Is a BBQ cover worth using


 
I keep the Weber's covered, I live a few blocks away from the beach. Salt water plays hell on everything.

A Cheap BBQ will last about one/two years uncovered here. Then it's ready for the trash bin.

Buy once buy right….Weber
 
In the summer months I rarely cover mine, but in the winter it keeps me from having to shovel them off, just lift the cover off and you've got a snow free grill, of course some of you don't have to worry about that, just lizards.:o
 
No covers for me please. My Kettle has been outside with no cover since 1979. It has changed to gray, and I have replaced the
wood handles a couple of times, but is still fully functional. Genesis is SS so I clean it with some 3M SS cleaner every so often. The
Mini goes in the garage, and the Egg sits out as well. Covers just trap moisture for me, and they are just a pain.
 
Dave from Denver said:
I cover mine and it collects moisture and grows mold inside, so I have to burn it off before using it. I guess this means I should be smoking more, or cleaning my WSM more often, or something.
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I cover my 18" WSM and I have the same problem in the summer, but we get so much rain in the summer I don't want to leave it uncovered.

No problem during the winter as it is too cold for the mold. My 22" OTG stays covered year round with a slightly shredded and loose cover and has no mold problems.

I'm thinking of getting the 22" WSM cover for the 18" WSM and see if that solves the problem. Or just leave uncovered during the summer and dump the rain water weekly. Thoughts?

EDIT: Wow! Uncovered since '79 in IL? Completely exposed? I guess I'm over-thinking this cover issue.
 
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Greg M. (cheapcharlie) said:
I cover my 18" WSM and I have the same problem in the summer, but we get so much rain in the summer I don't want to leave it uncovered.

No problem during the winter as it is too cold for the mold. My 22" OTG stays covered year round with a slightly shredded and loose cover and has no mold problems.

I'm thinking of getting the 22" WSM cover for the 18" WSM and see if that solves the problem. Or just leave uncovered during the summer and dump the rain water weekly. Thoughts?

EDIT: Wow! Uncovered since '79 in IL? Completely exposed? I guess I'm over-thinking this cover issue.
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All that you need to do is to invert the middle section of your WSM when you are not using it. No rain water will get inside, it will run right off. No cover needed at all.
 
Jem Scott said:
I cover mine because it sits out in the open on the deck. But, I do have a followup question about covers......

My WSM cover has elastic strips at the bottom to keep it tight, I suppose. However, I can't think of a reason not to cut those strips to make it easier to cover the smoker. It becomes annoying having to walk down the cover over the vents and such. If a wind blew up hard enough to make it fly off, I'd just go out in the woods to gather it. Anyone else with the same conundrum?
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i cut the elastic tabs on mine the first day. I keep my WSM covered in the garage...
 
brian lanius said:
All that you need to do is to invert the middle section of your WSM when you are not using it. No rain water will get inside, it will run right off. No cover needed at all.
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Thanks Brian! Had no idea! Just knew the WSM filled with water quickly without a cover. Will be going naked next summer, but like Mike C. said, keep her covered in the winter so I don't have to shovel her off!
 
Living in the high country of Arizona it's dry here, very dry and the sun is very intense at the higher altitude. But I still cover all my grilling/bbq equipment and I think thats why my 1993 weber gasser still looks like new, plus it keeps the snow off of the stuff in the winter when I don't use the grills that often.
 
If I don't cover my gasser (s-320), small birds tend to want to call it home. With my WSM, I cover it with a plastic "contractor's bag" and bungee cord it at the bottom. I've never noticed the accumulation of water under the cover. I'm lucky enough to have a porch that is covered so not a lot of elements hitting the grills anyway, but I still like keeping them covered. I think the trade off on a cover is that if you don't use one, you'll need to clean your grill/wsm more often. Also remember there are other elements besides rain (sun) that will over time degrade the finish. The wsm is porcelain so you can always buff it back into looking like new, but covering it makes that less necessary.

Regarding cutting the elastic on the Weber cover, I would do that in a minute but do realize that on a very windy day, it cut get up under the cover and blow it off. I had that happen with my plastic bag and is why I now bungee it. Basically, I just wrap the cord around it to cinch it up and keep the wind out.
 
Used to use my cover on my wsm all the time but got annoyed with it still letting water through. So, I painstakingly and thoroughly applied seam sealant everywhere necessary, and before we had any proper rain to test it with I stupidly left it lying on the floor and a couple of lump embers landed on it. Put a few small holes through the top rendering all my work pointless, I was a little annoyed to say the least!
So now I keep it covered with a big plastic bin bag, no holes, so no water leakage and much cheaper than the £48 it is for a new cover. I keep the bottom vents open to keep air circulating a little.

Pro tip - don't leave your covers on the floor while cooking!
 
brian lanius said:
All that you need to do is to invert the middle section of your WSM when you are not using it. No rain water will get inside, it will run right off. No cover needed at all.
Click to expand...

Currently giving this a try since my last cook. I've had issues with mold in the past, and always with water collecting in the bottom. Haven't checked on it in the last week or so, but plan on doing a cook next week. We've had rain, so I'm interested in verifying that inverting the middle section does keep it dry.
 
Jem Scott said:
I cover mine because it sits out in the open on the deck. But, I do have a followup question about covers......

My WSM cover has elastic strips at the bottom to keep it tight, I suppose. However, I can't think of a reason not to cut those strips to make it easier to cover the smoker. It becomes annoying having to walk down the cover over the vents and such. If a wind blew up hard enough to make it fly off, I'd just go out in the woods to gather it. Anyone else with the same conundrum?
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I have lost several covers to wind and when I do I can't seem to find them
 
I cover all of mine. I don't have a covered area (yet) for my equipment. Just helps to keep dust and tree sap off. I agree, the elastic straps are a pain, but I have not cut any of them.
 
I don't think they let moisture thru so much as they sweat in the sun. I take my covers off as soon as it stops raining and let them dry. I use the covers more to keep dust and pollen off as anything else.
 
If mine are uncovered, it means I am about to use it, I am using it, or I just finished using it. I just bought a new cover for my Genesis, not using it yet, the old one can get through the summer. For the WSM, I just added the lid hinge, so the cover is tight and a bit of a pain to put on, but I will always do it anyways.
 
Since I put 4 handles on my WSM, the Weber cover no longer fits. I tried a large (yard size) plastic bag ans it works like a charm. Been using them for a cpl years now. Just long enough to fit over the top and have some to tuck under each leg. High and dry, and I never worry about it coming off in a storm.
Tim
 
Mike Cout said:
Currently giving this a try since my last cook. I've had issues with mold in the past, and always with water collecting in the bottom. Haven't checked on it in the last week or so, but plan on doing a cook next week. We've had rain, so I'm interested in verifying that inverting the middle section does keep it dry.
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This really works. Going on two years with ZERO mold problems.

Thanks brian lanius!
 
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