I just got my 18.5" WSM today. It has the DE stamp on the top vent, but I haven't checked the bottom vents yet. Is the water bowl supposed to be bigger in this model, or should I just count on getting a brinkman?

Thanks!

Congrats on your new WSM Scott The H2O pan is a lot bigger on your new model

All this info makes me wanna order one. But for now I'll just have to settle for the 18" Im currently using. The wife would put me in the smoker If I ordered one right now.

it'll be interesting to hear how the higher vents will impact any of the fan driven automatic temprature control systems???

anyone used a newone with a BBQ Guru , CyberQ or Stoker ??

I've cooked on the 22" many times. I finally bought one last week from Amazon with date code AD. It was the first time I've assembled a 22" and it comes in a monster box.

Does anyone know what the dimensions are supposed to be for the 3 grates on the 22 WSM? My top grate has to be placed with care or it will not be on all 4 brackets.

Paul

Paul.
Here's the detailed specs on the big boy.

Tim

Thanks Tim. I'll check mine and see if any of them are smaller than they need to be.

Paul

I've had a couple less than desirable Guru assisted cooks with the "DE" 22" WSM. I think raising the vents is a great idea. Even when I'm using a 14" diameter charcoal ring, the ash produced reaches the bottom of the lower vent holes.
I may just flip this one and go for the "AD".

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chris Allingham,

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Moriarty:
I've had a couple less than desirable Guru assisted cooks with the "DE" 22" WSM. I think raising the vents is a great idea. Even when I'm using a 14" diameter charcoal ring, the ash produced reaches the bottom of the lower vent holes.
I may just flip this one and go for the "AD".

Flip it this way...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chris Allingham,

I just received my new WSM 22" from Amazon today. First, Why did Weber change the door cutout from a nice huge square to an archway type cut? *** WEBER! Now i cannot get my aluminum trays on my second rack out without taking the top grate out and picking up the tray with beans. On my 2009 model all I do is open front door and slide in the tray. Is this an issue for anyone else? I hope i can call Weber and order last years center piece. Thanks in advance

Carl
SweetBeaver BBQ

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chris Allingham,

That's weird - can you post a picture?

SO WAIT A MINUTE!?! Someone foudn my old notebook from when i worked there and actually put some of the things i had in there into the product? Goodness... it's about time!

Mike

What's the rationale for this change, Mike?

Regards,
Chris

I will post some pictures this afternoon. This is a horriable change. Mike you are admitting to this change? The door way has less width than before which doesnt make it functional. Thank you again Chris Again, I had my first competition this weekend and the results were incredible. I got a call for Reserve Champion, 1st place ribs and 3rd in Beans! Chris, when I received my call for Reserve Champion I thanked God, then you. My wife asked me "who is Chris" LOL Thank you for your over 10yrs of commiting your time to have a great forum.

Carl

I haven't been there in over a year. But i had lots of notes and concerns with the vent tabs hitting, about the lower grate not sitting correctly and consistently. it seems like some of those problems were addressed.

as for the strange door opening, i will just say there has always been a belief that the door was only for tending charcoal and adding water. its a shame you can't access the trays..

as for vents, they were always stamped out by the thousands and assembeled to the bowls and lids as needed. So technically you can say the date on the vent is the date the vent was made, not necessarily the bowl -or even when the whole thing was boxed up and delivered!

the customer support has always been good, but i would think that they would be unaware of any slight modification such as a vent position.

I don't have a 22. Am i to understand that the vents are now above the charcoal grate? Interesting. I would think that it's best to have a vent (air in) below the fire and then the vent (exhaust) above the fire -just like a fireplace. the vent on fireplace doors is low right along the hearth and the flue is directly above. Cold air blows across the top of a chimmey, it draws across the top (venturi effect) and cold air comes up from the bottom.

Well.. the proof is in the pudding.

A lot of what we discuss here is all very interesting and we all like experiments and recording results. But i had a conversation with Billy Zoom of the punk band X one time. We were referring to a forum discussion and he said "I've tried a lot of thos things [guitar adjustments] but the best thing you can do is practice".

Be well.
Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Rob W:
But for now I'll just have to settle for the 18" Im currently using. The wife would put me in the smoker If I ordered one right now.

Well, that answers my question of which one to get. If your wife can fit you in the 18" model, then it should have plenty of capacity for anything I would want to do with it.

quote:

Just out of curiosity. Why are the lower vents above the charcoal grate? I would think that air would be drawn up the sides of the body instead of being drawn in and under the charcoal grate. Seems odd to me...or am I just over engineering?

quote:

Am i to understand that the vents are now above the charcoal grate? Interesting. I would think that it's best to have a vent (air in) below the fire and then the vent (exhaust) above the fire -just like a fireplace. the vent on fireplace doors is low right along the hearth and the flue is directly above. Cold air blows across the top of a chimmey, it draws across the top (venturi effect) and cold air comes up from the bottom.

The charcoal is held from the sides of the cooker by the charcoal ring, leaving a space between the cooker wall and ring. The burning coals create an updraft, pulling air from beneath, and subsequently, anywhere it can get it; through the vents. Also, the outside air is going to be cooler than the air inside the cooker, and will tend to enter the vents and descend in the space between the cooker wall and the charcoal ring.

That's my guess.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: John Henderson,