Big Poppa Kit or Not?

frjeff

New member
I'm hoping to begin my UDS build project soon.

Perhaps I'm asking in the wrong place, but the Big Poppa Kit intrigues me and I'm wondering about the experience of users:

1) is the bottom vent system as good as the capped pipe and brass ball valve method?
2) is the fire basket as sturdy and good (in size, time of burn, etc.) as the expanded steel type?
3) cooking grate as good as the Weber?
4) does the top vent work well

It is certainly nice looking and the price seems reasonable (I'd have about $40 in just the cooking grate and charcoal grate if I bought the Weber products). So, I'd still have to buy handles, lots of nuts and bolts, expanded steel, charcoal grate, black pipe, fittings, thermometer, etc.).

Good value and excellent cooker if I buy the kit?

Thanks; you can likely tell I'm an old man newbie on a tight budget. :eek:
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
Im biased. really? hehehe

There are some spectacular ball joint and diy cookers out there....The truth is that almost any uds will cook great food....but
the reason why I invested in this product is to make sure that there were no mysteries....great air flow...all the details like the little ones the cooking grates handle is shaped to hang off the edge of the drum...there are apout twenty unique little features that set this kit apart.
 

cragcrawler

New member
Let me start off by saying I have not bought the kit. But what I can tell you is that If I found this kit before I built mine, it would have saved me a lot of time and trips to the hardware store. Correct me if I am wrong the kit even comes with a step drill bit which are not cheap. I built my basket and the top vents out of an old aluminum road sign I got for free. I bent it and drilled some holes in it. Took along time cuz I had to keep charging my battery! I can tell you it would have been cheaper to buy the kit on my case because I ended up in the ER to get three stitches in my hand from being cut!

If I were you, I would get the kit. Even if it means recycling a few more soda cans! lol
 

MrAdam

New member
I bought the kit. It went together in a morning. It stays rock steady once I get the temp dialed in. The only thing I would recommend BP change is include a template for the top vent as well that shows where the center of the vent holes are. The price can't be beat.

The charcoal basket is very sturdy. The advantage that the BPS kit has over a standard UDS is the ability to raise the charcoal basket and use it as an awesome grill. Ever since I built it, this is my go to cooker.

The vents are really easy to control, and there are 8 bottom vent holes and 8 top vent holes. Airflow is fine.

The grates are better than Weber grates because you can hang them on the lip of the drum or on one of the side handles.

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Salmonsmoker

New member
Welcome to the forum frjeff. As MrAdam said, you can put it together in a coupe of hours if using BP's kit. No scrounging around for parts,saws, saw blades etc. to cut a door, install hinges, ball valves, pipe fittings etc. Everything's furnished. All you need is a drill motor a couple of wrenches and something to cook.:) (and of course, a barrel)
 

jimsbarbecue

Moderator
Staff member
Yes it is worth it. Full instructions paper templates for drilling holes. As others mentioned ,two position basket. Just not having to go back and forth looking for hardware. It comes with everything but the drum. The fire basket I like a lot. With the second position it can double as a grill. I would buy it now while it is still $129.99. Never know if the New Year will bring price increases. Fuel prices are killing material cost.
 

MrAdam

New member
I've heard from a few sources that the price is going up on the next batch. Order now before it goes up!

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ajstrider

New member
The BP kit is great, just like everything BP has for sale. I order a lot of things from BP. Some advantages are that the project has already been thought out and worked out, and being able to raise the charcoal basket to grill is a great addition, you can do anything with his kit. That being said I chose to build my own smoker for one reason, which is easily understandable...I work in a chemical plant and had access to everything I needed to build my own drum, even the drum, for basically nothing with the exception a few parts, which I ordered from BP! If I had not had easy access, I would have bought his kit without a second thought, I even still thought about getting it and might buy one still. You can never have too many smokers!
 
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scooter

Moderator
Staff member
I have two BPS EDS's. I've not built one yet but I can tell you that my drums have turned me away from one of the most classic cookers out there, my WSM. My BPS drums are SUPER easy to use and hold temps as good as a WSM and the finished product coming off of them is incredible. My WSM is gathering dust.
Sure you can make your own drum if you have all the tools and abilities to fabricate. The BPS kit takes all the guess work out of it with paper templates you tape to the drum which will guide you through the process of drilling your holes. Then all you do is bolt everything on with all the supplied hardware and start cooking!
Whatever you decide to do, please show us what you cook on your drum! We learn from each other here and learn from the successes and the fails. The good news is even the drum fails are usually more tasty than what you find in restaurants!!
 

Motay

New member
Most of these guys already know this, but I bought my kit last week and built it on Saturday. I let it stand outside for a few hours yesterday burning charcoal briquettes and scrap wood just to sanitize the inside of it, and promptly threw a batch of chicken legs on there last night when the temp came down. It's pretty freakin awesome!!
 

backbay2

New member
If you are on a budget then buy this kit!! I built mine and from putting it together piece by piece it is by far more expensive than buying this kit... My next build will be the stainless UDS and I will be using the B.P. kit to complete the build.....
 

Nafle

New member
I just got my kit last friday, drilled the holes saturday evening with The last layer of paint. Assembelled it in 30 - 45 min on sunday. Burned it out, sunday cooking on The drum. My alternate was WSM but even with the taxes and shipment, i saved money and time. I love this engeneered drum kit :) When i'm going to build me another it will be this kit again. Haven't tryed The high level BBQ yet.


www.naflebbq.blogspot.no

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sheepdad

New member
..... + 10 on What everyone said
Big Poppas Engineered Drum Kit does the one thing that sealed the deal for me before i purchased the kit.
TOOK ALL THE
GUESSWORK OUT OF THE BUILD.

You will not be disappointed.




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