UDS benefits

[bigsteve]

What does a drum do that makes it preferable to bullets and horizontals?

 

[teacup13]

from what i have read...

consistant heat
better fuel consumption
ease of use(once you get to know your drum)
fun to make..lol
and it looks cool..lol

 

[pinkmeat]

^^consistent heat^^ i.e. reacts less to windy condition which is HUGE.

Also faster cook times due to a more direct cooking experience. Not a plus for everyone, but nice for a boston butt. Same results in less time.

 

[billbo]

I live in upstate NY and I want a smoker I can use year round. From what I have read a UDS is the way to go. My understanding is that a UDS will perform well in cold weather as well as windy days.

I hope to pick up a drum in the next 2 weeks and get started building one!

 

[ddave]

Well, the others have pretty much covered it . . . but I will add LONNGGG burn times without having to reload. Now, the same could be said for electric or gas but with the UDS you get that great charcoal flavor. Once it is lit it is darn near as steady as gas. Doesn't react as quick obviously but they are pretty darn stable once they get dialed in.

I think my favorite though is that a UDS could care less if it is windy or not.

Dave

 

[bigsteve]

Okay, I think I'm starting to understand why you guys use hand cranked valves instead of vents for intake. Never could figure why.

 

[rickw]

The valves give you the ultimate in control with the intakes. This makes it fairly easy to dial in the drum. The uds is a great performer in any kind of bad weather.

 

[bbq bubba]

Simple.

18 hour burn times on 1 load of fuel.






How many times do you check your bullet???

 

[azrocker]

Nice! Ol' Maude is good for about 12 but I like to give her a chunk or two for flavor. She has a nice flat top to pre heat the chunk on. I like tending her though. Drink a beer and watch her smoke.

 

[ddave]

12 hours on a single load of fuel in an offset???

Maude is the offset in your sig pic, right?

Dave

 

[azrocker]

Yow I load her full using Minion method and mix wood in. I get a good twelve hour burn. Close her down tight and I have one small vent hole on box. Get a long clean burn. Probably goes for more then twelve but that is the most I have used. I load it to the brim on the box you see then light with a torch and that was with Cowboy. Imagine what she'll do with RO. It takes about a bag of lump plus some wood chunks to load her full.

 

[ddave]

Now THAT"S impressive!!

Not many offsets can do that.

Dave

 

[azrocker]

This is my first offset and I didn't know that. She is heavy steel it takes at least 2 to move her maybe that contributes to the burn. I made vent covers so the only hole I leave open is about the size of a pencil. Guess I love Maude more every day.

BTW That's on a calm day I do get a lot of wind effect. The elbow on the stack turns so I can point it out of the wind but a high wind creates a suction and I don't get as good of a burn. I think the door gaskets helped in that area though. I used to get a lot of draft out of the door.

 

[billbo]

This is another reason I am going to build a UDS. I am constantly tweeking my ECB while it is cooking. I estimate I need to do something to it every 45 minutes or so. I would start another project and there goes my ET-73 beeping away at me. Drop everything and go tend to it.

 

[bbq bubba]

I think somebody's pulling our leg.

 

[azrocker]

8 hours ten hours twelve hours I don't really care. I like tending to my Maude. She is good to me. Guess I thought that was what the Minion Method is all about. Have not heard from Jim on this. Maybe I drink too many beers while I tend her

I will just have to time her next time. Sure seems like twelve when I leave her burn over night. Oh well smoke is smoke. I just like her thin and blue!

 

[pinkmeat]

Do the temps stay steady as well?

 

[azrocker]

So I decided to fire Maude up for a test run to see what time I was getting. The answer is the temps were not steady. It was a windy day and I fought to keep her at 220. I did get a long burn but ended up having to throw on a couple of sticks to get her up to temp. I did get a good 8 hours but can't say it was a "good" burn. I eneded up feeding her about 4 chunks and 2 sticks to keep the temp up. Next time I am going to get a hotter fire going in the very beginning so I am sure my times will drop. Oh well practice makes perfect

 

[phreak]

18 hour steady burn with 1 load of lump

cost to build < $50

oh and I heard all the cool kids have one.

 

[graybeard]

Maude has a very low fire box. That may be the answer. At any rate I like the way she is put together!!

beard