Two Cookers in Two Weeks

[johnnc]

Hey All,

I have been lurking for a month or so and just wanted to say thanks for all the great information on this site.

I am a complete noob to slow cooking and smoking. I felt it was time to retire the propane and slow down a bit and enjoy the process. I was going to buy a cheap offset smoker but found this site during my cooker research. Since I was so new to everything I didn't want to spend a bunch of money so I was going to go with a UDS. But then I found the WBS threads and knew I was on to something.

I happen to have a dozen wine barrels at the house so I went to work and threw one together after soaking the barrel for a full week. It had been sitting outside for a few years and was very dry. I also put together a coal bucket from some pretty thick expanded but it came out alright.







I got two fairly successful cooks on the WBS but the barrel was so dry I was having a hard time controlling the fire. After the second cook, the gaps between the staves was more than 3/8". I got desperate and threw the thing in the pool but it was not to be. I couldn't get the barrel to fully seal again. I was able to cook 3 tri tips and numerous sausage and I ruined a small pork shoulder.

The family loved the smoked food so much they wouldn't let me give up so I immediately went on the hunt for a 55 gal drum. I found one locally and went to work on building a UDS. I burned out the liner but I sprayed the inside and outside with high temp BBQ paint. I did one cook on the UDS but didn't feel great about the inside paint job so I had the inside of the barrel sandblasted.





I have since removed the thermometer in the lid and put a 3/4" nipple and cap on the small hole and installed a true smoker thermometer in the side under the bottom rack.

The UDS has two cooks on it. 2 beer butt chickens, many sausages, 4 tri tips and 1 almost alright pork shoulder. It didn't fall off the bone and was a little dry but the flavor was incredible. I can't seem to get the pork right. At 160 internal temp it starts to get very dry even though I spray it every 30 minutes or so. I would sure appreciate any tips on the pork.

I have been using only 4-5 lbs of lump per cook and I am able to maintain 225-250 for more than 7 hours, plenty long for the cooks I am doing now.

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to communicate my appreciation for all the information I got from the site.

thanks for reading,

John

[Wreckless]

Fine job on both but I love the barrel. Fix it, make it work. Welcome to the Ring.
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[Maniac]

+1 get that barrel swelled up.....2 in one week....must be drinking redbull
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RF Smoker
20" disc
uds

[johnnc]

I loved the WBS but I just can't figure out a way to soak it without running the hose all day. Water is expensive here, I am on city water.

[Maniac]

johnnc my friend put towels around inside and out and just kept the towels wet....also can you tap your steel bands tighter with an oak block that sometimes helps...
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RF Smoker
20" disc
uds

[johnnc]

Maniac - I did bang the heck out of the bands before I put all the screws in. I will give the towel idea a shot but I did toss it in the pool for a week. Not a brilliant idea with chlorine and all, plus I totally screwed up the chemical balance, but it still didn't swell the wood enough. I do love the barrel though so I will work on it this weekend.

[polishdon]

[johnnc]

Polishdon, yes, I am using a bone in shoulder and I cooked it to 175 iirc. I put a fork in it and it seemed very dry so I pulled it. I will let it go to 190 next time. Also, I understand it is difficult to get a smaller shoulder to come out. The ones my wife has been buying are only 3.5 lbs. I am going to try one twice the size next time.

should I wrap it in foil or put it in a foil tray at anytime during the cook or just leave it directly on the grill?

thanks for the help.

[bud-wie-ser]

At 160° you are just starting to render the fat and connective tissues. The pork will still be tough and may seem dry. Just be patient and let it go until your temp probe will slide in like a hot knife in butter (should be right around 200°)
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Bud
Sugaz and Spice BBQ
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Custom Drum Smoker
UDS
KCBS Certified BBQ Judge

[Blazer]

As far as the wood barrel, how about putting a humidifier in it with the lid closed for a couple days? Just a thought.

[SoEzzy]

Please read PMPNLT650pxOTLS!

OTLS On The Longest Side... please!
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JM2C, BWTFDIK, YMMV, MDN!

I work here!

[johnnc]

My apologies Ezzy, I actually resized the images but PB must have cached them as it took quite a while for the smaller images to appear. It's all good now.

[SoEzzy]

Thanks for your understanding!
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JM2C, BWTFDIK, YMMV, MDN!

I work here!

[1buckie]

You might give these folks a call or e-mail & see what they suggest on your barrel.......

http://www.recoopbarrels.com/index.html
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Have Fun Playin' with Yer Food !!!
"Dam Silly Sumbitch"-- Myron Mixon
"I will prevail. No pig will ever get the better of me." ~~> Italian Skewer
It's gonna say on my tombstone: Died of thick, heavy sauces ~~~~>K
" The Creepy Guy Down the Street With All The Webers"

[johnnc]

[johnnc]

[johnnc]

[Wreckless]

I don't know Jack, or Jill for that matter, about wood. We don't get along well. However, I may be in the same boat someday. I really like the barrel cooker. So....what about wood filler to seal it up? Is that blasphemy? Too much movement / swell and shrink to work?
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[johnnc]

[Kronk]

I dig the WBS too. My thoughts are that you can swell the barrel now and the gaps may nearly close. But it will absolutely dry out and shrink again. And sooner than later because you're cooking in it. I would maybe cut some long wedges of wood and pound them between the gapped barrel staves for a more permanent fix.[/list]
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Big Indian BBQ
"Load it & Smoke it"