Poor Unloved Mini WSM

[Nuco59]

Been working from home- like many others. Thought I'd do some cleaning up in the garage. I found my old Mini tucked off to the side and looking sad. It was all dusty and still had some remnants of charcoal in the bottom from some previous cook from back... heck- could not remember when.

I have a few smokers and a couple of grills. The mini is probably my favorite of them all - it was my first smoker and it was what I call "right sized"...back then.

It's just so damn small. When I started, it was just right for the wife and me. a rack or ribs, or a chicken or a butt. Now my kids ask "if you are running a smoker can I bring over x, y or z?" I'd look over at the mini- all eager and raring to go - just to have put it away for a cooker with a larger grate. This happened over and over and the mini just got pushed further and further from the "ready" line.

Until today- Gonna clean it up- and set some fire in the basket. Maybe do a nice fatty.
If they kids call and ask if I'm firing up a smoker- I'll just say "not today- why don't you bring something over tomorrow?"

[ebijack]

When Smokeninja goes back to working/traveling. Steve is going to borrow my mini. To give it a tryout.

I only use mine a few times/yr. Every year for smaller cooks and travel.
My one SIL still doesn't want a larger cooker/smoker yet. He crams 3 yard birds at a time in his regularly. He does cement work. And cooks for his crew 1 to 2 times/week. Sets it up in the morning, lets it run till lunch time.
Besides using it at home.

[Nuco59]

Back when I made it, I added studs for -and added a 2nd grate. I think I used that setup one time- did 2 spatchcocked chickens- they turned out ok. The grates being the same size, it was a bit of a pain to get them in and out. (I think the real 14 WSM has a smaller diameter on the lower grate just for this reason?) And that bottom grate definitely had to take more heat from the coal basket 4 or 5 inches below. I never put a thermo on the 2 levels to see what the difference was.

May have to try it again. After I get done with this fatty, that is.

[Czarbecue]

Pics or it didn't happen

[16Adams]

Fired it up, cleaned it out then I sat mine in the alley beside the dumpster. Gone in 30 minutes

[twofishy4u]

We had 15 gallon barrels at my old job. You cut the bottom off and they slide into a smokey joe bottom perfect and the lid fits snug on top. 2 14" in grates and you just made a mini wsm. Only issue is adding coals. I could get 6-8hrs on lump. I still have one it's been at least 5 years since it was fired.

[Nuco59]

Gonna have to re rack and shoot again.

"Hon- what happened to the chub of Jimmy Dean?"

"you ate it two days ago when I made queso dip"

best laid plans... yadda yadda.

[huskerfan1200]

Cleaned mine up earlier this week. Did a couple rib cooks. Super efficient on fuel, easy to get/keep temp and shut down. Kids are both out of house, so it perfect size for me.

[tenpenny_05]

This post hits close to home. My mini sits in the shed unused most of the time. But any time I go to use it I'm reminded of how good of a little cooker it is. I can't think of a smoker that produces better chicken or ribs. I made mine with a second shelf and can get 3 racks on if I cut them in half.

[Gimmethecash]

You could get a fatty, a chub of bologna, and some spam on that mini...

[gtr]

I love my mini, but I never use it. Makes no sense - its a great little cooker.

[Giantswede]

I don’t know why but my little homemade WSM Mini made the best pork butt I’ve ever made. It took a little more fiddling than my 18” to keep at temp but it was worth it.

[pjtexas1]

I gave my mini to a brethren. I never used it. Great little cooker though. Fits more than you would think.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[Nuco59]

I know it will hold more food than you'd suspect. I just ran into issues when I'd schedule to do one Boston Butt- but a second would wind up in my fridge with a note "Dad, would you mind doing us one too?"

I may need to look into one of the 15 (16?) gallon mini uds builds. Made one for my dad to hang ribs- and it works pretty well. Cut the bottom out to stack onto the Smokey Joe Base - made him some beefier legs. Did have the issue where the base was sort of crimped- the fit was not the best and temp management was not as good as I'd like. If I do one- will leave the drum intact on the bottom a'la a standard UDS. I should have enough room for 2 butts- maybe.