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First USD Build..

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webowabo

webowabo

Master of the Pit
Original poster
Dec 25, 2010
1,382
41
Arlington, TX
Hi folks. Im going to be starting my UDS today and im hoping to have no problems. I bought a cheap closed (olive oil) drum. Plan to grind to seal off and use the original lid. Made my fire basket (no welder around) today
20130510_142655.jpg

20130510_142655.jpg

Will post some pics through out. Its my first uds so its gonna be pretty stock.
Thanks for all the threads and great people on this site for all my inspiration to try new things..
and
Thanks for any future advice if I run into problems..

Mike
 
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 I'm in
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Well.. I load and share what I can. Got her built..started with the closed lid

Took a grinder to her and in 5 mins she popped her top
20130511_084932.jpg

20130511_084932.jpg

20130511_090228.jpg

20130511_090228.jpg

Once opened I still had olive oil in the drum. Manufactured 1/13.. I will save it..
20130511_090254.jpg

20130511_090254.jpg

Drilled my bottom 3 vents and added hardware
20130511_093124.jpg

20130511_093124.jpg

Drilled holes and added weber grill (I was to impatient to find an old one anywhere so I had to buy it.. most expensive piece of the $60 build)
20130511_094523.jpg

20130511_094523.jpg

Got the temp gages on top lid and right under grill grate.. handles on. I modified the fire basket for now til I find a suitable ash pan to make all one..
20130511_100032.jpg

20130511_100032.jpg

And now its getting season. .. the best thing about this $18 drum.. food grade unlined with Olive Oil... perfect!
20130511_111809.jpg

20130511_111809.jpg

I hauled it up to my local watering hole.. (very easily I must say) and im sitting on they patio writing down temps and times and valves..etc. so far so good
$75 total investment. .. (I had to stop and get some wood and fuel.. apparently I was out ; ( )
Thanks everyone for your threads and inspiration. .. hope it works.
 
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FWI.. im sitting one foot in front of it as we speak. Its tight enough I have to "jimmy it off back and forth" its solid.
1368292771294.jpg

1368292771294.jpg

The smoke you see hopefully in the pitcure is only from the original bung hole on top... the grider worked PERFECT. I was a little scared it wouldnt seal but its just fine.
 
looking good. Let us know how that plastic valve works for you. I imagine it would be fine as long as you keep an eye on the temps pretty close. other than that looks good. One thing I found was that A short stack coming from the bung up will help a little on windy days keeping the temp in check.
 
timberjet said:
looking good. Let us know how that plastic valve works for you. I imagine it would be fine as long as you keep an eye on the temps pretty close. other than that looks good. One thing I found was that A short stack coming from the bung up will help a little on windy days keeping the temp in check.

I was saving money timberjet thats why I didnt go for the brass. But pvc can handle some heat. Our water heaters do it.. and its black piped out and up which the pipe take the heat well.. as of now. The pvc valve is cold. And in texas ill take that no matter the OT. ;) BUT I did think about it prior..
Thanks ;)
Click to expand...
 
timberjet said:
looking good. Let us know how that plastic valve works for you. I imagine it would be fine as long as you keep an eye on the temps pretty close. other than that looks good. One thing I found was that A short stack coming from the bung up will help a little on windy days keeping the temp in check.
Click to expand...
Plastic valve works fine. so much cheaper then reg ball valve.

Great job on the UDS !!!! 
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jrod62 said:
Plastic valve works fine. so much cheaper then reg ball valve.

Great job on the UDS !!!!  Thumbs Up Thumbs Up
Click to expand...

Thanks jrod. Im in on my second smoke on it and its greatness. Now im convinced its the real deal its time to customize it.. got a paint theme in my head and already some kind of shelving for the tools and temp gages...
 
UDS's are the REAL deal...   It's about 45 degrees out and i put on 2 chickens that were about 33 degrees and it got up to 275 very quickly and w/ in a half hour after that i'm now at 325 very steady.  These things are smoking machines!
 
FWIsmoker said:
UDS's are the REAL deal...   It's about 45 degres out and i put on 2 chickens that were about 33 degrees and it got up to 275 very quickly and w/ in a half hour after that i'm now at 325 very steady.  These things are smoking machines!
Click to expand...
They are.. im hooked. I ran out of space on the UDS... already thinking of another one.. just for more space. I had to throw the abt's on the 'grill' .. but have it maintained at 170* for some very slow abt's...
 
webowabo said:
They are.. im hooked. I ran out of space on the UDS... already thinking of another one.. just for more space. I had to throw the abt's on the 'grill' .. but have it maintained at 170* for some very slow abt's...
Click to expand...
Putting an extra rack on the UDS and my 22.5 inch kettle i'm set...plus i can smoke on the kettle also.  What more could you ask for?
 
Im looking for the lid or a recycled old weber grill I can use for spare parts.. thats next to add... let me get in a few smokes so she can learn me her ways ;) my pulled chicken I did for the first cook turned out wonderful..
20130512_145128.jpg

20130512_145128.jpg

Sorry I didnt have time to take a pic of it pulled. I used two different sauces.. one Jeffs and the other I need to find the SMF HANDLE.. BUT IT was a mustard based S.C. sauce. Both where GREAT
 
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