Mini WSM

[SmoothSmoke]

What's better for a mini WSM, silver or gold smokey joe? 

[Hogsy]

Personally I like the gold.
No ash build up problems

[ramsfan]

A lot of people have complained that with a Smokey Joe Gold, they can't keep the charcoal lit because the vents are on the side walls of the charcoal bowl and it doesn't provide good air flow. They say the Smokey Joe Silver works better because the vent is on the bottom and the air can flow directly up through the charcoal and pass through to the top vent damper. Go on Amazon and read the negative reviews. 

[Hogsy]

Yeah I've heard that
I don't know what there doing, I used mine last week and had it sitting on 235f for 18 hrs
I only had to stir the coals once, I made a charcoal ring for mine maybe that helps with the airflow

[ramsfan]

They call the Smokey Joe Gold "The Smokey Slow" because of the poor design of the vent holes on the side of the charcoal bowl. Go on Amazon and read all the 1,2,3, and some of the 4 star reviews. Every single complaint is about how people have trouble keeping the charcoal lit. One guy wrote that he had to use a piece of cardboard to fan the charcoal to get it to stay lit. He said when he was done, he was a Smokey Joe too. lol.

I prefer the Smokey Joe Silver for a mini WSM simply because the air vent is directly below the charcoal and it can pull the air and smoke straight up through the smoker and out the top. As far as avoiding ash build up over the vent, take an old tuna can and turn it upside down. Get one of those can openers that will punch a triangular hole in a metal can. Some people call them a "church key". Go around the edges and make a bunch of holes evenly spaced apart. Place this upside down over the vent hole in the bottom of the charcoal bowl.

[1911Ron]

I have the gold no real problems (could be i don't know enough to know better )

[G]

+1 for the Gold.....however, I did add one three hole 18" WSM replacement damper to one side of the bowl.  Like Hogsy, mine will hold temps in the low 200s for a long time.  It works great for small cooks.

[DoppelBock]

I have a gold and a silver, one with one vent and the other with three vents. I would agree that the gold's side vents could make it a challenge to keep the coals hot enough for grilling, which seems to be the biggest issue with the gold. But low temps are very easy with the side vents (provided your vents are flush with the bowl    ). And as Hogsy said, 18 hrs isn't impossible.
If you're looking for the versatility of grilling and smoking, then I would go with the silver. Like everyone else, I added a short can wide enough to cover the bottom vent to keep the ash out of the vent. Probably went overboard on it, but here it is...


I haven't put the pot on the three vented silver yet, but my thought is I might have to treat it like a wsm and poke at the vent holes every now and then with a thick wire.

[Duke]

That is sweet Chad! Please share how you made that.

[DoppelBock]

That is sweet Chad! Please share how you made that.

I go through the Goodwill by my house looking for BBQ utensils and equipment every other week. I saw a ss basting cup that was the right width to cover the vent on the silver. So I cut it down to fit just under the grate and slid the other piece, the top with a lip, over the bottom (now the top). Drilled some holes and gave it a slight twist to make the holes smaller. I also added some extra aluminum to cover the top that slightly extends beyond the sides, acts as a roof.
A tuna can would probably work just fine, but I couldn't resist a $1 ss basting cup

[glrasmussen]

That is nice! I have a GW not far. Guess I 'm making stops on my Saturday eronds.

[Duke]

Thanks Chad!

[DoppelBock]

You can find some very useful items there. I found a 14" pie pan for $5; perfect fit for the mini. Those pizza pans I picked up at Rainbow are roughly the same size, I haven't tried those just yet.
Every time I go in I keep hoping I'll find a nib kettle in any color other than black

[SmoothSmoke]

Thanks.  I'm trying to build a mini wsm.  I have a few silvers laying around.  Don't really want to buy a gold if I dont have to.   

I'm thinking of drilling the holes at the bottom of the pot and using that along with the strainer as the diffuser.  Perhaps only putting in 1 cooking rack, and making a charcoal basket. 

[Craig]

I bought a cat dish that i'm going to drill holes in for the "vent cover". I'm waiting for nicer weather to come so I can get to work on this.