Sharing it here, I posted elsewhere
[/size][size=78%]Quote from: Eggtastico;2559521Hi, This is my Work in Progress (WIP) for my UDS.[/size][/font]
Struggle to find parts in the UK, and kind of on stop until I can find a basket :-
anyway, here are some Pics :-
I managed to pick up an unlined drum off ebay for about £25 delivered.
its an open drum with the lid, the plan is to weld the black dome to the original lid for a snug fit. The dome Lid, is from a Kettle BBQ that Tesco sells.
Its actually bottom part of the BBQ, but a better fit than the actual lid that came with it. BBQ Charcoal Grates are £15 here, so I figured paying £35 for a kettle BBQ will give me quite a few other parts I can also use.
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The Airvent on drum is kind of neat, should help me control smoke exit - the top part slides off as well, giving me about a 4" opening. Hope its enough exit venting.
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A shot of the interior & the unlined drum. Really struggled to find the right nipples & threads, here in the UK for a decent price. Ended up getting 1" bushes with a 3/4" opening & some screw in bolts to control air flow.
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Another shot of the inside, Ive only really put the charcoal grate in so far.
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Quote from: Eggtastico;2567353Lid is back from the welder.
I need to cut out the centre now.
Ive drilled a few holes - looks like Im going to have to find someone with a plasma cutter though. I cant cut it :(
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Fire basket made - I would have done things differently with this if I had the metal over again!
When its empty, I plan on some leftover mesh on the bottom as the steel grates are to far apart.
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Basket inside the drum - not found anything suitable to use as an ash collector yet. Ive used stainless steel threaded rods,
So will be easy to attach a tray when I find one.
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got my beef
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got my rub - taken from Pitt Cue Co cookbook (its a London Restraunt)
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got my beef rubbed
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Also got some pork to get ready & some lamb shanks.
Quote from: Eggtastico;2568395Just done my 1st cook - My rub was to salty for my taste, so obviously I need to do some work there. Food came out really nice. I have ordered a Maverick Thermo, but it did not arrive in time, so I had to use a cheap thermometer. I think the Thermo wasnt giving an accurate reading as the beef came out a little dry, but still really tender & melt in your mouth.
During the cook
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Pork Sliced Open
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Beef Sliced open
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shredded pork
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Sliced Beef
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on my plate
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Very nice egg.
I recently cooked myself lots racks of ribs on my barbecue, 4 hour cooking time. Came out superb, don't have a proper thermometer yet but the Weber kettle is pretty good at temp control.
Did the pork come out well?
Quote from: Adrock on July 28, 2013, 18:50:02 PM
Very nice egg.
I recently cooked myself lots racks of ribs on my barbecue, 4 hour cooking time. Came out superb, don't have a proper thermometer yet but the Weber kettle is pretty good at temp control.
Did the pork come out well?
Yea, the pork was superb - Beef a little on the dry side, but thats because it was quite lean. Ive ordered a Maverick Thermo thing that has a transmitter & receiver.
Im not sure how accurate that cheap thermo is - its not hard to cook Pork, I thought the Beef was ready 2 hours before I took it out :(
This was a 6 hour cook
Next time do a brisket. Those are full of wonderful fat, perfect for the smoker. Lends itself very well to smoking and slow cooking.
Quote from: Adrock on July 28, 2013, 19:22:58 PM
Next time do a brisket. Those are full of wonderful fat, perfect for the smoker. Lends itself very well to smoking and slow cooking.
I had the plumber around the house doing work, so sent the other half out for a brisket & ribs.
came back with topside, lamb cuttlets & me being £60 poorer after paying for both plumber & meat.
Brisket is the one you want, and beef especially it doesn't matter if its a bit on the rare side as long as you rest and it gets up to temp, otherwise looks damn good to me :drool:
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/31/a8ytuquz.jpg)
Today's effort - beef rib roast smoking (Sainsbury's had no brisket), chicken thighs and some bacon!
