WSM 18.5 - do you actually use your door for a 'typical' smoke?


 
Erik Tracy

Erik Tracy

TVWBB Pro
I'm planning on getting a pork butt this weekend, between 6-8 lbs after trimming, for pulled pork.

I have the 18.5" WSM, but the door does not seal like I would like it and I've tried to 'form' it and just end up pushing the leak spots from side to side or top to bottom.

Short of getting a new door or a gasket, I wanted to use left over automotive aluminum tape to seal the door.

My question is, if I do a full load of KB w/ wood chunks, use the minion burn method, should I be worrying about having to load more fuel for an 8lb butt?

I'm in San Diego with lingering summer heat, little wind.

Thanks!
Erik
 
Len Dennis said:
No, a full ring is way more than enough
Click to expand...

Cool.

I think I'm going the poor man's route for my first smoke by using the aluminum tape for a nice door seal, load up the ring, use my Maverick dual probe thermometer for a low and slow smoke for the pork butt.

Another question if you all will indulge me.....

Do any of you use the foil wrap on a pork butt or just keep the lid closed til 'done' (I'm using the amazingribs.com recommendation of hitting 203F)?

When using my propane rig, I go for 3hrs of smoke at 225-230F, but then....don't laugh....I transfer it to the oven set for 225 in an oven roasting bag for a tight seal to finish off til I hit 203F...have gotten stellar results.

But I really want to go more 'old school' w/ the WSM - so wrap or not?
 
I didn't foil (turned out great) at 230o wsm temps but honestly don't remember long it took for for a 5 lb butt. IMO, don't put it in a bag. In the oven is ok if you're running out of fuel/temps are dropping, but if not, leave it in the WSM.
 
Last edited:
Erik Tracy said:
I'm planning on getting a pork butt this weekend, between 6-8 lbs after trimming, for pulled pork.

I have the 18.5" WSM, but the door does not seal like I would like it and I've tried to 'form' it and just end up pushing the leak spots from side to side or top to bottom.

Short of getting a new door or a gasket, I wanted to use left over automotive aluminum tape to seal the door.

My question is, if I do a full load of KB w/ wood chunks, use the minion burn method, should I be worrying about having to load more fuel for an 8lb butt?

I'm in San Diego with lingering summer heat, little wind.

Thanks!
Erik
Click to expand...

I've seen posts of the Aluminum foil tape fusing to the porcelain if it gets hot and being a royal pain to scrape off. The better options for sealing the door are:

- Bend it by hand to get the best seal.

- Let it gunk up by doing a few cooks = This is a common method that lots of folks prefer. cooking some greasy smokey fires using scraps can help with this.

- Replace with Cajun Bandit door. The most expensive solution but people who do it, like it.

- Gasket. Kind of the happy medium IMO. Gasket is cheap, effective, and easy to install. http://www.bbqgaskets.com/. they also sell on amazon and ebay. fast shipping too.

For an 8 lb butt on an 18 i would load up the ring with wood and unlit coal and throw 15-20 lit coals on top for a minion start.
 
Charlie L said:
I've seen posts of the Aluminum foil tape fusing to the porcelain if it gets hot and being a royal pain to scrape off. The better options for sealing the door are:

- Bend it by hand to get the best seal.

- Let it gunk up by doing a few cooks = This is a common method that lots of folks prefer. cooking some greasy smokey fires using scraps can help with this.

- Replace with Cajun Bandit door. The most expensive solution but people who do it, like it.

- Gasket. Kind of the happy medium IMO. Gasket is cheap, effective, and easy to install. http://www.bbqgaskets.com/. they also sell on amazon and ebay. fast shipping too.

For an 8 lb butt on an 18 i would load up the ring with wood and unlit coal and throw 15-20 lit coals on top for a minion start.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips.

I have used the automotive tape and aluminum foil on my propane grill to make some foil 'curtains' along the top to trap more smoke with only 1 burner going. The tape has not fused to my porcelain top even after leaving it on when grilling at high temps of 500F+.

However, it does leave the adhesive residue behind and requires a good cleaning with a solvent to get back to shiny new.

I've tried bending/forming my door for a better seal, but have ended up just playing 'whack a mole' with the gaps.

For my first one smoke this weekend, I'm going to go with the tape on the inside, then order the gasket kit for the longer term fix.

Thanks guys for chiming in - I really appreciate the advice.
 
I would cook a few times with out the aluminum tape and see if you can "gunk" the smoker up enough to get a better seal. If a little air leaks its not the worst thing in the world. If it does not naturally seal up with use I would recommend a gasket kit from BBQgaskets.com I installed one and have really enjoyed it.

To wrap or not to wrap... age old question. You will get a lot of different opinions and I would recommend cooking a few ways and see what works best for you.
I do not wrap unless I am in a crunch for time. The foil really helps power through the stall. I love a black crusty outside and if I am not in a hurry just let it go until around 195 and start probing for tenderness.

Good luck!
 
Just smoked a pair of 7lb butts this past weekend. After 6 hours or so, I looked in and more than 70% of the charcoal was gone. This seems typical for my 18" using KBB. I find that I get a little more time with Stubbs, but either way I need to add mid cook.

No foil on butts, I just use patience.
 
I don't remember having to add fuel on any cook (I haven't done any large briskets). I load the ring up with Kingsford Original and smoke wood (both the 14.5" and the 18.5") and use the tin can minion method (eight lit in the smaller smoker and 12-15 in the larger). I do lots of butts (typically one butt on each grate that weighs 8.0-9.0 lbs. each) and ribs (six half racks of ribs on two rib racks at a time). I nearly always foil both butts and ribs after the bark is set (typically at 170 degrees for butts). I can't remember ever using the door to add fuel or smoke wood.

But-t-t, that's just me.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
I've never had to add fuel during a cook and always have Briquets left, I don't use water (clay saucer) and for briskets and butts I cook hot and fast at 300, all my cooks are done under 7hrs. I never remove the door from the main body. I use KBB, K Comp or Royal Oak briquettes.
 
Despite an abundance of gunk, my door still leaks a bit of smoke, but I've never had issues due to it. Occasionally, I've had to add charcoal through the door, but mostly I just use it to check the fuel status and take temp readings on whatever's on the bottom grate.

As for foiling, I almost never foil and put back in the smoker. Typically I let butts go to about 190, then foil them up tight and let 'em rest in a cooler (the bottom lined with foil-wrapped bricks on a thick towel) for several hours. Carryover cooking is a beautiful thing. In cases where I can't leave them in the smoker that long (such as needing to cook other stuff in there), I'll foil and transfer to a 250 degree oven until they hit 190 or so, then do the cooler rest bit.

Whatever you do, allow for at least an hour of rest time between taking it out of the smoker or oven and when you plan to eat. That time is crucial to break down the layers of connective tissue in there that lubricate the meat fibers from the inside out.
 
Unless your door seal is so bad that you have a hard time controlling the temps I wouldn't worry about the seal. Some smoke escapes from various areas of my WSM but I don't worry about it. A load of briquettes is more than enough for my smoker to go 12 hours or more before the need to add more. I've read posts by people that have added material around the door and various sections to seal the smoker and prevent smoke from escaping anywhere except the vents, only to have to open their vents more to keep it at the temp they want.
 
Have you tried putting the door on upside down?

I've been smoking this way the past few weeks, and I think it helps to make a better seal.
 
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