When I started this blog about a year or so ago, I spent a lot of time looking up and following the writings of bloggers and competition BBQ folks who really knew their way around a BBQ Smoker. I have spent a good amount of time at Barbecue Competitions and have come to respect the time, effort, and experience brought to bear by folks who can coax what Larry over at The BBQ Grail calls the “sweet blue smoke” into chicken, beef, pork, and fish.
One question that always comes to mind – for me at least is how these folks might change their first BBQ Smoker selections or modify them in some way if they could gain access to their very own “Hot Tub Time Machine.” Always eager to put a question to the Pros out there, I proceeded to fire off emails to some of the more experienced and practiced BBQ Smokers out there. I told them that they could send a quick reply back, with no need for elaborate responses, but gave them leeway to answer in as lengthy a format as they wished.
The answers to my question have streamed in over the past week. Some folks didn’t have the time to respond, while others were kind enough to take time and write down their thoughts for me to include here. What you’ll see here on The BBQ Smoker Site over the next couple of weeks will be the responses of those fold who replied back.
UPDATE: See responses we received from those interviewed here.
Some of the people I emailed really liked the question, so much so that they sent pretty informative replies. Others sent very short responses, which was great, too! What I hope, is that when pulled together as a group these emails will be helpful to anyone who is researching BBQ Smokers or who is considering making a change to their current barbecue smoker setup. It’s always nice to learn from the mistakes or good fortunes of those BBQ pros who have gone before us!
Now, there’s a chance you did not get an email from me – as I sent them out to a fairly random group of folks. Please don’t take this as a I sign that I’m not interested in your take on the question! In fact, that’s quite the opposite. I’d love to hear from you, and I hope that you consider this post as your formal invitation to respond!
What would you do differently if you had to buy your first barbecue smoker set up again?
Give us your take on the question in the comments below, or write your own post and provide us with a link to the URL below.
I’m looking forward to reading your answers! Meanwhile, you’ll see the responses of those who have responded to my question over the weeks to follow – I hope you enjoy them.
UPDATE: See responses we received from those interviewed here.
A special thanks to Darren over at Problogger.net for the inspiration of setting up this interview series. Check out his website for great information about connecting with readers.
Filed under BBQ Smoker Reviews by 
I love talking about DIY BBQ smokers, and as such – I recently posted on the Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS) and it being a great wood fire grill DIY project to start with where BBQ Smokers are concerned. This post is a follow up with some more specific construction information. Yes – I consider this smoker a wood fire grill as well as you can easily fuel it with the hardwood of your choosing and grill lid off – style. There’s so much you can do with the UDS. As crude as it can look, it has a certain universal presence about it. Almost like “The Force.” In fact, I think that Darth Vader might also cook on an Ugly Drum Smoker.
Locate and Buy Your Drum
The first thing you need to find when you’re building your UDS is the drum itself. Look for food grade 55 Gallon Steel Drums.
Local businesses that deal in food grade products are likely to have some steel drums handy, and will most likely be willing to sell them to you for cheap. There are also several online sources for 55 gallon steel drums.
Be sure to burn a load or two – whatever it takes – to get the inside of the grill clean should there be anything suspect in there. You want to be sure you don’t have any off-putting tastes floating into your meat when the smoking begins.
Build Out the Grill and Charcoal Setup
Create a resting spot for your coals
Let’s start from the bottom up. Air fuels fire. So, you need to be sure that the charcoal sits several inches above the bottom of the barrel. Not only will this make sure airflow can come under the coals, but it will also provide space for the ashes to fall.
One way to situate your burn basket in the right spot is to find an old grill grate or buy one from a supply store that will sit nicely inside the drum. Bolt this in place and you should be good to go.
Build a charcoal burning basket
You’ll need to craft a basket for your charcoal so that it stays in an efficiently burning pile. A basket can be made from anything you can find – including heavy gauge metal mesh, or maybe a piece of cut and spread sheet metal from your local scrap yard.
Your Ugly Drum Smoker charcoal basket can either be a single set size, or you can build a couple different charcoal basket sizes to accommodate varying burn times.
Create Holes to Regulate Air Flow
As with any smoker, the air flow in the UDS needs to be regulated in order to control the burn of your charcoal. There are several ways to handle this. Here are two methods you might look into.
Method #1: Lower airflow holes covered with magnets
One of the easiest ways to adjust the air flow is just to punch out three or four holes in the bottom of the smoker - perhaps by using an electrician’s knockout punch tool. A very cool way I’ve seen folks handle the hole plugging is to cover them with magnets. This makes for easy work when you need to regulate the airflow.
Method #2: Smoke stack and ball valve approach
Some of the Ugly Drum Smoker configurations you’ll see use a smoke stack approach to regulate air flow. For this to work, you’ll need to find a 1 to 2 inch gauge piece of gas pipe. Configure it to bend upwards use a ball valve for air control. If you’re not a welder, no worries. You can secure the pipe with a cement compound.
A great example of this method can be seen over at the Stealth Survival Blog, so be sure to check that out!
Fit the Grate in Place
The last thing you need to do is to fit the grate in place. You have a couple of choices. If you use a flat top to your smoker, you may be limited to using a single grill or space a couple out evenly, but with limited head space.
If you can find an old Weber kettle grill top that fits your drum, this might provide you with enough space to fit a turkey or rack of ribs on the top. Determine your desired configuration, place four bolts at each desired grate resting level, and you’re ready to roll!
Your First Cook – How to Come Out Swangin’!
To make sure you season that tri-tip or brisket just right, consider one of the fine rubs put out by our friends over at C-Dub’s BBQ Rubs.
Of course, if you’re of the mind that all of this DIY BBQ Smoker stuff is too much for your hectic schedule, I’d recommend looking into of the many electric BBQ smokers on the market. They’re efficient and remarkably easy to use and maintain!
Want news about other items purchased by member of the BBQ Smoker Site community? Be sure to check out our Popular Barbecue Books, Videos, and Accessories page.
Filed under BBQ Smoker Basics by
