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First UDS Build

PostPosted: 29 Mar 2015, 16:53
by crowdome
Hey guys, just wanted to share my first UDS build.

Got a drum for £25 off an online auction site, ended up getting two actually. The first one I got had the lining which I burnt a heavy wooden door and a wooden pallet in but it didn't get rid of it! I emailed the company and asked if they had any unlined drums in stock, and to my surprise they did. Bought one of them for the same price and burnt another pallet in it.

Got the grills from Homebase and the Stainless Steel nuts, bolts and washers from Screwfix. I tried B&Q but they only had galvanised equipment. The charcoal basket I'm using is a washing machine drum I bought for a tenner on the auction site. I drilled 8 24mm holes in the lid, and 3 24mm holes as intakes a couple inches from the bottom of the drum.

All in all it works pretty well. I was using the bottom of an old kettle BBQ that was laying around as a charcoal basket before, but the amount of thick white smoke and creosote tasting food it was producing was insane, really made me lose hope for the project. After getting the washing drum to use this was fixed completely, and all I had to do to that was drill a bunch of 20mm holes in the bottom for airflow. It also REALLY helped when I stopped using crappy charcoal, I ordered 24kg of restaurant grade lump charcoal for £30 online (expensive but I've only just got through one bag in 8 cooks, and that was with me forgetting to close the intakes off after I took the meat off!) but the other 12kg bag should last.

Finally as we're in the beautifully horrendous UK, weather was an issue. I bought a tarp and some bungie cord online for a fiver and made myself a lil gazebo. That paired with a Weber Chimney Starter for £15 and I'm all set! I recycled the old kettle bottom and propped it up on the lower grill (there's two installed) and used it as a fully functioning BBQ! Cooked for myself and ten other the other day when the weather peaked and damn did it work beautifully. So all in all for around £100 I have a smoker and BBQ, not bad.

Now to find some brisket locally... Images below guys :)

http://imgur.com/a/i36yG

Re: First UDS Build

PostPosted: 03 Apr 2015, 08:28
by batvan
Nice 1! Some good inspiration for meself there. I'm Avin a go at mi own UDS over the next couple of weeks,n I'm hoping getting all the parts together is the hard part n I'll actually get some good cooks with it.

Re: First UDS Build

PostPosted: 03 Apr 2015, 17:13
by essexsmoker
Mine is great and cheap.

Re: First UDS Build

PostPosted: 06 May 2015, 14:55
by Kent_Lee
Could you message me on where you got your unlined drum from, having issues getting a drum right now..

Re: First UDS Build

PostPosted: 07 May 2015, 09:18
by aris
I'm not convinced that the lining is actually dangerous at all - particularly after it has been well seasoned with oil and soot. The temperatures in a smoker don't get high enough. This thread has more info:

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1834

Re: First UDS Build

PostPosted: 07 May 2015, 10:37
by essexsmoker
I think so long as you have a good burn to start it will be fine. If it worries you get it sand blasted. Once it's covered in soot and tar it will be good to go.

Re: First UDS Build

PostPosted: 10 May 2015, 09:06
by Kent_Lee
Thanks to the OPs link i got an unlined :)

Re: First UDS Build

PostPosted: 15 Jun 2015, 12:43
by Yo_SUshi
Hi,
Any chance you could share that link? I'm looking to try build one instead of forking out for a WSM.
Thanks