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Weber Smokey Mountain. Size? (1 Viewer)

shuke

shuke

Black Ice Skeptic
Finally upgrading from my old Char Broil vertical smoker. It's served me well but is such a high maintenance POS.

Curious what people think about the 18.5" vs. 22.5" WSM. I'm sure I'd be fine with the 18.5", as my current one is only about 17" and I've done 8 chickens on it. But hell, why not go bigger? Any downsides to the 22.5"? Is it more difficult to keep the temps up due to size?

 
Price? Would love to have a WSM, but the price has gotten out of control over that last couple of years. $400 for the 22.5 on Amazon? No thanks. What little smoking I do can be done on my old modified Weber kettle.

They are supposed to be great though. :thumbup:

 
I have a 18.5" smoker (Big Green Egg), and for Memorial Day I was able to smoke a 10 lb brisket and an 11 lb pork shoulder on a second rack that I bought, with a little more room to spare if I really needed it for bigger cuts of meat. The only thing I've had trouble fitting is more than two racks racks of ribs. Some racks of ribs are so long that even with one of those racks that holds the ribs on their side, they need to be cut to fit.

Personally, for $100 difference, I would stick with the 18.5".

 
If you do a lot of ribs, the 22 increases capacity a good bit.

The 18 will let you do 3 slabs per level but only with rib racks and/or curling them and it's kinda a pita to glaze them in racks.

 
I have the 18 and I've been able to cook everything I need in the two levels, but I'd kinda like the 22 just in case. I will say I have a friend with the 22 and he complains about it being harder to get temps up, but I cannot vouch for his smoking ability, so it's hard to say.

 
Kev4029 said:
I have a 18.5" smoker (Big Green Egg), and for Memorial Day I was able to smoke a 10 lb brisket and an 11 lb pork shoulder on a second rack that I bought, with a little more room to spare if I really needed it for bigger cuts of meat. The only thing I've had trouble fitting is more than two racks racks of ribs. Some racks of ribs are so long that even with one of those racks that holds the ribs on their side, they need to be cut to fit.

Personally, for $100 difference, I would stick with the 18.5".
Click to expand...
Where did you manage to acquire a 10 pound brisket? I would love to do bigger ones, but the places by me never have anything bigger than 5-6 pounds. Special order, direct from butcher, other?

 
Mad Cow said:
I have the 18 and I've been able to cook everything I need in the two levels, but I'd kinda like the 22 just in case. I will say I have a friend with the 22 and he complains about it being harder to get temps up, but I cannot vouch for his smoking ability, so it's hard to say.
Click to expand...
I have the 22 and it's great.

As for your friend, I've never had any problem keeping the temperature steady anywhere from 225-275, depending on what I need.

 
I have both and I use the 18 a lot more than the 22. I don't do very many large cooks, so the 22 is overkill most times.

It does use a more fuel and at times I do have trouble keeping the temperature down, even with all the vents closed, but it's a reliable cooker.

It really depends on how often you'll need the extra space.

 
[icon] said:
If you do a lot of ribs, the 22 increases capacity a good bit.

The 18 will let you do 3 slabs per level but only with rib racks and/or curling them and it's kinda a pita to glaze them in racks.
Click to expand...
I've only done ribs for small groups. If I'm feeding a lot I do chickens or shoulders.

 
I have the 18.5 and it's fine for a family of four. Don't really do much entertaining but cooking for us it's good.

I rarely use the bottom rack except when I'm doing a couple slabs of ribs on the top rack and beans underneath.

I usually curl the ribs and use skewers.

For pulled pork, I can fit two large butts (8 or 9 pounds) or three smaller 6 pound on the top rack.

 
FWIW when I bought my 18, the 22 wasn't even released. I would probably have gotten that if it were, but I am very happy with the 18.

 
I have an 18" and LOVE it! Only thing that is slightly an issue is if I get the 3-slab cyrovac ribs from Costco and cook them all on the top rack. I have to curl the outside two slabs around so they fit inside the lid. Someone else mentioned you could roll them and use skewers, which would work as well.

I found my WSM on eBay for under $250 new, so if the price tag is an issue, you can check around there.

