New WSM..any tips/trips you'd like to share with me?

Only use the bottom vents for temp control.

for sure use it a lot. the more you do the better it gets.
mucho info here also
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/index.html

My best advice is keep things as simple as possible and learn to maintain temp in your smoker and you will do fine.

no advice

WSM Power

Start cooking on it and learn to control it. What size did you get?

There are simple mods I have done to mine that make my life easier at comps.

Take a look at this post: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1811605&postcount=1

Guru/Stoker/Cajun Bandit probe eyelets are helpful.
I made some of my own here:







I would make a smaller diameter charcoal ring for the 22" WSM for short cooks.




Or if you intend to do long unattended low temp cooks a Cajun Bandit stainless ring holds a whole 22lb bag of Kingsford.





Universal garage door handles from Lowes/HD are an easy bolt on mod for the 18" bullets.

If it's brand new, the thermo may be suspect. Put an oven thermometer on the grate and see.

A second charcoal grate turned 90 degrees from the original keeps smaller pieces of charcoal in play.

Turn the center section upside down to keep rain out if you'll be storing it outside.

The WSM is the greatest invention since the Saturn V rocket.

Keep a lid on it. Don't take it off to baste, mop, flip, poke or oogle. Get a wireless thermo and check for doneness when you have good reason to believe it's done.

foil the water pan for easy clean up.

All excellent suggestions/advice...I've only one to add and that is: Have Fun!!!!

1. It will run hot in the beginning.
2. It was built for charcoal but lump will work.
3. Season it well with a few light cooks (wings, fatty, etc) or dry runs (no food)
4. Consider a BBQ Guru. It may be somewhat costly but makes overnight cooks a breeze.
5. Get the eyelets from bbqguru.com. They are very convenient.
6. Always keep the top vent wide open.
7. Use water in the pan for low and slow (my opinion, others will differ)
8. Use no water but foil wrap for hot and fast.
9. Consider metal tape around the door. You won't need to open it during cooking anyway and this will seal any leaks.
10. Enjoy it. It is a great smoker.

P.S
Use the minion method for any cooks over 4 hours. It should hold temps well with this method for at least 9 hours. Others have reported as much as 13 or so on the 22.5 and longer on the 18.

My tip. Cook, cook, cook. I love my 18.5 WSM. Now I do have a Backwoods Gater on order but my WSM has done me well.

Enjoy it they are a great cooker.

Tips: I got the guru eyelets and love them for getting probes into it.

I've gotten 16 hours on a load of fuel with my stoker on a 40 deg. night. Funny thing was my stoker fan didn't turn on at all overnight, only towards the end of the cook.

Ron_L said:

Here is a post that I did a while ago on using the minion Method in a WSM.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=948954&postcount=10

Also, there is a Google search lower down on the page. Search for WSM and you'll find a bunch of info right here on the good old BBQ Brethren. The Virtual Weber Bullet site is great, but why leave here until you have exhausted all of our resources? :-D

Click to expand...

Great minion method tutorial...

Consider sand or a clay pot in the water pan instead of water. Many swear by it as a better heat sink and the only way to get it to run hotter temps if you desire.

Buy a replacement lower rack, use stainless steel U bracket and bolts and washers and you can make a rack that sits midway between the lower and upper as either another spot to choose from depending on temps or to give you 50% more cooking space. Works on everything but butts usually (too big); terrific for getting more ribs and chicken on, and being able to run a 3rd brisket.

Guru is nice, but expensive. Consider an iQue first for playing with. Only about $100 and works great.

Don't base any modifications off the first couple cooks. It will change a bit. But once it's broken in it'll be as consistent as a wet fart.

If you cook in the cold get a strip (10ft) of Reflectix double sided heat barrier. You can wrap it around the pit and secure it with a bungee cord. In the cold and/or wind it will make a huge difference. If it's raining the lip will catch water. The Reflectix will stand about 2 feet above the lid. Pinch it together at the top and clamp it...walla cold, wind and waterproof. You can run a flexible piece of dryer venting from over the exhaust to out the top of one of the corners or straight out of the overlap to ensure adequate draft.

Don't get overly fancy. It's designed to work perfectly. K.I.S.S.

These are all good tips. I have an iQue 110 for temp control on mine. It is less expensive than the other controllers, but works great for me.

CD

I've got 8 or 9 cooks in on my WSM and flat out love it. The last cook was chicken thighs but I didn't use a pan, instead using the cooker like a grill, and I love the results. Still got the smoke but not the burnt that you might get cooking over coal in a kettle,

The guru eyelets are terrific. I've also got a clay saucer to try in place of the water pan.

You might consider getting a cheap floor mat, piece of carpet or one of those garage oil mats to place near the cooker, for those times you need to remove the lit and/or main section. They will leave a round grease stain where ever you set them down.

Enjoy.

When you are traveling to a comp make sure that the WSM is completly secure in the back of the pickup truck. Not that I would know anything about that....:icon_blush: The metal door will fly off at 70mph on a windy day!:icon_blush: Luckily another comp team saw it and picked it up and gave it back at the comp. I tied rope around the lid and was alerted by a passing car that the lid was dangling on a rope near the license plate!:doh: have a great day!