Just bought a WSM, finally!


 
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Rick S

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After visiting this site for over a year,I finally ordered my WSM today. There's only 3 left at Amazon but they say they have more on the way.

Don't know what to do with my modified Brinkmann Gormet now. It's honestly not a bad smoker, you just can't make your coals go out and you can't always adjust the temperature perfectly. The dampers I put in the bottom have helped it. Hey, I don't have to worry about that anymore I have the real mccoy on the way!
 
That's the truth! Thanks to this great site, and since I've followed Chris's cooking directions on several things the Modified Gormet ECB worked fairly well, but just not well enough.

Whoever I give it to will eventually get a WSM!

I've already got 2 new ind thermometers to go on the new WSM, and a Brinkman water pan . All I need is to pic up some handles for the body and I'll be set.
 
I know this is a little late, but if you can close off the air hole in the bottom of your Brinkmann Gourmet, you can put out the coals. Take the center section off of the charcoal pan, and put the lid directly onto the pan (carefully, so there's no gap around it). The fire will go out.
 
My Brinkmann Gormet is modified and that hole is closed off. I took a one touch cleaning system from a 18 1/2" kettle and flattened the blades. I then made 9 new holes in the bottom of the bottom chamber, connected the one touch handle to the blades through the center hole and tried to seal the hole up with ss washers and a tinfoil gasket. the 3 flattened blades covered the 9 new holes ( 3 per blade) and allowed me to control incoming air as I moved the blades with the one touch handle. I also added new holes to the top of the Brinkmann inner fire pan to allow more air into the pan, and added a charcoal grate and fire ring in the pan. The inner pan collected the ashes.

During a cook in fair weather it did ok. I could control the temp, but I couldn't do squat to the exhaust gap around the grill lid. I did order a WSM lid vent and considered putting it in the top and making a tinfoil gasket around the body/lid gap but I left it alone.

I did have temp spikes a few times, and let's face it the sheet metal is thin but I gave it my best shot. I tried putting the coals out with the lid over the charcoal area only. It would appear to go out, I would put everything back together and it would re-ignite.

I think I will keep the Gormet as my 2nd smoker. I did cook some very good ribs on it, and the 1 hr no-water-in-the-pan Chicken came out very good. I did a few good port butts in it too, a few times they just cooked quicker than I would have liked ( temp spikes). I really wanted a real WSM. I may just keep tinkering with the Gormet on the side.
 
You can try placing the body of your old smoker under the body of the WSM for a "double-high" smoker. Gives you more capacity. If the fit is close, but not tight, use foil as a gasket.

Just a thought.
 
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