Start Stock or Modded


 
D

DrewS

New member
I'm a newbie to smoking and have decided on the WSM 18 based on a ton of reading (forums and bbq /smoking websites) and watching videos about the WSM. I am debating if I should learn and gain experience smoking using a stock WSM and then add the mods later on or start off with a modded WSM.

Mods I'm looking to get along with the WSM: DigiQ automatic temperature controller, gasket for front door & lid, cajun bandit stainless steel door, knobs, handle for center section, and caster wheels
 
From my experiences with my used 18" wsm I don't find the need for mods at all. I love how consistent mine holds temps in stock trim. My door is hardly sealed perfectly and its a champ at holding temps. One tip I will give u is line the water bowl with foil (2 layers) and skip the water my personal experience has shown me it has little benefit although others may have different experiences. Its a good smoker you will really like it. One of my favorites on this thing is applewood smoked chicken leg quarters. Good luck and enjoy.
 
I am with Jim in that I would encourage you to get to know the WSM as it's designed and sold. I will go so far as to say that you should cook with it for six months before you commit to any modifications. And I would use water in the pan for low & slow cooks of 225-275*F and an empty water pan for cooks above 275*F. Water is an insurance policy that helps you control temp, and despite protestations about cleanup, water is used by professionals in many pits to create a moist cooking environment that promotes a better smoke ring and augments any spritzing you do of the meat during cooking.

There are a lot of people who criticize the access door because it's stamped out of aluminum while the rest of the cooker is this substantial porcelain coated enamel steel. The reality is the aluminum door can be tweaked to improve the fit, if needed, and while there are some folks that really like the CB stainless steel door and especially the latching mechanism, there are others who buy it and find that it doesn't fit that well, either.

If you intend to do a lot of overnight cooking, you may gravitate toward a temp controller. I've been at this for 23 years and I still don't use one regularly. I use an alarm thermometer to let me know if my pit temp is rising or falling outside of a set range, and only then do I have to get up and take action. My WSM will run stable for at least 6 hours so I can get some sleep.

Casters? Depends on how much you need to move your cooker around; consider a rolling platform. Handles for middle section? Useful, but again I've gone 23 years without them.

I'd also suggest starting with a good quality charcoal briquet and using it again and again as you get to know your cooker. You can explore other brands and other forms like lump later.

Good luck, keep us informed of your progress.
 
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thank you everyone for all your input and advice, much appreciated. I kind of went down a rabbit hole in my research about the WSM, from articles and videos I kept telling myself "oh that is a great idea, that mods looks awesome, i should get that mod too, etc". Information overload on my part and got too excited.

You all made valid points. I'll keep it stock so I can learn how to use the way it designed and save my $$$ for the meat.
 
I don't have anything to add, other than welcome, and enjoy that new WSM when you get it in your hands. Since it's such an easy smoker to control, staying stock is easy. I think my first WSM stayed stock for 3 years other than adding a thermometer (which they didn't come with when I got it.) Once you have some experience with it, you'll know which mods (if any) might make sense for what you want to do.....funny, pretty sure that's the same advice everyone gives to new Jeep owners who want to trick out their ride for off roading! :)

Enjoy it, Drew!

Rich
 
Mine is stock, except for a thermometer cable notch, and you can do that for free.....:cool:
 
It is like buying add ons before you get a car.
Use it learn what effects it wind,rainy days,outside temps. How it vooks different meats, say a pork butt,verse a whole chicken. Different types of fuel , and different cooking temps,low and slow,or high heat. Get a remote thermometer so you have a idea what is going on with your meat without lifting the lid.
This is the art of true smoking , the fun part the art. Then you can see if you need any toys to aide you to cook better in your region,or life style.
 
I'm with the start with stock crowd with the exception of those who bought a 22" then l'd go with casters/wheels. To me it's more important the learn about your WSM then decide from there whether or not to mod.
 
I just bought my WSM and burned a chimney of charcoal in it this past weekend to get any factory oils out.

A couple mods that i did decide to do was to buy a 2nd charcoal grate, then crisscross it with the original. It keeps the little pieces of coal that have burned down from falling into the bottom. $11 mod that I think will save me money in the long run with conserving coal during a cook. Next I had some extra gasket material that I used to seal the lid on my kettle. I put a few strips of it on the door to prevent smoke leakage. I did not bother sealing the sections though, as I didn’t see any smoke leaking from there during my burn test.
 
Go ahead and spring for the Everbilt garage door handles from Home Depot.

I find them helpful. But if you never use them (unlikely), all you wasted was $6 and 5 minutes to install.
 
Until I bought a WSM 18.5 recently, I'd never smoked anything. I have cooked only two things so far: babyback ribs and salmon. The unmodified WSM maintained the temps I wanted with only very minimal bottom vent fiddling. I used the standard Minion method and full water pan both times. I'd recommend getting a two probe remote thermometer. THIS is the one I bought.
 
AlbertHui said:
... I did not bother sealing the sections though, as I didn’t see any smoke leaking from there during my burn test.
Click to expand...
Common misconception... It's the fresh air passing thru any small spaces, be it joints or fitments, that causes temperature issues. That fresh air feeds the hot coals ... AND ... You can't see it !
 
Do whatever keeps you most interested in the smoker!
For sure you'll need a good thermometer with at least two probes....one for meat and one for the grate zone. If you've researched, you've probably already ordered one of these.
Go with stock for a while and see how it goes.

Has nothing to do with performance, but I'm a big fan of upgrading the plastic handle to a nice wooden one.
 
Keep it stock for now. The only "mod" I have done to mine is wire the charcoal grate to the charcoal basket. It's because I'm lazy though, and picking up 2 pieces is just way too much when you can make it 1 piece.
 
KE Quist said:
Keep it stock for now. The only "mod" I have done to mine is wire the charcoal grate to the charcoal basket. It's because I'm lazy though, and picking up 2 pieces is just way too much when you can make it 1 piece.
Click to expand...
Also, after the cook when the fire is out and unburned coal remains (I use lump), it makes it easy to grasp the ring/grate on both sides and give it a lift, a shake, a twist, and a bounce or two. All the ash will fall through to the cooker bottom. Then you can remove and set aside the ring/grate, dump the ash from the bottom and reassemble the kit for storage. Though, I usually store it as-is, and do the shake, rattle, roll, and dump as part of the prep for the next cook.
 
New to me WSM 14 getting it's maiden voyage tomorrow with a double rack of BB ribs. I think I am ready.

I have a list of mods that would like to do, but only one or two that I need to do. Mine is an older model with no dome thermometer, so that will be my first mod. Second will be a probe port for the wireless thermometer. And an expanded mesh panel for the coal grate will also be done asap. All the other mods (hood hinge, door gasket) will come later.

I do need to fix some chips in the ceramic. If there are any good tutorials with materials lists it would be a great help.
 
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