New WSM 22.5 -- bend door?


 
R

Rick Eames

New member
I just received my WSM and assembled it. I'm noticing the door doesn't quite sit flush, bowing on either side at the top. I've tried bending it so it conforms, to no avail. Is that normal? It looks like I'd lose a lot of smoke through there.
 
Hi Rick,
My smoker came Saturday and has the same issue. I futzed with it as well and while it doesn't make full contact on one side, it makes enough contact that there isn't any smoke loss or air intake that I can tell.

Here is mine:
0530011828.jpg
 
they pretty much all come like that it sounds like. I bent mine to fit better but it's not 100%. I've hear the cajun bandit ss door is awesome. I'm planning on picking on up...one day...
 
I had the same problem. It was at least 1/2 inch away from the cooker a the top edges. I called Weber and got a replacement. The replacement was better but still not flush. My husband did a better job of forming the original back into shape. I've done 3 cooks on it and it's been fine. No smoke loss. There is a LOT of overlap between the edges of the door and the opening in the side of the smoker.
 
As long as you can control the temperatures with the vents and the coals will go out when you close all the vents I wouldn't worry about it too much.
 
Controlling the temps is truly the issue. I'm new to WSMs and as you, just got my 22. I've been struggling a bit, trying to keep temps in the 225 to 250 range. My door is the same as yours is, even though I've attempted to bend it to conform to the opening. Seems every adjustment I make causes the metal to deform in another area, so for now, I've given up. I also just ordered the CB door with hopes that it will solve the issue.
Also, measure the bottom of the center section for roundness. Mine was out by a quarter inch and with a simple adjustment, I trued it up. After that, for the first time, I was able to kill the coals in a 1/2 hour by closing the vents. Before this, my coals would go on for hours and hours.
 
Sure wish Weber would come up with a seal for the door. It would probably be an easy thing for Weber to offer and alleviate a lot of headaches for us users.
 
I was at my local DIY store today..and picked up two tubes of High Temp silicone gasket sealant..you can find it in the wood stove, fireplace sections.....I am going to run about a 1/8" bead of it along the entire inside of the WSM door....this stuff stays flexible, and so will act as a "squishy" gasket and seal the door. I think it'll work really well...I just applied it to my 18.5 and waiting for it to drive, to give it a whirl.

Dan
 
You can always place some hd foil around the door, it worked for me until I just learned to work with now it doesnt bother me so much.
 
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