WSM 18.5 cooking grate drops in....

[Bill Clemens]

This WSM 18.5 seems to have the wrong sized cooking grill because it will drop in to the center section. I came close to dropping a ready-to-smoke brisket a couple of days ago. I caught it somehow...but the smoker was too hot to check for the problem at the time. Evidently I have been lucky with previous uses.....

Looks like the four grill brackets mounted as per the assembly directions will leave one bracket doing nothing to support the grill. The grill will drop back to the bracket bend against the center section in any of four positions and leave the opposite side 'teetering' with no support. The grate must be shifted so that it is supported by all four brackets and it's a 'wish' to keep it there. I removed the top most bracket fasteners and placed two brass spacers (.070 thick) between the brackets and the center section wall. Two was too much so removed one but the grill is still a sloppy fit and will move to one of four sides and rock down. Paid pretty good money for a sheet metal assembly that should work like a smoker when assembled. The upper grate is too small in diameter.

Looks like the new owners of the Weber manufacturing plant are going to destroy a wonderful product by cutting corners for more profit. There is actually no fix for this issue since the grate is very plainly too small in diameter....it doesn't fit as advertised. I had to provide spacers to fix this - and I'm not pleased with the results even then. It's a 'make-do' product now?

Rant over - must get back to cooking something! I hate to just 'settle' for half azzed stuff!

Keep the faith!

Bill Clemens

 

[timothy]

What's the diameter of your cooking grate? My 08 original grate was just over 17 1/4". Replacement grates I purchased over the years varied between that and 17 3/8" to 17 1/2".

Tim

 

[Bill Clemens]

This cooking grate measures 17 7/16" - right in between. The ID of the center section is right at 18".

And it appears that the bend in these brackets leaves 12mm or .473" projecting from each side of the center section ID. So if the brackets were installed as per the assembly directions, the grate would be being supported out past the center of the rod diameter of the outer grate support ring. So; 18" - .473" or and effective ID of 17.527" or 17 17/32 (17.4313) - so not enough to support the grate with any weight at all. The center section would simply be pushed open by the grate.

So now we are doing the math for Weber? The grate needs to be a minimum of 17 5/8 to remain supported by these brackets. Or the brackets could project a mere 1/16" longer or 13mm (.511").

Bill

 

[Chuck Bench]

Bill, I had the same problem with mine when I got it...the center section is just a little out of round is what I found to be the problem with mine...all I did was bear hug it some to get the two sides that were a little wider than the others to come in some...

another option that I read somewhere that I'm going to do one of these days is to take a couple of little stainless washers and put them between the brackets and the middle body section on the inside to in essence push the brackets toward the center just a hair enough to catch the grate sufficiently

 

[Bill Clemens]

Thanks Chuck! I have measured this center section a number of ways and it is 18" (or just a tad under) but all measurements are the same. I had already done that 'bear hug' adjustment before assembly.

Shoot; as long as I can prevent a good piece of cooking matter from dropping into some water or some ashes, I'm happy. Just doesn't seem right for Weber to leave things in such a tedious mess to deal with their product. I'm sure some are saying "then sell it" and go to another brand. That's beside the point. There is still a 'good faith' purchase.

Bill

BTW Chuck - my original post stated that I placed .070" thick spacers in between the brackets and the center section. Actually two were installed but one was later removed. I'm headed toward making proper brackets without so much radius on the bends...and a bit longer. But that's another 'wish/hope' to ever get to doing it!

 

[Chuck Bench]

I gotcha...I missed that part about the spacers the first time...

so you had the spacers in there and the grate still fell in? wow

 

[Joe F]

Non-issue here.
My top grate, which is a flip-up model intended for an 18.5" kettle will not fall through.
I might be able to Bubba it and miss a support tab or some such, I suppose.

 

[timothy]

This cooking grate measures 17 7/16" - right in between. The ID of the center section is right at 18".

And it appears that the bend in these brackets leaves 12mm or .473" projecting from each side of the center section ID. So if the brackets were installed as per the assembly directions, the grate would be being supported out past the center of the rod diameter of the outer grate support ring. So; 18" - .473" or and effective ID of 17.527" or 17 17/32 (17.4313) - so not enough to support the grate with any weight at all. The center section would simply be pushed open by the grate.

So now we are doing the math for Weber? The grate needs to be a minimum of 17 5/8 to remain supported by these brackets. Or the brackets could project a mere 1/16" longer or 13mm (.511").

Bill

You lost me with the math.

The ID of where the grate sits on my 08 WSM is 17 1/2". The grate brackets stand out roughly 3/8". Any grate over 17 1/4" would be impossible to slip off unless you have a out of round condition .

Tim

 

[Joe F]

Maybe the OP has the bottom grate in the top location ?
That's 17" and may be a problem if placed in the top location.
I'm too lazy to test the scenario right now.

 

[Bill Clemens]

Joe F,

If ya 'Bubba' it and miss a support, you best have things balanced toward the supported side 'cause you have a grate suspended by three of four brackets. Woops!

 

[Bill Clemens]

You lost me with the math.

The ID of where the grate sits on my 08 WSM is 17 1/2". The grate brackets stand out roughly 3/8". Any grate over 17 1/4" would be impossible to slip off unless you have a out of round condition .

Tim

Not out of round....The brackets are too short to properly support the grate. If one bracket hits at the outer diameter of the grate ring, very little force will push the center section out of round. This one is round - checked it on assembly. Brackets are too short and need spacers that Weber does not supply nor do they warn of this occurrence.

