Poor Unloved Mini WSM

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?" :grin:

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.

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.

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.