Newbie wonders: To baffle or not to baffle - and one other question.

[lhommedieu]

Thinking about my first UDS build and wondering if I should include two other levels besides the top cooking level?  I will probably put the top cooking level about 7" from the top and would like to put a second cooking level below that one.

I've seen builds that include a third, lower level about 1/3 up from the bottom that includes a perforated disk (heavy stainless steel sounds like a good choice) with room for a drip pan/water pan in the middle.  This seems like a good design to me but I'm looking for input before I add an extra layer.

***

My friend and next-door neighbor passed away recently and his wife let me have his Digi-Q mini-computer and blowers, leads, etc.  I was thinking about putting two air vents 2" from the bottom of the drum attached to short pieces of plumbing pipe with ball valves, but also extending the third vent upward with an elbow link and and extended piece of plumbing pipe up to the top of the drum. That way I could attach the blower to the extended pipe, and control it from that level, and attach the temperature leads through the vent on the top.

Best,

Steve

 

[daveomak]

Thinking about my first UDS build and wondering if I should include two other levels besides the top cooking level?  I will probably put the top cooking level about 7" from the top and would like to put a second cooking level below that one.

I've seen builds that include a third, lower level about 1/3 up from the bottom that includes a perforated disk

Perforated Pizza Pans work very well....

(heavy stainless steel sounds like a good choice) with room for a drip pan/water pan in the middle.  This seems like a good design to me but I'm looking for input before I add an extra layer.

***

My friend and next-door neighbor passed away recently and his wife let me have his Digi-Q mini-computer and blowers, leads, etc.  I was thinking about putting two air vents 2" from the bottom of the drum attached to short pieces of plumbing pipe with ball valves, but also extending the third vent upward with an elbow link and and extended piece of plumbing pipe up to the top of the drum. That way I could attach the blower to the extended pipe, and control it from that level, and attach the temperature leads through the vent on the top.

Best,

Steve

Steve, morning and welcome to the forum.....  UDS have worked incredibly well, for many folks, used as the original design calls for... No bells or whistles..   The Digi-Q might help, although folks have wrote on here that 12-20 hours of hands off smoking is possible with a simple ball valve and the minion method for charcoal briquettes....  Dave  

 

[lhommedieu]

It's nice to come across an incredibly simple, efficient design (the Mexican chimanaya comes to mind) that does exactly what it is designed for.  I was going to upgrade an old, rusty off-set smoker (Char-broil Silver Smoker), but then I thought, why not build a UDS for a lot less time and money?

Best,

Steve