my first ugly drum smoker

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

smokeyjsimpson

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 30, 2015
5
10
I am building my first uds this spring. Couple barrel questions. If i buy a new steel unlined 55 gallon drum, do i need to burn it out? I'm assuming i need to burn the paint off the outside? Any good places to buy single new barrels?
 
I am building my first uds this spring. Couple barrel questions. If i buy a new steel unlined 55 gallon drum, do i need to burn it out? I'm assuming i need to burn the paint off the outside? Any good places to buy single new barrels?
Yes you still need to burn it out. I would burn or sandblast the paint off of the outside. As far as a good place to buy a new barrel it would help if we knew your location. I see this is your first post. Why don't you add your location to your profile then jump over to roll call so everyone can give you a proper SMF welcome? If you will spend a little time reading the threads in the UDS section their are a lot of good ideas there.

Happy smoken.

David
 
I'm not saying that you aren't right, but if its a brand new barrel, and it says the paint on the outside is good up to 325 degrees, then what is the point exactly to burning all that paint off and repainting it. I mean, the barrel is new, clean. So what exactly is the science there?
 
I crank my UDS to temps higher than 325 all the time. Even if the temps are 325 at the cooking grate you may be hotter at the firebox. You certainly could try it, all that would happen is you'd have some noxious fumes while smoking and the paint would come off. When I built my last UDS I had the drum blasted, and then the etxerior powder coated with high temp powder. The powder coater did the sand blasting. Was $25 to blast, $50 to coat. Bought two drums off Craigslist for $20. Sold one for $15. So with all that it was a third cheaper for me than ordering a new drum and having it delivered.
 
Hey Dirt, is your powder coating holding up in the fire box area ?

Gary
 
 
I'm not saying that you aren't right, but if its a brand new barrel, and it says the paint on the outside is good up to 325 degrees, then what is the point exactly to burning all that paint off and repainting it. I mean, the barrel is new, clean. So what exactly is the science there?
The paint won't hold up as others have said. You also need to burn the bad stuff out of the drum the same as you do with any new smoker, It is your smoker so your welcome to try it and see what happens. If the paint is rated at 325° then it will stay on at least to that temp maybe even 400° you will just have to fire it up to see where that point is.

Happy smoken.

David
 
Hey Dirt, is your powder coating holding up in the fire box area ?

Gary

Yes it has I went with the highest temp powder coating they had. It only came in two colors gloss black or flat black. I opted for gloss. If I'd dropped down to the next level there was 7 colors. It's been so long ago I don't remember the temps though.
 
Update. Found my barrel. Brand new: 70 bucks. Think I'll get it sandblasted: 40 bucks. I also recieved my expanded steel charcoal basket and charcoal grate: 100 bucks. Titanium drill bit arrived, and my glow in the dark grill thermometer: 25 bucks. Got my piping, screws, and ball valves: 30 bucks. Now that i have everything i need plans have halted, Minnesota winter: Priceless.
 
$70? Ouch...found a place not to far from me that sells used but clean, unlined barrels that were used for food storage for $19 if I remember right...
have a friend that powder coats. She has mentioned people coating auto headers at home with some sort of ceramic product, very simple to do and reasonable $ wise.
 
Last edited:
Wow You are going deluxe on that baby. While you are waiting to do the build process you might think about making a hinged area on one side of your grate so you can easily drop wood chunks down into the fire basket. I use Weber hinged grates on mine, two levels. It really makes it a lot nicer than having to pull both grates out loaded up with meat and stuff in order to add a little more wood or  charcoal if you need to, and you will. Keep in mind that bare metal inside the barrel is coated with wax to keep it from rusting. So you still might want to burn it out to some degree before you season it up anyway. I want to build a new one this spring and get it powder coated. Will have to look into this in my area. I have been collecting barrels for free. Once word got out I was looking for good barrels it was a cinch. I have 6 now. All free. None of them lined with the infamous food grade liner.
 
To reinterate what someone else said. Including your general location in your profile helps us to help you even more in all things you might have questions about. Your climate, general altitude, proximity to other members that may be able to provide you with specific places where you can get certain things....etc...
 
Currently getting the paint sandblasted. Any tips for painting? Any way i can just put a clear coat of somthing on there so it just looks silver? Thanks
 
I'm starting my UDS build as well. Good thing you didn't get a lined food grade barrel like I did. Spent the last couple nights inside the barrel cleaning that stuff out. it was rough. Finally finished it last night. I'll post a new thread with all the pictures and what worked for me here in a couple days when it's all done.
 
I'm starting my UDS build as well. Good thing you didn't get a lined food grade barrel like I did. Spent the last couple nights inside the barrel cleaning that stuff out. it was rough. Finally finished it last night. I'll post a new thread with all the pictures and what worked for me here in a couple days when it's all done.
Did you build a healthy fire in it?
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky