Wind fears

[Jon Van Dalen]

Just set up my new 18.5 wsm on the patio and it went great. However, I'm starting to get very paranoid about safety... We have a constant wind back there which goes west-east pretty much all day, every day. Every month or so we get a huge gust of wind that sends my genesis a few inches or feet (with wheels locked) and once even blew it completely over on its front side which was extremely scary.

I've placed the wsm on an 18" paver stone for now (so I can level it) but it just feels like its going to blow right off of there. Is there any reason I should not bracket or bolt the feet to the paver? Ive never cooked with charcoal before so I actually dont know what to expect. Does the base need to be lifted and dumped for any reason for cleaning or can I leave it bolted to the paver?

 

[Frank H]

i would go with bolting it down to keep it from blowing over....there will be ashes in the base , but when you clean out the ashes you can just turn the whole thing upside down to get ashes out...or just wait til its cool and suck em out w/ your shop vac.

 

[Jon Van Dalen]

Yeah I just can't think of any other way to feel safe about it. I just stepped outside and the wind was going about 25 mph. Moved the smoker to a wall for support for now.

The paver is way too heavy to flip over for cleaning but maybe I can find a lighter weight one for this purpose before I bolt it down. Anyone else have this issue or have had one blow over?

i would go with bolting it down to keep it from blowing over....there will be ashes in the base , but when you clean out the ashes you can just turn the whole thing upside down to get ashes out...or just wait til its cool and suck em out w/ your shop vac.

 

[Marty W]

I wouldn't want to bolt it down to a paver. I dump mine after every cook and I wouldn't want to fight it every time to dump the ash. I would come up with some other idea. Can you fasten it to the house some how or build a storage box for it.

 

[Jerry N.]

I would recommend some type of structure. In the mean time, I would get it off the deck and on the east side of the house to block as much wind as possible. Even if you weren't worried about the wind blowing it over, you're going to have a heck of a time keeping the temps stable with wind like you describe. That's why I would start with putting it on the east side of the house and consider some type of structure. Before I had a place to block the wind, I would put it on the side of the house opposite the wind and it worked pretty well.

 

[Chad Bman]

The paver is way too heavy to flip over for cleaning

That would be a deal breaker for me. Don't have a solution for ya, but welcome neighbor. Leesburg here.

 

[Dwain Pannell]

I've seen a cpl guys build a structure surrounding the cooker. They looked like an outhouse. They sat the cooker on a lazy susan to get to the vents. IMO it was nicely done. You could attach the outhouse to the patio or pavers.

Here are some examples: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/coldtemp.html#wooden

 

[timothy]

You could try some rite sized EMT straps.

You would have to clear-hole the paver with a masonry bit. Add a SS bolt and wing-nut at each leg so you could loosen the strap for emptying.

Tim

 

[Gary S]

I would recommend some type of structure. In the mean time, I would get it off the deck and on the east side of the house to block as much wind as possible. Even if you weren't worried about the wind blowing it over, you're going to have a heck of a time keeping the temps stable with wind like you describe. That's why I would start with putting it on the east side of the house and consider some type of structure. Before I had a place to block the wind, I would put it on the side of the house opposite the wind and it worked pretty well.

You really do need to create a wind break otherwise your cooks will never go right.

 

[timothy]

You really do need to create a wind break otherwise your cooks will never go right.

Yep, and if you do a plywood wind screen make sure its anchored or tied off. If the wind takes it so goes the WSM.
I use a 17 gal metal wash tub to set the base on my 18.5" WSM in. It's tall enough to shield the bottom vents from any stiff breeze and also contain any stray ashes or hot embers that might blow out.
I used it on a 45mph gusty day with no problems, you just have to face one leg on the backside of the wind, if you face it into the wind the other two legs act as a pivot and can make the WSM pretty tipsy.
You can kinda see it in this photo on that day.

Tim

 

[Jon Van Dalen]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the suggestions. Some good ideas to be sure. For now I am just moving it to a safe place and taking it out on calm days. Did 2 sessions so far... one for BBQ chicken and homemade sauce, then smoking raw almonds after... second session was pig candy, 3 racks of ribs (a weber/jamie recipe), and baked beans... loving it!!!