Looking for a build...

[rollin smoke]

I want to build a smoker that best suits me and the smoking I do. Right now I'm leaning toward a UDS but I can't help but be intrigued by some of the RF's I've seen on the site. I'm basically a weekend warrior. I usually smoke 1 or 2 times a week. Usually butts, loins, ribs or chicken. Sometimes I'll be serving about 15-25 people at get-togethers (drink beer and hang out around the smoker party) so I definitely want a smoker that will hold a good bit of meat if I need it to. Something halfway portable would be nice too. I have a little Brinkman Smoke n Grill right now and it's just to small. Please let me know what you think! I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thanks!

 

[daveomak]

Ricky, evening.... Well, for small and large cooks, I would go with several UDS'.....    The cool thing is different temps at the same time for those big events.....   Dave

 

[rollin smoke]

I was thinking about 2 drums stacked upright with a few racks in the top drum. I'm not very sure how the heat distribution would be though. Our if it would even keep a consistent temp.

 

[bkleinsmid]

Morn'n Rollin.....

About two years ago I saw a two barrel UDS at a "backyard cook off". Somewhere I may even have a photo. What I remember about it was the two barrels were just clamped together so they could be taken apart to move and/or get inside of them. The bottom barrel had two doors....one for the coals and one to reach the racks the held the food. The upper barrel had one large door for food access. The guy told me that any time he needed to get inside the barrels was before he clamped them together and started his fire. He had it set up to hold as many as 5 or 6 racks for the food. If he was doing a smaller cook, he just left the top barrel off and put the lid on the lower one. As for the heat from bottom to top, I won't be of much help......I never asked him about that part. I can tell you that he was very happy with his UDS combo.

Brad

 

[rollin smoke]

That sounds pretty much what I had in mind. I think I'll have a rack in the bottom barrel for water also. Thank you for the info!