UDS Build, Liner

I am going to build a couple UDS rigs. I have barrels with the liners, and I am thinking about leaving the darn things in. "Cook" the drums 2-3 times at 400 degrees. No weed burner, no grinding, etc. Anybody do this around here? Maybe that is a stupid route.

I would hate to grind it out. My beard makes it difficult to wear proper breathing masks. Seems most VOCs or whatever would be driven off in a few empty burns.

Cant you just drill your holes and burn 'em out with a big hobo fire?

you're gonna need more than 2 or 3 400 degree burns to get those liners out. I sure as hell wouldn't cook anything with that liner still in there...but hey, your health!

Try building a big fire in it with dry pallet wood, or i've heard of guys trapping a wire wheel on a long piece of all thread, then chucking it up in a drill and using it to grind out the liner...much better than sticking your head in there with an angle grinder...

I chose to buy a new unlined barrel...the extra $40 was worth not dealing with liners.

I would make sure you got all of the liner out. Is it a red liner by chance? I have heard those are damn near impossible to get out. If not though just get a nice hot fire or use the weed burner and it should come off without too much effort.

Mother of all UDS threads... in the tune of 544 pages worth. Hope this helps.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23436

I would pay the extra $40 for a new unlined barrel, but cannot find them. Maybe I should look more. Any clues to finding? I live in a big enough friggen city...

Yes, the red liner. I didn't think 400 deg would burn it off, but hopefully drive off nasties that would come out at smoking temps. maybe that is ill thought out.

I can try the Hobo fire, weed burner, and extendo wire brush. Just seems like a lot of effort.

RDWHAHB said:

Yes, a red liner. I would pay the extra $40 for a new unlined barrel, but cannot find them. Maybe I should look more. Any clues to finding? I live in a big enough friggen city...

Yes, the red liner. I didn't think 400 deg would burn it off, but hopefully drive off nasties that would come out at smoking temps. maybe that is ill thought out.

I can try the Hobo fire, weed burner, and extendo wire brush. Just seems like a lot of effort.

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How about this place:

http://www.iconserv.com/company/location.html

They sell new and reconditioned steel drums of various sizes and configs, and have a Denver location.

I searched for "industrial container supply" to find the place in OKC where I got mine, did the same for Denver and this came up.

Well, I should have come here first. My google skills are slipping. I called and reserved 2 UN approved unlined reconditioned drums. $44 each. Now I gotta sell these darn lined ones I bought. Thanks.

Anybody want to buy a 3 lined drums?

Picked up my drums yesterday. I like them. Thank you strathrumarshall! Also thanks to data--probably wouldn't have made a an UDS without your preaching about them around here.

Need to pick up some expanded steel now. I figure I'll make as many baskets as I can out of a sheet. I have 2 drums. Sell the rest or keep them around to make some more UDSs for friends.

Asked the guy how they refurb. They open tops all come from their plant in MI. The cut the top off a closed top, burn them out, repaint. I think they are a bit sturdier than my first ones.

strat_thru_marshall said:

How about this place:

http://www.iconserv.com/company/location.html

They sell new and reconditioned steel drums of various sizes and configs, and have a Denver location.

I searched for "industrial container supply" to find the place in OKC where I got mine, did the same for Denver and this came up.

Click to expand...

I went to one of their locations today to pick up an open head reconditioned unlined drum to start my UDS build. Well, it's about a 30 minute drive away so I bring it home, open her up and sure enough there is an orangish/redish liner. Although it didn't seem to be as bad as those bright red liners I've seen online so I figured I could burn it out and save the hassle of going back.

So burned it for about 2.5 hours, lots of soot and the outside paint is gone. When I go and knock off the soot on the inside the liner still seems to be there, sort of ashy off white/orange tinge. I'm going to try to ajax/comet scrub this off (read elsewhere that it works) and re-burn. If that doesn't work then I'll go pick up a HF angle grinder and go at it, re-burn, etc. It's a bit too late for me to turn back now.

Just wanted to mention that if anybody intended to get one from this place, make sure to take a wrench and open it up before taking it home. Which I should have done.

Anyways I'm still super excited to get this build done so I can smoke some meat during the summer as I've been drooling over the other pic thread here. :cross:

Try spraying it really well with easy off oven cleaner, close it up and let it sit in direct sunlight all day. I have heard that works well.

Picked up 4'x8' of 1/2" Flat 16 ga expanded metal. The 16 ga seems a bit thin, but hopefully holds up fine. $32.
Jeff

That's not a bad price. Luckily my buddy had the expanded metal and built the charcoal baskets. He used 1/4 inch and I think they will outlast many barrels.

i've been taking a torch to the orange liner that came in mine. slow and steady wins the race right?

I am so happy I have never had to deal with a liner. I think I would have just ended up sandblasting them to just get it done with.

