Step-by-step UDS build (no welding)

OK, so after posting pics of my latest build on a couple of other BBQ sites, I got the idea to start this blog to help people who want to build a smoker. The overall goal is to provide detiled plans, parts info, tips and other useful information.

For our first project, I'm going to go step-by-step thru the build process of my newest smoker; Tu-Pork.

Here's the blueprint I used for the build:


What you're looking at is my own personal twist on a single intake UDS, or Ugly Drum Smoker. It is basically a steel drum or barrel which is modified to hold a basket of charcoal at the bottom and 2 cooking grates at the top.

There are some other additional add-ons too, like the "shaker bar" which is used to shake the coal basket and knock the ash off of the coals, a side shelf, and hinges on the lid. I'll go into more detail about these features later, for right now, let's start at the beginning.


Step 1: Selecting and purchasing a drum

Since we are building a device that will be used to cook food in, this is a crucial step. I've boiled it down to a few simple rules:

1. DO NOT use a drum that has contained toxic chemicals, harsh cleaning agents or any kind of contaminant. Not only can they directly contaminate your food, but they can release poisonous substances when exposed to the heat generated inside the drum when cooking. This is one of those situations where it's better to be safe than sorry. If you don't know for sure if what the drum contained, you're better off looking elsewhere.


2. DO purchase a new drum if at all possible. They will be a bit more expensive, but may save some time later on and will guarantee that it didn't contain any contaminants. If you can't find a new drum, or can't afford one;
   
3. DO try to find yourself a "food grade" drum. These are drums that have been specifically manufactured for use with food. They will often have a liner of some kind, but if you follow the instructions in this blog, that shouldn't be an issue.


4. DO make sure that the drum has a removable "head" or lid. For the purposes of this design, having an easily removable lid is important. Don't worry about whether or not it comes with a clamp ring, it's not needed for this build. You can use a "closed head" or non-removable lid drum, but you will have to deviate from this design to make sure that it will function the same way.
   
5. DO try to get a lid that has a 2" "bung" or hole in the center. This design calls for an exhaust pipe made of 2" (inside diameter) iron exhaust pipe. The 2" bung is the perfect size to accept the iron pipe without any modification.

This design calls for a standard size 55 gallon drum, which measures approximately 34" tall and has a diameter of 23".

Good places to look for drums include:

• Drum refurbishers
  
• Supermarkets
  
• Cattle feed dealers
  
• Livestock Farms
  
• Food processing plants
  
• Ebay
  
• Craig's List
  Local classifieds

Obviously, cheaper is better. But if you have to spend an extra $5 or $10 to get a drum you know for sure is sood safe, don't be afraid to do it.

Prices will vary widely from one region to another depending on availability, but expect to pay up to $30 or $40 for a used or refurbished drum and around $100 for a brand new one.

I would advise against buying anything being sold as a "burn barrel." These are drums that people have used for burning scrap wood and other garbage. Why shouldn't you use one? Well, people who are getting ahold of a drum just to burn stuff in aren't going to be too picky about what it previously contained. They might not remember if it had toxic substances in it or might not even have asked. Plus, who wants to cook in a used garbage can?


Step 2: Shopping for materials

Here's a list of all the parts I used for this build. I highly suggest that you try to get your parts as cheaply as possible as all these little pieces add up quickly. The design may look pretty basic, but you can easily spend a couple hundred dollars if you have to pay retail for everything (like I did).

1 18” x 18” wooden shelf 3/4" thick or better

1 12” X 12” steel wire basket
2 12” grill thermometers
2 21.5 in cooking grates

2 3/4” steel flat stock

3 3/16” x 4 ft round steel rod

2 10” lawnmower or wagon wheels

1 3’ x 1/2” steel rod (or whichever size fits the wheels you have)

1 1 1/4” steel strap

2 sht plate steel for ash pan & baffle

2 2” split pipe hangers

1 2 ft long 2" iron pipe

1 10" long 2" iron pipe

3 2" 90* Elbows

1 6” long 2" iron pipe nipple

1 4” long 2" iron pipe nipple

1 stick JB weld

2 pks Rivets

1 2" Conduit nut
4 1" long hex bolts w/ 2 washers and 1 nut each
2 2" long hex bolts w/1 washer and 2 nuts each
4 6” long hex bolts w/ 4 washers and 3 nuts each
10 1/2" wood screws

2 6" Lid handles

2 12" x 12"Shelf brackets

3 pks 2” ‘L’ brackets (4 per)

1 pk 1” ‘L’ brackets (4 per)

3 cans high-temp grill or engine spray paint (whatever color you want your smoker to be)
1 can secondary color high-temp spray paint (optional)
2 1/4" brass hose spurs w/ caps.

