Mini WSM Question

[schwonkhead]

My sister was nice enough to get me a Smokey Joe for my birthday, and seeing as how I love my WSM 22, of course I have to get started making a mini.

I have searched the forums a few times for this and haven’t found anything so my question is, has anyone tried using a Granite Ware pot for the cook chamber? Since they are enamelled I thought maybe it would be similar to the cook chamber on the WSM, but they are pretty thin so I could be wrong.

 

[goldwingnut54]

Just built another one for my daughter for Christmas and I used the same 32qt aluminum Tamale Steamer I always buy. (And curse....)

I wish I could find some that fit perfect. If yours fits, by all means, USE IT!

 

[mdboatbum]

Only issue I could see would be cutting it without cracking all the enamel off the whole bottom.

If you can find one that fits and can manage to cut out the bottom, I'd think it would work very well.

All that being said, I fear you may be searching for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. The beauty of the mini lies in its simplicity and low cost. The Imusa pot has worked very well for many, myself included, for quite a few years. There are small tinkers which help in certain situations, but overall it's about as simple and reliable as a rock. The only issue I've had is with cold wind, which has been pretty easy to overcome with vent adjustments. I suppose the enamel would be slightly less susceptible, but even full size WSMs are affected by cold wind.

I sprang for the BBQ Guru PartyQ, which wasn't really necessary, but it's fun and brings the mini to oven levels of consistency.

If you have, or can find a good deal on an enamel coated pot that'll fit, I say go for it. But if the cost is more than $50 or $60, I personally would just go with the Imusa.

 

[Rings Я Us]

Those cheap canning kettles will chip and crack away . They don't take to abuse.
The lid doesn't fit on right for you? You can crimp those pot rims with pliers.

 

[schwonkhead]

Thank you all for the replies.

I haven’t purchased any of the components yet, just trying to get an idea. The IMUSA pot is currently in my amazon cart for $21 and some change, so I will probably just get that. I tend to over think things, and I beleive that is the case here. Maybe later I will try some experimenting with different ideas.