So I made a Mini WSM

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

after a burn I'll shake out the ash and stack up the partial burnt coals and wood  going most burnt to least burnt, add new charcoal next to that plus more new wood chunks/branches and light the partial....I'll let the basket burn across the basket from one side of vents towards the other.  Even though you have a SJS you can still burn from one side to the other.

The benefits are no wasted fuel, more consistent heat/smoke, and i get TBS right away without having to wait for the heat up.   

Like Case said for long cooks i start with mostly new charcoal...I just have a small pile on the edge and the rest is new.



I do use a torch most of the time but just light the partial burnt right at the basket edge.     
 
Last edited:
 
Keith is referring to the side lite torch method. Which involves just that, lighting  the mini through one of the side vents. So for your silver you would need to add side vents, or pull the pot and light one side of the basket. This method is the best way to do it and it doesn't take long at all to get up to temps. A normal cook for me follows this procedure.

I see in this picture that you have the Smokey Joe silver.  What did you use to cut the 1" holes in the side of the silver?  A hole saw?  What kind?  I am not brave enough to just try to cut a hole in mine with the hole saw I have.  It worked on cutting holes in the stainless steel dog bowl I use as an ash blocker in the bottom of the grill, but not sure on the porcelain coated grill...
 
Yep step bit, pretty cheap purchase at harbor freight! Drill it a bit undersized and you can thread the black pipe nipple in without needing any nuts to hold it in.
 
So I made another mini WSM (or BBQ Pro Smokey Mountain)...

I ended up coming across a brand new charcoal grill on Craigslist for $10, so I couldn't resist.  I just sold my Brinkmann two-door vertical charcoal smoker so I decided to make another mini.  Why not?  The grill brand is BBQ Pro and its sold at Sears.  It's lid is more domed and definitely will provide more clearance for larger cuts of meat on the top rack.  Here is the picture of the grill from Sears.com.


I went and bought another one of the tamale pots I mentioned in my first post, and this grill fit it PERFECT.  No crimping, no nothing.  Just a nice snug fit.  I didn't like the red colored lid, so I just painted it black with semi-gloss grill paint. The grill grates that come with the grill are definitely cheaper quality than the Smokey Joe, so I just bought a couple Smokey Joe cooking grates on clearance for $6 each at Home Depot.  The cooking grate that comes with the grill doesn't go down in the pot very well, so I may come up with a way to have it sit on the top of the pot rim as a third cooking level, especially since the lid is so domed.  I will use the charcoal grate that came with the grill and I just made a basket out of expanded steel that I had left over from my first build.  I cut out the tamale pot lid and bolted it to the bottom of the pot and it fits in the base of the grill just as well as the lid. I already had the 3" Tel Tru thermometer, so I just bought the stainless steel washer and nut kit that is sold by Tel Tru to ensure that the larger and heavier thermometer was secure did not make the aluminum tamale pot sag.  Here is the new mini.


The BBQ Pro grill came with clamps to secure the grill lid to the grill base (for transport) so I just bent them over a little further so I can lift the pot with its handles and the grill base stays attached.  All I have to do is lift the clamp latch and they come loose easily in order to reach the coals.  Additionally, the grill did not come with a bottom damper, which was a bonus because I had already purchased a step bit from Harbor Freight to cut holes in the side of Smokey Joe, so I decided to experiment on this one.  Below is a pic of the dampers I made with the left over aluminum that I had left over when I cut out the pot base and pot lid.  There is a 1" hole on either side of the grill base.  I was able to make them curved so they fit snug against the grill and they hopefully work well.

 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky