Just picked up a used WSM - Some Newbie Questions


 
M

Marty in Toronto

TVWBB Member
I picked up an 18" WSM yesterday - on Kijiji - for a whopping $50. Seller included a Weber Chimney Firestarter, half a bag of charcoal and a partial bag of wood chips - for a whopping $50 CAD. It was in excellent cosmetic and functional condition (nothing corroded/rusty/seized).

I had a look on the Weber website and it seems to be a "Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker vs a Smokey Mountain Smoker.

Other than the lack of an ash pan at the bottom below the unit and no thermometer on mine - is there anything significant I should know?
Has anyone retrofit a thermometer? - I assume masking tape will prevent scratches as I drill a hole and I will drill a pilot hole first.
Any mods I should be aware of?
 
Hi Marty,

There's no difference between "Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker" and "Smokey Mountain Smoker" or "Smokey Mountain Cooker" or "WSM" or "Weber Bullet" or "Weber Smoker". They're all the same thing. There are three models--14.5", 18.5", and 22.5". If yours is 18.5" and has no thermometer in the lid and no heat shield (not an ash pan) attached to the legs under the charcoal bowl, it was made prior to 2009.

There's no reason to retrofit the heat shield to your cooker, it's not a particularly important thing. As for the thermometer, I wrote an article on how to install an industrial-grade thermometer in a pre-2009 WSM and that's what I use in my 1997 18.5" WSM.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

Installing A Thermometer - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Detailed instructions for drilling a hole and installing a thermometer in the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Several examples of installations are shown.
www.virtualweberbullet.com www.virtualweberbullet.com

I'm sure there are some people that will try to discourage you from installing a lid thermometer, as they prefer to measure temp at the cooking grate level using a wired probe thermometer. That's always an option, but personally I really like measuring at the lid for most of my cooks...no wires, no probe getting in the way of the meat, etc. The Tel-Tru thermometer shown and linked in the article is top-notch and will last as long as the therm I've been using for 20 years now in my WSM.

Lots of great articles I've posted over the last 20 years on TVWB...check them out at www.virtualweberbullet.com

Good luck and enjoy your new-to-you cooker,
Chris
 
Congratulations Marty, you got a great deal on a great cooker.
TVWB was so helpful for me when I got started. Chris has done an amazing job with that website/blog. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
 
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