New to WSM. What mods are a must?

[90b4032]

I'm picking up this 18" WSM from a Facebook sale page. I have been keeping an eye out for a used one for a while and finally found one. So what are the must have or must do mods for this puppy? Can't wait to try it out.

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[LightningBoldtz]

I would invest in some nomex gasket to seal that sucker up.

[HoosierKettle]

Personally I really like the Cajun bandit door and latch.


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[Fazz]

Garage door handles from lowes for the main drum piece. Check out YouTube vids. They helped out a lot. Lid hinge also.


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[buttman]

Wheels are a must


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[Dsorgnzd]

I would start with handles on the middle section, as Fazz said. The garage door handles are cheap, and you can attach them using the existing bolts so no drilling is necessary.  Make sure the sections are not out of round, and bend the door, if necessary, to minimize leakage. Then I'd cook with it a while to see if anything else is really needed. Choose your mods based on your own experience, don't just rush to create what other people think is the "hot setup".  I consider wheels and the lid hinge to be worthwhile conveniences, and gaskets and other attempts at making the WSM air tight to be unnecessary overkill (just my opinion after cooking for 15+ years in a WSM without them).

[fedex]

If you're going to use probes and don't have the newer version this works great.  Two pieces, 3/8 pipe cap and 3/8 dia x 1" threaded pipe.  Under $5 at HD.





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[Mike in Roseville]

Great thoughts...

Mods are all up to you. Some people use theirs stock...some slowly trick it out. My top two are the CB door/latch and eyelets for probes (next purchase).

Nomex is another good option...if you get the CB door, you probably don't need to use the nomex around the door (mine is really snug--only get faint wisps of smoke from the door). Some guys want their WSM airtight...some don't care.

I opted to not get garage handles because I have an 18 (if I had a 22 I'd probably get them). Also...depending on your cover, the handles may prevent it from sliding on all the way.

All depends on how you will use and keep your WSM.

Congrats!


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[iCARRY]

I have a 22 and It leaked a lot, I started out with the nomex on the door and it worked great. I happened to be ordering the Cajun Bandit Rotisserie so I figured I would get the door as well. The door quality and fit is amazing. I had to remove the nomex so it would close, but nothing leaks. The kit I bought also came with the high airflow charcoal ring. It's nice, it's slightly larger, the charcoal grate sits inside of it on tabs, but it is totally not needed. 



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[blksabbath]

I run mine bone stock.


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[tb80]

I run mine bone stock.


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Same here.


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[Kneab]

I have a wsm 18.
No mods. Straightened the door. The Cajun bandit door is on my wish list but not a necessity.

For shutting mine down I remove the center section and cover coals with a lid from an 18. Snuffs them out fast.

[HoosierKettle]

Bought mine used and tried everything I could with the original door and latch and it just wouldn't work. Ran hot and wouldn't shut down. I bought the door and latch not knowing if that was the only problem but it ended up fixing everything and made temps more steady than I would have ever imagined. I'm fairly anti accessory and would have preferred to run stock but that door has been a great investment for my particular wsm.

Also I don't care about small leaks on wsm or kettles and don't strive for air tight. I just wanted my wsm to cook and shut down just like all of my kettles. That lies at the heart of why I like webers in the first place.


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[Mike in Roseville]

@HoosierKettle

If the stock door on my used WSM wasn't bent in half when I bought it and the latch completely destroyed, I probably wouldn't have upgraded to the CB straight away...but really glad I did.


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[HoosierKettle]

@HoosierKettle

If the stock door on my used WSM wasn't bent in half when I bought it and the latch completely destroyed, I probably wouldn't have upgraded to the CB straight away...but really glad I did.


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Yep. Every time I open and close my cb door I get a little gleam in my eye [emoji3] the compression latch and heavy door just adds satisfaction.


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