Should I season my new smoker?


 

MarkT FL

New member
Have not heard of doing this before and am wondering if it's necessary? In the past I just fired up a new grill and kept going. So, where and how should I start?, Mark
 
Welcome aboard Mark. No need to season the WSM. As you cook with it gunk (the good kind) will build up on the inside and you will leak less air. You'll enjoy some good meals before it gets nicely gunked up. What size did you get?
 
Hi Lew, I got the 18.5. Not too big and not too small. I hope it will just the right size for me and wife. But, I see a lot of you have several and after I get the hang of it maybe I'll get another for whatever reason people have more than one. Thanks for the reply. And Bob, thanks for your referral to the site for more info.
 
Mark,
Leave this place now; you have your whole life ahead of you. I, like you, started out with 1 18.5 WSM. Now I have 3 18.5s ( going to sell one in the spring), 1 22.5, 1 14.5 and a mini WSM.
 
I've seen the 22 in person and it looks HUGE!
Since getting my 14, a couple years ago, it has suited me well cooking for the two of us.
This week I used my 18, for the first time in many months, and it looked HUGE!
If I could only have one, it would be the 18.
 
I started mine out by cooking 2 small pork butts on it. I think I did a dry run ahead of time to just kind of learn it and did something of a burnout at that time, but as others have said, its not that necessary.
 
I think I seasoned mine with some pork steaks and hot links, like the other members said, just go for it.:wsm:

Tim
 
When I got my first 22, I went through 2 cooks with stuff I wouldn't eat, both pork (1st cook was a burn off). The first, some pork parts some would use in stew, the second, some bacon. The pit ended up smelling great, but the reality of it is the pit will season with each cook. Think of your pit as leveling up with each cook. lol. It's now been year two and it smells sooo delicious in the first pit.

I'm now on my second 22 and haven't done the same but just a burn out with a few cook under it's belt. I can't wait till it gets to the level of my first WSM.

I sort of followed this as mentioned in the link above;
http://www.slapyodaddybbq.com/2014/03/fire-control-and-seasoning-a-new-weber-smokey-mountain-pit/

Enjoy!
 
Mark, the 18.5 is a great size and if I only had one that would be it. I have the 22.5 only because my son offered me his as a gift. There's tons of info on all 3 sizes on this forum. AND - folks here love to help so no question is dumb.
 
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