New Smokey Mountain Owner

[Papaws Smoke House]

Hello friends! I am a new Weber Smokey Mountain owner. I have been cooking on a 22 Weber Kettle for years and would not be without it. I picked up a used 22.5 last Friday from FB Marketplace. The body is in great shape but the grates were rusted out. I have new stainless steel grates and a lid hinge on the way. I hope to add casters soon as well. Any advice on mods that are your "can't live without" mods for this cooker. I went big for my first but feel like an 18 may need to be added to the smoke house down the road. Any advice from the veterans will be appreciated. 

[bamakettles]

Hello and welcome to the fun from Huntsville, AL!  You'll have a lot of fun with a WSM.  They're very versatile and can handle hanging ribs, multiple level cooking and various methods.  I also got mine used over 6 years ago for very cheap and spent a lot on upgrades.  I'll add the link below for my upgrade thread from that timeframe.  Some youtube channels to check out that helped me are T-ROY COOKS and Phil N Florence (rest in peace).  These guys can take you from the basics to more advanced cooks without making things complex.

Good luck and have fun with it!

Cheers

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