seperator?

[storm]

OK Guys, I've seen all the 'USD's' here and got the general idea on how to build one. I just have one question...How do you seperate the meat from the smoke/fire? There has to be something between them. What do y'all use?

 

[rbranstner]

OK Guys, I've seen all the 'USD's' here and got the general idea on how to build one. I just have one question...How do you seperate the meat from the smoke/fire? There has to be something between them. What do y'all use?

I'm guessing you must be referring to UDS's. Right?

If so there doesn't need to be a barrier between the grates and the fire basket. Basically on the bottom of the drum you will have your charcoal basket with your fire/smoke then a few feet above that you will have #1 food grate and then if you want several inches above that you will have #2 food grate. There aren't any barriers between the two. Some guys do put a metal heat deflector plate in between the fire basket and the food grates but you don't need that for it to work. Does that help?

 

[solaryellow]

I don't use a separator or a diffuser with my UDS. I do have 24" of space between the bottom of my charcoal basket and the bottom rack though.

 

[rbranstner]

I don't use a separator or a diffuser with my UDS. I do have 24" of space between the bottom of my charcoal basket and the bottom rack though.

I think that is about what I have as well.

 

[storm]

ok... if you dont use a separator or diffuser...if your meat is over the coals...then that is direct cooking... thats not indirect cooking... so do you see my confusion... if its direct cooking then thats not smoking it...i need someone to explain this...

 

[papagrizz]

Hey Storm,

I am a Raw NFG when it comes to this so please take this as a grain of salt.

From what I have read in this forum it's all about the low and slow, in other words keeping the temps where the meat is parked at a low temp..215-250 or so.

Using the minion method of starting your charcoal basket seems the way to go. Also place your "flavor wood" scattered in with your charcoal.

Like I said I am not an expert, but by reading though these forums and seeing the results, when my Uds is done I am convinced this will work.

Hope this helps, and I am sure a bonifide, certified, smoker will chime in.

Take care, and keep the 2 wheels on the ground!

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Storm, Grizz has it about right . Low n Slow - no flames to sear so to speak .

I'd like to welcome you to SMF and invite you to go by Roll Call (if you haven't already ,  and appologise if yiu have) to properly introduce yourself and add your location to your profile so we can lend a thought if you ever need one.

Hope you get the UDS thingy right soon , I'd like to see some of your goodies, I should say "WE" , that's our main duty here... drooling over the Q-view the members send in to oggle.

Have fun and...

 

[fielies]

We need more photos on this thread.

 

[mdboatbum]

I realize we humans are a funny lot. We like things to be well ordered, predictable and repeatable. But this isn't science, it's BBQ. The origins of "BBQ" were little more than a hole in the ground with coals and/or hot stones in the bottom and meat suspended directly overhead. Over the past few hundred years just about every conceivable method to get heat and smoke into meat has been tried and tried again. If we start applying these arbitrary rules to it, it's going to get pretty boring.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I don't know how long it will take repeated heating but I have Baked in a 20" Terracotta Planter Base from Home Depot 3 times at 500*F and has worked great. Building a sufficiently strong support that allows removal for cleaning would give a great Heat Sink to help temp recovery and provide the indirect heat you wish to have...JJ