My new MINI WSM

[KyleDeBernardi]

Hello All,

I'm so happy I found this forum and did this build. I always wanted a RMS but couldn't shell out the money for one. The MINI is perfect!
Here's my build I wanted to share with the forum.

I purchased a used smokey joe on CL for $10, and used it for the extra parts. I wanted to add the extra vent on the bottom to be able to increase the temperature if needed. Also, now I have a spare lid vent in case I want to add it later.

Heres my bottom. I closed up the vents on the bottom, and added one on each side.
IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/louisdogg/Weber/593C1A5C-FEC8-445C-8848-77814EBB1B4E-6792-000006830E7D6D15.jpg[/IMG]

Heres the IMUSA 32 QT Pot with the bottom cut out installed...

Heres the 12" pizza pan installed on the 1/4"-20 x 1" LG screws

First cooking surface resting on the lip of the cooker...

Second cooking surface on the 3 1/4"-20 x .5" LG screws...

And heres the finished cooker, next to big brother OTG

I put around 20 lit coals in earlier, and with one bottom vent open it went up to near 275. Closed it to about 3/4" open, and now Im sitting at around 250 for around an hour.

Any ideas on my first cook? I think im gonna put a tri tip in around 1 or so to have for dinner.
Thanks everyone

 

[Adam Terhune]

That's an awesome looking build Kyle. I think you'll be impressed with the results regardless of what you cook first. Tri Tip sounds delicious.

 

[ScottE]

Nice build!! Time to get er smokey and greasy

 

[TJMartin]

Nice Mini!

I did a 5 1/2 lb Boston Butt on mine for it's first cook,12 1/2 hrs. I now today since this morning at 530 have had my second cook on it, another Boston Butt, this one around 7-8lbs.

Have fune!

 

[Chad Anderson]

Thats a great looking mini! I did a pork butt and ABTs on mine yesterday, but smoked meatloaf is the family favorite so far... so I recommend the meatloaf. What ever you choose, you're going to love how easy it is to use the mini, have fun with it!

 

[Hank H]

Kyle, Howdy;

Like the inovative idea of just closeing out the bottom vents compleatly.
Where'd you get the disk that you used?
What's the highest tep you've gotten with it? Over 300?

thanks;

hank

 

[KyleDeBernardi]

Kyle, Howdy;

Like the inovative idea of just closeing out the bottom vents compleatly.
Where'd you get the disk that you used?
What's the highest tep you've gotten with it? Over 300?

thanks;

hank

In my test run last night with only a few coals, I hit 300 pretty easy. I just purchased some sheet metal and cut a disk out with the aviation snips I used to cut the 32 QT pot. The drilled a hole in the center, and used some stainless hardware to seal it to the bottom. The first time I did it, I tightened the bolt to much and it buckled the disk. I found you just have to tighten it a little, so that the disk doesnt buckle. You can see the gap if you flip it upside down. The disk is not flush with the bottom of the weber, but I dont think it matters...

Its currently sitting at around 375 in the middle of my first cook.

I have a smaller tri-tip on the bottom rack, and a whole chicken on the top.

I really hope these things turn out edible, I feel like I dont know what I'm doing haha.

I just closed one of the bottom vents about half open, and the other one is still fully open. I am trying to maintain around 325-350 to crisp the chicken skin from the get go.

This is a great thing to do on a Sunday while watching football!!

 

[Hank H]

Kyle, Howdy;

Sounds like ya got it nailed... Ya might think twice
'bout that yard bird... Looks like it ate something that dissagreed wiff it... ;-)

hank

 

[Dwain Pannell]

Nice lookin build there. I cooked a fattie and some pieces of bacon as my first cook to get some seasoning build up on the inside. The highest I could go was 285* with a water pan so I just got a terra cotta clay saucer for it today and an anxious to see how I can control temps.

 

[Earl D.]

I thought smoking chicken over another kind of meat was a no-no. Chicken goes on the bottom.

 

[KyleDeBernardi]

I thought smoking chicken over another kind of meat was a no-no. Chicken goes on the bottom.

This is probably true, I was not lying when I said I do not know what I'm doing.

Why chicken on the bottom and not the top?

Thanks guys.

Tri-Tip was good, but overdone. I left it in too long... Chicken was surprisingly moist however.

 

[glen jones]

Nice lookin build there. I cooked a fattie and some pieces of bacon as my first cook to get some seasoning build up on the inside. The highest I could go was 285* with a water pan so I just got a terra cotta clay saucer for it today and an anxious to see how I can control temps.

If you don't use water and use somthing like a pie or pizza pan only,you can get that heat up.If you catch it on the way up you can control the heat and get a long burn.

 

[Russell Y]

Chicken on top or bottom. The danger lies if you take off the bottom meat off before the top meat is finished. Since the top meat is still cooking, you run the risk of drips from uncooked meat. If both are to temperature, there should be no problem.

 

[Charlie L]

In my test run last night with only a few coals, I hit 300 pretty easy. I just purchased some sheet metal and cut a disk out with the aviation snips I used to cut the 32 QT pot. The drilled a hole in the center, and used some stainless hardware to seal it to the bottom. The first time I did it, I tightened the bolt to much and it buckled the disk. I found you just have to tighten it a little, so that the disk doesnt buckle. You can see the gap if you flip it upside down. The disk is not flush with the bottom of the weber, but I dont think it matters...

Its currently sitting at around 375 in the middle of my first cook.

I have a smaller tri-tip on the bottom rack, and a whole chicken on the top.

I really hope these things turn out edible, I feel like I dont know what I'm doing haha.

I just closed one of the bottom vents about half open, and the other one is still fully open. I am trying to maintain around 325-350 to crisp the chicken skin from the get go.

This is a great thing to do on a Sunday while watching football!!

If you don't want to cut the circle out of sheet metal here is an easy alternative:
Use a Round Blank Box Cover found in the electrical section of HD, lowes, etc.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-25ecodZ5yc1v/R-100163598/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=Round+Blank+Cover&storeId=10051#.UFHI47KPXTo