# Done With Gassers



## bakerman (Jun 9, 2021)

Last weekend I tried to smoke 2 butts on my Smoke Mountain gasser. Had the same problem I have had over the last few cooks. The flame kept going out. After the fourth attempt (3am), I just pulled the butts and put them in the oven @200. Went to bed disgusted.

Next morning I disassembled the regulator thinking a spider had gotten into the Venturi. Nope. Re-assembled and fired it up again. After 10 minutes quit burning. Once more ( I enjoy punishment), same deal. That’s it. After fighting with this smoker for 3 years I am officially DONE with gassers.

FWIW the oven cook was delicious, just not smoked.

So I am planting my flag in the charcoal burner camp. I ordered a WSM 22 yesterday. 6-8 weeks delivery, but I should be all set by the time that arrives. I looked at the Kamodo Joe Classic, and almost pulled the trigger, but the more I looked at it, the more I realized there was not enough room. The WSM had room to spare, cost less and to my mind worked just as well. I was going to get it from WalMart, but there was something really weird going on with the website. Plus yesterday mornings price and last nights price was $200 bucks higher! My wife contacted WalMart and they said they had been fielding calls all day about problems. I think they got hacked.

So I went to BBQ Guys website and ordered one. Now I sit smokeless, waiting for my Fathers Day gift to arrive. Rest assured I will be in here asking questions and seeking advice on modifications and additional info. Temp Control units and fans etc. A whole new area for me to explore


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## Buckeye02 (Jun 9, 2021)

bakerman said:


> Last weekend I tried to smoke 2 butts on my Smoke Mountain gasser. Had the same problem I have had over the last few cooks. The flame kept going out. After the fourth attempt (3am), I just pulled the butts and put them in the oven @200. Went to bed disgusted.
> 
> Next morning I disassembled the regulator thinking a spider had gotten into the Venturi. Nope. Re-assembled and fired it up again. After 10 minutes quit burning. Once more ( I enjoy punishment), same deal. That’s it. After fighting with this smoker for 3 years I am officially DONE with gassers.
> 
> ...


I ordered mine from from Amazon about a month ago and it only took them 5 days to get it to the house


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## krj (Jun 9, 2021)

WSM 22 is always a solid choice and will last you a lifetime if you treat it right. Plus it's highly moddable which can give you more space with expander rings or fine tune adjustments via controllers with fans.

Just curious about you gasser tho, how is your airflow because if you don't have sufficient airflow you won't maintain a flame.


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## bakerman (Jun 9, 2021)

Thanks for the reply. Air flow is not the issue. It is the one piece regulator junk hose the unit has. I had this problem with 2 smokers before and have reached the point were I don't want to fool with them anymore. For some reason it continues to quit after a few minutes. Last thing I smoked successfully was Tri Tip and that still had to be baby sat. Strange thing is the first cheap gasser I got never failed. But the metal used was so thin it couldn't stand the usage. The burner quit, it leaked badly, even after sealing the door. The door clasps were so cheap at the end I was using bungie cords to keep the door closed.  The way this current model is constructed I would have to splice a new hose and I don't feel comfortable with that burning whilst I sleep. I am going to Craigslist it. Maybe someone with better skills can get it to work, I am not that guy.


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## normanaj (Jun 9, 2021)

You sure as heck can't go wrong with the WSM,one of the best out of the box vertical charcoal smokers there is.


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## smokeymose (Jun 9, 2021)

After my first smoker (electric) fried a GFI circuit I went to gas. It never just went out, but any wind at all blew it out. I built a wind-break out of plywood, which helped a little.
After a year I gave up and went to an off-set stick burner and never looked back.
I still have the gasser but only use it with a mailbox for cold and warm smoking (with a small hotplate). Haven't had gas to it in years.
Good luck with that WSM. They're very popular.


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## zwiller (Jun 9, 2021)

bakerman said:


> I am going to Craigslist it. Maybe someone with better skills can get it to work, I am not that guy.


