Big Drum Smoker Standard 2339-1

About.com Rating 2.5 Star Rating

User Rating 5 Star Rating (1 Review) write a review

By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide

Big Drum Smoker Standard 2338-1

Big Drum Smokers

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The Bottom Line

There always seems to be someone trying to make the better smoker. From computer controls to advanced materials, the "better BBQ" is just around the corner, right? Well Rocky Richmond has proven that simplicity is always the best bet. The Big Drum Smoker (or BDS) is a big steel drum with a fire in the bottom and food on top. This unit has a single 23.5 inch grate and will hold up to 4 large pork butts (there are other sized units). Grease and drippings from the food fall on the fire and give foods a more authentic flavor. Plugs in the bottom control the fire so there is no flare-ups, water pan, barrier, or drip pan.

Manufacturer's Site

Pros

Easy to use temperature control
Straightforward design without water pan or barrier
Combusted grease and drippings add flavor to foods

Cons

Top down access puts you right over the fire to get in

Description

One 23.5 inch diameter cooking grate, large enough to hold 4 large pork butts
Top and bottom air vents (plugs actually) for superior temperature control
No water pan or barrier needed
Burns charcoal and wood chucks
Works on convection and radiant heat for reduced cooking times
A large smoker with good cooking capacity at 75 pounds
Dripping grease from foods burns to produce a more authentic flavor
Made from 16 gauge cold rolled steel

Guide Review - Big Drum Smoker Standard 2339-1

Simplicity is the secret to the Big Drum Smoker (BDS) by Rocky Richmond. A large steel drum with a fire pan on the bottom and a cooking grate at the top. There is not drip pan, water pan or barrier in this unit. Flare-ups are controlled by limiting the airflow and the dripping grease imparts an authentic outdoor flavor to foods you just don't get in other smokers. The controlled fire burns at about a pound of charcoal per hour so you and fire this unit up without spending a lot on fuel. This particular model has a single 23.5 inch cooking grate large enough for four big pork butts so you can get a good amount of barbecue off this smoker without a lot of work. This really is what makes this unit stand out. Easy to operate but with a great authentic flavor and a consistent product.

This unit is not made from used drums. All BDS' are made with new 16 gauge steel. The construction is great. After all with something this straightforward it would be hard mess it up.

The BDS has swept the competition barbecue world with these units showing up and winning all over the country. At 75 pounds this unit is easy to transport and since it is mostly empty space inside you can store most your equipment in the smoker. Serious competition barbecue cooks are trading in their big rigs and turning to the BDS as the smoker of choice. And at under $400 you can pick up one of these units for your backyard cooking and have great barbecue without all the work and fuel of the big rigs.

All in all this is a great smoker that I believe will continue to revolutionize the way serious barbecue is cooked for several more years to come. Whether you want to compete of just turn out great backyard barbecue this is a great unit to look at.

Manufacturer's Site

User Reviews

5 out of 5

LOOOOOOVE MINE!!, Member Silatman

I'm a Q addict! I own three gas grills, one charcoal grill and two smokers and the unit I use the most is my BDS. The meat I get from it is superior to my other methods of cooking outdoors. I love smoked meat and I have one of those heavy duty smokers with the fire box on the side. While it produces nice flavor, the texture of the meat doesn't compare to the same meat cooked on the BDS. I guess it has to do with the fat dripping onto the coals and burning off and sending the smoke upward. But it truly works. I like that there is ample space between the meat and the burning coals so flare-ups are rarely an issue. Easy to control temperature with the holes in the bottom. Food also cooks faster on it than in my other smoker. I can good really nice ribs out it in just over two hours. Pork shoulders cook beautifully in 8-9 hours depending on weight of the meat. That's much faster than my other smoker. Negatives, sure there are some. For starters, to get the ashes out when you're done, you have to flip, turn over the drum and empty. That can get messy and don't like all those ashes lining the inside of the drum when that happens. I usually try and clean it up a little and when I light it up next time, I just the fire burn a little hot for a bit to burn it off. Second, the drum does rust. So it get to look pretty ratty after awhile. Still works great and cooks perfectly but 'new' guest raise an eye brow when they see me using it. Then they taste the meat and all reservations vanish. Yes, I have a cover for it but it will burn a long time. Often, still burning when I go to bed and living in South Florida, rain happens ALOT. They make 304 Stainless Steel version but its big money. I keep telling myself I'm going to repaint it with BBQ black hi temp paint but haven't. I have a German Grill Charcoal grill and it's gorgeous and grills nicely but knowing what I know now. I wish I would have used that money for another BDS. I LOOOOOOVE MY BDS!

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