Thanks and simple question on grills / smokers


 

Jim McKelvey

TVWBB All-Star
Chris, first off – Thank You! Like many here, without TVWBB I’m not sure I’d be in the position that I’m in today (with respect to cooking outdoors) and that is a wonderful thing. I joined the site almost two years ago when I was researching and eventually purchasing my 18.5” WSM. At the time I just wanted to be able to make good ribs. I had a nice Weber gasser and cooked on it frequently, but I just didn’t “get” charcoal cooking / smoking at the time. A couple of more grills and a couple thousand pounds of charcoal later, my poor gasser serves only as an outdoor oven. What’s so wonderful about this place as you have cultivated a true friendly and helpful community. In my opinion, a large part of that is how much respect we all have for you – as a person and of course as a fellow Weber fan. So thanks for starting, building and maintaining this wonderful site!

OK – on to the question…a simple one. You’ve mentioned that you don’t have a garage full of grills / smokers. Given the true beauty and collectability of Webers and your long term connection with them….is there any particular model / year you really want that you don’t have(yet)? Or that you have just missed and still think about? (For example, I missed a late 60’s Avocado a few months back that I still think about).

Thanks – Jim
 
I'm really conflicted about this subject. I would love to own lots of vintage Webers, but I have collected things in the past and learned that large collections are just not for me. I collected coins for several years, and found that I had coins stored in little boxes stored in bigger boxes stored in even bigger boxes and I never looked at them. It took me several years to sell them all off on eBay.

Besides, I just don't have room for a big grill collection. If you've poked around some of the articles I've written on The Virtual Weber Bullet, you've seen glimpses of my backyard. In fact, I don't have that backyard anymore...we moved into a condo last summer with a nice downstairs patio, with a great area to cook, but I'm limited to fewer grills now.

You may have seen this photo, taken in my old side yard:

caaweberfamily.jpg


As part of our move, I had to divest of the redhead and the brownie, and I gave away the Smokey Joe Mini WSM (when I built it for the website article, it was always my intention to give that away). But selling the two kettles was painful...I loved looking at the redhead and I enjoyed cooking on the brownie...but both went to good homes where they are being enjoyed and used.

In the photo above, I still have the original 1880 14" WSM that is pristine and I don't think has ever been used. I have my first 18" WSM that is my workhorse. I have the 2002 Summit 425 gasser and the 2007 26" kettle. Not shown are an 18" WSM still in the box and the new 2014 14" WSM. I need to get another 22" WSM...don't have one in the stable right now. I can't think of another Weber I would like to have that wouldn't re-open the collecting floodgates and get me into trouble.

My fantasy? A cross between this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this beast...you see how no good can come from this! :)
 

 

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