The brotherhood of the UDS

[Flightstopper]

Official answer. Burn it till you think it's good/ looks 'clean', then burn it for another 24 of shiner.

[FlintRiverFowler]

Solid answers!

I wouldn't know, I used an old barrel that had been used for horse feed for 15 years or more. Didn't have anything to burn out.

[grizz18]

I burnt a pretty damn hot fire for about 2-3 hrs last night. I plan on doing it again tonight, then cleaning it out Wednesday night and see what it looks like inside. I will smoking 2 shoulders this weekend along with some steamed oysters.

[FlintRiverFowler]

I burnt a pretty damn hot fire for about 2-3 hrs last night. I plan on doing it again tonight, then cleaning it out Wednesday night and see what it looks like inside. I will smoking 2 shoulders this weekend along with some steamed oysters.

My advice abt BBQ in a UDS is hot and fast to keep a clean smoke. I'm talkin 275-325 degrees. Otherwise the food will taste like creosote. You can't have low and slow with the food in the same chamber as the fire or else you get dirty smoke. Hotter fire = clean smoke. Cooler fire = dirty smoke and nasty Q.
You want the smoke to be thin and have a blueish look to it.

[grizz18]

Pretty sure that anyhting that was in the barrel is dead. I had a super hot fire going for a couple hours, the damn barrel was glowing.

[Willie]

I burnt a pretty damn hot fire for about 2-3 hrs last night. I plan on doing it again tonight, then cleaning it out Wednesday night and see what it looks like inside. I will smoking 2 shoulders this weekend along with some steamed oysters.

My advice abt BBQ in a UDS is hot and fast to keep a clean smoke. I'm talkin 275-325 degrees. Otherwise the food will taste like creosote. You can't have low and slow with the food in the same chamber as the fire or else you get dirty smoke. Hotter fire = clean smoke. Cooler fire = dirty smoke and nasty Q.
You want the smoke to be thin and have a blueish look to it.

I agree with the hot and fast. Smokey flavor is nice, but dirty smoke is not. Plus I get bored as crap waiting for hours around a smoker.

[FlintRiverFowler]

^^^willie gets it. UDS was good to get started on but I'm hooked on the offset smokers now.