Just Bought A 22.5 WSM !!!!!!!!!!

[pa pitmaster]

Well i finally got rid of my fuel hog, maintenance intensive offset, and pulled the trigger on a 22.5 WSM. I'm a big fan of Weber products (especially the kettle) and I'm so pumped to get this cooker!!. I've read nothing but great reviews on here, and because its a Weber I know it's worth it.

Anyways, does anyone have any suggestions for some "must do" mods out of the box? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[jirodriguez]

Congrats! You will almost feal like you are cheating when you compare how much easier to use the WSM is compared to a cheap offset.. lol.

I suggest you use it "as-is" right out of the box for at least 6 or 8 smokes before deciding to mess with any mods. It really does work great just as it sits, and it's a good idea to get a baseline before changing stuff.

If you look at the bottom of my signature there is a mod for making your own eyelets for getting your BBQ probes in, for under $5.

 

[pa pitmaster]

Sweet! Thanks for the tip. That's one mod I think I'm definitely going to do. Other than that, I'll take your advice and leave as is.

 

[pa pitmaster]

One quick question. Do you typically wrap your water pan in foil to keep it clean? or do you only wrap it in foil when you don't put water in it?

 

[hambone1950]

Hello PA pit

Just from my limited experience it is a good idea...ESP with dry pan as the juices drip into the pan and get kind of crusty....hard to clean. And the outside bottom can get pretty charred too.....it just makes cleanup a lot easier.
Have a good one

 

[hambone1950]

Sorry , I should've said go on you tube and see the method for foiling the pan with water in it as if you overlap the edges water can wick up the sides and drip in your charcoal making a cloud of ash

 

[jirodriguez]

Yup... foiling the pan makes clean up sooo much easier! Pull two 3'ish ft. lengths of foil, lay one on top of the other, and fold the long edges over 1/4", repeat the 1/4" fold five or six times creating a seam. Then open the foil (like a book) and you now have a giant piece of foil that will cover the entire pan. I suggest you start by pressing the foil gently down into the middle of the pan and working your way out to the edges slowly to prevent it from ripping.

 

[bama bbq]

I used to foil the pan but now I just spray some pam and wipe it out.  I do foil the bottom so it doesn't char. If I use liquid in the pan, I poor it into my ash can and wipe it out.  The ashes absord the liquid.  It takes 3 paper towels and 3 minutes.

Some install the grommets but I cut a slot in the mid section so I can remove the lid, remove the grate, and replace the lid in seconds without removing probe from the meat or grate.    Once I wrap my ribs, butt, or brisket, and place it back on the grill, I can open the lid,  replace the grill, simply sweep the cables into the slot, and reinstall the lid with probes already installed.  It's faster than threading thru a grommet and removing and installing probes with the lid off the fire.  That way I don't get runaway fire.

I also installed some garage door handles on the mid section so I can remove it (aka "hot squat") at the end of a cook to crisp chicken skin.

 

[brdprey]

try this for some begining tips

http://virtualweberbullet.com/