Mini WSM is taking shape

[BigRix]

Picked up a Smokey Joe Silver at Target on clearance last week and I'm finally getting my mini smoker together.

I've read a lot and have seen many use a cake pan instead of a terra cotta saucer.

Instead of putting a grate on the bottom of the pot, I just did some creative cutting and made three fingers to hold the pan.





Lined it up and there is no direct path for the heat to go strait through.

Time will tell if this works or not,



Drilled and installed stainless hardware to hold my grate 4" below the top.

When I get another grate it will rest on the steamer ridge.



Here it assembled, before I installed the lamp rod for my temp probe.



With the probe hardware in place.



Still need to make a ash shield and put handles on the dampers.

Hoping to smoke the other half of my pork butt in it on sunday.

[glrasmussen]

Looking Great!

[HankB]

Nice!

I hope that's not a non-stick coating on the cake pan.    I went with a SS dog water bowl: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033PR75K/ (After a couple cheap SS dog water bowls developed leaks.)

[pbe gummi bear]

This looks really good! Any plans to run the pan upside down? The UDS folks swear that the drippings into the fire adds flavor but ymmv.

[BigRix]

The cake pan is solid aluminum.

Uncoated.

Sprayed it down with cooking oil and fired it up.

Had to sacrifice a can of roast beef for an ash catcher so I mixed it with some beans and other fixings and I plan to put it on after an hour or so.

Can't let this coal go to waste.

[pbe gummi bear]

Good luck, Rix. Have fun with it.

[1911Ron]

Looking good, i think you will like it very much.

[BigRix]

Gathered up all my leftover coal and added some new KBB.

10-12 lit poured in the middle.



Few chunks of Hickory.

Other half of the butt I cooked up on my 22.5" kettle two weeks ago.

Famous Dave's Rib Rub. Rubbed and bagged yesterday morning.

More rub as I put it on today.

This is the end with out the bone.



Came right up to temp and is rock solid.



Went on about 1.5 hours ago.

Haven't been able to get to the store to get another grill grate yet so no drip beans

[BigRix]

Three hours in and its already at 170F.

Hope it's not too hot.

Man there are some great drippin's going to waste

Maybe they are adding flavor when the hit the pan and start to sizzle.

[BigRix]

Got probe tender at about 4.5 hours. 210F

Pulled, foiled, toweled, and in a cooler.

All those juices that shoulda been in my beans



Stirred up the coals and grilled off some pineapple slices. Made up a pineapple salsa.



Didn't get to pullin on it for a couple of hours and this is how it looked coming out of the foil.



Pork strait up on Hawaiian buns, no sauce
Soft tacos with grilled pineapple salsa
Beans that turned out great(even with out the smoke or the drippings)
Rice medley
Baked Acorn squash



Rave reviews.

Only problem, not enough leftovers

Going for the whole butt next time.

Love this little smoker and it has me rethinking whether I need to build a UDS or not.

Can't see this not making enough food for my family unless I get talked into making food for a party.

Does that happen?

[MacEggs]

After you introduced the pineapple ... Well done!  Great looking cook-up. 

[HankB]

Sizzling drippings definitely add to the flavor. In fact, that's pretty much all the Weber gassers have going for them and they produce decent grilled food. Great looking plated pix!

I get butts at Sams and they come in packs of two so we always have plenty left over.

[Hottuna]

Love your work.
That looks amazing
I also have a project such as your in the pipe line. Just waiting on my spiral tubing guy to get back to me with his prototype centre section.
How high is the section you added? Im working on 12inchs

[1911Ron]

I have both, if i'm doing a butt or a brisket i use the UDS and the mini for appetizers

[kendoll]

Gathered up all my leftover coal and added some new KBB.

10-12 lit poured in the middle.



Few chunks of Hickory.

Do you always leave a hole in the middle for the lit charcoal rather than dumping in 'on top' of the unlit charcoal? Is this how everyone does it (in a WSM too)?

Ken