What to do 18.5 or 22.5 WSM

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bacchus99

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I know there has been a million threads on this but my situation is a little unique. I know most folks will recommend the 22.5 but i have 80 bucks in gift cards to a retailer that only carries the 18.5 :(.

With that said the money isn't a huge factor but I love a deal so getting an 18.5 for $220 or so sounds nice.

I'm thinking the max i would ever need to cook would be 8 racks of ribs, 30lb of butts, or a full packer brisket or 2(maybe once a year). Most of the time i'd be cooking for just the wife and I or no more than about 8 people.

What would you do? Thanks!
 
then id get the 18 for sure .. i have an 18 and it seems able to hold more than ill ever need to put on it!

strategically placed i think you can fit all that on a 18 (unsure about the ribs, but possible depending on how you do it i think)
 
I have an 18.5, and I don't think I could handle eight racks of ribs, at least not without some mods. The butts and brisket would work.

I do have a could of OTGs, though, for overflow.

With the gift card, and my tight finances, I would go with the 18.5 for $220. But, if money is no object, buy whatever you really want.

CD
 
Sounds like the 18" is the way to go. As it was mentioned with some creative placement you can get more on there then you think. I know some guys purchase a folding rack made for the BGE that sits nicely on the top rack for more room when needed. I am loving my WSM already and I am only on my first cook.
 
Sounds like the 18 to me. Now go buy it and get smokin...
:grin:
 
Will a full packer fit on an 18?

I was recently in this predicament and settled on the 22.5". Peace of mind of having the extra capacity finally made the decision,that and my wife looked at them side by side and say the 18 was tiny compared the 22.5". Sold...give me the big one!

I can get 4 ribs on each grill with my 22.5". If you wanted to do 8 on the 18 I would think you'd need to use rib racks or some other mod.
 
Go bigger. It's always better to have the extra room. I find that I hate starting my smoker up for 1 butt so I usually smoke stuff for friends as well. It's nice having the extra room.
 
I'm assuming the door on the 18.5 is too small to get beans into to catch drippings like some folks do on the 22.5?

I failed to mention i do have a 22.5 weber kettle as well that i have learned how to smoke on.
 
Get the 22.5. The day will come when you got...............Fark! I should have gotten the big one. Then you will buy the big one and have two. I suppose either way you can't lose.
 
Gift cards or not, I would still get the 22.5". More flexibility, especially for ribs and packer briskets.
 
bacchus99 said:
I'm assuming the door on the 18.5 is too small to get beans into to catch drippings like some folks do on the 22.5?

I failed to mention i do have a 22.5 weber kettle as well that i have learned how to smoke on.
Click to expand...

The doors on either one should not help you when it comes to adding beans. It is bellow the cooking grates. I'm not sure what "some folks" are doing.

CD
 
I just got a 18.5 to cook for a family of 4 and think I have plenty of room. I think with a rib rack on each shelf you should be able to do 8 racks of ribs. I used mine for the first time yesterday and loved it the temp control is amazing.
 
LTG said:
Gift cards or not, I would still get the 22.5". More flexibility, especially for ribs and packer briskets.
Click to expand...

I guess I have a different philosophy. To me, buying a bigger smoker for the three times a year you need it is like driving a super-duty pickup everyday because you tow a boat to the lake three times a year -- and I know people who do that.

I tend to buy what I'll use most of the time, and find a way to do what I need to do if I have to on rare occasions.

We are looking at 220 bucks vs. 400 bucks, and more charcoal wasted cooking most of his cooks -- and he has a 22.5 kettle if he needs it. That's something to consider.

CD
 
^^^As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with CD.:becky:
 
I personally have the 18.5" but wish I had the 22.5". You can fit more racks and even a full suckling pig on the 22.5"! That being said both are great choices.
 
I had to make the same choice two weeks ago. They are not sold locally so I could not compare before buying, but sight usneen I decided on the 18.5 based on the same philosophy CD has.
When the 18.5 arrived I was happy with my decision. It is bigger than I thought, plenty big to cook four spares without a rack or four butts even if it came to that. For me, the 18 was the right choice.
 
I love my 18.5 WSM. If you need to cook a lot of food, you just might need to get a bit creative, or cook the food in shifts. Either way you will end up with a great cooker.
 
caseydog said:
I guess I have a different philosophy. To me, buying a bigger smoker for the three times a year you need it is like driving a super-duty pickup everyday because you tow a boat to the lake three times a year -- and I know people who do that.

I tend to buy what I'll use most of the time, and find a way to do what I need to do if I have to on rare occasions.

We are looking at 220 bucks vs. 400 bucks, and more charcoal wasted cooking most of his cooks -- and he has a 22.5 kettle if he needs it. That's something to consider.

CD
Click to expand...
Opinions vary. That's what makes America great. I'd rather have the luxury to cook more food if need be. The difference in charcoal usage between the 2 is vastly overblown (especially on the interwebs it seems). We're not comparing a 18.5" WSM to a Lang 84.
 
I cook for a family of 5 with an 18.5" WSM. It has plenty of room. Last weekend I smoked two 8 lb butts and 2 fatties. Still had room left over on the grate. I also have the Performer if I need more room. If I were you I would pick up the 18.5" WSM and a Maverick ET 732, then take the $130 that you still have left from not buying the 22.5" WSM and buy some good meat or add a little more cash and get a DigiQ DX2! The DigiQ is next on my list!:biggrin1:

Either way, you will enjoy it!!
 
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