Ran out and bought a pop up Gazebo for £35 from Argos to keep the rain off. Money well spent!
Quote from: Rivkid on July 31, 2013, 13:57:50 PM
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/31/a8ytuquz.jpg)
Today's effort - beef rib roast smoking (Sainsbury's had no brisket), chicken thighs and some bacon!
Ran out and bought a pop up Gazebo for £35 from Argos to keep the rain off. Money well spent!
What is this and where can I buy one?
Quote from: addictweb on July 31, 2013, 14:13:31 PM
What is this and where can I buy one?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005NYUE0E
looks good - my thermapen & maverick arrived this week. Also got some engine paint to start painting
Nah actually its the cheaper one I think :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frontier-3-1-BBQ-Smoker/dp/B004CS2BQC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1375287860&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=frontier+smoler
The wife bought it for my birthday with a f*ck ton of extras! Love it.
I need a wireless thermo as well - looking at a Maverick or an iGrill. Let me know how you find the maverick.
Cheers
R
Quote from: Rivkid on July 31, 2013, 17:25:55 PM
I need a wireless thermo as well - looking at a Maverick or an iGrill. Let me know how you find the maverick.
Cheers
R
will do - i opted for the maverick because its cheaper, the range is better & it wont tie up my phone!
Not planning on doing another cook until next weekend or the week after.
Ordered some paint today. so will be spraying it soon.
Quote from: Eggtastico on July 31, 2013, 17:52:17 PM
will do - i opted for the maverick because its cheaper, the range is better & it wont tie up my phone!
Not planning on doing another cook until next weekend or the week after.
Ordered some paint today. so will be spraying it soon.
Quote from: Eggtastico on July 31, 2013, 17:52:17 PM
will do - i opted for the maverick because its cheaper, the range is better & it wont tie up my phone!
Not planning on doing another cook until next weekend or the week after.
Ordered some paint today. so will be spraying it soon.
Ta. I can't figure out why they made the iGrill Bluetooth thus limiting you to staying in range, instead of making it wifi so you could hook it to your router and access it from anywhere in the world! I can't actually find a wifi one - is it a heat issue or something does anyone know?
Yesterdays meat-a-thon was awesome! The beef rib roast was superb, chicken a little dry, but the home smoked bacon was the true triumph! (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/08/01/ezyqe3yh.jpg)
This is definitely the sort of thing where fatty meats are the order of the day, I'd imagine its very hard to keep chicken moist in one of these.
Quote from: Clock'd 0Ne on August 01, 2013, 10:21:12 AM
This is definitely the sort of thing where fatty meats are the order of the day, I'd imagine its very hard to keep chicken moist in one of these.
People have adapted the drum to fit a rotisserie. Also, I cook indirect, so put a tray of water over the basket - always lots of condensation & a little water at the bottom.
I ordered paint last night, so hopefully thats next weekends project
Quote from: Eggtastico on August 01, 2013, 13:32:00 PM
Quote from: Clock'd 0Ne on August 01, 2013, 10:21:12 AM
This is definitely the sort of thing where fatty meats are the order of the day, I'd imagine its very hard to keep chicken moist in one of these.
People have adapted the drum to fit a rotisserie. Also, I cook indirect, so put a tray of water over the basket - always lots of condensation & a little water at the bottom.
I ordered paint last night, so hopefully thats next weekends project
Cooking over a water pit here too - I just cooked the chicken too long and they were only breasts. I've got a full chicken adapter thingy but haven't tried it yet.
