Is the gasket worth it?


 
I installed the gasket when I bought my WSM and I have not had any leak or temperature problems yet. Others say they can't get a handle on maintaining temperature, but my experience with a new WSM has been great. It is not costly at all so I would just do it. Good Luck.
 
I've done two 18.5's and given assistance to others on this site about doing it. I've also put nomex under the lid of my 26. It's all about controlling the oxygen. I highly recommend Nomex. There is no downside. Justin @ BBQ gaskets.com has worked with several of us. His service is great.
 
Are you getting a lot of leaks around the door? A little bit of leakage shouldn't be a problem. If the leaks are significant, I would try to shape the door to get a better seal and ensure the latch is doing it's job correctly. I've put the Cajun Bandit SS doors on both my WSM as I just didn't like the thin flimsy door. I get just a tiny bit of smoke leaking but nothing that I am concerned about and my temps are usually pretty good - except for one cook a couple of years ago where the door/latch issue was gaping and yea, temps shot up. So a significant bad seal can play havoc.

If you want the thing as tight as possible then I would think a properly installed gasekt would do the trick. I'm just wondering that with a properly fitting door how much it effects the cook.

I agree with Bob Ivey that there seems to be some latley that had some temps issues, but I'm not so sure if it's an air control issue or more of a heat sink issue. The few threads I've read I've noticed the heat issues were with set ups that were trying to dial in a process without water in the pan, or with the pan touching the charcaol, IMHO.
 
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For me the bottom line was that the cost was minimal and I didn't want to fight with it later. Just did it when I got my WSM and have been very happy. I can't say that it made a huge difference since I never used the WSM without it but so far I have been very pleased. And as had been stated, Justin has been very helpful. Good customer service makes all the difference.
 
I used the gasket around the bottom of the mid section sealing the bowl. A lot of the bowls are out of round and the Nomex takes up any slack or variation where air can come in. It's also really nice on the surface where the lid contacts the mid section. It cushions and seals that area. The only smoke coming out of my smoker is through the vent and sometimes a bit at the thermometer. When you shut down, you shut down! The fire goes out and you save fuel.
 
Any tips for install/ I will be purchasing one here in a few days. Got the guru, so I want to make this smoker very efficient.
 
I've read from other members the instructions are to place the gasket material around the upper edge of the bowl. They had difficulty assembling the mid section because the fit was too tight, not enough clearance. When I did mine a couple of years back I placed the material at the base of the mid section. I think the materials and the adhesives are different now so I guess you will have to see what you get. Like anything else, just take your time with it. I used a peel and stick Nomex this spring for the lid of my 26. It was easy to apply and works great.
 
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