Why the WSM should have handles on the lower cooking grate


 
Gary S

Gary S

TVWBB Guru
This weekend I decided to make BBQ Beef Ribs. I prepared the ribs with the idea of putting them on about 2pm. We finished up the last of the pulled pork and my wife remarked how much she enjoyed it and wondered when I would make it again. Our butcher works Saturdays so I called him and then went down to pick up a 12 lb. butt. Might was well continue the cook, the smoker was already working and with an all-nighter it would not interfere much with the next day.
I prepped the butt while the ribs were cooking. As things would have it the ribs were a little late going on and so to keep the butt on schedule I started it on the lower rack. Sometime around 9pm. the ribs were done and I took them off to rest. At this point I was planning on changing my entire cook. The butt only went on at 8pm. I had used my Brinkman water pan, following the Weber Bullet guide for beef ribs and was intending on replacing the pan with a clay saucer to use with the butt and of course moving the butt to the top rack.
I wore insulated mitts and reached down to find there was no way I could get a hold of the second grate. I went to the garage to get two pair of vice grips. I clamped on to the grate and began to lift it out with the Butt in place. As it was almost out of the smoker the butt slid tipping the grate and fell into right into the boiling water. Luckily the Brinkman pan stayed put but the boiling water splashed up on to my shirt and scalded my stomach.
My butt went for a swim however I was able to recover the butt, pull the water pan, refuel and carry on. This whole incident would not have happened had handles been installed on the lower grate.
My point is this, I have read on this forum where others have put forward the suggestion of handles on the outsides of the mid-section of the WSM and Weber apparently says there are no plans to do so. The speculation or perhaps it’s been suggested, I’m really not sure, this may be for liability reasons. It might be reasonable to assume a manufacturer would not want people picking these things up separating the components when they are in operation. In my circumstance this is exactly the opposite. Weber offers two levels of cooking and they include the water pan so there should be a safer way to remove the lower grate without fear of dropping hot food into boiling water.
What happened to me could happen to others.
 
Glad you are relatively OK after that.

I've never tried lifting a bottom grate all the way out during cooking opperation. I definitely woud be tempted to do that if there were built in handles on it. Good idea or bad? I am not sure.

In your scenario I simply would have grabbed the pork itself (using my hot service gloves most likely, or utensils built for the purpose less likely). I have NEVER thought it a good idea to lift a grate with heavy food on it with something like two pairs of vice grip pliers: There is a reason the grates are held in place by 4 supports not two..
 
Funny you mention "removing it when in operation". It's a PITA just inserting it when first starting to cook and then it's hard to get your fingers out from between the rack/sides of the WSM to put the rack in place.

Although the grate is (obviously) cold upon first insertion, it's hot in the unit itself. Have to wear gloves to protect your hands initially.

Temporary (but how stable?): form some kind of hooks to hold it (a re-shaped coat hanger for each hand to hold the rack/food on the way down ??).

Or a more permanent solution: use two U-brackets, some nuts and washers and make two handles.
 
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I added U bolts to my bottom racks because there's not another suitable way to get the rack out especially when it's hot with food. If you don't need the entire space of the bottom rack you can also add some soup cans as spacers and place a standard rack on top of the soup cans.
 
I just use a second top grate. It sits on the bolts instead of the bracket so it's little higher but easier to replace. Just need to tilt it a little to get it out. This works on both the 18.5 and the 22 inch WSM.
 
:wsm:.
Hydro312
[/URL][/IMGN]No sense worrying about spilled water. Handle mod complete
 
Kirk Hetzel said:
I just use a second top grate. It sits on the bolts instead of the bracket so it's little higher but easier to replace. Just need to tilt it a little to get it out. This works on both the 18.5 and the 22 inch WSM.
Click to expand...

Kirk, the "tilt it a little" part is what becomes problmatic, especially if you are pulling out an 11 pound pork shoulder.
 
Thanks Gerd. No I bent it, I have a vice and a hobby welder It's only 3/16" plated round bar. The bends are at 2" and 3" and the angles are by eye. I wanted it to look right even though nobody really sees it.

