on building one. You will absolutely love this unit for smoking. It does a fantastic job.
Wow ! I think you inspired me to try this !
I promise you won’t be disappointed!!!
Nice.
Thank you. It’s an awesome smoker. Go build you one ASAP! Thank you for watching and commenting . I appreciate your support!
Great video!!
Drum barrel and wood pallets are awesome. I can get them both for free.
Your good to go. Build one quick!!!! You’ll love it!!!
Is the hardware stainless?
Yes it is. The hardware is stainless and all three grates are Weber grates.
Nice
Thank you. Appreciate you watching and commenting.
What kind of drum to use and where to get it is my biggest question. I would welcome your thoughts, thanks.
Be sure to use a steel drum and its best to find one with a removable lid instead of having to worry about cutting the top off. Food grade drums may pose the problem of a liner they sometimes install. The liner can be difficult to remove even after a hot burn-out. Many times the liner is simply a liquid that the inside of the drum was coated with. Use a non food grade drum without a liner. Check out craigs list or computer apps listing local items for sale. Many times drums are listed for sale in your area. You may also check with local lumber yards or welding shops as they may know a local supplier or outlet. Best of luck.
You can find new drums or overpack drums at many places, such as fuel distributors, emergency supply places, you can also search on FB market place.
I’m gonna build that.
You’ll be mad you didn’t do this sooner! I sure was. Keep us posted on your project. Stay safe and Happy Smokin’!
love your videos! keep em coming.
Thank you for your support. Much appreciated. I tend to be my own worst critic. Happy Smoking My Friend.
Niiiiiiice 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thank you for watching and commenting. Appreciate your kind words.
I have the same wheels what length pan head screws did u use?
I bought street elbows instead of elbows and nipples. I am wondering if that will be an issue?
How do you cut the top off .?
My particular barrel had a removable top and I suggest if you’re going to build a UDS that you find one that has a removable top. There is usually a metal band with a bolt and nut that goes around the top and you would tighten down the bolt and nut like a turn buckle and it would clamp the lid onto the barrel. I threw away the band. If you cannot find one with a removable top like mine then you can simply buy a wheel cutter and remove the top.
All said and done, How much , MONEY do you have tied up in this Urban Smoker?
Well, lets see - Weber Grates on sale for 12.99 x2, Ball valves $18 x2, 36" Black Pipe $25, fire grate $10, expanded metal $15 x 2, misc. hardware: $50.00 = Fire Basket: Approx. $60.00. Remainder: Approx. $137.00 for a Grand Total: Less Than $200.00. The barrel was free and the temp. gauge was a gift. Less than $200.00 for this smoker is a great deal!!! The performance is amazing. I would have NOT purchased the Oklahoma Joes Highland if I had assembled and used the UDS first.
This is the first I have heard of the UDS it's my type of smoker but at $200 is it really that good of a value over a 22" Weber Kettle for $100? I will be checking out yours as well as other UDS smokers as I need a new grill & smoker and have a drum. Thanks for the well put together vid.
Larry Koziol - Absolureky no doubt that this is well worth the investment!!! Less than $200 and you can even eliminate the vertical tubes and mount the valves right at the bottom to save more. The Webber Kettle is NOT a smoker like the UDS and functions differently than the kettle grill. You will not regret this smoker if you decide to build one. All the Best. Keep us posted on your decision.