I did not care for my gasser at all.  Messed around with regulator/hoses/other BS.  I decided to try MES and there was no looking back!  LOVE that thing (and AMNPS).  No time to mess with charcoal...  Good luck on CL or FB but I had to give mine away and it was like new.


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## indaswamp (Jun 9, 2021)

I have a home made gas smoker. What I did was clip the ends off 4d nails and dropped them into the outer ring of jets on the burner. This increased the gas flow to 1/2 the jets so the flame is taller with about the same heat. Taller flame is much easier to keep lit if the wind blows.....and giver you a finer adjustment on the heat. Dunno if you can do this on your commercially made smoker though...


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## bakerman (Jun 9, 2021)

TGRIMMOSU#1 said:


> I ordered mine from from Amazon about a month ago and it only took them 5 days to get it to the house



Well I looked at Amazon and they offer the WSM 22 for $799!!!    I got mine for a lot less, I don't mind the wait. It will be here when it gets here.


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## bakerman (Jun 9, 2021)

ZWILLER,

I got the same feeling. I looked at MES, but wanted a charcoal/stick burner without the offset.


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## bakerman (Jun 9, 2021)

Well it looks like my wait time has just been extended another 3 weeks. So some time in September 2021. May have to see what other options I got before cancelling. Maybe WalMart can get it's act together and I can try again. This slow opening of the nation is messing up everything.

Well a quick check Lowes, WalMart, HD, even Weber don't have this available. Either sold out or not in stock. YIKES!  Well I will be grilling this Summer I guess.


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## zwiller (Jun 9, 2021)

bakerman said:


> ZWILLER,
> 
> I got the same feeling. I looked at MES, but wanted a charcoal/stick burner without the offset.


I get that but not for me.  Someday when maybe no kids and rentals   In the meantime check out FB Marketplace. Maybe find one used WSM or MES cheap for the summer. Around here used MES are like $50-$100. Pickup a AMNPS tray and your set.


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## Buckeye02 (Jun 9, 2021)

bakerman said:


> Well I looked at Amazon and they offer the WSM 22 for $799!!!    I got mine for a lot less, I don't mind the wait. It will be here when it gets here.


That's insane! I paid $459 a month ago!


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## jaxgatorz (Jun 9, 2021)

Ace hardware has them for $459..Might be worth looking at them if you have any around.. Good luck .


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## mcokevin (Jun 9, 2021)

You can't go wrong with the WSM.  You will get years of good food out of that.


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## jcam222 (Jun 9, 2021)

Charcoal and wood for the win!! My gasser sat and rushed out after I got my first charcoal unit about 4 years ago. Flavor is so much better i never looked back.


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## bakerman (Jun 10, 2021)

jaxgatorz said:


> Ace hardware has them for $459..Might be worth looking at them if you have any around.. Good luck .


Yeah I checked Ace. Unavalable, not in stock, etc.


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## bakerman (Jun 10, 2021)

Well unless one falls into place I will maintain my order with BBQGuys.  At least I can cancel if another shows up. I'll keep looking. Thanks to you all for the support and suggestions. Love this forum.


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## bakerman (Jun 10, 2021)

zwiller said:


> I get that but not for me.  Someday when maybe no kids and rentals   In the meantime check out FB Marketplace. Maybe find one used WSM or MES cheap for the summer. Around here used MES are like $50-$100. Pickup a AMNPS tray and your set.


Well there is one on Craigslist for $375 but it looks like it's 10 years old. I will wait for a new one.


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## bakerman (Jun 10, 2021)

I must be living right. I just found one on Craiglist for $340. Brand new in the box. It's about an hour away, but I am going to pick it up today after I get off work. Once I get it set up I will cancel the BBQ Guys order. Pretty happy right now. May even be smoking this weekend after a good seasoning.


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## zwiller (Jun 10, 2021)

Nice score "Herman"!   Big fan of the show as well and have the box set.


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## bakerman (Jun 10, 2021)

zwiller said:


> Nice score "Herman"!   Big fan of the show as well and have the box set.


