UDS / Homemade Barrel Cookers

JD_Smokes wrote:

Ok, so does anyone have any current tips on the best way to go about getting an appropriate drum to start with? Based on the article in Smoke Signals magazine I should only start with a barrel that has held food product or I guess is brand new (this is logical).

I haven't been searching on the internet yet, but if anyone has some insight on getting my paws on a barrel, then I'm glad to listen.

Try an Army Surplus Store.

I bought four 55 gal, used food grade, open head drums, with lids and ring clamps (I dont used the clamps) for 16 bucks and change each from an Army Surplus store. They did have a paint lining. For the one UDS I made, I burned out most of the paint, used stripper on what was left (very little effect), a little bit of wire brushing and then scrubbed the drum with Tide, water and a brush. In between each of the "processes", I hit it with a power washer.

When I do it again it will be stripper, power washer, assembly, paint, then season. The stripper melted the liner in the lid away and was so easy to use.

Is it spring yet? I still have UDSs to make.

JD_Smokes wrote:

Ok, so does anyone have any current tips on the best way to go about getting an appropriate drum to start with? Based on the article in Smoke Signals magazine I should only start with a barrel that has held food product or I guess is brand new (this is logical).

I haven't been searching on the internet yet, but if anyone has some insight on getting my paws on a barrel, then I'm glad to listen.

Never heard of Smoke Signals magazine. I searched the web and found this description: "Smoke Signals, first published in 1993, is an online magazine devoted to smoking fetishism."
I don't think this is what you meant

Jazzspot provided this link a short while ago.

http://issuu.com/smokesignalsmagazine/d ... kesignals1

Murman wrote:

Try an Army Surplus Store.

I bought four 55 gal, used food grade, open head drums, with lids and ring clamps (I dont used the clamps) for 16 bucks and change each from an Army Surplus store. They did have a paint lining. For the one UDS I made, I burned out most of the paint, used stripper on what was left (very little effect), a little bit of wire brushing and then scrubbed the drum with Tide, water and a brush. In between each of the "processes", I hit it with a power washer.

When I do it again it will be stripper, power washer, assembly, paint, then season. The stripper melted the liner in the lid away and was so easy to use.

Thanks. I will probably go the easy route and buy one from that place here in Chicago. For $60+tax and travel time, I think it will wind up being better return on investment by saving myself the labor on a used barrel.

smokemaster wrote:

Never heard of Smoke Signals magazine. I searched the web and found this description: "Smoke Signals, first published in 1993, is an online magazine devoted to smoking fetishism."
I don't think this is what you meant

Maybe it was.


But no, alas, it wasn't.

My son-in-law and I put this together this weekend. He will finish construction it once he gets home to sunny San Diego. He is handy with a spray gun. I doubt it will be an "ugly", ugly drum smoker...

My first run of BBRs on my UDS...

1.5 hours into the run.

2-1.5-.75 at 220*F-225*F...



... so easy a Mountain Man can Que it.

I love my drum!

Would it be safe to use a drum that has had oil in them as long as it was cleaned and burned out?

riznfall wrote:

Would it be safe to use a drum that has had oil in them as long as it was cleaned and burned out?

Only if it was cooking oil. Ideally it would be best to use a new drum But a drum that contained non-spoiled food related ocntents should be okay too.

Do you know of any stores other than online I might look at getting one local? I would like new but I work on elevators and thought of the drums we get that were filled with hydro oil. just didn't know if it would be safe and thats why I always ask questions. Thanks for the heads up.

riznfall wrote:

Do you know of any stores other than online I might look at getting one local? I would like new but I work on elevators and thought of the drums we get that were filled with hydro oil. just didn't know if it would be safe and thats why I always ask questions. Thanks for the heads up.

Grrr, I had a really long post for you and the cat stepped on the back key for my browser. Sigh.

Search your local area for drums, steel barrels, industrial containers, industrial packaging, UN spec drums, et cetera. If you find a result in google labeled Thomasnet, play around with that: it's an industrial supplier database and can pull up all sorts of leads. Call up the companies you find and talk to a sales rep about piccking one up or what they have. Some leads you'll find will be resellers and distributors, others will be the actual manufacturers. The resellers have no way of modifying drums... manufacturers may have the ability to leave one without the interior rust inhibitor lining (transparent rust inhibitor, not the dreaded drum liner). That would save you the necessity of a high-heat burnout.

The two types you'll most likely find are: phenolyic-epoxy resin and rust-inhibitor. Stay away from the phenolyic-epoxy resin lined drums as those are the hard to clean out ones.

For reference, I bought my drum from www.bascousa.com I paid $62 with tax.

And here's a picture of what I did last night

riznfall wrote:

I work on elevators and thought of the drums we get that were filled with hydro oil. just didn't know if it would be safe and thats why I always ask questions. Thanks for the heads up.

Glad you asked!!! Definitely not. I can't give all of the scientific explanation behind it, but one stuff like that goes in there, it will never be truly safe for human consumption use again. Not even after sterilizing/power washing.

As far as local places, there is a place local here in Chicago where a couple of us were talking about buying this one. One of the guys said shipping was like $36 but that may have been local; I don't know about shipping to MD. So some online searches; I'm sure there is someone in the area out there.

As JD_Smokes says (confusing to me as JD is my first and middle initial, ha!), don't trust prior use barrels.

We tend to think of metal as being smooth with no pores, that couldn't be further from the truth. Oil will creep it's way into tiny fissures and pores in the metal and stay there. It's what oil does well: coats surfaces. Heat can get rid of most of it, but my wife and I don't like the idea of the difference between 100% and "most of it" coming out during a nice 12 hour brisket cook.

$62 is definitely worth the price of mental peace of mind!

Now to wash off the wood soot from the burnout last night. Wonder if the hose still works at below freezing temps?

I was thinking the same thing. Thats why I asked better to be on the safe side. I know that as was stated above that metal is porus but I figured that cleaning and burning would take care of it.. Well I will start looking around alittle more than I have. I have found several online with a great price just trying to save some $$$ on shipping. Thanks again I will keep ya'll updated