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Replacement smoker?


 
G

Greg Millman

New member
I've been using my Weber Bullet for about 20 years. The water pan hooks are gone and it's now difficult to control the temperature. I'm probably going to keep it for grilling, but for smoking, especially low and slow, I need something that works, with good temperature control. I'm looking for recommendations here. What do you recommend?
 
I would just replace the bars that keep up the water pan, if that's the only thing that is wrong with it. I like the older WSM because the original water pan is more shallow. The new water pan takes up so much room, unless you put water in it and a whole lot of it.

Is there anything else wrong with the smoker?
 
Welcome Greg. As others have said, reach out to weber to see if they have the parts to refurbish your WSM. As long as the bowl, body, and lid are intact and solid, that should be all you need.
 
Hi Greg,
I’m cheap, I’d install new parts and keep it running. No moving parts that will fail in the middle of a cook, new brackets would be easy, replacement bowl easily obtainable. Replace a few parts and you’re good to go another twenty years!
 
Get the Cajun bandit extra long supports.

They will hold a third cooking grate, plus hold the water pan.

It is a nice upgrade from the standard two grate.

Third grate comes in handy for extra cooking capacity. Or can be used to hold a disposable foil drip/water tray.

For grilling, just get a kettle. While you can use a wsm as a charcoal grill, it really doesn’t work great for that purpose.
 
Jim C in Denver said:
Get the Cajun bandit extra long supports.

They will hold a third cooking grate, plus hold the water pan.

It is a nice upgrade from the standard two grate.

Third grate comes in handy for extra cooking capacity. Or can be used to hold a disposable foil drip/water tray.

For grilling, just get a kettle. While you can use a wsm as a charcoal grill, it really doesn’t work great for that purpose.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing, Jim. Cajun Bandit always comes up with cool stuff.
 
Jim C in Denver said:
Get the Cajun bandit extra long supports.

They will hold a third cooking grate, plus hold the water pan.

It is a nice upgrade from the standard two grate.

Third grate comes in handy for extra cooking capacity. Or can be used to hold a disposable foil drip/water tray.

For grilling, just get a kettle. While you can use a wsm as a charcoal grill, it really doesn’t work great for that purpose.
Click to expand...
Last I checked they were out of stock, so I hope he is still making them.
 
Greg Millman said:
I've been using my Weber Bullet for about 20 years. The water pan hooks are gone and it's now difficult to control the temperature. I'm probably going to keep it for grilling, but for smoking, especially low and slow, I need something that works, with good temperature control. I'm looking for recommendations here. What do you recommend?
Click to expand...
I've been toying with going in a 'different direction' from the WSM too, mainly due to lack of use. However, I used mine twice last weekend for the first time this year and now remember why I like it so much. I use water in my drip pan which adds to the clean up hassle, but for locking in a temp I don't think the WSM can be beaten (without electronic means that is). It never fails to surprise me how leaving the vents fully open for a few minutes to hit temp and then partially closing dials in the temp for hours.

From what I read about pellet smokers, board issues amongst other things, I'm thinking of sticking with my 47cm. I was considering the Smoque but the release keeps getting pushed back in the UK.
 
PDay said:
I've been toying with going in a 'different direction' from the WSM too, mainly due to lack of use. However, I used mine twice last weekend for the first time this year and now remember why I like it so much. I use water in my drip pan which adds to the clean up hassle, but for locking in a temp I don't think the WSM can be beaten (without electronic means that is). It never fails to surprise me how leaving the vents fully open for a few minutes to hit temp and then partially closing dials in the temp for hours.

From what I read about pellet smokers, board issues amongst other things, I'm thinking of sticking with my 47cm. I was considering the Smoque but the release keeps getting pushed back in the UK.
Click to expand...
PID's going out is not a brand issue, it is an inherent weakness in an electronic device that is generally outdoors in humidity, is on a device with makes heat, smoke, and dust. All items which are electronics' natural enemies.
When my brother got his pellet smoker, even though it was a top of the line model at the time, the PID burned out on him twice in one year, once during a brisket cook, and the other when a friend of his was using it for a pulled pork shoulder that had a time deadline on it.

Yes, I know they have gotten better, but nothing can really stop good old fashioned hand started fire and manually controlled airflow unless someone intentionally sabotages it.
 
Greg Millman said:
The water pan hooks are gone
Click to expand...
I bought a strip of heavy stainless at Lowe's, cut it into three pieces and bent those in a bench vise into the shape of the rack supports. No welding involved, just the bending. I must have drilled holes also. I've been using those for a few years, no problems. I use the water pan more often than not, and the weight of the full water pan puts a lot of stress on the bottom tab of the racks, so a sturdy metal is needed.

I also made the bottom water pan tabs a little longer because the factory tab fits the factory water pan but I use an aluminum bowl from a local market, so there is a slight dimension difference. Anyway, cheaper and quicker than ordering from Weber or elsewhere.

I agree that using the smoker with water pan tabs that I didn't trust was not okay.
 
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