LILY!!!!


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## krj (Jun 10, 2021)

Well with the money you saved you can add some mods. I'd personally go with lavalock and a stainless door mod and a expansion ring for more cooking space.


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## bakerman (Jun 10, 2021)

krj said:


> Well with the money you saved you can add some mods. I'd personally go with lavalock and a stainless door mod and a expansion ring for more cooking space.


Probably start with stock and move on from there. The door looks like a good idea. Maybe an additional grate, lid hinge and a dual Thermometer.


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## bakerman (Jun 10, 2021)

On my way to get it. Be back tomorrow with updates.


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## SmokinAl (Jun 10, 2021)

Your gonna love that WSM, I have had one for years with a BBQ Guru controller. Sleep all night & the smoker temp doesn’t vary more than 1 or 2 degrees as long as there is fuel in it. I ran mine for 22 hours without adding any wood or charcoal, but that was in the summer in Florida. 
Al


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## bakerman (Jun 11, 2021)

Well I got it. Cancelled the BBQ Guys order. Tomorrow assembly and seasoning.


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## clifish (Jun 11, 2021)

I got a lightly used masterbuilt gasser of CL for $50,  had a tough time using it although did not give it enough time.  I stumbled a used once smokey Hollow electric ($30) and with advice here bought Todd's trays and a cheap pid and have been going from there.


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## forktender (Jun 13, 2021)

bakerman said:


> Last weekend I tried to smoke 2 butts on my Smoke Mountain gasser. Had the same problem I have had over the last few cooks. The flame kept going out. After the fourth attempt (3am), I just pulled the butts and put them in the oven @200. Went to bed disgusted.
> 
> Next morning I disassembled the regulator thinking a spider had gotten into the Venturi. Nope. Re-assembled and fired it up again. After 10 minutes quit burning. Once more ( I enjoy punishment), same deal. That’s it. After fighting with this smoker for 3 years I am officially DONE with gassers.
> 
> ...


Nice move you won't be sorry that you did it, you'll be asking yourself why it took so long to make the jump.

When you burn in the new one is the perfect time to mess around and learn  what the new rig will  and will not do for you.

Have fun with it.
Dan


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## bakerman (Jun 13, 2021)

Ok. Seasoned it yesterday. Held temp between 225-245 for over 3 hours. Got very familiar with the vents. Cleaned it up today and am very pleased. 
Now I need some welding gloves and a remote temp control with at least 4 probes. Lid hinge is in the forecast as well.
Probably won't do anything for a week or so. I'm going to an annual golf outing next weekend. But the weekend following I will do some chicken or bbq meatloaf. 
Any recommendations for the temp control? Seems most of the ones I have looked at either fail quickly or the probes don't work after a cook or two . Trying to keep the cost under $75.
All in all I got a great deal, solid cooker. Checking on line it looks like it is getting hard to buy. I was very lucky.


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## IH 1026 (Jun 13, 2021)

I ran mine for a long time without a temp controller, just using a thermometer and alarm.  Ended up getting a Pitmaster IQ110 on Amazon for about a hundred bucks.  They have their limitations though.  Your experience may vary though.  Biggest things I've found to get for my WSM was a good 4 probe thermometer, and an instant read.  

Enjoy your new WSM, and remember, the seal gets better with age.


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## bakerman (Jun 14, 2021)

IH 1026 said:


> I ran mine for a long time without a temp controller, just using a thermometer and alarm.  Ended up getting a Pitmaster IQ110 on Amazon for about a hundred bucks.  They have their limitations though.  Your experience may vary though.  Biggest things I've found to get for my WSM was a good 4 probe thermometer, and an instant read.
> 
> Enjoy your new WSM, and remember, the seal gets better with age.


Yes surprisingly once it settled down the seal started to form and I had very little escaping. The door may be addressed in the future but it seemed to work okay. I had a MB gasser that leaked a lot worse around the door.


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## HalfSmoked (Jun 14, 2021)

Good luck with your new find. Although I have a 40" Master Built gasser I have had about 10 years now with no problems.

