Which smokey joe for a mini WSM.


 
D

Dave Stevens

TVWBB Member
What's the consensus on which version is best, vent in the bottom or one on either side?

I'm looking for a used one at the moment and was wondering if one worked better than the other.

Although the new crimson one is pretty awesome!
 
If I had to build one, the GOLD makes best sense to me as the base of a smoker.

For straight grilling duties, my money would be on the Silver.

If I wanted something to do both well........the Jumbo. Great as a grill and big enough for small indirect setups and smokes.

Good luck.
 
G Savrnoch said:
If I wanted something to do both well........the Jumbo. Great as a grill and big enough for small indirect setups and smokes.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I don't think I'd be able to find a cheap pot the right size over here. And a jumbo joe costs £80 over here which is about $135! For that money it'd probably be better to get a WSM. Thanks for the advice.
 
I've seen where some Gold builders added a bottom Silver-type vent to get more efficient air control for long burns.
I would go Silver but if you're stuck on Gold you can do the air flow mod that someone posted a day or two ago.
Air is directed from the side vents via aluminum foil down and toward center.
 
I have the silver with the inverted can to prevent ash from clogging the vent. With that mod it works perfect and I have run up to nine hours without adding coals with a full bowl of KBB and still had coals left.
 
The inverted can allows air in until the bowl is completely filled with ash. Long before that the vents on a gold would have been blocked.
 
Joe F said:
I've seen where some Gold builders added a bottom Silver-type vent to get more efficient air control for long burns.
I would go Silver but if you're stuck on Gold you can do the air flow mod that someone posted a day or two ago.
Air is directed from the side vents via aluminum foil down and toward center.
Click to expand...

Rich Dahl said:
I have the silver with the inverted can to prevent ash from clogging the vent. With that mod it works perfect and I have run up to nine hours without adding coals with a full bowl of KBB and still had coals left.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Sounds like the silver is the way to go. Although, in the UK, the 2014 range just has the original and premium versions that both have side vents.

When did they stop having 3 bottom vents?
 
Phil S said:
The inverted can allows air in until the bowl is completely filled with ash. Long before that the vents on a gold would have been blocked.
Click to expand...
Field reports say that the Gold vents are located too high for efficient air intake.
YMMV
 
Rich D reports 9 hours with the standard Silver configuration.
If you're worried about the tuna can plugging up, use a taller can.
 
Dave, I'm late to the party, as I just saw this thread. When I built my mini, I went with the SJG as I didn't want the worry of the ash can clogging up. I did how ever build one for my brother in law using a SJS he found it functional, but after a while he purchased a SJG and said he liked it better. (For what it's worth) I get run times of 10+ hours on a full load of Stubbs briquettes with my mini. I love it and wouldn't change a thing...
Good luck,
Tim
 
Tim K said:
Dave, I'm late to the party, as I just saw this thread. When I built my mini, I went with the SJG as I didn't want the worry of the ash can clogging up. I did how ever build one for my brother in law using a SJS he found it functional, but after a while he purchased a SJG and said he liked it better. (For what it's worth) I get run times of 10+ hours on a full load of Stubbs briquettes with my mini. I love it and wouldn't change a thing...
Good luck,
Tim
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Thanks Tim,

Reading through the thread the SJG seems more popular, although I still have 20 or so pages left. Whichever I get, adding 18" WSM vents might be a plan anyway.

Cheers
Dave
 
I have built two of them using SJG so I can only speak from the experience my son and I have had with these. Due to the side vents, they tend to burn a strip through the middle and ash build up along the vents. After several hours I used a long rod that I poke through the side vents periodically to keep the air flow going consistently. You can see from the picture below that ash tends to leak out the sides. For longer cooks, I pull the pot and then stir the fire moving the coals around and add more charcoal. I recently did a pork butt this way and had consistent LNS temps for 8-9 hours with no problem.

IMG_20140422_142731_558_zpsf2af664b.jpg
 
Dave Stevens said:
Although, i'm 60 pages into the original thread and many people are saying gold is best as the tin can with holes in can get covered on long cooks. Confused now!

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?22543-S-J-Gold-Mini-WSM-Smoker/page60
Click to expand...

Fer my "tuna can", I used some gutter guard that I cut down (leftover from making my charcoal ring from) to make the sides from and made the top of the cut out aluminum bottom from the steamer pot. My setup sits just under the bottom of the charcoal grate and gives the center of the charcoal grate some support so it doesn't sag down as the grate heats up from the charcoal. ;)

I have gotten well over 12 hours with my SJS setup. By that point, I have to empty out the ashes as the bottom is usually completely full of ash. I wonder if it would be possible to combine the vents from the SJS and the SJG so you can have the best of both worlds? ;)
 
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Sounds like a good option would be SJS with a couple of WSM type vents added. But neither the SJS or the vent knits seem to be available in the UK anymore.

I guess I'll watch out for something used. Thanks for the advice.
 
Using Kingsford a couple of weeks ago, the ash built up to the underside of the charcoal grate in about 5 hours. Unless the vents on the gold are above the grate or the grate sits higher, the vents would have been blocked.

Yesterday I used Stubbs for 7 hours and there was plenty of room left.
 
Am I right that with the tuna can with holes, the holes are higher up than the holes in the Gold?

Does anyone know if anyone still sells the vent covers that would be a good fit for the sides of a Smokey Joe?
 
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