Where to start with mods?

[Mary M]

I've got a WSM, about three years old now. It's been great but now I'm looking at doing some mods, and wondering which are the most useful. I could definitely use some better thermometage, I just took the long-probe temp gauge from my weber gas grill and stuck it down a top vent, not very scientific I know. Beyond that, I'm looking for some other mods that will make my weber perform better and/or be more versatile. Any thoughts about where to start?

 

[RDOwens]

A good mod, imo, is the installation of eyelets in the body of the WSM. This allows one to thread probes in at grate level and into the meat.

I use Maverick ET-73 thermometers, but there are others to select.

 

[Glenn W]

Add another grate between bottom and top, I'm gonna do mine close to the top and then put another upside down on the top so I can do more ribs laying flat!

If you use lump, have some expanded metal cut for the cc grate to keep small pieces from falling through.

 

[Phil Perrin]

Mary,the door prop mod,makes the WSM even more useful,and easier to do HH cooks.

 

[Robert Oleksak]

Mary where are you from in western,Ma.? I'm in Westfield.

 

[Larry D.]

A handy mod for cooking with lump charcoal is a second charcoal grate (or, the cooking grate from a Brinkmann, which works just about as well) turned 90 degrees to the original. This prevents smaller pieces of lump from falling through as you cook. Here is more information.

 

[John09]

I don't know how anyone could use the wsm without handles. It just makes it too easy to tend the fire if necessary. I also like that I can pre-fill the cook chamber while the fire gets going and then just drop it on.

Wheels are pretty handy too if you store it indoors.

 

[Jim Lampe]

As mentioned above, side handles + wheels... handles on bottom food rack + an added middle rack... here's another tiered middle rack... and the 3-in-1 charcoal grate/chamber with handles as documented here.
Also, as Phil Perrin stated, the access door prop... found here is an easy mod and very useful.

 

[timothy]

X3 on the handles, and then you can easily add a lid holder.

Tim

 

[Carl H.]

One I really like is wiring the charcoal ring to the grate.

 

[Bill Comerford]

Or just buy the improved one from The Cajun Bandit.

 

[Scott Dace]

Most usefull mods I have done was to raise the charcoal grate above the vents and bolt on 2 garage door handles to the mid section for easier lifting. I use a Turkey fryer thermometer that I run through a cork and stuff in one of the top vent holes, works like a charm.

 

[Chris E]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Lampe:
As mentioned above, side handles + wheels... handles on bottom food rack + an added middle rack... here's another tiered middle rack... and the 3-in-1 charcoal grate/chamber with handles as documented here.
Also, as Phil Perrin stated, the access door prop... found here is an easy mod and very useful. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Jim, which handles did you bolt on the body? Weber has a couple sizes. I assume the cover will fit over the handles too.

Anybody seen a handle/mod to lift the wsm in one piece. I have to carry mine to it's storage location over grass.

 

[Jeff Wildrick]

How do you drill for the handles, without creating the potential of rust through where you've drilled through the enamel?

Jeff

 

[timothy]

Originally posted by Jeff Wildrick:
How do you drill for the handles, without creating the potential of rust through where you've drilled through the enamel?

I just used fiber washers between the mid-section and the brackets. You could also touch up the bare metal with a shot of HH Rust-oleum grill paint. Ive had my handles on for over 2 yrs, and the only rust spots on my 08 WSM are at the spot welds on the original lid handle.

HTH
Tim

 

[Jim Lampe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chris E:
Jim, which handles did you bolt on the body? Weber has a couple sizes. I assume the cover will fit over the handles too. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Chris, I used the plastic handles by Weber butt I made the stainless steel handle that attaches to the middle unit of the WSM. The cover for the 18" WSM does NOT fit over the smoker with the side handles on, I bought a new 22" cover from Weber.

 

[Morrey Thomas]

RDOwens had a post regarding Guru eyelets and running a Maverick ET-73 probe thru the eyelet. I have this same setup but cant get the meat probe of the ET-73 to pass thru the eyelet due to the 90 degree bend on the probe. RD...how do you get your probe to pass thru?

 

[RDOwens]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Morrey Thomas:
RD...how do you get your probe to pass thru? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I push it in to the bend then put the point to the top of the smoker and thread the rest of it through. I do this while the mid section is off the base.

My usual set-up is to place lump in the base, light the chimney, and assemble the thermometers. Right before the coals go on, I bring out the meat and place the probes into it. That way I can drop the mid section on and have things working from the get-go.

To get the probe in though, I have had no troubles. I do rotate the grate so the handle is near the eyelet. There is a larger gap there to bring the probe through the grate.

 

[D Arita]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Lampe:
As mentioned above, side handles + wheels... handles on bottom food rack + an added middle rack... here's another tiered middle rack... and the 3-in-1 charcoal grate/chamber with handles as documented here.
Also, as Phil Perrin stated, the access door prop... found here is an easy mod and very useful. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Jim,
just got a 22" and would love to know where you got those handles?

 

[Mac]

I'd like to add to the list if I may.
Install another top vent if you plan on High heat cooks.