Shop Big Poppa Smokers

Who's who

R

roburado

New member
BiteMeBBQ said:
Rob
You're not crazy! Maybe just not monitored (code for wife)
I have two guitars,two basses,a P.A. system and three smokers. Seems pretty normal to me.:)
Click to expand...

Thanks, BiteMeBBQ. My fiancee is understanding. Plus, I got most of them before I met her! She thinks they're beautiful anyway, and she wouldn't dream of making part with them.

She loves the pellet smoker. We host her family's Thanksgiving. I'm sensing a drum smoker project coming on before Turkey Day. ;)
 
M

meat man

New member
Glad to be here, I love the drums. We've been using a 33 gal UDS, got a kit coming from BPS. The boys and I can't wait to build our 55 gal drum. Got some ideas on some mods we are going to do. The 33s are made by a friend of ours in Colorado. They are called Pit Barrel smokers, they are nice and light, very portable. Just not enough room for some serious Q. Now I just got to find me a Chinese Barrel.
f6857adf.jpg
 
Greatscott!

Greatscott!

New member
I'm Scott -- I'm in northern CA now but a native of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, dead center in the heart of Johnsonville Brat country. I fell in love with outdoor cooking the day my dad let me flip my first burger on his in-ground gas grill. Right now I cook on a Weber Genesis Silver A that's I've owned since the Clinton administration and a Weber kettle I also do a bit of smoking on.

Discovered Big Poppa when I rooted for his team on BBQ Pitmasters and was thrilled to learn about the UDS kit. I have a contractor friend helping me dig up a drum as we speak!
 
C

Chrisco

New member
Hey there... Chris here from Delaware... I've been smoking (with an offset firebox smoker) for may years and typically had great results... I do use a lot of charcoal and Hickory to keep the temp up in the 225-250 range... I wanted to try something different so I got a barrel and the BPS kit... It was a blast to build and even my wife likes how it looks (for now - LOL)... I've cooked a few things on it and the first thing I did was get a heavy steel deflector plate.. I'm not used to the heat being directly below my meat(s). The deflector seems to work very well.. I'm still practicing with getting the temp to be more regulated without wild swings (up and down). I haven't used the offset unit since I got the barrel.. I'm trying to give it a true chance... So far so good. I would love to see some rib recipe's and cooking techniques. I've been cooking mine in foil (after marinating) for a couple hours then removing from the foil and placing directly on the grate for another 1/2 hour or so.. I've had mixed results in 3 attempts.
 
B

Big Poppa

Administrator
Chrisco

The deflector is a common thread and topoic for new drum smokers....let me address that first

The temp at the thermometer is the edge of the grate....it is hotter in the center. (thanks for reminding me jeanie!) If you have a remote thermometer like a maverick put it in the center and figure out your cookers differential.....If you want 250 regulate at thermometer at around 225...

Now the wild temp swings...Without being there and seeing how you light it, how much you light, how long you keep the lid off when firing upI cannot tell you except....Start with about half a whole open on each slider...light a small amount of coals...after 3-5 minutes put the lid on with the exhaust open. You shoue be rock solid at that point. If you are getting swings you are opening the lid way too much.

Now at the crux I believe that the method you are cooking is counter to the whole concept of the drum smoker and smokers in general. With a drum smoker you want the fire below....the juices hit the coals and the vapor and smoke sort of smoke and marinate as you cook. The rule of thumb with smoking is that the meat stops accepting smoke after the meat gets 140-145 internal temp....so starating you cooks in foil is giving you very little smoke if at all. Most cooks foil after 3-4 hours...they have gotten all the smoke they will get and then they are able to sort of braise in the foil to the finish....does two things accellerates the cook and makes for a more tender ending product.
 
R

Rangerj

New member
Howdy!

Wes here from Texas, head and many times the only cook for Pappa Charlies BBQ Wix.com Pappa Charlies created by wjurena based on GrillandBar. I recognize a few names from some of the other boards we all frequent.

I've been cooking since I was 18 when I burned my first brisket into shoe leather. Started competing in Arizona in 2009 on UDS's. We've cooked in California, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Alabama and Texas. It looks like we are back in Texas to stay this time.

I've owned a Pitmaker Vault, a Backwoods Party and both size WSM's. Somehow, my UDS's have won their place in the starting lineup for my competition cooks. 2 Drums and 1 18" WSM. The Vault was sold and the Party stays in the garage, most of the time.

I have 3 racks inside my drums and sometimes I use a 18" pizza pan as a diverter. My drums also have Weber lids, though I've considered going back to the flat top model.

Looking forward the learning how everyone else is doing it.
 
J

JD McGee

New member
JD here...just what I need...another BBQ forum to keep track of...thanks a LOT Sterling! Lol! All kidding aside...I have built and cooked on several drum smokers over the years and from what I have seen of BPS's Drum Kit...it will bring a lot of folks into the BBQ fray. Great design guys! Thanks for the invitation Sterling...and congrats on the new forum! Now...how to get my hands on one of them stainless steel drums...
Cheers!
JD
 
Greatscott!

Greatscott!

New member
JD McGee said:
Now...how to get my hands on one of them stainless steel drums...
Cheers!
JD
Click to expand...

I'm dreaming up ways of finding a stainless as well... hehe. I figure I'll build a regular steel drum first, but if it goes the way I'm lead to expect, I'll be shopping for a stainless for sure!
 
B

Big Poppa

Administrator
JD and all...The best price for a new stainless drum we have found is $375. We have a source for used ones at $175.....I will have the source posted in the drum locator section
 
sparky

sparky

New member
Greatscott! said:
I'm dreaming up ways of finding a stainless as well... hehe. I figure I'll build a regular steel drum first, but if it goes the way I'm lead to expect, I'll be shopping for a stainless for sure!
Click to expand...

yeap, greatscott has the right idea. i'm lovin Ursula. its fun.
 
sparky

sparky

New member
Big Poppa said:
JD and all...The best price for a new stainless drum we have found is $375. We have a source for used ones at $175.....I will have the source posted in the drum locator section
Click to expand...

cool. looking forward to it. i thinking about a used stainless drum.
 
Last edited:
C

Chrisco

New member
Thanks for the reply... I will keep in mind the center temp is hotter (makes sense)...

Sounds like I've been doing the charcoal lighting thing wrong. I tried lighting the charcoal in the nest and even with the lower vents wide open with the top off, didn't have enough air flow. The coals wouldn't light.

What I've been doing (wrong is sounds) is this. I open all 6 lower vents. I bought a chimney starter and fill it w/ with charcoal, light it and sit it on the upper grate (top off) and let it get going (about 10 minutes), I remove the upper grate and pour the now lit charcoal into the "nest".. I leave the vents open (even on top) and put the lid on.. The heat would rise dramatically.. Then I'd knock the lower vents down to about 1 (one on each side), and pretty much close the upper vent. From then it's been a wild ride with the temps swinging up/down as I try to keep the gauge at 225 vs. dropping down to nothing (smothered the charcoal) to over 350 degrees. It sounds like the main thing I'm doing wrong is shutting most of the upper vents. I think I'm used to the offset firebox using a lot of hickory. That produces copious amounts of smoke. Seems like I need to realize the UPS smokers don't need to make "that much" smoke.

I didn't know that 140-145 smoke absorption tip.. good to know.

As for the foil thing, I just do that with ribs (to precook them)... I've been nervous to cook more ribs on the UBS because the temp swings aren't making for a good result. Once I master consistent/steady cooking temps I'll not use foil. It takes a bit of practice (and advice)... thanks again !

Chris
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom