# I just built an Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS)



## roadfix

I picked up a refurbished 55 gallon drum last week, completely burned it out inside and out, installed two 22.5" grates, fabricated a large charcoal basket at the bottom, fabricated an intake draft door, installed a temperature gauge, used high temp paint, and topped it with an old Weber lid.  I'll season it tomorrow and get it really dirty this Saturday...


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## Rocklobster

You are a very handy man, sir!  Great job!  Hopefully you will post some pics of it in action. Way to go!


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## CWS4322

THANKS--I know s/one who can fabricate one of those for me! Now to find the barrel...


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## pacanis

The pics of the "ugly" drum smoker aren't showing up for me...
Just some pics of some fancy schmancy homemade drum smoker 

Very nice job. That's the purtiest UDS I've ever seen. I'm curious if you get the ridiculously long cooking times most report. Can't wait for your feedback.


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## Squirrel

Awesome drum! I'm new to the site and I'm in the process of building a UDS. I like the way you did the air intake. Great idea. I drilled two 1" holes and plan to use 2 3/4" ball valve and 1" nipples. Same as you on the grates and HOPE to find a used weber on craigslist. Looking forward to your first smoke on it!!


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## Andy M.

Looks like you did a great job.  Looking forward to the results.


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## TomatoMustard

I love it. I'll take two!


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## Snip 13

It's not ugly, it's bloody beautiful  Cool smoker!


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## Uncle Bob

Get a patent on the design...Get them mass produced...I'll be VP of Sales...South East Command....We'll get rich...


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## roadfix

Thanks all....I'll be sure to post photos of the first cook off of this thing this weekend.

Squirrel, I thought about using a ball valve plus the 2 caps but I had some bits of sheet metal laying around so I decided to go with the draft door instead. 
I've seen people use something as simple as magnets over the vent holes.  They all work well.


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## CharlieD

Looks awesom!


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## buckytom

she's a beaut, rf! 

nice job.


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## Dawgluver

That is a work of art!  Ugly it ain't!


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## CWS4322

Can you take some pics of the inside? I'm curious re; how you set up the racks. And, did you make the racks or buy them?


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## roadfix

Thanks folks!




CWS4322 said:


> Can you take some pics of the inside? I'm curious re; how you set up the racks. And, did you make the racks or buy them?


I will snap a couple of pics of the inside set up and post them tomorrow, including a pic of the expanded metal charcoal basket/ash pan assembly.  The two racks are old Weber 22" kettle grates I've had laying around.
 Used Weber grills can be picked up on Craigslist for cheap and I use them for parts.


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## BigAL

Looks great, RF!  Break that thing in!


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## roadfix

Here's the photo of the inside as requested.  I used 5/16" bolts as grate supports, 4 per grate.


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## deepfryerdan

How do you add more charcoal if the need be?


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## roadfix

deepfryerdan said:


> How do you add more charcoal if the need be?


You don't.  Just fill the basket with enough charcoal for the length of the cook, whether they're 5 hour short smokes or up to 20 hours burn time.  You'll also bury several large chunks of smoke wood mixed in with the unlit charcoal.  Only several (a dozen) fully lit briquettes are placed on top of the basket of unlit coals to start the long, slow, low temperature burn.
In most cases if you start out with enough charcoal you'll end up with a pile of unburned, left over charcoal at the bottom of the basket the next morning after closing off all the vents and snuffing out the coals.
There's really no reason to put an access door on the side of these vertical smokers.  They only create more air leaks.


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## pacanis

My WSM leaks now. I can't snuff out the charcoal anymore when I'm through.
That pastrami I did last week, the charcoal stayed lit for two days, lol. The second day the temp was just starting to drop. It was 158 when I last looked. And by second day I mean I smoked the brisket on Friday afternoon and the smoker was still going Sunday. All vents shut.


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## betterthanabox

Love it!


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## joesfolk

I want one!!!


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## roadfix

They're very easy to build.  The hardest part is finding an unlined food-safe drum or just buy a re-furbished drum and give it a good initial burn with scrap lumber before you begin your build.


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## Timothy

roadfix said:


> They're very easy to build. The hardest part is finding an unlined food-safe drum or just buy a re-furbished drum and give it a good initial burn with scrap lumber before you begin your build.


 
Wait....I was gonna use a plastic drum that was used for pesticides...

<joking>


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## Snip 13

We use those drums here to make braais with (Grill, BBQ). Just cut the drum in half lenghtwise, weld some legs on to it and make a grill that fits on top.


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## roadfix

I wanted to season the drum further so I cooked up some chicken thighs last night.  Now the drum is nice and greasy inside and the vent door slides smoothly by foot, no squatting down to adjust.  I like that.