Warren


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## bakerman (Jun 14, 2021)

Couple of questions:

How often do I clean this after use? I figured the grates need a clean after each use, but the whole thing ? Once a year? I smoke about 20 times a year.
What is your favorite modification?

Like I stated earlier I am gonna get the lid hinge eventually. Staying stock until I get my bearings.


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## chesterinflorida (Jun 14, 2021)

Congrats on the new WSM.  Nice smoker.  I’d get use to running it without the temp controller first. You will learn the smoker a bit more that way.  Then get a decent controller.  Thermoworks, BBQ Guru, Flameboss and Fireboard all make good controllers. 

My advise, when ready to add one, don’t cheap out on the controller. 

I really like the Fireboard 2 Drive I have.  Simple and very intuitive to use.  Has 6 ports (one would be your pit temp port, and the other 5 can monitor food).  It comes standard with the pit temp probe and 2 meat probes.  The Fireboard has a built in battery that will work a fan, so you don’t have to have an electrical outlet nearby. I have mine hooked up to a BBQ Guru fan and it works excellent.


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## bakerman (Jun 14, 2021)

chesterinflorida said:


> Congrats on the new WSM.  Nice smoker.  I’d get use to running it without the temp controller first. You will learn the smoker a bit more that way.  Then get a decent controller.  Thermoworks, BBQ Guru, Flameboss and Fireboard all make good controllers.
> 
> My advise, when ready to add one, don’t cheap out on the controller.
> 
> I really like the Fireboard 2 Drive I have.  Simple and very intuitive to use.  Has 6 ports (one would be your pit temp port, and the other 5 can monitor food).  It comes standard with the pit temp probe and 2 meat probes.  The Fireboard has a built in battery that will work a fan, so you don’t have to have an electrical outlet nearby. I have mine hooked up to a BBQ Guru fan and it works excellent.


Great ideas. Appreciate it.


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## HalfSmoked (Jun 15, 2021)

Thanks for the like bakerman it is appreciated.

Warren


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## SlowmotionQue (Jun 19, 2021)

Conngrats on the new WSM 22.5.   Dollar for dollar it is arguably one of the best smokers out there.

As already mentioned, I'd get used to running it without a controller first and learn the vent settings.

Modifications are many, but gaskets at the door and at the lid are good options, as are the lid hinge. A larger water bowl, if you are going to use water in it, is also a good addition.

As far as controllers, IMO the Fireboard 2 is tough to beat, from a features and consistency standpoint, and I have a BBQ Guru Cyber Q Wifi that I am comparing it against which is also a good unit.  The Thermoworks Smoke setup is another good one, and well built.  I'd rank the Fireboard 2 and the Thermoworks at the top of the heap, with the BBQ Guru third.

Below is my 22.5in WSM.  It is somewhat "heavily" modified.  I use an oversized Arbor Fab fire basket and minion basket  in it which will allow it to burn consistently in excess of 24hrs if I need for it to do that.

Why I would want it to do that?

So that I can get up the next morning after smoking a brisket or a couple of pork shoulders and put the  6 racks of ribs in the list of pictures in this post over the same fire,  without opening the fire door to  adding another single piece of charcoal or wood to it or to knock off any ash.

It has an oversized water bowl in it, as I use water in my WSM.   Felt gaskets are at the top section between it and the lid to get a better seal.  It has two temp probe holes in it for running temp probes on either side of it.  It has the Cajun Bandit stainless steel door and the WSM lid hinge.

I use the FIreboard 2 Drive controller with it, after using the aforementioned BBQ Guru controller for years, and I run two BBQ Guru fans on either side of it for more even fuel burn.  I run lump charcoal, usually Jealous Devil, and wood chunks or a couple of wood splits buried beneath the lump charcoal.  The pics below are from multiple cooks.

The first pic shows the basket about half full before I top it completely off

The final image, which I meant to show at the beginning of the series of pics,  shows the  type of burn consistency that I typically get with it.  This is a little over 15hrs for this particular cook. 

