New UDS with 21#Turkey for first smoke w/qview

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doohop65

Smoke Blower
Original poster
May 19, 2013
135
24
Fox Valley, Wisconsin
Well here is my first smoke with my $50 Craigslist pick up


Using blue kingsford because I gave my dad my last bag of lump to try and didn't buy new stuff yet.

Using minion method with apple and maple for my wood.

Brined turkey overnight
2 gallons water
2 cups kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar (family recipe calls for a pint of maple syrup but I work to hard tapping trees to waste it. Will taste awesome with it)
2 garlic cloves crushed
6 bay leaves
1 handful fresh Tyme
1 handful fresh sage
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons peppercorns


Big bird on the smoker. Looking to push it up around 300. Currently at 225 but am slowly letting temperature go up so I don't over shoot it. First time using uds and don't know how it will act

More updates to follow. Planning to pull lid at 3 hours to put maverick probe in bird. Open to suggestions though.
 
Ok guys with uds smokers, I need some ideas. I have 3 3/4 inch nipples with caps and than the side pipe 3/4 inch valve. All 3 caps are off and valve is wide open. Temp will not go up. What is a guy to do.
 
With those size holes the uds wont get above about 275*. At least mine didnt. I just a few weeks ago added two 1" nipple with caps... and now have two 3/4 ball valves.. I can it to 400* if I want now..
So I now have
2 - 3/4 ball valves
2 - 1" nipples with caps.

You could try putting a small fan directed to the holes.. but its gonna be hard to keep a constant temp that way.. let he go as high as she will... and right before she is done... take the lid off and let the fuel burn out.... it will shoot up quick and try to crisp up that skin..
Hope this helps..
 
I put in 20 briquettes and had them white before I dumped them. Wish I had bought lump like I had planned. Always seems to have a hotter upside temp.

Should I crack the top lid to get a better draft?
 
That amount is a good amout to start..
And lump will burn hotter.. but faster.
The problem with cracking the lid I have found it very hard to control the temps.. you have to baby sit it all day.. and to dial the UDS temp islike steering a barge... it takes a bit.
What is the temp in UDS now?
 
Thats the beauty of the UDS.. IF you want slow and low. I recommend some mods if you want to get higher temps. Now sure if you have a step bit.. if so drill out a couple of the capped holes to 1"... and if it starts to raise too much you always have the ball valves to tinker with.
 
No step bit. I cracked the lid a bit and have it up to 280. I am going to leave it a bit longer and then shut the lid tight.

Will be modding with bigger nipples and caps next week to give me a wider temp range.

Happy to know the brisket I am doing next weekend with the inlaws in town will have a nice steady 225 though.
 
Oh hell yeah.. brisket on the uds is great.. all those drippings hitting the fuel... you can leave it over night.. on OH NO.. the temp spiked to 230* WHAT DO I DO.? Hehe.. love the UDS! Good luck with the bird. As long as you watch the lid ever so often.. you shouldnt have a problem...
 
Try to keep the temps as close to 300-325*F as possible. Anything lower on a bird that size may lead to trouble. 225-250*F is best left to 12Lb Birds...JJ
 
Thanks guys. Did crack the lid and got her up to 325. Put the probe in just now and we have it at 139. Went on from the ice bath/brine at 1015 so I don't think I will kill anybody.
 
YAY... a cooked bird, and quick enough that no one dies.. bonus! Great color on da bird!!! Hope its nice and moist and tastey and lovely and all that good stuff. 

Happy labor day weekend :)
 
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I have the same 3 holed config (3 3/4" pipe nipples) on my UDS and have no problems getting the temp to 350° or higher,  if I just dump the coals on top of a full basket of charcoal and run it wide open.  If I start the basket using the minion method, I get a more controlled burn and the temps stay much lower. If will take some playing to figure out your UDS....but you're gonna love it.   
 
Thanks for the thoughts Ferd. Once I got her hot enough by opening the lid I was able to hold it there with just the vents. Probably should have got it up to 300 before the lid was put on.

On the bird front, I must say it was a hit. Our guests loved it and boy was the meat tender and juicy. Smoke flavor was not as strong as I would have guessed given the darkness of the skin but still excellent

Thanks again for all the help guys.
 
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