So I have been using my wsm like a santa maria/grill by removing the water pan and cooking with vents wide open top and bottom. However in order for me to get the temps higher faster I find cracking the lid helps. So im wondering if anyone has added extra vents to the lid for this purpose and if it worked out?
Adding vents to 22”wsm lid.
- Thread starter NDekens
- Start date
Dustin Dorsey
TVWBB Hall of Fame
I've heard of it, but I've never done it. You'd have to drill out the vent holes and a center hole for the nut and bolt.
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Yea, seen a few also.
Here's one example and a how do.
www.virtualweberbullet.com
Here's one example and a how do.
Vent Damper Modifications - The Virtual Weber Bullet
Vent damper modifications for the Weber Smokey Mountain cooker, including additional dampers, vent setting markers, and handles.
www.virtualweberbullet.com
Yeah, i got no problem drilling just wondering if it accomplished the intended goal of running hotter temps without having to wedge the lid open.
Im liking it running without a water pan and hitting about 425 for things like chicken and grilling rather then always doing the indirect thing on my kettle.
Im liking it running without a water pan and hitting about 425 for things like chicken and grilling rather then always doing the indirect thing on my kettle.
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Installed 2 extra lid vents + Thanksgiving rehearsal with high-heat chicken
After doing some research on the forum, I decided to add two additional lid vents to the 22.5'' WSM. I used a piece of string, a "protractor" and masking tape to figure out vent placement, with the center of the factory damper as the reference point: It turns out that the holes in the...
tvwbb.com
There are a few more if you search this mod section.
Brian-B
TVWBB Member
I’ve done it on my 18 as I wanted higher temps without having to prop the lid or door open. I added 2 more vents in the lid for a total of 3. Made a big difference. No more messing with the door or lid.
Thats what im after!
Bob Bailey
TVWBB Wizard
Santa Maria grills don't have lids and the grate is raised and lowered for temperature control. Restricting air flow defeats the purpose. If you want to even get close with a WSM, leave the lid off. You can actually get a Santa Maria attachment that fits on the bottom of your WSM or a Weber kettle at http://gabbysgrills.com/ .
Dustin Flavell
TVWBB Pro
I did both my 18 and 22. I run with a foiled pan no water. 400° plus on the 22 is tough to achieve. I’ve had the 18 up as high as 450°. I think the sheer size of the 22 makes it tougher to get above 400°
It’s also nice to have an extra top vent or two for getting up to temp. Which for a lot of my cooks is 275°. If you end up doing it make sure you use a step bit so as not to crack the porcelain. I drilled 3/4” holes.
It’s also nice to have an extra top vent or two for getting up to temp. Which for a lot of my cooks is 275°. If you end up doing it make sure you use a step bit so as not to crack the porcelain. I drilled 3/4” holes.