First UDS Build

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big meats

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 14, 2015
2
10
Good morning all.  I've been a lurker for a while, grabbing some good ideas here and there.  Everyone's smokers look awesome.  I recently got a big itch to build one and start smoking meat.  
We did the burn and clean out with a wire wheel.


I went to the dump and found a lid and a basket from someone's firepit. 
The big thing here that is different, is that we decided to make the top 2/3 of the barrel able to be removed to allow access to the coal box area.  We used a of steel in 8 spots cut to about 4" to act as a guide for the top part to sit in.  We lined the channel with some rope gasket and rtv.

 



The next parts, well everyone does, the racks and cutting to size.


 Then final paint.


 Going to this week do the season cook in it. 

The final product.  There are some rough edges that I am going to hit with a sanding block.

 
 
Big Meats,

You have a unique concept there and I am very curious how it works out.   A lot of us here build charcoal baskets out of expanded metal, with a ash catching pan underneath.  We then can pull the basket out of the drum, dump the ash and refill for the next go around, thus leaving the drum in tacked.   So your idea could make things easier on really long smokes if more wood or lump needs to be added.   Good job.
 
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Nice build. I really like the top being removed to tend the fire. Some say they don't ever need to stir the fire or add more fuel. I do sometime. And its a pain to break down the whole system. Thanks. CF
 
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Thank you guys for the kind words.  I will update with some smoke runs.  
We particularly did not like the idea of bending over the can or reaching in the barrel to pull out the smoke box.  We sealed it with some rope gasket and rtv.  I think that it would work fine.  I am excited.  I am going to do some season burns this week and see how the basket holds up.
 
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