how to seal door?


 
R

Robert Smith

New member
hi,
doing my first smoke on my wsm.. i see alot of smoke coming out the door, i have tried bending it several different ways but cannot get a good seal all the way around. i now have tin foil in the cracks but there has to be a better way.. thank you for any suggestions..
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Robert Smith:
hi,
doing my first smoke on my wsm.. i see alot of smoke coming out the door, i have tried bending it several different ways but cannot get a good seal all the way around. i now have tin foil in the cracks but there has to be a better way.. thank you for any suggestions.. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You will get alot of smoke at the beginning of every cook coming out of every crevice. Work the door with a rubber mallet as best you can, then the more you cook the more "goop" will get between the door and the WSM and "self seal"!
 
See here. I also run my cooker with the door upside down. Less smoke escapes. The door does not need to be airtight.
 
If you really want to seal it up you can use high temp silicone. Put a small bead on your door, just the door, about a 1/8" thick, making sure it's even. If you don't get it fairly even it'll still leak. Let it dry and you have a instant gasket. Lowe's and Depot sell the foodgrade stuff.
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Robert,

I just want to reiterate that the door is not designed to be airtight. As long as you don't have a big gap between door and middle cooking section and as long as you don't have problems controlling cooker temperature, you're fine. Don't sweat it.

Regards,
Chris
 
thanks for all the suggestions..i thought the door was supposed to be more airtight to control the temp in the pit.. thanks again
 
Should be tight enough to not let excessive air in, but not so tight that you don't see any smoke seeping out around the edges. Just make sure the vertical edges are straight, and the curvature is such that the outer edges hit the cooker body first, giving it a little spring when you go to secure the latch.
 
another quick question.. i am using a digi q 2 and i noticed i could not shut the heat down when i put to much coal in.. i asumed it was coming in at the door.. if it was more air tight at the door would i have more control of the fire and be able to damper it better?? thanks for the help..,
 
Robert,
It is still new so be patient and it will settle down after a couple of smokes.
Mine stayed pretty hot the first 2 cooks too.

Keep notes to refer back to for some self help.
I do and I still seek advise now and then.

Good luck and have fun,
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> would i have more control of the fire and be able to damper it better?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Maybe--but I doubt it, unless the air intake at the door is excessive, as Doug notes, i.e. the door is really gappy. See if control gets better after a few more cooks, as Dave suggests.

I run my door upside down and it is not at all airtight--but it's not gapped. When I was having Guru problems with temp control I discovered an out-of-round condition that was nearly impossible to notice. Unfixable directly, I simply made a gasket between the base and middle out of foil. Though I haven't used the Guru in ages I still use the foil gasket.
 
I spent 45 minutes tweaking my door back when I first bought my wsm. I got that puppy fitting nice and tight. Over the past 3.5 years between the door falling off, a friend of mine kicking it after it fell off, traveling, etc. mine doesn't fit tight anymore. I have an 1/8 inch gap on the top corner and have no problems controlling my temps. Nor do I have a problem with not enough smoke on my food.

IMO if it bothers you seal it up, if not leave it alone.

If you do go with Bryan's idea with the sealant, take petroleum jelly and smear it around the opening on the wsm. Apply the sealant to the door and carefully put the door on the smoker. Try not to move it around once the sealant contacts the smoker. Let cure for 24 hours. The vasoline will keep the sealant from sticking to the smoker. I have done this on my magnum's 3 doors and it works well.
 
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