Step 3: Cleaning you drum

OK, so you've brought home your used but food-safe drum, which you've just purchased from a local feed supplier and bought all your hardware and materials... Now what?

First thing is first- gather up some old pallets or other wood to burn inside the drum. Make sure they're not pressure treated or painted. Again, your drum is a temple from this point on. Don't put anything inside it that you don't want to eat... except for the fire wood, of course.

If you live in an an urban area, don't have a backyard or a place where you can safely burn your barrel out, skip down a few paragraphs.

After you have a big stash of wood to burn, mark the center of the drum bottom and then draw a 2 1/8 circle in the center of it. It should look something like this:

This hole will be where the air intake pipe will fit later. For now tho, you need it there to allow the fire we're about to start inside the drum to have oxygen to burn hot and strong.

Next, drill out the hole using a hole-saw or step bit. If you don't have these tools, you can drill a 3/8" hole along the inside of the circle with a regular drill bit and then cut out the hole with a sabre saw and a metal cutting blade.

After you cut the hole, test it with a piece of iron pipe to make sure it fits through.

Next, place the drum upright on top of a few bricks. Make sure to leave plenty of room for air to circulate under the drum to get to the hole you just cut. Then load your wood into the barrel and start burning.

Don't use gasoline or other petruleum based chemicals to start the fire. This thing is a temple, remember? A few sheets of newspaper or some ripped up cardboard should be enough to get it going.

The fire should get big pretty quickly. What you're looking for is the outside paint to start smoking and burn up. This is easy to see if your drum is painted any color other than black. This may take several hours, depending on the kind of paint used when the drum was manufactured. If the fire appears to be going down, load up some more wood and keep it going. It is much easier to feed an existing fire than to let it go out and have to start it up all over again.

Once the paint on the outside is all burned off, it's safe to assume you're finished. Hose off the drum, empty out the ashes and prepare work harder than you've ever worked before in your life.

The next thing you need to do is wire-brush the entire barrel, inside and out. You can do this by hand, or if you want to save your arms, buy a wire wheel and mount it in a high-speed drill.

What you want to do is get all the way down to bare metal. This will be easy on the outside of the drum, but on the inside... there's no room to move and no light. If you notice that the paint on the inside of the barrel isn't coming off or doesn't look burnt; you've just met the infamous red liner. This is an epoxy coating used on barrels that are meant to hold acidic foods. It will take quite a bit of work to get it all off.

Once you get down to bare metal on the outside and inside, skip down to step 4.

If you're like me and don't have a place to safely burn out your drum, or don't like the idea of 4 -6 hours of burning it and another 4 - 6 hours of wire-brushing, there is an alternative; sand-blasting!

What you'll need to do is call a bunch of places; heat treating shops, metal fabricators, industrial painting companies... and track down someone who is willing to sand-blast your barrel and lid for you. You might have to schmooze them a little or give them a sob story about being a poor guy who just wants to make decent BBQ or something like that. Just swallow your pride and say whatever you have to to get it done.

I found a local heat-treating shop that did my first drum and lid for $20. They also did my second drum and lid plus the iron pipes I used for the air intake and exhaust for just $30. I only waited about 10 minutes. It was faster, easier and much cleaner than burning and brushing! You'll probably still want to wash the drum down with hot soapy water before having it sand-blasted, just to make it easier to handle. Plus, eventhough you're having it sand-blasted, some residue could still remain inside the drum and you'll just end up doing it later anyway.

I usually use dish soap on mine; it will remove any residual oils and is obviously safe to use on cookware. You could also use bleach.

Also, if you can, try to get your intake and exhaust pipes and elbows sand-blasted too. This will save you from having to sand/wire brush them to get the paint to adhere later.

Once you get this done, it's on to step 4!

(see next post for step 4)