Ash pan modification to an 18.5" WSM


 
W

Wayne RI

New member
I've got a 22" Weber 1351001 One-Touch Gold Kettle Grill and an 18.5" Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker right next to it. While waiting for the heat to come up on the WSM the other day, I thought about the only negative aspect of that WSM, emptying the ashes. I looked next to it and saw my Weber Kettle and thought that it would be a great modification to come up with a charcoal pan for the WSM that resembles the bottom of my kettle: fins inside to push the ash toward holes in the pan that in turn lead to what amounts to a saucepot suspended beneath the pan to catch the ashes. This receptacle, when full, can be detached and emptied without having to drag the entire bottom of the grill around. I'm a 70 year old retired guy and I find it a lot easier to carry a saucepan than the entire bottom pan of my WSM.
Does anyone know where a replacement charcoal pan for my WSM could be found that fits this description?
 
I've often wondered why Weber didn't incorporate some kind of hot ash removal system for their WSMs. Especially for the little guy of the bunch that seems to fill up with ash very quickly.

I have an 18.5" kettle, and I have thought about placing the 18.5" WSM center section on the kettle bottom at times, but I was concerned about weight issues on the kettle legs. Might not be a good idea if you're smoking several butts with a filled water pan. :eek:
 
Last edited:
I just use a extra 22” Weber Kettle ash pan in the bottom of my 18”, got the idea from my 14” ash pan. Just a little modification needed—-
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
I know the lid to the kettle won't fit on the WSM, but I still still think the bottom section of the kettle would swap out.
Click to expand...

The 18" kettle lid will fit the bottom of the 18" WSM. That's not saying much, however, but I have used it to snuff out the fire a bit quicker.
 
Wayne RI said:
Does anyone know where a replacement charcoal pan for my WSM could be found that fits this description?
Click to expand...
TVWBB member and former Weber engineer Mike Durso says that he experimented with adding One-Touch ash catcher capability to the WSM:

"I looked into this. I cut the legs off an 18" (kettle) and used it to test while redesigning the 18 (WSM in 2008). The problem was there was too much ash for a cook and for the size of the standard one touch system. They weren't interested in making a larger or completely new type of cleaning system."

TOM BAUER said:
I just use a extra 22” Weber Kettle ash pan in the bottom of my 18”, got the idea from my 14” ash pan. Just a little modification needed—-
Click to expand...
Not to be too picky, but that's not an ash pan in the bottom of the 14.5" WSM, it's a heat shield.
 
May be a heat shield, but it sure does a great job removing ashes, and yes, it does cut down on ash containment, but for shorter cooks it works great!!
 
I pondered this question for untold hours, and then one day I had an epiphany. It was while I was emptying the trash can in my kitchen. "If only," I said to myself, "there was a way to simply pick up the bottom section of the WSM and dump the ashes out." And suddenly the solution presented itself: use the WSM legs as handles! It had been staring me in the face the whole time. And now my life is changed forever! (Seriously, is this such a big problem?)
 
Last edited:
Chris Allingham said:
TVWBB member and former Weber engineer Mike Durso says that he experimented with adding One-Touch ash catcher capability to the WSM:

"I looked into this. I cut the legs off an 18" (kettle) and used it to test while redesigning the 18 (WSM in 2008). The problem was there was too much ash for a cook and for the size of the standard one touch system. They weren't interested in making a larger or completely new type of cleaning system."
Click to expand...

Not sure if I understand this.

Is Mike saying the ash cut off the air flow? (assuming the kettle bowl had no custom-mounted side vents)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top