UDS -- WSM Compare and contrast

[vafish]

I've never cooked on a WSM, but I looked at them a bit before deciding to build a UDS.

The WSM may have the water pan/diffuser, but you can easily add that to a UDS if you desire and as other have mentioned it's pretty easy to use the WSM without the pan.

I think it really boils down to do you want to buy a smoker that works out of the box, or spend 1/3 the money and some elbow grease to build a smoker, then play around with it a bit to get it working well?

One big advantage for me, the WSM is a $300 hit all at once to buy, to build a UDS I spread my purchases out over a month and it goes almost un-noticed from the budget.

 

[Cliff H.]

I use both.

The clean up is much easier on a WSM. The UDS comes up to temp much faster.

This may be objective but to me, the bark is prettier on a WSM. I don't know why.

The UDS will hold cooking temps forever.

The UDS reacts to adjustments faster than a WSM.

 

[bbqfred]

I have a 18.5" WSM (2 years old) and a UDS with two racks(8 months old).
My experiences with them both is:

WSM: Overall a great smoker! It is great at maintaining temps under 300 degrees. If I want to speed up the process I really think I need to mod the door to stay open because the temps simply wont stay up there that long, maybe one of you with more experience can teach me a better way. I can NOT fit an entire brisket or two racks of untrimmed spares laid out flat on the grates. I have to bend the brisket and scrunch or slightly fold the rack, BUT this is simply because I have the smaller smoker. Also the water pan has been filled with foil balls to extend the burn time.use!

I have the 18.5 WSM. I use Royal Oak lump. And without opening the door, I get 375 or higher temperatures with all the vents open. Maybe it's the type of fuel you are using or maybe the amount of food is blocking the air circulation? I had a single beer can chicken. I checked the temp with both the WSM thermo and a thermapen.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

My UDS will smoke larger cuts of meat.

A UDS can be built with a water pan, or a heat defuser plate.
My UDS is a moist environment, so I don't use a water pan.
I don't object to grease dripping onto my coals... Smells good.

I can easily get a 12-14 hr. smoke out of a basket with 10-12 lb. of
Lump RO. I don't really need a door to add charcoal.

I confess to using a home made 'Jiggle rod' to lightly shake my basket
after 6-8 hrs. Keeps me burning hot & clean.

(I once had a WSM, but gave it to my favorite Niece's husband.)