Recent content by JIRodriguez

If you want to save some $$ buy a 8' x 6' welding blanket, and 4 large spring loaded metal clips (look like giant clothes pins). Wrap the welding blanket around your WSM and clip the ends together. Blanket costs $35-$45, clips are $1-$2 each, and best of all it folds up nice and small when you...

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Andy Beers: I notice most people like a sweet sauce, like I said I am not a sauce guy but when I do dip I like a more sour or tangy sauce I guess I must...

You can either use the shortest ones in the pack or if you have a dremel with a cut off wheel you can cut them to custom length. For the diameter of the holes if you drill a 3/8" Dia. hole the rod will bascially thread into the hole. Then the nuts are primarily just for looks and stability.

I just foil my pan, then at the end of the cook once it cools down a bit I can dump the water, wad up the foil, wipe out the inside of the pan with a paper towel.... and I'm done!

I generally do not probe large pieces of meat untill about the 4th hour, in order to avoid transfering bacteria from the outside of the meat to the inside before it has been killed.... But when I do add the probe since the meat is already there I just thread it in and stick it in the meat, no...

I will answear some of the questions as best I can in regards to why I did things a certain way when I originally did this. 1) Where to place the holes: I did one approx 1-2" below the top grate and one approx 1-2" above the bottom grate. My units sit next to my WSM on a small table so it made...

I put two layers of blue painters tape over the area I was going to drill. Then took a center punch (or you can use a 16 penny nail) and gave it a firm tap - this creates a tiny dimple that keeps the bit from wandering. I made sure to lube the bit well with 3-in-1 oil as I was drilling, and kept...

To any and all folks with questions on the life span for these I am the original poster and am now a little over 1 yr. in. No problems or issues of any kind with either the holes I drilled or the lamp rod parts. Glad to see this mod has been so popular!

Justin - where do you store your charcoal? And how humid or rainy has it been since you bought your last batch? I live in Oregon and made the mistake of storing a bag on my covered porch. Even though it was technically in a dry area it absorbed so much moisture out of the air that it had a heck...

During cold sub. 40° weather I get about 12 hrs. out of a 16 lb. bag of kingsford blue. In warm 60°+ weather I can usually go 18-22 hrs. on the same load. I usually run between 200-250 in the chamber, depending on what I am cooking. For cold temps. I usually either only fill the water pan half...

The WSM will give you better bang for your buck. I had a chargriller as well before I got my 22.5" WSM and it was the best thing I could have done. The 22.5" WSM does hold a lot of charcoal, approx. 20 lbs. in one load, but it burns a lot longer than the chargriller. With the chargriller even...

I have seen folks just use a couple of fire bricks (the ones with holes in them) to create a smaller square area in the middle of their ring. Also has the benefit of a little extra thermal mass.

99% of the time if you are having a hard time lighting charcoal or lump, and you have a funny smell, it means it has absorbed to much moisture from the air. All charcoal will do this if it is stored somewhere where it can absorbe moisture and eventually it gets to be a problem. Living in Oregon...

I have found when cooking a trimmed flat that I get the best results by: inject with low sodium beef broth the night before, cook it very low and slow around 200-210° in the chamber, drape some bacon over it for the first part of the smoke, and foil it a bit sooner - around 160° instead of 165°...

Only real things to keep in consideration are you will use more fuel in colder weather, leave the water pan dry, and start with more lit charcoal when you start your minion. Also a windbreak is really handy if you have one.