The Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) Vertical Water Cooker is a heavy smoker. Its low cost and quality features make it a favorite among the backyard barbecue smoking crowd. Features include a ceramic-coated steel body and nickel-plated grilles. It has two cooking levels that allow you to have two barbecue dishes cooking at the same time.

The WSM is unique in that it comes with a ceramic / metal tray to hold water that provides moisture to the food while it cooks. It will retain a carbon charge that lasts a solid twelve hours with proper ventilation. I use my WSM for pork butts and breasts all the time because it is convenient and easy to use. Outperforms my largest offset smoker for smaller “Q” smoked meat projects.

Weber has just released a new model (22 inches) that is larger than the current model (18 inches). This makes the WSM very similar in cooking surface to the average Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS).

I have friends who are crazy about their UDS kitchens. Most UDS ranges start life as a 55 gallon drum that has been cleaned and burned on the inside to remove any contaminants. Holes for airflow and grids for food are added to make it functional. A charcoal box is also added to be the heat source. Like the WSM, cooking in a UDS is done directly over the coals.

The UDS cooking surface is also larger than the traditional WSM. A UDS, as a rule, does not include a saucepan or bowl for the water.

A UDS is the really “low cost” alternative to cooking real smoked barbecue because most projects start with finding a disposable 55 gallon drum. You just have to factor in the time you spend doing it (which can be substantial) for a true cost comparison. There are several resources on the web to describe how to do a UDS.

For those who don’t have the time (or the inclination) to make their own UDS, they exist on the market ready-made. The cost is still relatively low and comparable to the WSM.

The unique thing about the UDS is that the drops of cooking fall directly on the embers. This produces a distinctive meat flavor that many hobbyists attest to be the closest thing to early barbecue cooking.

Now to the question of which cooks the barbecue better … If you like the flavor of the meat dripping on the coals, then the UDS wins, however, you can achieve the same effect in the WSM by removing the pan of water.

If you don’t like the taste of grease from the coals, but like the simplicity and cost of the UDS, simply add a skillet and rack under the top rack of the UDS to catch the grease before they reach the coals. .

Both are super inexpensive alternatives for cooking a great smoked barbecue. It is just a personal preference.