10 cfm stoker on a WSM 18


 
G

Gerd H

TVWBB Super Fan
I know that a 10cfm fan is, at the very least OVERKILL for a WSM18. I use it on my 22 and it works perfectly, and OF COURSE the 5cfm is the right size for the 18.

But ...

What would happen if you tried to use a 10cfm stoker on a WSM 18, assuming your adapter was tight fitting? I have this sneaking suspicion that the 10cfm fan would be so powerful that it make actually cool the chamber while it is blowing to stoke the fire, creating this catch 22 situation of blowing ash and a large fire but a cooled pit probe from all the air flow. Sort of an endless cycle.

Any thoughts? Anyone tried it?
 
I assume the the Stoker blowers have no damper to choke / restrict the air flow like the Guru fans do?
10CFMFan-1.jpg
 
Nope. But you could seal off one more hole in the WSM, leaving just one for the blower to blow through.

The stoker attaches with a flange over an entire single intake vent assembly, and the mounting hardware effectively closes one of the holes in that vent, leaving two open for the blower. perhaps manually closing the other would restrict it enough to work. I may try that for fun.

EDIT TO ADD: On second thought, since the fn is still sized and whirring at 10cfm, it might just create a mightier and more directed stream of air, resulting in more ash. I think I'll still try it.
 
When I bought my stoker all that was available was the 10 CFM, they were backorder on the 5's. I have not had a single problem using the 10.
 
Originally posted by Bob Hunter:
When I bought my stoker all that was available was the 10 CFM, they were backorder on the 5's. I have not had a single problem using the 10.
Click to expand...

Bob - thanks for the reply.

What is your typical target temp using the 10cfm fan on the WSM18? Do you typically keep it constant through the whole cook?
 
Had no issues with my 10 on my 18. Maybe some overshoots and undershoots in certain circumstances but I chalk that up to operator error getting used to the Stoker. I moved the 10 over to my new 22 and purchased a 5 for the 18 to replace the 10. I cook mostly between 275 and 350. The 5 has to work harder than the 10 did to keep 350 sometimes but nothing major.
I had no problems running my 10 on the 18.
 
What is your typical target temp using the
Click to expand...

It really dpeends on what I am cooking. I cook Robs, Pork Butt and Brisket 250°,bacon around 180°, I also cook alot of high heat butterflied chicken and meatloaf around 350°.

Ribs

Chicken

I do keep constant temps, I dont usually ramp my cooks.
 
Should my graphs look as stable as yours? They are not really even close. I cant figure out how to post one that I saved or I would show you.

As a reference I have an 18 WSM with a 5cfm fan.
 
Hello all,

I have a Stoker system I used for another pit, but recently bought a WSM 22. If I use the Stoker with the adapter do I need to close the other two bottom vents? I'm thinking yes, but you never know.
 
Originally posted by James Stephens:
Hello all,

I have a Stoker system I used for another pit, but recently bought a WSM 22. If I use the Stoker with the adapter do I need to close the other two bottom vents? I'm thinking yes, but you never know.
Click to expand...

Yes. I close them and also bungee the door to make it as airtight as possible. YMMV with the bungee.
 
We use 10cfm blowers on our 18s all the time. No troubles, no ash blow.

While the 10cfm fan is, indeed, more than what is necessary on an 18, it does not negatively impact performance and we've been using them for at least the last 3 years.

By the way, how's that cooker smelling these days?
 
Interesting Vince, I thought you used 5s.

I have not fired up the 18 since last week, but I'll let ya know.
 
We have a set of both 5s and 10s but we just use the 10s on everything. I did, however, recently use a 5 on a test cook with one of the 18s and I didn't notice much difference in performance. It took the cooker a little bit longer to come up to temp but that was about it.
 
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