Several months ago I was planing to build a UDS and researching different ideas.While looking at charcoal basket designs I got an idea. on a UDS the air enters from the side then up through the coal basket. On the kettle it enters from below in the center and up through the coals. The intake air on both are controlled with a valve, the major difference is where the air enters. So If I where to make a coal basket like the one in the uds I should get similar results,only things would need reversed, because of how the air enters and the distance between the fire and the food.
so I cut a strip of expanded metal 4" X 48", I brought the ends together overlapping 2" and bolted them together with screws, washers, and nuts.


By placing the coals a mix of RO lump And Sams Choice and hickory chunks, around the O/S it allows for an indirect cook. to Start the fire I put 8 briquettes and 2 like sized pieces of lump in the chimney and lit it up.once it ashed over I put them at the end of the coal string at the end above the handle in the picture. I lit the fire at 8 Am with all vents w/o. by 8:15 it was over 200º I closed down the intake to <1/4 & >1/8 .By 8:30 it settled out at 250.


I had this 9# Butt to cook and I was going to put it on my off set,I hate to waste a good fire so...


8:45 Butt went on kettle at 245º 1:30 Pm first peek


Compare the position of the fire to the first pix. Looking good.


I checked the temp about every 2 hrs it stayed between 245-250. 8:15 pm Butt hit 203º I was at the end of the coals temp still at 248º. Heres the Butt ready to get foiled and take a nap in the Igloo.


I actually thought that this Butt was better than the ones that I cook on the offset. I didn't touch a thing all day,I love my Weber and you know I still haven't built that UDS.

That is a wicked cool cooking experiment. The technique is one that Chris Lilly describes in his Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book, and as far as the charcoal retaining ring, I wonder if the charcoal ring in the WSM would work?

This gives me renewed enthusiasm for something to do tomorrow afternoon!

This technique, coupled with my Kettle rotisserie lends itself to a world of possibilities!!!

Thanks for a great post.

Pat

this is similiar to the method i use to smoke on the kettle, i just use a drip pan in the center and put coals banked on either side of it for long indirect cooks... being careful how many hot coals i start with.

Craig,
I really wish to thank you for this post. This method is an old idea with a new spin(charcoal trail or charcoal maze verses "circle coal trail"). I have been using fire bricks with long cooks. Using MM, but always had to refuel when cooking Boston Butt.

I did add a few modifications to this circle coal trail. The secret is a lot of charcoal with a barrier between starting point & end, and don't open the lid. Thank you for your very helpful post. The barrier also help protect the thermometer gage probe lead wire. Another advantage I found is that you can tell how much fuel you have left with out opening the lid by feeling the side of the kettle. David

To me that's what the water pan in the WSM does. It is blocking the direct heat from the food in the middle and forcing it to go up the sides of the cooker and around the top. That's why you get a false temperature reading (a higher reading) if your thermometer is too close to the edge of the grate.