John Fenech
New member
Let me start by explaining that I live in the UK. This is a problem for one reason above all else. It is impossible to buy a stockpot that is the right size for a mini WSM build. You can buy a stainless steel one for £200 but once you add all the other bits, for that money you may as well buy the WSM! And of course you can buy one from the US and have it shipped over, but that costs about £200! You can jump in a taxi around London looking in all of the cook shop that don't have websites, but guess what? That cost about £200!
Fear not though UK barbecuers. I have found a way and I am here to share what I have learnt. I started off by buying a stockpot on eBay from Italy. It was advertised as being 35 cm diameter. It was not 35 cm diameter! But the very good customer service people send a courier out to collect it and gave me my money back.
Then I found this one (http://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/vogue-aluminium-stockpot) which was listed as being 37cm. Seeing is 35cm was too small I thought maybe 37cm would be just right. I opened it with anxious anticipation and as I sat it onto the base of my Smokey Joe my heart sunk but only a tiny bit. It was a tiny bit too big but because of the curved bottom it kind of worked. The top was more of a frustration. The lead was the exact same diameter as the top of the pot. The lid sat on the pot rim but not over it. It was at this point that I had a revelation: metal fabricators!
I found a charming company 15 minutes away from where I live (http://www.goodlandengineering.co.uk). And take it as a sign of satisfaction that I opted for recommending them over claiming to have done all the fabrication myself! (Who am I kidding? I can't even use a soldering iron!) I won't bore you with details of what they did to make it work, instead you can just look at the pictures.
I wanted holes in the bottom instead of a cutout and boy did that take some time! The bottom of this pan is damn thick! But three hours later we had the holes cut and I was ready to get spraying. The reliable British weather on the other hand was not ready for spraying. So I waited and waited and waited. Until today! A short break in the rain had me running outside to paint the chamber so that I can get laughed mount those dam good looking temperature gauges.
The instructions on the spray can said I should fire up the barbecue to cure the paint. I didn't wanna waste any coal so in between coats I ran to the shops and bought some mincemeat and extras to make my burgers. Half an hour later the coals were ready and the temperature looked good so the burgers went on.
I won't feel it turned out perfect but for a first attempt in high wind, cold temperature, no experience and rainclouds heading in, they were definite some of the nicest burgers I've ever tasted! So, my mini is assembled and christened in time for our week away in the New Forest. Guess what I'll be doing all week?!
In case you were wondering, the fabrication came in at about £70, the hole cutting tools £35, the extra grill £15, extra bits and bobs £35. Oh and the pot was about £45. At least it didn't come in at £200. Oh ****!
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
[/url]Untitled by fenechy, on Flickr[/IMG]
Fear not though UK barbecuers. I have found a way and I am here to share what I have learnt. I started off by buying a stockpot on eBay from Italy. It was advertised as being 35 cm diameter. It was not 35 cm diameter! But the very good customer service people send a courier out to collect it and gave me my money back.
Then I found this one (http://www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk/vogue-aluminium-stockpot) which was listed as being 37cm. Seeing is 35cm was too small I thought maybe 37cm would be just right. I opened it with anxious anticipation and as I sat it onto the base of my Smokey Joe my heart sunk but only a tiny bit. It was a tiny bit too big but because of the curved bottom it kind of worked. The top was more of a frustration. The lead was the exact same diameter as the top of the pot. The lid sat on the pot rim but not over it. It was at this point that I had a revelation: metal fabricators!
I found a charming company 15 minutes away from where I live (http://www.goodlandengineering.co.uk). And take it as a sign of satisfaction that I opted for recommending them over claiming to have done all the fabrication myself! (Who am I kidding? I can't even use a soldering iron!) I won't bore you with details of what they did to make it work, instead you can just look at the pictures.
I wanted holes in the bottom instead of a cutout and boy did that take some time! The bottom of this pan is damn thick! But three hours later we had the holes cut and I was ready to get spraying. The reliable British weather on the other hand was not ready for spraying. So I waited and waited and waited. Until today! A short break in the rain had me running outside to paint the chamber so that I can get laughed mount those dam good looking temperature gauges.
The instructions on the spray can said I should fire up the barbecue to cure the paint. I didn't wanna waste any coal so in between coats I ran to the shops and bought some mincemeat and extras to make my burgers. Half an hour later the coals were ready and the temperature looked good so the burgers went on.
I won't feel it turned out perfect but for a first attempt in high wind, cold temperature, no experience and rainclouds heading in, they were definite some of the nicest burgers I've ever tasted! So, my mini is assembled and christened in time for our week away in the New Forest. Guess what I'll be doing all week?!
In case you were wondering, the fabrication came in at about £70, the hole cutting tools £35, the extra grill £15, extra bits and bobs £35. Oh and the pot was about £45. At least it didn't come in at £200. Oh ****!
Last edited: