The Pickled Pig Forums - View Single Post - Pics! Our UDS Cooker (and How to Build One)

The Big Pig · 02-19-2009, 09:14 PM

Step 6 – Season and Test the Cooker…Calibrate Thermometer
After the cooker was assembled, we needed to test fire it to check for functionality and leaks. We also needed to season it before cooking on it. We were fairly confident in the design and seasoned our cooker while doing a test burn. If we ended up needing to make any big modifications inside the barrel, it would have been better to test fire first and then season. But we decided to save a step and do both at once. We rubbed a light coat of peanut oil on the inside of the drum, loaded 5 lbs. of charcoal in the basket, placed the basket in the drum, opened the valve and both caps, and lit the coals with a weed burner. The cooker topped out at and maintained 300F for 3 hours before the temps started to drop.

Step 7 – Cook Some Food
The last thing we had to do was cook food on the new UDS. We opted for chicken since it is relatively cheap and quick. This time, we loaded 11 lbs. of briquettes in the basket and lit the coals, leaving 1 cap off and the ball valve open. It reached 250F (we cook most of our BBQ at 250F) within 10 minutes. For a quick test, we cranked down the ball valve to make sure we could stabilize the temperatures at this level. The drum temps reached 260F before falling back down and stabilizing at 250F about 15 minutes later. Once this simple test was done, we opened the ball valve all of the way and let the drum climb to 300F. We threw some hickory chunks in the fire basket and chicken on grill. 45 minutes later, we were enjoying some delicious BBQ chicken.

With the food off the grill, the temperature climbed to 367F before we shut it down for the night. We still had 1 nipple cap on and could have gone above 400F if needed so it definitely met our design specs. The next morning, we noted that about 3/4’s of our starting coal was still intact in the basket and ready for the next cook.

The fire basket design we used needs to be about half full (11 lbs. of briquettes) for optimum performance, even for short cooks. This doesn’t mean we will be wasting fuel as we can close the intake and exhaust and extinguish the coals when we are done.

Possible Modifications

A cool feature of building your own UDS is that you, as the manufacturer, can modify it at any time with confidence. You can create a perfect cooker that fits your cooking style. There are some popular modifications that we did not do…yet. One piece of advice we heard and adhered to is “build a simple one first and modify over time or build another one”. Check this thread from time to time for updates on how we’ve enhanced our drums. Here’s a list of some of the more popular modifications we’ve seen:

Adding a second grill and kettle lid – doubles cook capacity
Adding a bottle opener – extra functionality
Adding tool hooks – a place to hang your tongs
Adding a lid hook – similar to a Weber kettle
Using vertical intake pipes – No bending over to adjust intake flow
Adding an exhaust stack – looks cool, may improve draft if needed
Forced draft system – BBQ Guru or Stoker makes temp control even easier
Access Door – makes it easier to access fire basket or lower grill if used
Separate Bottom Section – Makes it easy to clean
Adding grate level side thermometer – better read of temps at food level
Adding a side table – provides valuable work surface for preparation and gadget storage
Adding a rotisserie – hard to beat rotisserie chicken
Chrome or Stainless Parts – Use chrome or stainless steel parts to enhance the look. You can even use a stainless steel drum.
Custom Paint – Lots of colors to choose from, use automotive or engine block paint for best selection
Get a Drum Dolly – For around $25 you can mount the drum on caster wheels. With a little ingenuity, you can use all terrain tires.

02-19-2009, 09:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
The Big Pig Administrator BBQ Jedi Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Overland Park, KS	Our UDS Cooker (and How to Build One) - Part 8 Step 6 – Season and Test the Cooker…Calibrate Thermometer After the cooker was assembled, we needed to test fire it to check for functionality and leaks. We also needed to season it before cooking on it. We were fairly confident in the design and seasoned our cooker while doing a test burn. If we ended up needing to make any big modifications inside the barrel, it would have been better to test fire first and then season. But we decided to save a step and do both at once. We rubbed a light coat of peanut oil on the inside of the drum, loaded 5 lbs. of charcoal in the basket, placed the basket in the drum, opened the valve and both caps, and lit the coals with a weed burner. The cooker topped out at and maintained 300F for 3 hours before the temps started to drop. Step 7 – Cook Some Food The last thing we had to do was cook food on the new UDS. We opted for chicken since it is relatively cheap and quick. This time, we loaded 11 lbs. of briquettes in the basket and lit the coals, leaving 1 cap off and the ball valve open. It reached 250F (we cook most of our BBQ at 250F) within 10 minutes. For a quick test, we cranked down the ball valve to make sure we could stabilize the temperatures at this level. The drum temps reached 260F before falling back down and stabilizing at 250F about 15 minutes later. Once this simple test was done, we opened the ball valve all of the way and let the drum climb to 300F. We threw some hickory chunks in the fire basket and chicken on grill. 45 minutes later, we were enjoying some delicious BBQ chicken. With the food off the grill, the temperature climbed to 367F before we shut it down for the night. We still had 1 nipple cap on and could have gone above 400F if needed so it definitely met our design specs. The next morning, we noted that about 3/4’s of our starting coal was still intact in the basket and ready for the next cook. The fire basket design we used needs to be about half full (11 lbs. of briquettes) for optimum performance, even for short cooks. This doesn’t mean we will be wasting fuel as we can close the intake and exhaust and extinguish the coals when we are done. Possible Modifications A cool feature of building your own UDS is that you, as the manufacturer, can modify it at any time with confidence. You can create a perfect cooker that fits your cooking style. There are some popular modifications that we did not do…yet. One piece of advice we heard and adhered to is “build a simple one first and modify over time or build another one”. Check this thread from time to time for updates on how we’ve enhanced our drums. Here’s a list of some of the more popular modifications we’ve seen: Adding a second grill and kettle lid – doubles cook capacity Adding a bottle opener – extra functionality Adding tool hooks – a place to hang your tongs Adding a lid hook – similar to a Weber kettle Using vertical intake pipes – No bending over to adjust intake flow Adding an exhaust stack – looks cool, may improve draft if needed Forced draft system – BBQ Guru or Stoker makes temp control even easier Access Door – makes it easier to access fire basket or lower grill if used Separate Bottom Section – Makes it easy to clean Adding grate level side thermometer – better read of temps at food level Adding a side table – provides valuable work surface for preparation and gadget storage Adding a rotisserie – hard to beat rotisserie chicken Chrome or Stainless Parts – Use chrome or stainless steel parts to enhance the look. You can even use a stainless steel drum. Custom Paint – Lots of colors to choose from, use automotive or engine block paint for best selection Get a Drum Dolly – For around $25 you can mount the drum on caster wheels. With a little ingenuity, you can use all terrain tires. __________________ Paul Ostrom The Pickled Pig BBQ Team www.thepickledpig.com CBJ, UDS, WSM, Weber Gasser, Weber One Touch Gold 22" Kettle There is room for all Gods creatures, right next to the potato salad and the cole slaw. Last edited by The Big Pig; 02-20-2009 at 09:45 PM.