WSM vs smoking in kettle


 

Kristof Jozsa

TVWBB Fan
Sharing my dilemma.. in the last year or so, I learnt really a lot (mostly from you guys!) about smoking in my 22" kettle. I picked up a Slow N Sear basket and recently a TipTopTemp device and I had a few great success with pork butts, ribs and even brisket the last time. I haven't even thinked about getting a dedicated smoker until a few days ago when the question arose about picking up a portable one which we could maybe bring to ski tours or to the weekend house with us. It's also important to note that I mostly cook for 3-7 people and always using lump (don't ask, can't stand briqs, can't explain, but lump is what works right for me).

So recently I have read a lot on the topic and that only deepens my dilemma. The 14" WSM looks like a really cute and fun device to get but looks also limited in capacity (thinking of ribs mostly, and I remember my struggle with my 18" kettle when grilling before I switched to a 22"). The 18" WSM would probably be a really excellent kit to get and its capacity would really step up the amount I can possibly smoke compared to my kettle, but I'm sure I wouldn't want to take the 18-er anywhere with me. The cheapest option certainly would be staying with my current kettle setup for smoking, which kind of works and have no capacity problems with it.

For those having experience with smoking in a kettle (maybe with a Slow N Sear basket), how does a WSM compare? Smoking in my kettle I rarely have more than 1-2 hours of unattended cooking during the day, temperature fluctuates, water runs out, have to refill or reorganize lump, etc. - it really feels like a full day of work (though a fun one), and can't even think of overnight smoking. I assume the WSM has a more clean flight.. but having no personal experience I can't really judge this myself. How much less work is smoking with a WSM? Is it worth switching?

What do you think? Should I stay as is and spend more on meat than dilemmas? Should I pick that baby WSM which is so tempting and which I could also move with me? Or would you choose the great and proven 18-er which can do everything just fine and give up on portability?
 
How much less work is smoking with a WSM
The # 1 reason for having a WSM, is it's ease of use. It can be as easy as: Lighting it, putting your food in it, and walk away for hours & hours. You can run a kettle all day too, but it requires work that you wouldn't need to do, if running a WSM. The Kettle as well as the WSM both make amazing BBQ. But for the long cooks, you can't beat the WSM, because of it's ease of use
 
WSM is way easier than a kettle for smoking. It's a dedicated smoker so it should be way easier. It is holds a more stable temp, especially if you use water. I think my 18" wsm holds a gallon and a half so it doesn't really need refilled during a cook.
 
Yeah.... WSM for ease of use when smoking. I have both the 18.5 & 14.5 WSMs. Depending on what you cook - the 14.5 can easily make food for 8. You like ribs? Figuring 1/2 rack of ribs per person (I can't eat that much) you would need 4 racks of ribs. Cutting the racks of ribs in half & using 2 rib racks will cook enough for 8. Cook a couple of butts & you probably could feed 16 people easily. The 14.5 is a giant killer.
 
Kristof, I smoked on kettles for years, then bought an 18 WSM and it made my life easier. Bought used 22 WSM for ribs and parties and prolly going to get a 14 eventually.
Oh and I have a Jumbo joe.
It's not more of thinking you need it, but more of knowing you want it.:)

Tim
 
I am not going to make it easier...

I got the 14 WSM and it's lovely to work with and hardly uses any charcoal.
It does hold a lot of meat as you got 2 grids you can use fully.

However, the 18 and 22 kettle are also great.
I have actually been eying this thing to turn my 18 kettle into a bit more like a smoker (and the Euro - GBP rate is good for us Europeans at the moment)
http://www.barbecuestacker.com/bbqstackershop.html
 
Ok, first of all, full disclosure: I don't usually use lump, so I'm not sure how well that works. I've used it before for short cooks, and will use it on occasion (just for cooking fish). When I decided I wanted to start using smoking woods, I started in my 22" kettle. It works great, especially for slightly higher than normal smoking temps. I've done a lot with it and was always pleased with the results. But, then I decided that I wanted a true smoker. I went and looked at the 14" in store and decided that it was just too small, even though I'd be cooking primarily for two. I also found that the 22' WSM was too big for my needs. The 18" was just right. I got it in June. So far, I've cooked on it 5-6 times. It turns out a much better product than my 22" kettle and I'm always amazed at how easy it is to use. I've done regular smoke with boston butt, and it was the most tender pulled pork I have ever made. (That cook was 13 hours and I didn't have to reload charcoal or water.) I did beef ribs and had to leave the house with the smoker going for 4 hours while I was in the ER with my wife, and it turned out well, even though there was a slight rain while gone. I've managed to keep a temperature around 150* F to cold smoke bacon. Now that I've played around with it, I've decided that for things that I want to cook for a couple of hours or more, I'll use it. But, if it's something like chicken that will cook in an hour, I'm sticking with the 22" kettle because it's less involved to set up and take down.
 
I have an 18" WSM and almost never use it; I use my Performer with a Smoke EZ (similar to a Cajun Bandit or stacker). Temperature control is a little harder and it uses a little more fuel, but I love the extra room for briskets, multiple butts, etc. I would prefer a 22" WSM, but the Kettle/Smoke EZ works fine for me.
 
"I haven't even thinked about getting a dedicated smoker until a few days ago when the question arose about picking up a portable one which we could maybe bring to ski tours or to the weekend house with us."


Well, this says it all! The 14.5" WSM is perfect for this. I have a 14.5" and 18.5". The 14.5" goes on ALL my camping trips. Just got back from the Sierra's and the 14.5" did a couple racks of ribs one night and then a nice tri-tip another night.
 
