Weber Smokey Joe Gold Grill Vent Modification

[@PartyUpLive]

So I did this mod 3 years ago along with a couple of other mods I thought of and I'm still using it regularly. LOVE IT. I didn't use the can with the holes mod. I haven't really had that issue with ash building up. I also bought a Santa Maria grill attachment from Gabbys Grills and it's Awesome. I use it too on a regular basis with real cooking fire wood. Love this little grill.

[@JarradDRS]

"portability of the Gold and the functionality of the silver" awesome job. I love the Smokey Joe!

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Thanks!

[@txfieros]

I’m going to do exactly this to my Smokey Joe Premium. I stacked it full of Kingsford and Fogo lump and I still couldn’t manage a decent sear on the outside skirt I was cooking. Definitely an airflow problem. Good stuff!

[@ratoneJR]

Good to know there are creative people out there, like you. Good job

[@msmarji]

Made your vented ash-tower today, what a difference it made. Ash falls around the perimeter of the tower, bottom vents working perfectly clean. Thanks for posting your mods.

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Thank you. I'm glad it worked out for you.

[@Georgie84923]

Damn your awesome, I have the silver or basic one without carry handle and I can tell you that you did that bottom vent like a professional. The vent on my smoky joe looks just like the onw you made.

[@NikonPhotoHawk]

Wow... wickedly well done. I stayed aways from this model because of this reason... don' know what Weber was thinking putting the vents up like this. I actually own a Weber 18.5" WSM (Smoker) and the 22" Weber Kettle Grill. But I wanted something smaller and more portable for Camping & Fishing Trips, day trips to the Park or when I just need to cook for myself at home and not the whole family. I looked at this and the Smokey Joe Silver, but endued up going with the Weber Jumbo Joe and was very happy with it. However, my wife was in the Salvation Army Store while I was waiting in the car, and she text me that she found a Weber Smokey Joe Grill new and in the box. I went in and sure enough, and it was only $10.00 so I got it. No way I could pass up that deal! But yeah... if I had thought of this modification, I would have bought a Smokey Joe Gold. Impressive work... All my best wishes...

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

George Silver Hawk A new Weber SJ for $10 is a damn impressive find! Thank you for the compliment, by the way. I love my little Smokey Joe. I have a One Touch Gold and a Jumbo Joe, but the SJ is the one I fire up the most. Almost 8 years and still going strong.

[@digitalfilmjat6534]

@@MamiBoricuaNYC Agreed, it is a dumb design! But with a fluke at the bottom and the sides, she's got some awesome air control. I got the gold with the intention of adding a fluke at the bottom and turning it into a smoker with the Tamale pot addition.

[@luisfercr2447]

Nice! I have the "gold" version but I always feel it does not heat enough due to the lack of air flow. I was thinking on doing this mod and now I have some reassurance with your video. Thanks gal! Thumbs up!

[@tommywalker742]

Very smart and innovative thinking there! I like your smoke can, will certainly be making one. Thanks for sharing!

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Tommy Walker Thank you very much!

[@samuelrichey1888]

Helpful hint, flip the bolts and wing nuts holding the legs on the opposite way than you have them now. Makes clean up a lot easier inside the kettle

[@digitalfilmjat6534]

Why didn't i think of that!

[@eagle17nz]

Absolutely great video. I would do exactly the same thing myself if I owned one, which I may if I win an auction coming up. I don't know why Weber can't do what you have done? I love the smoker and air vent cover also. They are great ideas! Thanks very much for the video.

[@PartyUpLive]

I have a smokey joe silver but I am thinking of getting a smokey joe gold and doing this. All I really want is the lid lock, lid handle, and bottom damper. I thought about trying to add the lid lock/handle to my smokey joe silver, but it looks like it may be easier to simply add the damper and ash catcher to the gold model. Thanks for the video.

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Yea it wasn't difficult at all, and well worth it.

[@PartyUpLive]

+MamiBoricuaNYC yes it was very easy. I'm actually using it right now. glad I did it.

