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Ugly drum smoker

4K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Parkerboy 
#1 ·
I’ve got a Weber kettle for charcoal grilling, Weber has grill for easy burgers. And a green mountain for smoking. Getting an ugly drum smoker made now. Anyone use an UDS? Have heard great things and even better results with the final product


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#2 ·
I have an 85 gallon UDS and it is terrific. I can't believe how well it holds temp and for how long. I first had a 55 gallon but like all guys I wanted bigger so I had the 85 built. Truth be known I would prefer the 55 back.

I added a Lavalock which controls the temperature. I put brisket(s) and/or pork butts on and go to bed confident it will cook exactly as I set it. Pictured is the original 55 gallon uds Plant Tree Cookware and bakeware Grass Gas


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#3 ·
I have an 85 gallon UDS and it is terrific. I can't believe how well it holds temp and for how long. I first had a 55 gallon but like all guys I wanted bigger so I had the 85 built. Truth be known I would prefer the 55 back.

I added a Lavalock which controls the temperature. I put brisket(s) and/or pork butts on and go to bed confident it will cook exactly as I set it. Pictured is the original 55 gallon uds View attachment 4497223

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I never knew about UDSs. That 55gal unit looks really cool. Thanks for sharing!

Hope to see more and learn more about these creations.

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#7 ·
So there's a basket inside (either round or square) that holds the charcoal. You put your wood chunks or splits in with the basket with the charcoal before you light it. As long as you put enough wood in the basket you don't need to add any wood.

I put a door on my 85 gallon UDS so I could add wood for those times when I need to cook at higher heat or the wood burns up faster than I thought. But it's really not necessary. For 4-7 hour cooks I put one split that's about 10" long and 4" round in the bottom of the basket then cover it with charcoal. It will provide a pretty thin blue smoke for about 4 hours when cooking at 250-275.
 

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#8 ·
I've had two Ugly Drum Smokers over the years, a 55 gal and now an 85. I have never had to add wood or charcoal to either and have them cook up to 16 hours on one load of charcoal and wood.

I normally mix hickory or pecan chunks throughout the charcoal. Mind you the meat really gets all its smoke in the first 5-6 hours so I put a good bed of charcoal in the bottom the mix the wood and charcoal together.



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#9 ·
So question, the grease or fat that drips down, I assume drips onto the coals? That doesn’t cause flare ups? Also, items that are high fat, like pork butts, that amount of fat burns off when drips on the coals? Or does it puddle in the bottom of the drum?


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#10 ·
So question, the grease or fat that drips down, I assume drips onto the coals? That doesn’t cause flare ups? Also, items that are high fat, like pork butts, that amount of fat burns off when drips on the coals? Or does it puddle in the bottom of the drum?

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Yes the fat drips down on the coals and in the bottom of the drum unless you have a heat deflector plate. The fat dripping on the coals provides a completely different flavor profile compared to cooking with a heat deflector plate. Fat dripping on the coals is more of a grill flavor mixed with smoke. With a heat deflector plate it's more of a traditional smoke flavor.

For cleanup of any ashes or excess grease build up in the bottom of the drum use a hoe.
 
#11 ·
So question, the grease or fat that drips down, I assume drips onto the coals? That doesn’t cause flare ups? Also, items that are high fat, like pork butts, that amount of fat burns off when drips on the coals? Or does it puddle in the bottom of the drum?

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If you look at the picture I posted of the butt cooking you can see the disposable pan beneath the butt. It sits on a rack I installed for that purpose. Beneath that rack is the diffuser plate mentioned. The disposable pan makes clean up much easier as there is no grease on the diffuser plate

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