 
WhatDoIKnow said:
Price? Would love to have a WSM, but the price has gotten out of control over that last couple of years. $400 for the 22.5 on Amazon? No thanks. What little smoking I do can be done on my old modified Weber kettle.

They are supposed to be great though. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
I'm sure I'd enjoy one, but I still can't justify a WSM purchase when I could get 3-4 Kettles for one. Actually, I do have 4 Kettles, but I've only got about $250 invested in them.

I love smoking on a Kettle, as well as the overall convenience.

 
I have the 18.5" WSM, and I really love it. It generally works great for whatever I want to do. However, there are definitely some times when I wish that I had the 22.5" WSM. As some others said, it can be a bit of tight squeeze when doing large racks of St. Louis-style ribs. I've also found that you can encounter some air flow issues if you foiling something with an aluminum pan because the pan takes up too much of the grill surface area and disrupts the air flow. I think the 18.5" WSM is great for most purposes, but there are definitely times when I wish I had a few more inches to work with (who doesn't). I would probably recommend investing the extra $100 for the larger model.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have the 22.5"... I love it when I have to cook for a large group

With rib racks on upper and lower grates, I cooked 27 chicken quarters (upper) and 9 full racks of ribs (lower) for the 27 coaches and players on hockey team the last couple of years for end of season party...

It does feel like overkill when I cook for a smaller group (5-12), but I just say feck it and throw on a few extra racks of ribs and then have extra leftovers for (for me) the next few days...

When it's just me and the wife, I just grill...

 
I had the 18.5" and was fine with it. Unless you cook a hell of a lot of meat I was would stick with the 18.5 and spend the extra $100 on accessories.

 
Rich Conway said:
Kev4029 said:
I have a 18.5" smoker (Big Green Egg), and for Memorial Day I was able to smoke a 10 lb brisket and an 11 lb pork shoulder on a second rack that I bought, with a little more room to spare if I really needed it for bigger cuts of meat. The only thing I've had trouble fitting is more than two racks racks of ribs. Some racks of ribs are so long that even with one of those racks that holds the ribs on their side, they need to be cut to fit.

Personally, for $100 difference, I would stick with the 18.5".
Click to expand...
Where did you manage to acquire a 10 pound brisket? I would love to do bigger ones, but the places by me never have anything bigger than 5-6 pounds. Special order, direct from butcher, other?
Click to expand...
Sam's Club. It was actually the smallest one they had.

 
I choose the 18" to save on charcoal. Reviews I read said the 22" requires you to burn through more... not sure how much of a difference it actual makes.

I think it comes down to how often you cook for more than 5 people. Using the bottom rack is really kind of a pain, and there's enough of a temperature difference that it makes things a bit more tricky. I'd probably plan on not using that rack much, then figure out if the 18" will work.

 
I have both and rarely use the 22.5. The only times I use it are for parties when I have 20 or so people and I need to cook a good bit. I can cook a lot for the family (6 including myself) on both racks. The only issues I have with the 18.5 are for ribs at times, but it's easier to trim them a bit (maybe an inch) or use a rib rack for baby backs. This past weekend I did a brisket and ABT's and everything fit fine and you can fit 4 large butts on there if you had to. The 22.5 takes a lot of charcoal and in any bad weather it can be a real pain in the ash to get up to or maintain temps. In hindsight I probably shouldnt have purchased the 22.5

 
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
Why limit yourself? Shoot the lock off your wallet and get the 22.5.
Click to expand...
The question really isn't about the $100 difference.
Click to expand...
Then what is it? As long as you have the space, Id say get the bigger. I suppose it requires a little more charcoal, but seems like a pretty small difference. I have the 22.5 and maintaining temps has never been an issue. If Im going to fire it up, Id never smoke just enough BBQ for 4 people anyway. I always load the thing up and just freeze whatever we dont eat.