[@digitalfilmjat6534]

You should cut up another tomato can or get a metal cup to act as an ash catcher. Just like the Kettle 22" does. That permanent ash catcher is a pain in the butt, but its a great coaster to hold an ash catcher cup. I can't believe I didn't think of using a tomato can as an ash barrier. But with airflow at the bottom and on the sides, you'll have some fabulous temperature control. By the way, how does the Weber behave when manipulating the air flow from the bottom and the sides at the same time? Let me know as I am doing this for my smokey joe mini-smoker conversion.

[@PartyUpLive]

I just bought two cheap metal pie pans and drilled a hole in each and ones permanent and the other that sits inside it, you can move it and dump the ash easily. I did the same thing to my Jumbo Joe. Works perfectly. And the added bottom vents work great with the side vents. Really helps to get those high Temps.

[@AGilbert_81]

This was the reason I didn't buy this one. Wish I saw this before last weekend. I'll definitely try the smoke box tho. Great job!

[@kiwiredbeard7632]

Good on you mate , good modification 🤙🏻

[@BulletBounty]

This is amazing. Great mod 👍🏻

[@sn0rbaard]

Great job! As soon as I find a damper I will do this mod on mine. The model we get here in SA is the European version of the Smokey Joe (called the "original") which is neither a silver, nor a gold version. It's like the gold one but without the carry handle. It is utterly stupid if you ask me. Spread out coals just doesn't stay hot enough to sear steak properly. The only good thing about mine is the coal grate is finer so small lump coals don't fall through as easily. I'm waiting to hear back from Weber in my country, I hope I can get the silver bottom damper from them. Happy barbecuing!

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Thank you and good luck with your mod. I'm sure you'll like your Smokey Joe even more after you complete it. :)

[@walleyeye]

Love the video! I bought the gold too and couldn’t believe the poor functionality of it. Been meaning to do this mod but might just do one bigger hole with slide flap to close it off and controls air flow. Not sure yet. The ash tin idea I already do on my Master forge verticle smoker and it works awesome!!! If you play with the amounts of holes in the tin with the bottom vents wide open you can fine tune the amount of holes to your exact temp for low and slow or grilling or bbq’n as we say up here in Canada! Great job!!!

[@SmokedReb]

Great job on that modification.

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Thanks. It was well worth it.

[@aspenessis]

Nice Mod !! My smokey joe has the holes in the bottom. I don't know what model it is. I've had it for a long time. I use my Smokey Joe alot. LUV IT !!

[@PartyUpLive]

If you have the vents on the bottom you have the Smokey Joe Silver. Great small grill. I did this mod to have the locking lid and lid holder. Love grilling on it.

[@graces41]

I bougt a GOLD that was on sale today @ half price $17. I already have a silver so Im gonna take the vent control off the silver and put it on the GOLD. I liked the 2 cans on the inside, i will do mine the same way. Thanks for the knowledge......

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

No prob! Gl with your project. :)

[@shaunyshaun1234]

Fantastic mod! Did you paint the holes with any high temp paint to stop rusting?

[@NikonPhotoHawk]

So, does the tomato can with the drilled whole work well in keep a good air flow so the charcoal burns more efficiently?

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

George Silver Hawk It does actually. It prevents the vents from clogging up with ash which keeps the air flowing nice and smooth. Definitely recommend that little mod if you have a can of tomato paste lying around.

[@NikonPhotoHawk]

