WSM 18" not Cooling in a Timely Manner after Use

[Chris OH]

Hello,

My six year old or so 18" WSM is taking multiple hours to cool down after use. Usually, I check after an hour or so, and at that, point, it's still 200 - 250 degrees at the lid, and way too hot to put the cover back on it. After I use it, I fully close all vents including the lid, so I suspect I have a leak somewhere. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do so I don't have to continue waiting until the next morning for it to fully cool down? Thank you!

Chris

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

I wait.

 

[timothy]

Frequently Asked Questions - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, including temperature control, troubleshooting, cleaning & more.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

 

[Chris OH]

Frequently Asked Questions - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, including temperature control, troubleshooting, cleaning & more.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

Thanks. The leftover charcoal is NOT completely consumed the next day, so it sounds like a leak is not the primary issue. If so, I have no problem continuing to wait until the next morning to put the cover back on.

 

[timothy]

Yea that's what I usually do. What are you using for fuel? Some brands burn hotter longer.

 

[Chris OH]

Yea that's what I usually do. What are you using for fuel? Some brands burn hotter longer.

Kingsford blue bag briquettes. Potentially related, I have noticed that my smoker temperature does seem a bit hard to control but always assumed that was due to not using water in the pan. The door does seem to have a bit more of a gap than normal, so it's probably time to try to bend it back into place a bit or even give the (expensive) Cajun Bandit door a try.

 

[Richard S]

The beauty of the WSM is that it holds temp. And holds, and holds, and holds…

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

The beauty of the WSM is that it holds temp. And holds, and holds, and holds…

Ain’t that the truth! Also considering the Cajun bandit door, I’ll tweak the stock door a little first.

 

[timothy]

Also you could try taking off the mid section ( since you don't use the water ) and putting the lid directly on the charcoal bowl.
That should snuff it out alot faster.

 

[ChrisGariepy]

Leave the lid off and open all the vents, remaining coals will burn quicker……or just wait

 

[Richard S]

I don't think it is a good idea to put a cover on any charcoal Weber grill until the day after you use it. Kettles stay hot for hours too...

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Just go to bed, it will be cold by morning.

 

[Brian Johnson]

Hello,

My six year old or so 18" WSM is taking multiple hours to cool down after use. Usually, I check after an hour or so, and at that, point, it's still 200 - 250 degrees at the lid, and way too hot to put the cover back on it. After I use it, I fully close all vents including the lid, so I suspect I have a leak somewhere. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do so I don't have to continue waiting until the next morning for it to fully cool down? Thank you!

Chris

Hey @Chris OH - I haven't read all of the advice/articles that everyone has posted in this thread, so forgive me if I'm just repeating what everyone else has said. I've never sat with a stopwatch and IR gun to track how long it takes my WSM to cool, but I always end up waiting before the cover goes on. Depending on how hot and/or how long I ran it, I have come back an hour or two later and she's still warm. That said, I'm also slightly paranoid about accidentally bumping the vents open when I put the cover on so I typically wait till the next day (or right before bed if I finished an overnighter that morning) before putting on a cover.