Quote from: Rivkid on August 01, 2013, 20:00:56 PM
Cooking over a water pit here too - I just cooked the chicken too long and they were only breasts. I've got a full chicken adapter thingy but haven't tried it yet.
beercan? another good way is to split it underneath & remove the carcass, then lay it spread eagled on the grill
Spatch cocked http://homecooking.about.com/od/poultry/ss/how-to-spatchcock-chicken-step-by-step.htm
Quote from: Eggtastico on August 02, 2013, 08:09:34 AM
Quote from: Rivkid on August 01, 2013, 20:00:56 PM
Cooking over a water pit here too - I just cooked the chicken too long and they were only breasts. I've got a full chicken adapter thingy but haven't tried it yet.
beercan? another good way is to split it underneath & remove the carcass, then lay it spread eagled on the grill
Spatch cocked http://homecooking.about.com/od/poultry/ss/how-to-spatchcock-chicken-step-by-step.htm
This is what she bought me with it :
http://www.macsbbq.com/accessories/product/proq-chicken-rack
Haven't used it yet though.
Quote from: Rivkid on August 02, 2013, 10:49:41 AM
This is what she bought me with it :
http://www.macsbbq.com/accessories/product/proq-chicken-rack (http://www.macsbbq.com/accessories/product/proq-chicken-rack)
Haven't used it yet though.
same kind of thing
(http://www.bbq-sauce-recipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/beer-can-chicken-with-Bud-1024x740.jpg)
Not only are you pair of bar stewards making me very hungry every time I view this thread :drool: but now you're making me wish I had a garden so I could buy one of these bad boys!
Have been using a UDS for about 6 months , rain or shine or even in the snow.Built the UDS myself & adapted it to use http://www.biggreenegg.co.uk/shop/product/digi-q-remote-probe for unattended cooks.Maverick ET 732 is very reliable & makes cooking to internal finish temps pretty easy.
Tried a brisket a few weeks ago cooked really well , so tender but it was a rolled joint(about 12lbs) & had most of the fat removed so flavour was pretty disappointing.
Did a lump of topside , cooked low & slow @ 225f until internal temp was 145f & then foiled it & cooked to internal temp was 185f.Let it rest in my cool box wrapped up for an hour , flavour was magnificent , tender & cut very well.
I am doing 2 racks of pork spare ribs & a boned leg of lamb today for a family barbie , i cook ribs @ 275f until internal is about 165f & then foil them with a little liquid in the foil . Have to guesstimate for how long , usually about 1/2 to 1 hour , test the ribs for doness with a tooth pick , when toothpick slide in with very little resistance they are done.Takes practice but now i have ribs how i like them , not quite fall off the bone tender but bones are completely clean when you pull the meat off with your teeth.Tried ribs & 225f many times but i prefer the taste of the slightly higher cook, they taste like ribs not pork if that makes any sense.Also cooking time is dramatically reduced , usually 2 1/2 hrs for a full rack.
Just done a nice full rack of ribs.
http://keycomm.co.uk/orchids/DSC00084.JPG (http://keycomm.co.uk/orchids/DSC00084.JPG)
Started these low & slow & then sauced them for a change & then cooked at 275f until done.
http://keycomm.co.uk/orchids/DSC00085.JPG (http://keycomm.co.uk/orchids/DSC00085.JPG)
Nice smokey flavour & a real kick from the hot sauce.
I hate you :drool:
looks good :)
im doing ribs next week.
My turn to host a BBQ.
Going to have ribs, brisket, pork butt a chicken & some sausages.
Only problem is, to maximize drinking time, it means I'll be starting the cook at 6am
Sounds good,
Have you tried wrapping some nice fat hotdog sausages in bacon & smoking them ?
They don't take long & the taste is fantastic.
Quote from: bigsteve on August 11, 2013, 10:11:53 AM
Sounds good,
Have you tried wrapping some nice fat hotdog sausages in bacon & smoking them ?
They don't take long & the taste is fantastic.
nope - i was going to do a fatty though
http://www.theblackpeppercorn.com/2012/04/bacon-cheeseburger-fatty/
Atomic buffalo turd sounds very appetizing ;D
The bacon weaving maybe beyond my pork manipulation prowess.
