Brains over ego!


 
T

T.Brown

New member
So I finally pulled the trigger on WSM 22 and will be putting the Char Broiler Double Chef to rest after the Super Bowl smoke. I had been shopping for a new smoker since last summer and had been getting drawn into some of the locally (Houston area) manufactured sfb smokers. For equal the amount of cook area they were easily more than double the price. I went to a local vendor and got to see the 18 and 22 side by side, and the WSM 22 is huge! Between the two large cook grates and the BGE extender I already have, I'll have 1,000 sq inches of cook area. More than enough for what I'm doing.

The big temptation for me was to look like a "real" smoker like the other two fellas on the block, but I'm really not into feeding the fire all day or not being able to let it run through the night. Heck, I was turning out better Q than them (IMHO) with the Double Chef and had an easier time doing it. With the money I saved I'm even shopping for an automatic temperature controller, which I guess is a luxury with the WSM since I'm not doing comps.

Overall, I'm happy with my choice. Can't wait to get that thing and put it to work.
 
Congrats T. Brown! I believe you made the wisest decision going with the 22 inch WSM. (Like you said) it's huge and, with proper usage, can't and won't rust. It can last you a lifetime and look as good 20 yrs from now as it did when you bought it.

I too had the venerable Double Chef and got PLENTY of good smokes out of it. Had to weld a taller charcoal ring (similar to the WSM charcoal chamber) in order to get 12-14 hr smoke times, then had to raise the cooking grate 2 1/2 inches to get the bottom grate and water pan off the coals. Once I did that, and added a quality thermometer in the lid, it was almost as good as a WSM. They were basically the same in terms of cooking performance and cook times. The Double Chef wasn't as airtight, so temps could get away from you - and when they did, the powder coating on the firebowl just couldn't handle the high temps.

Just yesterday I sent the Double Chef to my older sister, along with a Chargriller Duo grill. If only the Double Chef were porcelain enamel coated, it would easily stand heads up with the WSM. I wouldn't take another Chargriller grill if you paid me to!
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Great decision. I could not be happier with my 22 wsm. I was on the fence for a while, a few of my friends have some custom made offsetts, but they sure have been enjoying my bbq!
 
I bet you will love your WSM...And for the price its the BEST smoker out there. Harry has proven its possible to slap the big trailer smokers on comps.
 
T. Brown;

Congrats on a great decision to make a WSM purchase. I think its a world class cooker on a budget that surprises many.
You mentioned an ATC for your WSM. I can't agree more! I took the time to learn my wsm w/o an ATC. I felt it important to know how to operate it just in case I had a malfunction with the controller. With that said, you will be happy with a Guru Digi-Q or something of equal quality such as a Stoker. Depends on the bells and whistles want and your techno savvy. I cant tell you how much I enjoy my Guru and the restful nights I have as it takes the guesswork out of cooking overnighters.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by T.Brown:
The big temptation for me was to look like a "real" smoker like the other two fellas on the block, but I'm really not into feeding the fire all day or not being able to let it run through the night. Heck, I was turning out better Q than them (IMHO) with the Double Chef and had an easier time doing it. With the money I saved I'm even shopping for an automatic temperature controller, which I guess is a luxury with the WSM since I'm not doing comps.
. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I care a lot more about function than form. And sometimes you don't appreciate why things are the way they are until you've used them for a while. It wasn't until after I bought my OTG that I realized it's so much better than all the cheapo grills I had before it. It's just a perfect design.

A buddy of mine has a Chargriller offset. He's a good cook and he makes good que, but he says there's been a learning curve because of the variation in temps across the cooking surface. None of that with the WSM. Or at least way less of that.

Anyway, he calls my grill a penis cooker. Har de har har. But mine works better and we both know it.
 
Outstanding decision. Ego makes for bad decisions.

I have a CG Smokin Pro and it looks cool but I bought it on CL to have a large grill. I have smoked food on it. Now it's only used when I'm grilling for 8 or more or doing Rotisserie. I use the old Weber grill when grilling for the 4 of us at home or smoking something small.

The WSM has it's own cool look and is much easier to learn how to cook great tasting food on. I understand why a competition cook would go with a big offset but for the backyard cook I don't think the WSM can be beat for functionality and value.
 
Congrats T Brown!

Personally, I don't think temp controllers are necessary at all on the WSM. It's obscenely good at sticking and holding temps with just a little practice. I did my first overnighter this weekend, checked the smoker about 3 times between 12:30ish and 7ish. The temp varied between 251 and 253. It was about 30 degrees out.

I never had to touch the vents in that time, or add water.
 
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