Thanks

 

[Bill Clemens]

Maybe the OP has the bottom grate in the top location ?
That's 17" and may be a problem if placed in the top location.
I'm too lazy to test the scenario right now.

That would be pretty tough to do since these two grates are visibly different diameters. "Let's see, the smaller on goes on top?" Totally impossible but I appreciate the vote of confidence anyhow!

Brackets are less than a half inch projecting....ID of middle is 18"....Grill off center against one side....18" - 17 7/16" = 9/16" ... the bracket is LESS than a half of an inch so the grate misses the far bracket by 1/16" using these measurements and the middle is not out of round. And the bottom grate cannot be mistaken for the top grate.

I hope Weber is reading this......they owe us a grate of proper size or longer projecting brackets or a smaller middle diameter section. They will probably go with the reduced middle section diameter to save a few cents on each smoker/grill.

 

[Joe F]

I can sense the frustration in your posts but I look at mine ('99 18.5" WSM) and simply cannot see a problem whatsoever with the design.
Maybe run some longer bolts as a safety ?

 

[Bill Clemens]

I can sense the frustration in your posts but I look at mine ('99 18.5" WSM) and simply cannot see a problem whatsoever with the design.
Maybe run some longer bolts as a safety ?

Thanks Joe....I wish I had a Weber manufactured back when you bought yours. I believe the present grand reputation that Weber has is a carry-over from those days. What we have now is a cost cutter, bottom line, investor interested owner of a once proud manufacturer.

 

[timothy]

There have been a few threads like this since Weber came out with the new one. Seems most just add a few washers between the brackets for extra support.
I just came back from HD and checked out the floor model 18.5" WSM. Had a tape and checked the ID which was 17 1/2" one way, checked the opposite and it was 18", checked a few others and it varied between 1/4" to 3/8" Slid the grate which was 17 1/2" and it did fall off on the 18" side.
I could tell that one was out of round, and placing the lid on showed the large gap on the 18" side.
Unless Weber messed up and made yours a half inch bigger consistently, I would check it again.

Tim

 

[Bill Clemens]

There have been a few threads like this since Weber came out with the new one. Seems most just add a few washers between the brackets for extra support.
I just came back from HD and checked out the floor model 18.5" WSM. Had a tape and checked the ID which was 17 1/2" one way, checked the opposite and it was 18", checked a few others and it varied between 1/4" to 3/8" Slid the grate which was 17 1/2" and it did fall off on the 18" side.
I could tell that one was out of round, and placing the lid on showed the large gap on the 18" side.
Unless Weber messed up and made yours a half inch bigger consistently, I would check it again.


Tim

The ID measures 17 7/8" ± 1/16" consistently at 45° increments using two 12" sliding scales. The washers are in there and the grate does not fall through any longer (no thanks to Weber). The lid is also quite truly round and fits the mid section any way it may be placed - no tight spots.

I appreciate your help Tim - and all!!

Bill

 

[Grant Narita]

I just started a thread about this in the barbecuing section. Just assembled mine and it does the same thing. Frustrating. You would think they would look at that more carefully before manufacturing them. Just got back from Home Depot and put one metal washer between the WSM and the four brackets... Top grate slides around some but at least it's not falling through anymore. So when are they going to send us a proper size grate!!??

 

[Bill Clemens]

I just started a thread about this in the barbecuing section. Just assembled mine and it does the same thing. Frustrating. You would think they would look at that more carefully before manufacturing them. Just got back from Home Depot and put one metal washer between the WSM and the four brackets... Top grate slides around some but at least it's not falling through anymore. So when are they going to send us a proper size grate!!??

Watch out, you're in the midst of folks here who own the older WSM's so don't believe we have an issue with this... Weber has lost credibility with me with this issue. Why should we have to straighten up their sloppy workmanship? If we need to put spacers in, then include them in the assembly! The grate is too small OR the brackets are too short!!!

But you got it....now enjoy your new smoker, it's a reward!

Bill

 

[Joe F]

Watch out, you're in the midst of folks here who own the older WSM's so don't think we have an issue with this... Weber has lost credibility with me with this issue. Why should we have to straighten up their sloppy workmanship? If we need to put spacers in, then include them in the assembly! The grate is too small OR the brackets are too short!!!

But you got it....now enjoy your new smoker, it's a reward!

Bill

I see now that this is not an imaginary problem, Bill !
Time to send a volley over to Weber !

This manufacturing issue be easy for them to fix and not worth the grief to do nothing.

 

[Bill Clemens]

I see now that this is not an imaginary problem, Bill !
Time to send a volley over to Weber !

This manufacturing issue be easy for them to fix and not worth the grief to do nothing.

Thanks Joe....so you actually did think I had an 'imaginary' problem.... "I have the bottom grate on top; it's out of round; my mid section was made too large; I don't know what the heck I'm doing, etc., etc....". I though I had explained the problem OK - with substantial factual proof of the problem. But it's imaginary on my part....

I sent a 'volley' over to Weber too with absolutely no response so evidently they also think it's an imaginary problem as well. Will I buy another Weber product? (Yes, because I need a larger smoker now!)

I attempted to do three pork spare ribs earlier today - the 18.5 is just a bit too small... but those spare ribs came out fantabulous! My father-in-law said I should open a restaurant. (But the ribs weren't than darned good - since I had already served him a few of my Nigronis)

Keep the faith!

Bill