Help with WSM!

[Jeffro N]

I have a issue with my WSM 22.5” that has me baffled.

The problem goes back to last summer when I inadvertently let a fire unit get away from me to the point where I had temps well over 400°- hot enough that the aftermarket gasket I had installed on the WSM door actually caught fire (!). Since that event, the cooks I have done have produced product that is edible, but has a bit of an aroma of acrid smoke, as well as an undesirable aftertaste. The smell of the cold smoker is sort of that of an ashtray, definitely something I never noticed before this. I am using an amount of wood chunks comparable to what I have in the past so I don’t believe the problem is over smoking. I have tried brushing down all of the inside of the unit, followed by rinsing with a water hose. I have not used any type of soap or chemical on the inside surfaces to this point. I have replaced the factory issue door with an aftermarket SS door (no trace of the gasket remains).

The only thing I can even think of being an issue is residue left in the smoker from the burning gasket. I know heat alone shouldn’t be the culprit as the initial “burn-in” of the unit produced higher temps than what I experienced a few months ago (I hadn’t yet installed the door gasket at the time of initial burn in). Is another high temp burn-in the answer? The WSM is such a simple piece of equipment I can’t imagine why I’m having such issues.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[twofishy4u]

I guess I would get some spray on oven cleaner and start over cleaning. Once done with that use soap and water and get it like new clean. Do a burn in and then it should be good to go. I'm guessing you have residue in there somewhere that is making the smell.

 

[Jeffro N]

Yeah, I guess that's the next move. I have a can of easy off oven and grill but haven't tried yet as the instructions say don't use on interior surfaces. Thinking if i rinse well and then burn in any residue should be taken care of, hopefully.

Thanks for the response.

 

[Shadowdog500]

You can clean it out with dawn dish soap like you would do dishes. I clean mine out completely with Dawn every spring until it looks like new.

If there is anything left after the dawn just burn it out.

Fill the smoker with charcoal like normal(I use Kingsford blue bag). don’t add any smoke wood. Dump a chimney of lit charcoals on top, assemble the smoker in the normal way ,with a dry water pan, grates, lid, door, etc. open all the top and bottom vents wide open. And let it go. It will reach around 470°-500°F and will sit there for hours and hours. Once it is done and the grill is cool everything inside should look like the day you bought it.

I keep mine clean as new most of the time, and am not in the camp that thinks gunk=flavor. In some cases gunk = what you are experiencing.

 

[Jeffro N]

Thanks for that advise, assuming bristle brush with heavy Dawn solution.

The cooker is really clean to the eye, obviously the foul smell is baked in there somehow.

 

[WilliamKY]

I would scrub the grates, water pan, and fire ring too. I know the ring gets really hot but at this point you might as well scrub everything.

 

[KevinJ]

Member's Mark Commercial Oven, Grill and Fryer Cleaner by Ecolab, spray it on let set and rinse out with a garden hose, no scrubbing or high pressure wash needed, will be good as new.

 

[Jeffro N]

Member's Mark product on order. Thanks!