Air Tight


 
Richard Garcia

Richard Garcia

TVWBB All-Star
I am thinking about purchasing an ATCS for my 18 1/2¨WSM Classic that I bought new from Amazon in the year 2008. However, it is not airtight especially around the door opening, so, would an ATCS work on my ¨Classic¨??

Rick
 
ATCS work wonderfull on stock WSM 18s.

If you are REALLY concerned about the door leaks, you can:
1) Put the door on upside down
2) Try and shape it tighter through carefull bending
3) Use some bungees to hold it tight to the body (so long as you cook relatively low.)

More drastic measures would involve things like tape to seal the door, gasket material, etc. They are entirely un-necessary in my experience.
 
If you can control your temps via the vents (closing them makes temps go down, opening them makes temps go up) then your WSM is airtight enough to work with an ATC. If you close the vents all the way and the temps won't drop (or drop VERY slowly) then you need to find ways to tighten things up, as mentioned in previous posts.
 
I agree with James.
If you shut all your vents and your WSM stops burning charcoal and is cool to the touch after a little bit, you're good to go.
 
Originally posted by Scott M:
I agree with James.
If you shut all your vents and your WSM stops burning charcoal and is cool to the touch after a little bit, you're good to go.
Click to expand...

--Thanx Scott,James and others for your advise. Here in Costa Rica a 8lb bag of Kingsford Charcoal costs around $13.00, so, hopefully an ATCS can save me some money by using less charcoal. How do you guys feel about using the non-burnt Charcoal on the next cook??? I know that many BBQ experts state that this is a real NO-NO???

Rick

WSM Classic, OTG Kettle
 
Originally posted by richard garcia:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scott M:
I agree with James.
If you shut all your vents and your WSM stops burning charcoal and is cool to the touch after a little bit, you're good to go.
Click to expand...

--Thanx Scott,James and others for your advise. Here in Costa Rica a 8lb bag of Kingsford Charcoal costs around $13.00, so, hopefully an ATCS can save me some money by using less charcoal. How do you guys feel about using the non-burnt Charcoal on the next cook??? I know that many BBQ experts state that this is a real NO-NO???

Rick

WSM Classic, OTG Kettle </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Holy Smoke!!!! That is expensive!!!!!
 
Originally posted by richard garcia:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scott M:
I agree with James.
If you shut all your vents and your WSM stops burning charcoal and is cool to the touch after a little bit, you're good to go.
Click to expand...

--Thanx Scott,James and others for your advise. Here in Costa Rica a 8lb bag of Kingsford Charcoal costs around $13.00, so, hopefully an ATCS can save me some money by using less charcoal. How do you guys feel about using the non-burnt Charcoal on the next cook??? I know that many BBQ experts state that this is a real NO-NO???

Rick

WSM Classic, OTG Kettle </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've never reused Kingsford like that but I do it with lump all the time.
If you can find it down by you, might be cheaper if it's locally made.
That is a crazy price for Kinsgford
 
[ I've never reused Kingsford like that but I do it with lump all the time.
If you can find it down by you, might be cheaper if it's locally made.
That is a crazy price for Kinsgford[/QUOTE]

--Thanx Scott. I use my WSM Classic about twice every two months. The Costa Rican Lump Charcoal seems to come with a lot of crap, i.e., nails, burnt wood pieces, etc. and I have a hard time controlling the Temperature inside my WSM. With the Kingsford I have had very few problems controlling the Temperature and a 8lb bag lasts me for one(1) cook of about five(5) hours. I generally do beer can chicken or ribs.

Rick
 
Originally posted by Ryan Reuter:
These are awesome as well. I own one for my 22" and my buddy has one for his 18". Tight seal and thick steel instead of lightweight aluminum. My WSM is newer though, I don't know if the door sizes have ever changed.

http://cajunbandit.com/wsm-parts-mods/
Click to expand...

My original door fitted better than this cajun Bandit one. Also, the original is easier to shape-to-fit.

Also, I think the WSM works best with a little bit of leakage.
 
With an ATC and an airtight WSM, controlling temps will be easy(lump or charcoal). If lump is relatively cheaper, I'd use it (barring too much harmful debris). Also, lump is easier to reuse. One more bonus, with an ATC there is no need for water, which adds to fuel consumption.

If you do some math with the numbers, reusing fuel and less fuel consumption with no water, maybe the ATC will pay for itself.

Just curious, what is the cost for lump?.... In Costa Rica
 
Originally posted by Ron B - NE Ontario, Canada:

My original door fitted better than this cajun Bandit one. Also, the original is easier to shape-to-fit.

Also, I think the WSM works best with a little bit of leakage.
Click to expand...

The heat loss through the ultra thin, cheap aluminum door is huge and it's the biggest publically complained about under-sight with this smoker. It's the WSM's Achilles Heal. Cheap aluminum will always form better than 18 ga steel. Mine and others I know who upgraded their doors found that they sealed better from the start. I agree with other posters that the WSM's claim to fame never has been tight seals. Putting on a door that is the same thickness as the rest of your smoker as well as being made out of the same high heat retaining material seems like it should have came this way out of the box. The factory aluminum was used to cut costs. If you ask me, turn that tank with a glass window into a steel fortress.
 
Originally posted by Russell Y:

Just curious, what is the cost for lump?.... In Costa Rica
Click to expand...

Russell and other WSM fans, thank you for your imput and a acceptable 10 lb bag of Costa Rican Lump costs around $6.00. However, it burns a lot hotter than the Kingsford and tests my confidence when I'm doing a cook for my wife's family.

On another thread I stated that I plan on trying-out on a future WSM Cookout with Costa Rican Plumwood which is now green and should be dry enough in 4-6 months as I have cut up the tree limbs into smaller pieces.

My brother from Texas brought me a few bags of Hickory Chunks last May as mailing bags of smokewood through a private or Costa Rican mail system is prohibited.

Rick
 
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