 
E-Z Glider said:
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
Why limit yourself? Shoot the lock off your wallet and get the 22.5.
Click to expand...
The question really isn't about the $100 difference.
Click to expand...
Then what is it? As long as you have the space, Id say get the bigger. I suppose it requires a little more charcoal, but seems like a pretty small difference. I have the 22.5 and maintaining temps has never been an issue. If Im going to fire it up, Id never smoke just enough BBQ for 4 people anyway. I always load the thing up and just freeze whatever we dont eat.
Click to expand...
My main question was about maintaining temps. If the 22.5 is any more difficult, then I'd be fine buying the 18.5. I've never used a Weber or any other smoker with vents so I do not know how easy/difficult it is. I don't use my current smoker enough because although I love it, it is a huge pain in the ###.

 
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
Why limit yourself? Shoot the lock off your wallet and get the 22.5.
Click to expand...
The question really isn't about the $100 difference.
Click to expand...
Then what is it? As long as you have the space, Id say get the bigger. I suppose it requires a little more charcoal, but seems like a pretty small difference. I have the 22.5 and maintaining temps has never been an issue. If Im going to fire it up, Id never smoke just enough BBQ for 4 people anyway. I always load the thing up and just freeze whatever we dont eat.
Click to expand...
My main question was about maintaining temps. If the 22.5 is any more difficult, then I'd be fine buying the 18.5. I've never used a Weber or any other smoker with vents so I do not know how easy/difficult it is. I don't use my current smoker enough because although I love it, it is a huge pain in the ###.
Click to expand...
How often do you plan on using this smoker and how many will you be cooking for? Do you plan on cooking a lot?

 
Bigboy10182000 said:
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
Why limit yourself? Shoot the lock off your wallet and get the 22.5.
Click to expand...
The question really isn't about the $100 difference.
Click to expand...
Then what is it? As long as you have the space, Id say get the bigger. I suppose it requires a little more charcoal, but seems like a pretty small difference. I have the 22.5 and maintaining temps has never been an issue. If Im going to fire it up, Id never smoke just enough BBQ for 4 people anyway. I always load the thing up and just freeze whatever we dont eat.
Click to expand...
My main question was about maintaining temps. If the 22.5 is any more difficult, then I'd be fine buying the 18.5. I've never used a Weber or any other smoker with vents so I do not know how easy/difficult it is. I don't use my current smoker enough because although I love it, it is a huge pain in the ###.
Click to expand...
How often do you plan on using this smoker and how many will you be cooking for? Do you plan on cooking a lot?
Click to expand...
I usually cook for get-togethers of 4-8 families. I've never not had enough food using my current 17" model, so the 18.5" should be fine. I don't use my current one enough, maybe once or twice a year. If I had a smoker that I didn't have to babysit the whole time, I'm sure I would use it a lot more just for the family.

But let's say I can get a 22.5" for cheaper, would I ever regret it? Would it be "too big" if I'm just cooking for 4 people?

 
shuke said:
Bigboy10182000 said:
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
Why limit yourself? Shoot the lock off your wallet and get the 22.5.
Click to expand...
The question really isn't about the $100 difference.
Click to expand...
Then what is it? As long as you have the space, Id say get the bigger. I suppose it requires a little more charcoal, but seems like a pretty small difference. I have the 22.5 and maintaining temps has never been an issue. If Im going to fire it up, Id never smoke just enough BBQ for 4 people anyway. I always load the thing up and just freeze whatever we dont eat.
Click to expand...
My main question was about maintaining temps. If the 22.5 is any more difficult, then I'd be fine buying the 18.5. I've never used a Weber or any other smoker with vents so I do not know how easy/difficult it is. I don't use my current smoker enough because although I love it, it is a huge pain in the ###.
Click to expand...
How often do you plan on using this smoker and how many will you be cooking for? Do you plan on cooking a lot?
Click to expand...
I usually cook for get-togethers of 4-8 families. I've never not had enough food using my current 17" model, so the 18.5" should be fine. I don't use my current one enough, maybe once or twice a year. If I had a smoker that I didn't have to babysit the whole time, I'm sure I would use it a lot more just for the family.

But let's say I can get a 22.5" for cheaper, would I ever regret it? Would it be "too big" if I'm just cooking for 4 people?
Click to expand...
I dont think you will regret it. I thought I would need the extra space that the 22.5 had but I rarely do.

