After months of consideration and contemplation, I have BBQ bliss!
I got the barrel from a local farm supply store for 12 bucks and it was clean and unlined on the inside with small amounts of rust. I got a barrel, lid, and ring form a coworker (both the lid and barrel are lined, yikes! I'm glad I just needed the lid...that orange crap is nasty!) My original barrel was open head with no lid. I used all stainless hardware inside the barrel about $10 worth. I found the eyebolts at Lowes for 88 cents apiece, to save money I used zinc on the outside.
I used Wutang's idea on flipping the barrel, cutting the bottom out and using the bottom as the new top. This was done to make sure my Weber lid fit really tight and snug. I wasn't ready to kill my Weber grill and use DDave's mod just yet. During the seasoning run it worked very well and was tight fitting. I press down and then turn the weber lid a little to make a good seal. No smoke or heat loss from the barrel lid (bottom)...I got the bolt pretty snug.
The charcoal basket is 6" x 44" long expanded metal. I couldn't use 8" wide due to my overall barrel height being 33.5". I couldn't have been able to maintain the 24" heat to meat ratio. I have 3 stainless steel bolts, nuts, and wing nuts to capture the grate. I wasn't able to find 1/2" stainless nuts. The wing nuts work very well. It looks a little rough and I need to re-work it with a grate that is the true 13.5" wide.
I cut 4-1" intake holes in the bottom and am using flexible magnets to manage airflow. I may add a ball valve and nipples later, just wanted to see how the magnets would work. During the seasoning run I got temp ranges from 225-400 using 6 pounds of royal oak lump. I found out what it means to catch the temps on the way up. I let it season at the high temp for about an hour then it took three hours to get it back down to 225. I burned through that basket in about 6 hrs. I think if I was more careful in the beginning I would've had a much longer burn on that. I was able to get the 225-230 for the last two hours...long enough to cook a chubby (smaller than a fatty...it was all I had!)
That's pretty much it here are the pics. Can't wait to throw some ribs on Saturday! It's supposed to be 66 and sunny. Thanks, goes to Wutang for the PM's and to everyone else for their time in sharing the sweet blue truth!
The Barrel
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=Barrel.jpg
Rust
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=OnlyRust.jpg
Barrel lid after burn out with torch and grinding
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02133.jpg
Exhaust hole
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02134.jpg
Bolt with lid Ring
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02142.jpg
Inside of barrel showing eye-bolts
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02147.jpg
Basket-6"X44"
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02149.jpg
Exhaust with Magnet
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02145.jpg
Cooking Surface
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02146.jpg
UDS
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02155.jpg
With Weber Lid on
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02153.jpg
Weber lid close up
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02154.jpg
In action seasoning
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02139.jpg
Grate temp-Left is outside grate, Right is middle/center
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02135.jpg
Chubby
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02141.jpg
I got the barrel from a local farm supply store for 12 bucks and it was clean and unlined on the inside with small amounts of rust. I got a barrel, lid, and ring form a coworker (both the lid and barrel are lined, yikes! I'm glad I just needed the lid...that orange crap is nasty!) My original barrel was open head with no lid. I used all stainless hardware inside the barrel about $10 worth. I found the eyebolts at Lowes for 88 cents apiece, to save money I used zinc on the outside.
I used Wutang's idea on flipping the barrel, cutting the bottom out and using the bottom as the new top. This was done to make sure my Weber lid fit really tight and snug. I wasn't ready to kill my Weber grill and use DDave's mod just yet. During the seasoning run it worked very well and was tight fitting. I press down and then turn the weber lid a little to make a good seal. No smoke or heat loss from the barrel lid (bottom)...I got the bolt pretty snug.
The charcoal basket is 6" x 44" long expanded metal. I couldn't use 8" wide due to my overall barrel height being 33.5". I couldn't have been able to maintain the 24" heat to meat ratio. I have 3 stainless steel bolts, nuts, and wing nuts to capture the grate. I wasn't able to find 1/2" stainless nuts. The wing nuts work very well. It looks a little rough and I need to re-work it with a grate that is the true 13.5" wide.
I cut 4-1" intake holes in the bottom and am using flexible magnets to manage airflow. I may add a ball valve and nipples later, just wanted to see how the magnets would work. During the seasoning run I got temp ranges from 225-400 using 6 pounds of royal oak lump. I found out what it means to catch the temps on the way up. I let it season at the high temp for about an hour then it took three hours to get it back down to 225. I burned through that basket in about 6 hrs. I think if I was more careful in the beginning I would've had a much longer burn on that. I was able to get the 225-230 for the last two hours...long enough to cook a chubby (smaller than a fatty...it was all I had!)
That's pretty much it here are the pics. Can't wait to throw some ribs on Saturday! It's supposed to be 66 and sunny. Thanks, goes to Wutang for the PM's and to everyone else for their time in sharing the sweet blue truth!
The Barrel
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=Barrel.jpg
Rust
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=OnlyRust.jpg
Barrel lid after burn out with torch and grinding
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02133.jpg
Exhaust hole
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02134.jpg
Bolt with lid Ring
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02142.jpg
Inside of barrel showing eye-bolts
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02147.jpg
Basket-6"X44"
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02149.jpg
Exhaust with Magnet
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02145.jpg
Cooking Surface
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02146.jpg
UDS
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02155.jpg
With Weber Lid on
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02153.jpg
Weber lid close up
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02154.jpg
In action seasoning
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02139.jpg
Grate temp-Left is outside grate, Right is middle/center
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02135.jpg
Chubby
http://s436.photobucket.com/albums/qq81/eubanrj/UDS Build/?action=view¤t=DSC02141.jpg
