WSM..... 22.5" - VS - 18.5" ..... Input From Users Of Both?

[mikeTRON]

Trust me, you can do a lot with four extra inches.

Thats what she said... :becky:

I own the 18.5 and I agree with almost everything already mentioned. Ribs can be a slight pain if you want to keep them untrimmed. Also the hot spots around the perimeter will have the tendency to overcook the edges when I do two racks of untrimmed spares.

As previously mentioned you can make maximum use out of the smoker by rolling the ribs and just being creative. Last weekend I smoked three untrimmed racks of spares on the top rack and four chicken halves on the bottom rack (about 19lbs of meat). The only pain would be if you had food on multiple racks that you want to baste. The other downside to the 18.5 is when I smoke a full packer I have to look for smaller packers (last one I bought was about 12lbs untrimmed), I slightly trimmed it in hopes of helping it fit and when it finally went on the smoker I had to scrunch the brisket like an accordion a little just to close the lid. :shock:

I am a college student with NO coin so I was forced into the 18.5 due to cost. IF I had a decent income I would but the 22.5 and fabricate a smaller ring for the charcoal if I found myself using more fuel than I thought was necessary. The biggest advantage to the 18.5 is the smaller size allows you to take it everywhere without a truck.

I don't know ANYONE who bought the 22 and wish they went smaller, and you all know thats not true the other way around

 

[stl-rich]

The 22 can do all the cooking that the 18 can do and more - that means if you think you will do BIG cooks, the 22 is better, but the 18 is smaller (doh) , takes up less room and is easier to transport.

You can';t go wrong they are both fine units. Which is more important - being able to cook large quantities or having a unit that is wasier to move around??

 

[Dave Russell]

I own the 18.5 and I agree with almost everything already mentioned....

As previously mentioned you can make maximum use out of the smoker by rolling the ribs and just being creative. Last weekend I smoked three untrimmed racks of spares on the top rack and four chicken halves on the bottom rack (about 19lbs of meat). The only pain would be if you had food on multiple racks that you want to baste. The other downside to the 18.5 is when I smoke a full packer I have to look for smaller packers (last one I bought was about 12lbs untrimmed), I slightly trimmed it in hopes of helping it fit and when it finally went on the smoker I had to scrunch the brisket like an accordion a little just to close the lid. :shock:

Just a FYI, get as big a packer as you want to...and pack it in that cooker, but first, cut the END off the point and lay beside the brisket.

Not only will the end of the point be done no sooner than the rest of the brisket, but you'll have more bark and you can just use it to make burnt ends as it's already seperated. If it's a BIG brisket and it still won't fit, use something like a roast rack and lift up the middle.....but for what it's worth, lately I haven't been able to find briskets at Sams bigger than 14 or 15 pounds, anyway.

 

[expatpig]

Buy the 18" and build a UDS.

 

[mikeTRON]

Just a FYI, get as big a packer as you want to...and pack it in that cooker, but first, cut the END off the point and lay beside the brisket.

Not only will the end of the point be done no sooner than the rest of the brisket, but you'll have more bark and you can just use it to make burnt ends as it's already seperated. If it's a BIG brisket and it still won't fit, use something like a roast rack and lift up the middle.....but for what it's worth, lately I haven't been able to find briskets at Sams bigger than 14 or 15 pounds, anyway.

Thanks for the creative advice
Do you flip or rotate your brisket? If so will the roast rack damage the bark?

 

[stephan]

I have the 18 inch. I wish that I had gotten the bigger one. You can always cook small items on a larger grill but the other way round can be a pain

 

[bluetang]

I'm in the get them both camp. I've got the WSM 18.5 and a Pro Q 20, use them both. If it's just us 2, it's the WSM 18.5, more then the 20. If I could only have one, I'd go for the WSM 22.5.

 

[btcg]

Of Course I am drawn to the 22.5" over the 18.5"..... BIGGER, COST MORE, STATUS, ETC....... But, is it really worth the extra money?..... Have only talked to 2 people that have cooked on them both & have heard pro's and con's for both...... (too small, too big, uses to much fuel, etc)..... Would love to hear some feedback..... I typically cook for about 2 to 8 people, so basically "Backyard" use.... Thanks!

Get the 22.5. I got my Weber Silver for about $60 @ Lowes, and tricked it out:

I added a thermometer to the lid, replaced the cooking grate with a cast iron grate w/ 4 individual and removable areas, 2 charcoal baskets, Cajun Bandit mod rotisserie with the ring, and Weber cover. Got about $450 into it, but take a look at the results:

This was my first cook with it. I built the temp to 275 and it stayed there for the duration of the cook. The Weber is an amazing grill.

 

[stl-rich]

Yoou can't go wrong if you go Weber.

You will complain when you buy Weber at the high price - but that is the only time you will complain when you buy Weber

 

[mikeTRON]

Nice rotisserie! but he is wanting a Weber Smokey Mountain not a kettle

 

[Hot Sauce Hoss]

Me, and this is just me. i would get the 22 and yes i have one so
thats me. but the room is great and should i smoke a small amount i just use less charcoal.Then again, if funds or space is a consideration by all means get the 18.

 

[btcg]

Nice rotisserie! but he is wanting a Weber Smokey Mountain not a kettle

I assume that someone here who asks a question has done some homework on their own. If you do, you then know that the 22.5 mods I did can also be done (using the same parts) on the 22.5 WSM.

 

[Fishawn]

Just as I suspected..... Kinda like the Ford -v Chevy conversations... :biggrin1:..... All good information & thank you all a lot for your input..... Maybe Weber should make a 20.5" for guys like me stuck in the middle????..... I found the 22.5" for $349.00 locally, which puts it at about $280.00 with tax.... That is the best I have seen in my area..... Anyone seen a better price on a 22.5" ?