IMHO whatever you're cooking for 4 people can be cooked on the 18.5

As far as the babysitting you wont have to do that with either one.

 
shuke said:
Bigboy10182000 said:
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
shuke said:
E-Z Glider said:
Why limit yourself? Shoot the lock off your wallet and get the 22.5.
Click to expand...
The question really isn't about the $100 difference.
Click to expand...
Then what is it? As long as you have the space, Id say get the bigger. I suppose it requires a little more charcoal, but seems like a pretty small difference. I have the 22.5 and maintaining temps has never been an issue. If Im going to fire it up, Id never smoke just enough BBQ for 4 people anyway. I always load the thing up and just freeze whatever we dont eat.
Click to expand...
My main question was about maintaining temps. If the 22.5 is any more difficult, then I'd be fine buying the 18.5. I've never used a Weber or any other smoker with vents so I do not know how easy/difficult it is. I don't use my current smoker enough because although I love it, it is a huge pain in the ###.
Click to expand...
How often do you plan on using this smoker and how many will you be cooking for? Do you plan on cooking a lot?
Click to expand...
I usually cook for get-togethers of 4-8 families. I've never not had enough food using my current 17" model, so the 18.5" should be fine. I don't use my current one enough, maybe once or twice a year. If I had a smoker that I didn't have to babysit the whole time, I'm sure I would use it a lot more just for the family.

But let's say I can get a 22.5" for cheaper, would I ever regret it? Would it be "too big" if I'm just cooking for 4 people?
Click to expand...
For just 4 people...sure, it's overkill... but if you are cooking for 4-8 families (assuming 4 per family) the 22.5 will be fine and handle it no problem. For the most part, once you get the heat dialed it, it stays pretty constant. I use a whole bag (16lbs) when cooking for a large group (20-30 ppl) and that will last all day.

 
As far as baby-sitting the WSM, I have taken to doing overnight smokes for pulled pork. Light it around 11, put the food on between between 11:30 and 12, maybe stay up until 12:30 to make sure the temp is steady then crash until about 0500 to mop and check on things then back to bed for a couple more hours.

 
Mad Cow said:
FWIW when I bought my 18, the 22 wasn't even released. I would probably have gotten that if it were, but I am very happy with the 18.
Click to expand...
This is where I'm at. Most often I'm smoking butts or a vertical turkey and the Bullet is good for those. Been looking at the Master Forge vertical for the multiple racks for ribs and it looks real good on the shelf but there seem to be mixed reviews...maybe different models? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eH1EC64V1s

 
We host a backyard party twice per year, and I've cooked for 20 people on the 18" several times with no problems. To me, unless you're going to cook for even larger groups, it seems like the 18" is a more economical option over time considering the fuel usage.

As for control, like someone else said, it really can't be beat. I've done the overnight thing several times without worrying about it or messing with it. I'm sure they're all pretty much the same, but mine seems to have a sweet spot about about 250 degrees that will run for hours at plus or minus 10 degrees.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bigboy10182000 said:
I have both and rarely use the 22.5. The only times I use it are for parties when I have 20 or so people and I need to cook a good bit. I can cook a lot for the family (6 including myself) on both racks. The only issues I have with the 18.5 are for ribs at times, but it's easier to trim them a bit (maybe an inch) or use a rib rack for baby backs. This past weekend I did a brisket and ABT's and everything fit fine and you can fit 4 large butts on there if you had to. The 22.5 takes a lot of charcoal and in any bad weather it can be a real pain in the ash to get up to or maintain temps. In hindsight I probably shouldnt have purchased the 22.5
Click to expand...
This....unless you're cooking for large groups often go with the 18.5. You can fit plenty on the 18.5

 
I was set on the 18.5, but found a 22.5 new in box on craigslist for $130. I can't get a hold of the guy though.

 
I'm a convert to the high heat method for brisket. Only five or six hours to wonderful brisket.

 
Mad Cow said:
I'm a convert to the high heat method for brisket. Only five or six hours to wonderful brisket.
Click to expand...
For packers?

I usually foil flats after about 3 hours and go 4-5 hours total. Anything more, and lately, I really risk getting it too tender and it really doesn't slice well.

 
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