Hey, I'm been meaning to get back to you. I did in fact use your tomato can method to keep the bottom vent hold of my Smokey Joe Silver from clogging up and it works fabulous. With the Smokey Joe Silver its not really an issue with fast cooks like sausage, hot dogs, burgers, etc., but when I would cook a small pork roast or a few large chicken breast, etc., using indirect heat, the vent holes would start to be covered up 30 minutes or so into the cook. But because of your method, it's no longer an issue! I use my larger Weber Kettle grill and my Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker (Love smoked brisket and low & slow cooked Pork Butts & Shoulders for Peril and BBQ Pulled Pork) when I'm cooking for the whole family, and I have a Weber Jumbo Joe I use when I only need to cook 3 or for steaks. But I end up using my Smokey Joe Silver most often.. the kids want their pizza or take out, etc., and I cook a steak for just me with two or three baked potatoes and it's perfect. I also use it about 3 days a week for cooking lunch. I know of a few people who have the Smokey Joe Gold, and like everyone I know that has them, the problem with the air flow because of the location of the vents. I'm going to share this video on my Facebook so they can see better, just what I was trying to explain to them. All my best wishes, and again, thanks for make my great Smokey Joe Silver "Greater" !!!

[@jetwind72]

What a brilliant mod!!! I have been using this grill for over 20 years and ventilation was always my biggest issue. I resolved it by using a portable battery fan that I bought on Amazon that does the trick. I would like to do the same mod but not sure where I can get the damper and ash catcher. Can you help?

[@digitalfilmjat6534]

ebay, amazon, BBQguys and Weber directly.

[@MrCoffeekelly]

Why the hell doesn't weber just make the smokey joe silver with the handle that locks the lid on like the gold! It's so stupid, the smokey joe gold is worthless with the side vents.

[@walleyeye]

MrCoffeekelly I totally agree but my guess is the gold is meant as a portable bbq so holes on bottom are left out because of liability to weber.

[@AudreysKitchen]

What size drill bit is used for this? I'd like to do the same mod myself. Thanks!

[@danbetts7114]

great job!

[@MrWizard36]

Wow..Great idea and a great job :) It's Wizard Approved ;)

[@cutweldngrind]

Very nice work.

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Thank you.

[@SENORPELIGRO]

very nice video. question for you - what kind of bit did you use? ( I wasn't able to catch the type when you mentioned it.)

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

It's a step drill bit. The cheapest price I found was on eBay.

[@MrWizard36]

MamiBoricuaNYC Also check Harbor Freight for low priced tools and hardware

[@jakubz840]

Hello, could you let me know where did you find the rotating vent for the bottom cattle, please? Thanks, Jakub

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

jakub z I'm sorry but I don't remember what online store I bought it from. You can check eBay. But you can also call up Weber and order it straight from them.

[@PartyUpLive]

jakub z try eReplacementParts dot com

[@joecastelli7934]

Love the mod. What are the specs on the drill bit you used for the holes and did any of the enamel chip off or did it hold up ok ?

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Joe Castelli It's just a 1/4 to 1 3/8 step drill bit I bought from eBay. It's been a while since I did that mod and the grill has performed very well. No chipped paint or anything of the sort. It made a really good grill into a great one. I have zero regrets.

[@joecastelli7934]

MamiBoricuaNYC Thanks. Any other tips ? Can't wait to get the Smokey Joe Gold and do this. I have two Weber Performers and a Weber Smokey Mountain so this little guy will fit right in for smaller cooks.

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Just take your time and don't rush anything. From the tracing of the holes onto the duct tape to the actual drilling, slow and steady is the key. Don't need to put excessive pressure onto the drill either. Just let it do its thing. And measure as many times as you need to make sure you have the distances correct. I'm a perfectionist so I probably went overboard lol. I just wanted to make sure that I didn't screw up my grill. That little grill was my first Weber. I've since bought the One Touch Gold and the Jumbo Joe. Love them all. I want to get a smoker somewhere down the line too. Good luck with the mod! I'm sure it'll turn out great!

[@joecastelli7934]

MamiBoricuaNYC How has that "tomatoe can " you modified to cover the vent holes worked out for you ?

[@walterfleck6019]

So, you turned a gold into a silver smokey joe?

[@darwinalvarez6215]

Hola genial te felicito

[@crewmax4240]

Lady, you are awesome. Would you do my taxes?

[@MamiBoricuaNYC]

Lol... For everyones sake it's best for me to steer clear of doing anybody's taxes. But thank you. :o)

[@walleyeye]

I hate my gold and I’m a weber fan(have five). Wish I’d known before.