Fire pit burner in WSM or similar?

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WareZdaBeef

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I had an idea to add a 18 inch fire pit burner ring to my WSM knock off. Unlike the WSM, the bottom is flat and the intake is on the side and not the bottom. These fire pit burner rings are meant to have the gas come from below which in my head would work perfect but what i am debating is to have the ring mounted below or above the charcoal basket. Any idea's out there? Besides why i want to do this.
But if it matters, It would be nice to have an assist for getting temps higher and not having to add more charcoal at the backend of the cook.

Also, do these things get hot enough?
 
Uncharted territory, guess i'll do the leg work.
 
I'm not sure there's a good answer. Burner below the charcoal basket and you have all the ash falling all over it which I can't imagine being good. The burner might take up room the ash needs to keep from smothering out- again not good.
Above the basket and it and the connections are being subjected to heat from the charcoal- not wonderful. Raising it up higher won't help much and will put your burner closer to the food..

Yep- you are probably in uncharted waters. Be safe. Remember that the "no eyebrows look" is not - and never has been- in fashion.
 
I would thing that getting enough oxygen to the burner would be an issue. I once tried to use the fire starter burner in my weber kettle when I was nearing the end of a long cook to raise the temp to finish it and every time I shut the lid it would go out. Maybe you could raise the fire basket enough to install a burner from a side burner from a gasser or a burner from a turkey frier under the ash pan. The combustion for one of them could come from outside the grill.
Something like this one possibly? Are you looking for higher temps or longer cooks?
https://www.essentialhardware.com/barbour-international-bg10-replacement-outdoor-cooker-burner-4-x-9-161568.html?utm_campaign=bing&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc

800585_size_2_newsize_2000.jpg
 
Maybe i am better off adding an electric element.
 
Cook said:
Thought about buying a gas smoker?
Click to expand...

I like the color and flavor you get from charcoal, so i would still be in the same boat trying to convert a gas smoker to charcoal, lol.

I have an electric smoker, but the element finally took a $hit this year. Instead of buying a replacement element, i would much rather add one to the charcoal smoker for that extended cook. It was a pain to have to move everything to the electric smoker.
 
I wouldn't recommend adding a gas element to something that doesn't have the right intake/exhaust/venting system etc. As it is, even gas smokers can shut off. I had that happen one time with my GOSM on a windy day. Not only lost time, but thank God a spark didn't ignite the full chamber of gas fumes. Biggest reason I got rid of the GOSM. For a gasser, I could not get high temps on it. Plus, forget about using it on windy days.

As for adding an electric element, make sure the wiring doesn't over heat and get fried. Now you have a whole different issue there.

Can you mod it so that maybe it can hold more coal and give you longer cook times?

Just my .02

Bob
 
robert-r said:
Myself... I'd work on increasing air flow and stick with charcoal.
Click to expand...

As far as Higher initial temps, i am not sure if its air flow, but rather im cheap and only put about 6-7lbs of kbb in, and expect to get at least 8 hours out of it. If i dumped two chimney's in at once i would easily get a higher temp. I probably just need to suck it up and use the minion method instead of the snake.

But the reason i wanted gas or electric assist is for when the bark is set, wrapped, and i just want to get some sleep and set and forget it. At first i was thinking gas, but now i am rethinking it, and leaning more toward electric element that can reach atleast 200F but i would most likely never need to stay steady at 175F
 
farmer-fred said:
I would thing that getting enough oxygen to the burner would be an issue. I once tried to use the fire starter burner in my weber kettle when I was nearing the end of a long cook to raise the temp to finish it and every time I shut the lid it would go out. Maybe you could raise the fire basket enough to install a burner from a side burner from a gasser or a burner from a turkey frier under the ash pan. The combustion for one of them could come from outside the grill.
Something like this one possibly? Are you looking for higher temps or longer cooks?
https://www.essentialhardware.com/b..._campaign=bing&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc

View attachment 159037
Click to expand...


Borrowing Brethren Farmer's pic, The O2 intake is where the O2 fuel mix takes place to cause combustion. It has to be a 10/1 mix for Nat Gas. Not sure about propane. You would definitely need a flame spreader (not cover) if you put it under the coal. A better option might be a gas Ring.



Just my .02
 
WareZdaBeef said:
As far as Higher initial temps, i am not sure if its air flow, but rather im cheap and only put about 6-7lbs of kbb in, and expect to get at least 8 hours out of it. If i dumped two chimney's in at once i would easily get a higher temp. I probably just need to suck it up and use the minion method instead of the snake.

But the reason i wanted gas or electric assist is for when the bark is set, wrapped, and i just want to get some sleep and set and forget it. At first i was thinking gas, but now i am rethinking it, and leaning more toward electric element that can reach atleast 200F but i would most likely never need to stay steady at 175F
Click to expand...


Easier fix.....don't be so cheap and use more coal. :becky:

If bark is set and its wrapped, then use the oven and get some ZZZ's.

Bob
 
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BobBrisket said:
Easier fix.....don't be so cheap and use more coal. :becky:

If bark is set and its wrapped, then use the oven and get some ZZZ's.

Bob
Click to expand...

Wife is on my $hit about how the Q stinks the house up with smoke smell. This is why my MES was worth its weight in gold. But now that the element took its last crap, Im debating on my next route.

PS, it might not even be the element. I meanm i felt it, its obviously not getting hot, but for all i know it could be something else.
 
I use a cheap turkey roaster to finish and hold Q. Saves fuel, can be used in the garage and dials down as low as I want
 
WareZdaBeef said:
Maybe i am better off adding an electric element.
Click to expand...

You would be best off adding more charcoal. Charcoal smokers are meant to run with lots of fuel and then restrict the air to control the temperature. You are looking to spend dollars worth of gas to make a bomb or $$$ on electric elements that won’t last long so you can save $0.50 worth of charcoal? Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.
 
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