I picked up a weber smoky mountain for 160.00 bucks...

First order a Cajun Bandit door. It is all stainless heavy gauge won’t leak like the flimsy aluminum door. Buy an extra charcoal grate so you can criss cross the 2. This is how you burn Lump in a WSM. It keeps it from falling through. As far as sealing I just coked in it and it sealed well. You may have some leaks around the lid but to be xpected. For higher temps like 325-350 for chicken or turkey run it with the water pan empty just line with foil. After a while you might want to look at Temp controllers if you get tired of adjusting vents.

quote:

---

Using a 1 gallon paint can to reshape the door gives you a pretty tight seal.

Also a 2nd charcoal grate placed on top of the other (but running perpendicular) helps in letting mostly ash to fall through.

That's a hell of a price!

---

Help me to understand this a little better. So I should bend the door around the can fully?

I get what you're saying with this but will using the can over bend the door?

I bought one of these from cajun bandit as well as a second charcoal grate. I haven't really messed with the door but I never use it anyway. once I got mine seasoned with a few smokes it'll hold temp for 10-12 hours.

also bought a new, looser cover as the factory one fit like a condom

Does that hinger bracket make it top heavy or a little tippy? I like the idea.

It's an amazing smoker right out the box. Research minion method on the "Virtual Weber Bullet" forum. Only things I did to change it up were placing a clay saucer in the water pan and covering with foil as it acts like a heat sink, as if you had water in it. Opetd to use water on occasion, in stead. Also utilize the BBQ guru blower and probes for long, overnight cooks, although the WSM can be dialed in without the use of external devices, but I like to sleep overnight without the worry. Never sealed it and its kind of sealed itself over the years.

Read the forum, cook with it a few times and go from there before purchasing accessories. Simplicity is its true form and enjoy it!

quote:

---

No not much but you can line it up with one of the legs and there’s no way for it to tip.


I also added caster wheels to the bottom of mine fwiw

---

Cool, I recently picked up two used 18" & 22" WSM. I hate sitting the porcelain lids on the patio for fear of chipping the porcelain. Do the covers still fit with the hinge bracket?

The casters may be a good addition to the 22" since it is a lot bigger than the 18".

quote:

---

I hate sitting the porcelain lids on the patio for fear of chipping the porcelain

---

I put my WSM on a rubber grill mat. If the WSM is placed to one side, there is room to put the lid on the mat instead of hard patio.

I apologize to the OP for high jacking his thread, but I appreciate all the responses which are relevant to what Paddy was asking.

quote:

---

What I need to know is how hot will it get with the vents wide open?

---

I've never run mine wide open, I have other grills for searing steaks. But in my experience with a Weber kettle using a Smokenator or a Slow N Sear, it's hard to get over 350* wide open if the water pan level is full.