 

[Pigs on Fire]

I have two 18" and one 22" WSM.

You say that you feel the most you will cook for is 8, let's call it 10. Let's also get real. If you have 8 other people over, making the total number 10, that is a lot of people that you're feeding on your dime, assumed.

I feel comfortable that I could cook for 20 people on the 18". The first time or two I practiced ribs for competition, I used an 18" because that is what I had convenient to me (my 22" was at our second home). I rolled and skewered them (yes, believe it) and later in the cook when I foiled them, I simply stacked them up to finish.

With one of those simple rib racks, you could cook 4-8 racks of ribs with ease and no rolling. Some of them will need to flop and curl, but they will cook just fine and nobody will give a rat's behind when they are eating them.

You can cook four 8-10 lb butts with ease. You can squeeze a 10-12lb brisket on...a little trimming and squeezing and curling might need to take place. Still, it will cook and halfway through it will shrink enough that it won't matter.

Fuel consumption is much better with the 18". I can load it with lump and a few pieces of smoke wood, throw 1/2 chimney of red hot lump on top, close the vents to 25-30%, throw a butt or two on and go to bed for 8 hours. When I get up and come downstairs at 7 am, it will be sitting at about 200F or so and I will open the vents to wide open. The temp will climb to 250-275F and I'll let it finish off for 3-4 hours.

If I am cooking a competition or wanting to practice a brisket (or simply cook one), I will use the 22". It is just easier to use for a large piece of meat, making it easy on me to use at my leisure.

Knowing what I know now and if I'm simply cooking in the backyard for family, up to 20 people or so, I would be satisfied with the 18". Sure, the 22" is MASSIVE, lets the ego climb and broadens the shoulders. If you can catch it for $300 at Amazon like I did, go for it. Otherwise, save your sheckels for some meat and spices.

 

[mikeTRON]

I assume that someone here who asks a question has done some homework on their own. If you do, you then know that the 22.5 mods I did can also be done (using the same parts) on the 22.5 WSM.

At first I didnt understand the relevance of your original post showing off your mods on a kettle in a wsm debate but then I realized you must have been indirectly pointing out another advantage of the 22.5" WSM :-D

 

[TomB]

I love my 22!

 

[Dave Russell]

I have two 18" and one 22" WSM.

You say that you feel the most you will cook for is 8, let's call it 10. Let's also get real. If you have 8 other people over, making the total number 10, that is a lot of people that you're feeding on your dime, assumed.

I feel comfortable that I could cook for 20 people on the 18". The first time or two I practiced ribs for competition, I used an 18" because that is what I had convenient to me (my 22" was at our second home). I rolled and skewered them (yes, believe it) and later in the cook when I foiled them, I simply stacked them up to finish.

With one of those simple rib racks, you could cook 4-8 racks of ribs with ease and no rolling. Some of them will need to flop and curl, but they will cook just fine and nobody will give a rat's behind when they are eating them.

You can cook four 8-10 lb butts with ease. You can squeeze a 10-12lb brisket on...a little trimming and squeezing and curling might need to take place. Still, it will cook and halfway through it will shrink enough that it won't matter.

Fuel consumption is much better with the 18". I can load it with lump and a few pieces of smoke wood, throw 1/2 chimney of red hot lump on top, close the vents to 25-30%, throw a butt or two on and go to bed for 8 hours. When I get up and come downstairs at 7 am, it will be sitting at about 200F or so and I will open the vents to wide open. The temp will climb to 250-275F and I'll let it finish off for 3-4 hours.

If I am cooking a competition or wanting to practice a brisket (or simply cook one), I will use the 22". It is just easier to use for a large piece of meat, making it easy on me to use at my leisure.

Knowing what I know now and if I'm simply cooking in the backyard for family, up to 20 people or so, I would be satisfied with the 18". Sure, the 22" is MASSIVE, lets the ego climb and broadens the shoulders. If you can catch it for $300 at Amazon like I did, go for it. Otherwise, save your sheckels for some meat and spices.

Don't have a big one, but this is just what I'd think. VERY WELL SAID.

The only thing I'd add is this one point: What's the best meat for a crowd bigger than 20 people? You got it: pulled pork butt, and how much can you cook on an original wsm? Like I said earlier, a guy on another forum cooked 60 pounds, three 10 pounders to a rack. However, whatever the amount is, it'll feed more mouths than my wife would ever have over to entertain.

 

[btcg]

At first I didnt understand the relevance of your original post showing off your mods on a kettle in a wsm debate but then I realized you must have been indirectly pointing out another advantage of the 22.5" WSM :-D

If you're reading this site before you decide to make a purchase, odds are that you're ahead of the guy who just hits Lowes or Home Depot and takes the advice of the guy stocking the shelves.

All of my mods can be physically removed and placed right on a 22.5 WSM. This is a huge advantage, and probably why many of the brothers here who own a WSM also own a Weber kettle. If you own both, you can be doing a rotisserie smoke on your WSM while grilling burgers on the cast iron grate on the kettle... etc.

The ability to swap those parts around 2 grills gives a Weber owner real versatility.

 

[nrok2118]

I got a 18 and really wish I went with the 22, mainly because of the untrimmed rib fitting. Or what Im thinking is keep the 18 and use the extra money you would spend on the 22 and build a UDS. Hell you could even install a deflector/water pan and have the best of both worlds!

 

[btcg]

I got a 18 and really wish I went with the 22, mainly because of the untrimmed rib fitting. Or what Im thinking is keep the 18 and use the extra money you would spend on the 22 and build a UDS. Hell you could even install a deflector/water pan and have the best of both worlds!

Having more surface space also gives you more "safe area" room in the event something flares up unexpectedly.