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## Timothy

roadfix said:


> I wanted to season the drum further so I cooked up some chicken thighs last night. Now the drum is nice and greasy inside and the vent door slides smoothly by foot, no squatting down to adjust. I like that.


 
OMG, those chicken thighs look awesome! That's my favorite piece on the bird.

By George, I think you've got it!


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## deepfryerdan

I've been looking at this for a little while now.. how did you do that bottom vent? Did you cut your own sheet metal and bolt it on? I'm kind of confused


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## Bolas De Fraile

roadfix said:


> I wanted to season the drum further so I cooked up some chicken thighs last night.  Now the drum is nice and greasy inside and the vent door slides smoothly by foot, no squatting down to adjust.  I like that.


Fix mate I love it, I want it. Have you named her/him yet? 
Tis truly a thing of beauty


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## roadfix

deepfryerdan said:


> I've been looking at this for a little while now.. how did you do that bottom vent? Did you cut your own sheet metal and bolt it on? I'm kind of confused


Yes, I cut a piece of sheet metal, sandwiched 2 strips of metal top and bottom to channel the draft door, riveted them to the drum, then drilled vent holes through the sheet metal and drum at the same time.  Then I inserted the draft door.
The vent holes are 3/4" ea and I left a little space there for a 4th hole just in case 3 were not enough.  
The drum will chug along at 250F for hours with only a partial opening of just one vent hole as shown in the previous photo.  You would open all three vent holes only during start up to bring drum up to operating temp or if you need to do high temp cooks.
Hope this helps


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## deepfryerdan

roadfix said:


> Yes, I cut a piece of sheet metal, sandwiched 2 strips of metal top and bottom to channel the draft door, riveted them to the drum, then drilled vent holes through the sheet metal and drum at the same time.  Then I inserted the draft door.
> The vent holes are 3/4" ea and I left a little space there for a 4th hole just in case 3 were not enough.
> The drum will chug along at 250F for hours with only a partial opening of just one vent hole as shown in the previous photo.  You would open all three vent holes only during start up to bring drum up to operating temp or if you need to do high temp cooks.
> Hope this helps



I get it now. Simple and effective - the way it should be. Once again, good job!


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## roadfix

I did some wings and beef ribs last night.  The ribs were in there for 4.5 hours at 240F.  They all came out might tasty.


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## pacanis

Beautiful color.


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## Kayelle

wow.......look at that beautiful smoke ring on those ribs!!

Your smoker is a thing of beauty RF !!  I was amazed at your home made gorgeous pizza oven, and now this!!  *FABULOUS !!*


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## pacanis

Road, are those what they refer to as back ribs? I saw some in the store the other day for the first time. beef back ribs. They looked about like those, but were cut apart already.


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## roadfix

Thanks folks!

Kayelle....I haven't been using the brick oven as often as I'd like to lately because seasoned cooking wood is quite pricey around here......besides, I wanted to get away from pizza for a while...lol...

pacanis....yes, they're beef back ribs.  I usually get them at Costco or Sams as they're much meatier (and a little more expensive) than ones I find at local supermarkets.  And I've also seen them sliced up in individual ribs too at supermarkets.
A local butcher sells bison back ribs which I've done in the past.


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## pacanis

Nice. I'll have to see about getting some. Maybe I can get some from the back before they cut them up.


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## roadfix

I did some spatched chicken in the drum last night, brined them overnight, they were pretty juicy.

One nice thing about the drum is that I can load it with 15 lbs of briquettes (a bag of Stubbs briquettes)  and get 3 separate long smoking sessions out of that single load without having to clean out the ashes.  Shut the vents and the heat completely dies out in about an hour.  On the next smoking session toss about a dozen fully lit briquettes over the old, plus a couple of chunks of smoke wood and it's ready and up to temp in about 30 minutes.


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## Timothy

roadfix said:


> I did some spatched chicken in the drum last night, brined them overnight, they were pretty juicy.


 
They look absolutely delicious! Beautiful color!


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## pacanis

Very nice, Roadie. That UDS is really serving you well.


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## Kayelle

Those nekkid chicks look almost familiar. I think I saw those big thighs in the mirror this morning.

Kidding aside, great job RF.


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## pacanis

Kayelle said:


> *Those nekkid chicks look almost familiar*. I think I saw those big thighs in the mirror this morning.
> 
> Kidding aside, great job RF.


 
Those don't have the skin on them? 
Or do I have a different definition of naked chicken?


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## Savannahsmoker

Nice job, and maybe I should get off my duff and make me one.


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