First victim on my UDS was..............chicken!!

scooter

Moderator
Staff member
No pics! sorry. I cut a whole chicken in half and did one half coated with EVOO and Money, the other half got EVOO and The Slabs Birds & Bones. I cranked up the UDS with a couple lbs of kingsford blue bag in the basket and set the basket all the way down on the bottom of the UDS and after playing around with the vents to see how it reacted I got the UDS leveled off at about 280-285 on the side then added a big chunk of apple wood to the coals and put the chicken in the middle of the grate.
A couple hours (approx) later without making any vent adjustments at all the UDS was at 270 and the chicken was at 165 in the breast so pulled it. I have to say it was the best looking chicken I've done! Man what a beautiful color it was. So beautiful that I had to take it and show my CBJ daughter.
The only problem was the taste. It had an overwhelming flavor of vaporized fat. So much so that it was difficult to taste the difference between the two rubs and I could not even detect the applewood smoke!
This is my first experience with a UDS so I don't know if this heavy vaporized fat flavor is typical or I did something wrong.
My first reaction is I need to build a diffuser that allows the heat through to the top grate but spreads it around a bit to eliminate the center hotspot and also allows SOME BUT NOT ALL of the fat to drip onto the coals. I like that flavor but just need to mute it down to where I can taste the other components.
Wondering what your observations are with your UDS's and how you've been able to mitigate the heavy fat flavor?
 
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Big Poppa

Administrator
I dont believe that it was the vaporized fat I think it was the kingsford....but you have to get some cooks under your belt and my advice to all is to lower your temps and gradually raise them for each cook until you find the sweet spot.
 

scooter

Moderator
Staff member
BP, I've used the blue bag for years in my WSMs. Wasn't the K. It was the flavor I get cooking fat directly over coals except it was WAY more intense. So intense I could barely taste the rubs or smoke.
When I sear over charcoal it's only for 4 to 5 minutes so I only get a bit of the fat flavor on the meat. This was hours of chicken fat dripping onto coals. I'm quite positive that flavor wasn't from just the blue bag coal but was the fat dripping on them for 2 hours +
I will try K competition briqs next to see if you're right.
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
wow two hours is a long time to get to 165 with the temps you were running.....Look at my prime rib thread I just posted and see my deflector that I used.....
 

scooter

Moderator
Staff member
Nice looking roast and your use if the grill grates gave me an idea for a DIY diverter.

Ok, so let me open up my mind a bit about your opinion on K charcoal. You think the flavor I'm getting is because I'm using K? If I used lump I won't get that flavor that I'm describing as vaporized fat?
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
I just thinnk it is a lot of things and not jjust the fat...Ive noticed a lot of difference in flavors depending on what charcoal...Im sort of stuck on the lump and the hasty bake...it is made by ozark oak and ozark oak wont sell me. with lump I have a little harder time with the temps...I also thin kthat we did the fire basket for super long cooks and if you do that the top is open and the bottom only one side and a fraction of a hole....sparky split his basket and that helped...instead of diverting he increased his indirect side
 

scooter

Moderator
Staff member
Well, I already have a WSM so have the indirect covered. I have the drum to get that semi direct/semi indirect orientation to the coals which makes the drum a unique cooker due to the carmelization it gets over a purely indirect cooker like the WSM. Also because I think a UDS/BDS should become part of any pitmasters arsenal as it's a classic cooker.
My focus is to get the best of both worlds, a UDS with no hotspots, puts awesome carmelization/crusting on the meat (characteristics of a UDS) but that also limits the amount of that vaporized fat flavor when I'm cooking fatty meat like chicken or pork. I think I can get that. I have a design in mind now that I can make myself but sure could use a welder. It will have a tripod base that will use the upper loops in my UDS and incorporate angle iron with the angle part of the angle iron pointing down so I looks like a V with 4 or 5 of them laid out to provide channels to catch some of the fat and divert away from the fire. There will be about 1/2" space between the angle iron so some fat will drip through, just not all of it. Should also act to remove the center hotspot.
I love K! It burns very steady, long and is very predictable and cheap if you purchase it at Memorial Day or 4th of July sales. Being that I have about 600lbs of it in my garage I figure I'll keep using it and try to mitigate the issues I'm having in other ways than switching charcoal types and brands. For now anyway! :)
 
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