Ugly Drum Smoker

Here's a project I've been working on recently: Ugly Drum Smoker or UDS. The title holds no mystery; it's simply a meat smoker made out of a 55 Gal Steel Drum/Barrel and some Weber parts. I stumbled upon it when I searched for cheap homemade smokers. Like most smokers, it utilizes air movement for it's temperature control. 3 or 4 intake holes 3" from the bottom of the drum regulate intake and the exhaust on Weber lid will do fine for exhaust.

Here's a not-so-Ugly version...

The 55 Gallon steel drum is washed, cleaned, burned, and/or sandblasted in order to remove any of it's previous inhabitants. Old reconditioned fuel or oil drums are the easiest to come by & clean. My first thought was to go with a "food grade" drum. However, upon further research (trial & error) I came to learn that the reason they're called "food grade" is they contain an epoxy liner that is a pain in the porkbutt to remove. Some refer to it as the red-liner of death, obviously dubbed by a gamer. Those with earlier generations XBOX360's are already groaning. Anywho, it can be removed by either sandblasting (sometimes expensive) or hours spent with a grinding/wire wheel. From everyone I've heard from, just save yourself the trouble and buy a safe reconditioned drum w/o a liner.

Regardless, a good burn is necessary to remove the last bit of residue. Steer clear from drums that contained obviously dangerous chemicals or components. Sometimes there will be labels left on the drum showing the health risks. I picked up a Reconditioned Oil drum from ElJay Oil Co for $25. It's a closed-top drum, meaning the lid isn't removable and must be cut off with a grinder or punched out with a chisel. 

I ended up cutting the top completely off; however, this leaves a very sharp edge. Looking back, while it would take longer, the chisel method is definitely preferred and safer. Simply hammer a chisel around the inside of the top lip.

Example taken from web

Again, I didn't know about this until after I cut. Here's a shot of the inside and Weber lid. Nice clean reconditioned drum.

Clean but I still want to get a good burn going in it. I cut the air intake holes at the bottom at this point so I could get a good fire going. I cut 3 1" holes around the bottom in a T pattern

3 pallets in and the paint started to blister. Good... don't want that in my ribs anyways. After about 1.5hrs I covered the drum and let it die out. Emptied the ashes and removed the rest of the paint with a weed burner.

Now construct a "basket" for the charcoal. I've seen cylindrical, square, and other styles. I decided to go with square. Each side & bottom is 12"x12" of expanded metal that I welded together to form a open-top cube. I welded legs onto the bottom in order for it to stand 3" off the bottom of the drum. This is VERY important for airflow as the intake(s) draw air in and feed the charcoal.
Here's a sample image (w/o legs yet)...

*Note: Basket does NOT have to be welded. You could easily construct it with nuts & bolts method.

Next, installed black pipe nipples in each of the intakes. Capped 2 of them with pipe caps

*** Important: Use only black pipe or NON-Galvinized metals in the smoker. Galvinized metals can be toxic ***

I bought an elbow and an 18" section of pipe to extend the intake upwards, making it easier to adjust. Added a PVC (or brass) ball valve at the end to adjust intake. The capped intakes are for major temperature adjustments while the ballvalve intake is for those small, leveling adjustments. A pipe mount secures it to the side of the drum

Next comes the mounting the grill. Any 22.5" grill from a Weber or generic brand will work. I happened to have a Walmart off-brand laying around. Mount the grill 24" from the bottom of the drum. *Optional: Add a second grill 5-7" above this for a second cooking surface.

Install Grill thermometer. I bought a Traeger Thermo and installed it just below the first grill. That's pretty much it.

The Walmart knockoff that I had, had hinges on the lid so I simply attached them to my drum & now the lid lifts and closes w/o having to remove the lid and set it somewhere. Not necessary but definitely handy.

Utilizing this smoker is all about airflow. i.e. All the intakes open means higher temperatures. Load up the basket with 5-8 lbs of charcoal, light it (weedburner works fastest) and open all the intakes. Close kettle lid and let'r rise. Keep an eye on the temps. Slowly start capping the intakes. Ball valve intake is best to keep open until you're close to your temp, then adjust if needed. It allows for minor adjustments. It's easier to lower the temps then to raise them back up, so don't choke out the charcoal too soon or too fast. Once desired temp is achieved, add your meat but keep the kettle lid open a LITTLE as possible.

For exhaust I used the venting already on my kettle lid. This I adjust less than the intake. Took much exhaust and temps will plummet.

However, before you smoke your first ribs, it's important to season the smoker. Buy a roll of Jimmy Dean or any brand of sausage and throw it in for a few hours at 250. THis will "coat" the inside of the drum with grease/oils. Mmmm good stuff.