Project #4 from DVA, Smoker (UDS) for my dad

[DVA]

I was wondering what to get for my dad for a present so I ended up making him a smoker.

This type of smoker, commonly known as the Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS) is constructed out of the following materials:

1- 55 gallon food grade drum $10-20 (Warning: because a BBQ is used for cooking food, obtain a food grade unlined drum. This drum shown originally had Tabasco sauce and was purchased for $20.00. )
1- 22.5” Cooking grate $10-15
1- 2.5” thermometer $15
2- Ornamental steel handle $1
3- Side Handles $10
1- ¾” or 1” ball valve $15 (also need a small threaded pipe end that can be welded to the drum or fastened using threaded fasteners)
1 – 2” pipe (for smoke stack) $5 at scrap yard
1- Threaded 2” pipe (for smoke stack) $3
4- ¼”X1.25” carriage bolts $1.50
4- ¼” nuts $1
6’- ½” Tubing
Expanded metal
2 cans BBQ paint $15

Total cost can be between $75+ depending on how much of this stuff you have laying around

Tools used: Angle Grinder, Dry cut saw, drill (uni-bit), and Miller 252.

Enough expanded metal is required to make a 14” ring 6” tall ring and enough expanded metal to cover the bottom of the ring. It is best to have an ash pan underneath the fire box/expanded metal to catch the ashes. I constructed the ash pan out of a 16” circle of 16 gauge carbon steel and welded a ½” strip around the edge to make a lip on the ash pan. It is also best to provide about a 1-2 inch gap between the bottom of the ash pan and the fire box so the ashes can drop and the coals are not smothered out.

The smoker works by placing the fire box in the bottom of the smoker. This is filled with charcoal and a few chunks of wood for flavor. Air enters a valve at the bottom of the smoker to feed the fire. The heat raises and a 22.5 inch cooking grate is attached to the side of the 55 gallon drum via the ¼” carriage bolts placed between 6-8 inches below the lid. This provides enough space between the cooking grate and the lid to cook a full size briskest and multiple pork shoulders and any other tasty delights.

The thermometer is placed about 1-3 inches below the cooking grate, placing this too close to the food can cause a false reading on the thermometer due to the cooler temperature of the meat.

The smoke stack on the top of the smoker was attached to the 2” NPT bung fitting using a 2” schedule 10 pipes with a short end of a threaded 2” schedule 40 pipe welded to the bottom of the smoke stack. Weld was sanded smooth so it cannot be seen from the outside of the smoke stack. The top of the smoke stack was fabricated out of scrap 1/8” metal found in the shop and welded to allow the top to rotate with some resistance to assist with setting the exhaust flow.

The top handle on the lid was picked up at the local metal supply store in their pile of ornamental iron. The ornamental iron peace was welded to the center of the lid to form the handle. A tab was added to the inside of the lid to allow the lid to hang off the side of the smoker. The side handles were picked up at Home Depot for about $10

The distance from the coals from the food keeps the meat from getting burnt and a steady temperature can be controlled (225-275°F for BBQ). The constant temperature is maintained by setting the air inlet valve at the bottom of the drum and the exhaust on the lid. The temperature can go out of control if the lid is left open for too long as the low temperatures of the BBQ is maintained by limiting the amount of oxygen inside the cooker.

This type of smoker can be fabricated with not too much effort and without breaking the bank.