The funny part is I could have and would have done this before, had I thought about it. I've only used the bottom grate once or twice and both bottom and top cooks ended pretty much with the meat done at the same time well except for a brisket point. The problem I had with the pork butt was I did not want to disturb it as the bark was starting to set up and of course with the 18.5 there's not as much room to get lifters in there like the 22.5 I have a big fork too but again I did not want to spear it. Using vice grips for a multitude of applications I did not think I would have an issue but then again that is how some accidents happen. Nobody thinks they will.
 
Gerd H said:
Kirk, the "tilt it a little" part is what becomes problmatic, especially if you are pulling out an 11 pound pork shoulder.
Click to expand...

I rarely take the food out using the grate. Insulated gloves or tongs and right to a foil pan. The reason I use it this way is because I can get new grates from HD and don't have to order a new one from weber. I'm lazy and don't put too much effort into grate care when I can get a new one pretty cheap.
 
Kirk Hetzel said:
I rarely take the food out using the grate. Insulated gloves or tongs and right to a foil pan. The reason I use it this way is because I can get new grates from HD and don't have to order a new one from weber. I'm lazy and don't put too much effort into grate care when I can get a new one pretty cheap.
Click to expand...

I do the same thing using two top grates, easy to lift in and out. And If I need to get food off of the lower rack, I will take the food out and leave the rack.

I suspect that weber will not add side handles on the middle section for at least two reasons, will add to cost, and the lawyers have not allowed it. Having worked for corporations all my life, I know, especially over the last 10-15 years that auditors and lawyers are running the show behind the scenes.....................d
 
Len Dennis said:
Funny you mention "removing it when in operation". It's a PITA just inserting it when first starting to cook and then it's hard to get your fingers out from between the rack/sides of the WSM to put the rack in place.

Although the grate is (obviously) cold upon first insertion, it's hot in the unit itself. Have to wear gloves to protect your hands initially.

Temporary (but how stable?): form some kind of hooks to hold it (a re-shaped coat hanger for each hand to hold the rack/food on the way down ??).


Or a more permanent solution: use two U-brackets, some nuts and washers and make two handles.
Click to expand...

exactly right! there is every reason to have handles on the second rack ! and this week im making some on mine !
 
David said:
I do the same thing using two top grates, easy to lift in and out. And If I need to get food off of the lower rack, I will take the food out and leave the rack.

I suspect that weber will not add side handles on the middle section for at least two reasons, will add to cost, and the lawyers have not allowed it. Having worked for corporations all my life, I know, especially over the last 10-15 years that auditors and lawyers are running the show behind the scenes.....................d
Click to expand...
but the ironic thing is that the rack is more dangerous WITHOUT the handles !
 
Howdy All;

Question ... Why not use the rack with handles for the lower
and the one without handles for the upper, as you could handle it easier
up top...?

hank
 
Hank H said:
Howdy All;

Question ... Why not use the rack with handles for the lower
and the one without handles for the upper, as you could handle it easier
up top...?

hank
Click to expand...

the bottom grate is slightly smaller than the top grate, so it clears the tabs holding the top grate easier and you don't have to tilt it much, if at all. The top would barely fit at the bottom and you would still have that "tllt-a-grate" issue getting it past the top tabs. I think the adding of handles is the only practical solution, otherwise it's just too dangerous to move the bottom grate during a cook, as Gary ( and many others) have found out :(
 
Two stainless u bolts, 8 stainless washers, 8 stainless nuts. Works great. Handles aren't too big but big enough to grab and lift it out.
 
J Hoke said:
Two stainless u bolts, 8 stainless washers, 8 stainless nuts. Works great. Handles aren't too big but big enough to grab and lift it out.
Click to expand...

genius. that is exactly what im gonna do....i was looking at eyebolts , but i like this idea better...
 
Nice job Frank. They really should come with handles on the lower grate...they should not be made out of round and the doors should fit right from the beginning...but...they don't and we still love em.
 
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