I chatted some folks up to get the $32 price. Do you guys use the zinc locknut on the inside of the 3/4" close nipple? I've got a different way, but it is more of a PIA. I'm not too worried about that much zinc. But them again I wasn't too worried about the liner and should have been.
Jeff

Yesterday I took the angle grinder to the drum for about 3 hours. Satisfied with seeing the shiny metal interior I re-burned it all day yesterday till this morning. Then i washed out all the ash/soot and hosed the outside. My fittings were shipped yesterday from Mcmaster Carr yesterday so I'm almost there. All I need to do is source some expanded metal for the charcoal basket (possibly get it welded) and a weber lid since the lid that came with the barrel is kind of warped and doesn't seal the top.

RDWHAHB:
I'd be worried to use zinc on the inside. I bought 3/4th black steel locknuts and nipples. I picked up stainless for all the other fittings.

juvinious said:

Yesterday I took the angle grinder to the drum for about 3 hours. Satisfied with seeing the shiny metal interior I re-burned it all day yesterday till this morning. Then i washed out all the ash/soot and hosed the outside. My fittings were shipped yesterday from Mcmaster Carr yesterday so I'm almost there. All I need to do is source some expanded metal for the charcoal basket (possibly get it welded) and a weber lid since the lid that came with the barrel is kind of warped and doesn't seal the top.

RDWHAHB:
I'd be worried to use zinc on the inside. I bought 3/4th black steel locknuts and nipples. I picked up stainless for all the other fittings.

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I wouldn't worry about fittings at the bottom. I can always put my hand on the bottom of the drum...heat rises...it would take some serious heat to release toxins. plus after a few smokes the inside is coated with a wonderful seasoning of black smoky goodness that covers the galvanized.

Well, you got a point, but I didn't want to take any chances.

lschiavo- Probably right. The brass ball valves have a plastic (telfon?) seals. If they are OK, the zinc ought to be OK.

I used black steel couplings on the inside. Where did you find black steel locknuts? What are they used for?

Hopefully tomorrow I have time to finish it. I have some goodies on it and I can't wait to put pictures up. I am building 1 drum out. I was going to do 2 at the same time, but I figure I'll learn some lessons on this one.

I have some wings on mine now. I'm reading 250 at the grate and I can hold my hand on the bottom of the drum.

RDWHAHB said:

lschiavo- Probably right. The brass ball valves have a plastic (telfon?) seals. If they are OK, the zinc ought to be OK.

I used black steel couplings on the inside. Where did you find black steel locknuts? What are they used for?

Hopefully tomorrow I have time to finish it. I have some goodies on it and I can't wait to put pictures up. I am building 1 drum out. I was going to do 2 at the same time, but I figure I'll learn some lessons on this one.

Click to expand...

The locknuts pretty much do the same thing you are using the coupler for but they are slim. They look like this:


I finished up today with a nice thick coating of lard on the inside of my barrel. Can't wait to break her in.

By the way what are you guys doing for your fire basket? I can't seem to source expanded metal in any home depots (went to 5 of them). There is a steel supplier by here but they only supply in bulk which I wouldn't even be able to transport a huge sheet, neither cut it for that matter.

Too hot to work on it today, so I'll take pics instead. I used the wheels and axel from a weber kettle. New supports from conduit. With all the UDSs out there, I am sure somebody has done that; but I haven't seen it.

I've got 2 lids to try out. One drum lid & a weber kettle lid. I will build some wood tops to the shelves later. Still need to make a basket, drill rack supports, and burn season. It's got cutting fluid flung all over right now. With as much fun as I have bending conduit I really should have been an electrician!

-Jeff

How much smoke/fumes should I expect on the first burn? I assume the outer paint gets some off.

juvinious said:

The locknuts pretty much do the same thing you are using the coupler for but they are slim. They look like this:

I finished up today with a nice thick coating of lard on the inside of my barrel. Can't wait to break her in.

By the way what are you guys doing for your fire basket? I can't seem to source expanded metal in any home depots (went to 5 of them). There is a steel supplier by here but they only supply in bulk which I wouldn't even be able to transport a huge sheet, neither cut it for that matter.

Click to expand...

PM me if you still have trouble finding some.

I ordered mine through mcmaster carr, but if I do another one I'll hit you up on it.

Greased it up like a $2 hooker; now I'm giving it a seasoning burn.

My UDS was unlined, but if these liners are so resilient that they handle fires inside the smoker, you really shouldn't have to worry about them at the 225 temp range. Thats all I run mine at, it still has the original blue paint on it from when I repurposed it.

Mine used to have methanol in it.

Thanks for y'alls help. I think it looks good and the meat was great. I did a 6 lb bone-in butt. Tasted awesome. Good smoke ring. Can't wait to smoke agian. Probably drove the neighbors crazy!