Sainsburys sell bratwurst in their cooked meats section, not with the sausages.warm them up a bit in some beer & then smoke away
Quote from: bigsteve on August 11, 2013, 14:20:49 PM
Atomic buffalo turd sounds very appetizing ;D
The bacon weaving maybe beyond my pork manipulation prowess.
I love hot foods, 1/2 of my guests do as well, so may make a few
Have some nice chillies growing in the greenhouse , thick fleshed & quite sweet but pack a good heat punch.
Will give "fatties" a go during the week .
Did some ribs a few weeks a go with Jerk seasoning , added a little Encona to the foil when finishing them off ,
was really nice the first 2 or 3 but by the 4th my whole mouth was on fire & couldn't speak because it hurt :panic:
My UDS , crappy picture from phone.Lid is stainless from an old barbeque that i modded.
http://keycomm.co.uk/orchids/UDS.jpg (http://keycomm.co.uk/orchids/UDS.jpg)
It has 2 racks , if i use the lower 1 i have a 16" perforated pizza dish as a diffuser.
Also have a 16" x 1 1/2" deep aluminum dish i have filled with water but cannot tell
any difference to the food moisture level when i have used it.It does use more charcoal but
is slightly easier to maintain temps.Anyway i like the idea of the fat hitting the coals & the
smoke flavouring the meat .
big cook tomorrow
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1395291_10151988075876259_500864733_n.jpg)
Quote from: Eggtastico on November 15, 2013, 17:48:20 PM
big cook tomorrow
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1395291_10151988075876259_500864733_n.jpg)
What time do you want us? ;P
:drool:
How many were you feeding with that lot?
Every time I read this thread title I picture an old woman with nasty roll up cigs.
10 - lots of food left over - so buffet food for me the next 2 days then whats left goes into a brunswick stew
is anyone still using their smokers? want to revive the thread with any new advice?
Got a mate moving into his first place at the end of the month, want to build one for him as a truly unique moving in gift.
are old oil drums still the best basis for a smoker?
found this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/45-Gallon-Steel-Drum-/121592111933?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c4f74633d
seems like the dimensions are right, used to carry fruit juice, so should be better to start with this than anything else, right?
steel fruit juice drums have a coating on the inside, (iirc it's plastic for fruit)
it's no biggie... lots of drums have that, you just need to make sure you have a nice hot fire to burn it all off before you start cooking with it :-)
cool thanks for that.
If possible find an unlined drum - even pay extra for one!
I built a new one last summer & paid for it to be shotblasted inside & powder coated the outside - cost me £80 + £20 for the drum.
This is my new one
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10389419_10152479504001259_6969046716447342534_n.jpg?oh=ae74c76e4b71d65637498934c7a8c542&oe=559E663D&__gda__=1436354347_60e4d38b04cefd00df22ade168c8c1af)
It is a lot of fun to make & you can make them relatively cheap - however I have now bought an electric Bradley smoker & cooked a load the weekend (only 2nd time I used it
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11133790_10153111933491259_246406762240736407_n.jpg?oh=2bc3b7a3c62f21e42ce7d69d88262a38&oe=55B89850&__gda__=1436882025_799e8760fdb48f202f52d55e068a2c63)
They also do a 6 rack version & 2 rack version (2 rack are less than £200)
Any Qs or help, then ask away - or look on http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/ for a ton of info!
forgot to say, no idea where you are in the country, but there is a company in Yorkshire (think darlington) sell unlined ones on ebay. the photo is usually of a black one.
Other than that, phone around!
The lining should easily stand the low cooking temperature, however people say the lining is hazardous if it burns off..
Also do not use anything galvanised (or zinc)
Have been using Maverick ET 732 for well over a year , very good bit of kit.Had to get some new probes as the grill probe was getting erratic.Range of the wireless is pretty descent , have monitored temps 100 feet away or more & no problems.
Brisket is good smoked but flat rib is easier to cook as it has a fat level in the middle of the meat so comes out nice & juicy.Last cook took me 12 1/2 hrs for a humungus rack , had to bend it to get in smoker.