Gold or Silver WSJ for this project?


 
Vents. On the bottom of the Silver (my preference) vs the sides of the Gold. The Gold is the better BBQ because of its portability, and you pay $5 more for that
 
William Ham said:
What is the big different between using a WSJ gold or sliver?
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The other biggest difference is when using it as a Mini WSM. With the silver you must create an extra "block/vent" to cover up your hole so ash doesnt block air flow to the smoker. On the gold you do not have to do this, also you cannot use temperature control systems with the silver from my understanding because most require the use of fans. Fans cannot sit under the smoker, so the SMG is the better choice if you want full customizability.
 
I have both the silver and the gold. I prefer the silver as a grill and for the mini. The only thing good about the gold is the locking lid for portability. Other than that the silver is superior in all other aspects.
 
George L said:
I have both the silver and the gold. I prefer the silver as a grill and for the mini. The only thing good about the gold is the locking lid for portability. Other than that the silver is superior in all other aspects.
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Define how your silver is superior in all aspects? Its the same grill, the only difference is where the vents are located. They use the same lid, same base, same internal items like grate and heat shield, your only difference is the vent holes. So to quote you "your grill cannot be superior in all aspects". Performance wise, structure wise, and overall its still a Weber product which are superior, but not one is better than the other when it comes to superior in the aspects you are speaking about because its the same products and manufacturing being used. No offense that's like saying my Mazda is better than your Mazda in all aspects because you ran out of AC freon lol.
 
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As a grill the silver can grill at much higher temps. This is common knowledge. People mod their sj golds to achieve higher grilling temps. If the gold had vent holes slightly below the charcoal grate it would be a whole lot different.
But, for mini wsm use the silver can hold a lot more coals as a coal basket is not needed. With the gold you need to keep the vent holes clear of coals which means confining them in a coal basket. That alone, is a huge plus using the sj silver. The only mod required with the silver is the use of an ash shield.
 
Now, on the other hand, if the OP wants to use an ATC with his mini the gold might be a better choice. But you still need a coal basket, regardless.
 
I have the SJG and love it. Easily reach temps around 400* which is plenty hot enough for my needs. And as for a charcoal basket, I see no need. I've never used one and regularly get 10+ hours on a full load of charcoal. As George noted, I just make sure there isn't any coal covering the vents, and you're in business! For my needs, the gold just made better sense.
Good luck,
Tim
 
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