I have only been able to approach this type of temperature consistency in my PID controlled Rec Tec RT590 pellet grill.

I cannot even get temps  this tight in my Kamado Joe.    And that's with or without a controller in the Kamado Joe.

You can see what happens when I raise the temp to 250°F to finish off the cook, and to add ribs afterwards.  All  as simple as opening up the lid on it and putting the ribs on it as the brisket rests in the cooler while the ribs run and my guest arrive.

Same fire.  Same coals. Same wood.

Congrats to the original poster on his new purchase.  And I post this information up in demonstration of what kinds of results can be obtained with this great smoker.








The next pics show some of the modifications done to it.


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## bakerman (Jun 21, 2021)

SlowmotionQue said:


> Conngrats on the new WSM 22.5.   Dollar for dollar it is arguably one of the best smokers out there.
> 
> As already mentioned, I'd get used to running it without a controller first and learn the vent settings.
> 
> ...


Awesome shots. That brisket is perfect.


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## SlowmotionQue (Jun 22, 2021)

bakerman said:


> Awesome shots. That brisket is perfect.


Thanks.


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## bakerman (Jun 22, 2021)

Well I got back from my golf outing and my wife gifted me a ThermoPro dual probe. Should be enough to get things rocking.


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## bakerman (Jun 28, 2021)

I finally got around to smoking this past weekend. It was quite an adventure. I apologize for no pictures.
I started off Saturday with my first lump charcoal smoke, hickory chunks for smoke no water in the pan. Temp took off pretty quick, got it locked in at 250-270 with TBS. Put my 2 bacon weaved meatloaves on about 11:00, temps soared up to 300 and climbing. So I put some water in the waterpan. Kinda settled it down again, then the temp plummeted to 190. Adjusted the vents and after about 30 minutes it was under control at 250. Took about 4 hours to get to 160 internal temp. Took them off and let them rest.
Result: Best meatloaf I ever had hands down. Juicy, held together, amazing flavors, even the bacon weave was mostly crispy. Next time I will use better quality bacon. Harris Teeter store brand was pretty lame stuff. Still the meal turned out fantastic. Family all agreed, best thing I had ever smoked.

So feeling pretty good about my skills I got the chicken wings ready for Sunday. Left them uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry them out. Sunday morning set up for lump charcoal again, no water in the pan, cherry chunks for smoke. Within 10 minutes I was closing on 300 degrees, choked off the vents, left one halfway open, temps settled in at 310 with TBS. Coated the chicken wings with Old Bay and some cornstarch. Put them on and the temp went down to 190!. Opened up the vents back up and within 10 minutes I was back up to 290-300. After about an hour I flipped the wings and brushed them with melted butter. They were done but I let them stay for another 15 minutes to crisp up. Opened all the vents and the WSM hit 350 and climbing. Took the wings off when the got crispy. About 2.5 hours to done.
Result: Best chicken wings I have ever made. Crunchy skin, juicy meat, Old Bay was a good choice for rub, and the little hit of butter just perfect. No leftovers.

So my thanks to all for the recommendation on the WSM. Glad I got the 22.5, plenty of space for meat. Once I got the temp to settle down I was basically just watching the clock. No constant futzing with water, gas , meat position. Mostly a Ron Popiel type cooker. I think the best part of this was the lump charcoal, that was pretty neat the way it took off. Also having the dual probe thermometer ( Thermo Works TP10 ), was wonderful. I really had a handle on what was happening inside the cooker. I was pleasantly surprised I lost very little smoke around the lid and door once the cook was under way. Even more surprised as to how easy it was to adjust for the temps and how forgiving this cooker is. But the best part was the flavor. Charcoal gives the meat a much better flavor than my old gasser. Not that the gasser imparted anything bad, just I liked the charcoal taste much more.

Really happy I switched. Now to source some fruit wood and set some kinda line up. Ribs this coming 4th weekend I think. Eventually a brisket, and I have 2 TriTips in the freezer waiting for their turn.


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