22 WSM Arbor fab basket & Cajun Bandit 3 grate bracket kit?


 
P

Paul Pearson

TVWBB Super Fan
I just added a 22.5 WSM to my collection over the weekend, and was looking into modification ideas.

On my 18.5 WSM I modified the grill grate straps to add a third cooking grate, but with the extra space between the fire and water pan on the 22.5 I was looking into the Cajun Bandit 3 grate bracket kit. It looks like it lowers the water pan several inches vs stock.

I was also looking into the Arbor Fab fire basket, but I'm concerned that the combination of a lower water pan and taller fire basket is going to make it hard to access the fire ring with the smoker assembled.

Has anyone used these 2 products together? Would I be better off just modifying the factory grate straps instead of lowering the water pan with the CB kit?
 
I don't use a waterpan, I use a stainless steel diffuser plate that sits on the waterpan tabs. This enabled me to install a taller charcoal ring for added fuel capacity, and easy access through the door. This was a no-brainer in my book.

With regards to your question about the AF fire basket, I would recommend a larger charcoal basket.
Apologies, but I can't help with regards to the CB3 bracket kit. But I would have thought that the bracket kit would be designed to be used in conjunction with the stock charcoal ring and waterpan, and not other 3rd party products.
 
I have an 18 and I simply extended my basket with expanded metal. If you can cut it to size somehow, you can do this cheap. Nothing against purchasing a basket but you can modify yours pretty easy.

I also don't use a water pan, you can put any kind of metal dish in there with water on top of whatever you place for a heat deflector. I use the 14-in ceramic flower pot bottom wrapped in foil. Foil doesn't do much good. But you can put any kind of pot with water and you want on top of that so it doesn't restrict the amount of charcoal you can add. You can purchase any size of aluminum Pizza Pan you want for about 5 to $10 and use that as a heat deflector and put a water pan on top of it if you want water
 
Out of curiosity I took some measurements over the weekend of the factory components, and got the following measurements:

~7-7/8" between the bottom of the water bowl and the top of the fire ring
fire ring: 4-3/4" tall
9" between cooking grate support flanges
3/4" between bottom cooking grate and water bowl support

The Arborfab fire basket is 8" tall according to their website
The Cajun Bandit website says the 3 grate bracket kit spaces the 3 grates 6" apart (12" between top and bottom)

So rough math, you lose 3.25" of clearance by adding the Arborfab basket, and then lose another ~3" with the Cajun Bandit grate straps, you'd only have about 1-5/8" between the bottom of the water pan and the top of the Arborfab basket. Probably not a workable combination for adding fuel / wood chunks.
 
Paul Pearson said:
So rough math, you lose 3.25" of clearance by adding the Arborfab basket, and then lose another ~3" with the Cajun Bandit grate straps, you'd only have about 1-5/8" between the bottom of the water pan and the top of the Arborfab basket. Probably not a workable combination for adding fuel / wood chunks.
Click to expand...
Lose the waterpan and install a heat diffuser?
 
I ended up emailing ArborFab and they said they would make a 6" tall basket (same height as their 18.5 WSM basket) instead of the 8" tall basket for the same price. I might end up going that route.
 
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