Many people use lump charcoal and it works great for them so that's not a factor. I use my kettle when smoking for just me and the wife but it's a lot more work than using the WSM. There's an old saying, "When you got an itch - scratch it" and i have the same itch. When I find a used 14.5 WSM at a good price I'm getting it. I suspect that you'll get the small WSM. it's just what you need/want. :wsm:
 
You are right Lew, I wish the 14.5 would work just fine for me, be easily portable, has enough capacity for my needs and bring effortless smoking to my life.

In fact, I'm already looking for ordering it (though its not trivial at all in my country) and really hope all points above will turn out well.
 
I think I read in this thread that the 14.5 is preferred for smaller cooks because it uses less fuel.

If this is true, why does the size of the WSM determine how much fuel to use?

Shouldn't the size of the batch of food determine how much fuel to use?

For example, if something takes 20 briquettes, it shouldn't matter if it's in a 22.5 or 14.5, right?

If grilling 3 corns (a batch size that can fit on any of the models), then it should be the same amount on fuel regardless of the size of the WSM, right?

If I were grilling 3 corns on a gas grill, I think I'd be using the same amount of gas (assuming I had only 1 burner turned on) regardless of the size of the gas grill, right?
 
Kristof, I tortured myself over which size would be best for me for over a year! I understand your frustration, concern and curiosity. Most of my smokes are for 6-8. I got really lucky, a member had decided that he was in need of a larger WSM so, when he got his 22, I got his 18 for a good, fair price!
I had had excellent results with using my kettle for butts and pretty much anything I wanted. When the desire for a brisket became overwhelming I obtained the 18 WSM. Now, I press the bullet into service pretty often. Next week I will dive back into the brisket pool to celebrate my birthday! I've tucked in a 14 lb. brisket on without too much trouble and will run this one overnight, slower than the last one.
 
I think I read in this thread that the 14.5 is preferred for smaller cooks because it uses less fuel.

If this is true, why does the size of the WSM determine how much fuel to use?

Shouldn't the size of the batch of food determine how much fuel to use?

For example, if something takes 20 briquettes, it shouldn't matter if it's in a 22.5 or 14.5, right?

If grilling 3 corns (a batch size that can fit on any of the models), then it should be the same amount on fuel regardless of the size of the WSM, right?

If I were grilling 3 corns on a gas grill, I think I'd be using the same amount of gas (assuming I had only 1 burner turned on) regardless of the size of the gas grill, right?
Think volume of cavity to be heated not number of coals used, this may answer some of the trouble you have said you've had with heat in the past, last weekend I did a chuckroast and a butt which in total used probably fifteen pounds of KBB I am not the least bit surprised in that fuel consumption, it ran for 15 hours. An ear of corn is made up of many comparatively small kernels, a butt is one very large mass, think about it.corn is kind of a strange example for your argument to the way I see it.
Heat management is not about the size of the fire but how efficiently it's used, grilling corn is "hot fast" something like a butt is a different process. You must think about how the heat is managed not necessarily how much charcoal is needed. You can boil water over a candle but, a burner will do it more efficiently.
 
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Tim's right. Not only do you have different volume but different metal areas exposed to outside area temp. That heat you feel on the outside of the smoker is heat loss (fuel burned) that isn't cooking meat. More area - more heat loss.
 
Think volume of cavity to be heated not number of coals used, this may answer some of the trouble you have said you've had with heat in the past, last weekend I did a chuckroast and a butt which in total used probably fifteen pounds of KBB I am not the least bit surprised in that fuel consumption, it ran for 15 hours. An ear of corn is made up of many comparatively small kernels, a butt is one very large mass, think about it.corn is kind of a strange example for your argument to the way I see it.
Heat management is not about the size of the fire but how efficiently it's used, grilling corn is "hot fast" something like a butt is a different process. You must think about how the heat is managed not necessarily how much charcoal is needed. You can boil water over a candle but, a burner will do it more efficiently.

For the 15 hour cook, did you light 15lbs of KBB all at once, or did you re-fill the charcoal grate in stages? If the latter, at what intervals?

Tim's right. Not only do you have different volume but different metal areas exposed to outside area temp. That heat you feel on the outside of the smoker is heat loss (fuel burned) that isn't cooking meat. More area - more heat loss.

Thanks. So a 22.5 WSM loses more heat?
 
The only time I'll use the kettle for smoking is if I have something that doesn't require a long smoking time, e.g. less than two hours. And that generally doesn't happen very often. I'll use the WSM for ribs, pork butt. I recently started using the WSM for meat loaf and chicken. Most of the others here have more detailed responses, and they seem to have more experience than I do. Just thought I'd add my two cents.
 
Thanks. So a 22.5 WSM loses more heat?
Think about using a space heater to heat a bedroom vs. living room. You either use a bigger space heater (more coals ignited) or run it a much longer time (more coals over the long haul) to get it to temp.

Also, larger surface area equals greater heat transfer to atmosphere. Reason many use a welding or insulating blanket with the larger 22.5"s (especially in the winter).
 
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WARNING: WSM or the like MULTIPLY & Quickly!

I started a Mini WSM build [actually 2x, still getting all the knick knacks, & need to find time. . . BUT, it's the entry to a whole new addiciton to acquire Weber Smokey Hardware

I now have a WSM 18.5 for larger cooks & a WSM 14.5 for more frequent cooks & smaller portions . . . . I don't think you'll regret any size Weber Smoker or Mini WSM varient

Imho: I think you should build yourself a Mini WSM & see if this format fits your needs :)
 
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