Can't Decide: 18.5 or 22.5 WSM


 
J

JPGodfrey

New member
I hate not being able to decide something. I am going to get a Genesis EP-330 grill and a WSM. But I keep drifting back and forth between the 18.5 WSM and the 22.5 WSM. I live alone on the side of a mountain in beautiful western North Carolina. So I don't have a large family to cook for, though I'm making lots of terrific new friends here and want to have them over for BBQs. I'd also like to be able to smoke a turkey once in a while.
It seems like the 22.5 would normally be a waste of charcoal, to fire it up just to cook a chicken, some ribs or a nice piece of fish. I realize I could get an 18.5 charcoal ring for the 22.5, but do you think I would really need the much larger capacity of the 22.5?
Please help me decide this ridiculous choice I've created for myself.

thanks,
JP
 
The only time I wish I had a 22.5 instead of an 18.5 is when I cook ribs. I'd love to be able to lay a full slab of ribs flat on the grate. For everything else the 18.5 has been big enough for the past 10+ years. I routinely cook two butts on the top rack, and could probably fit two more on the bottom if I wanted. I can cook four beer can chickens easily. Ribs, cut in half, fit via a cheap rib rack and I could cook four full slabs that way. I think I'd have more trouble justifying the 22.5 than in making the 18.5 fit what I normally cook. OTOH, if I had a 22.5 I'd probably find a way to justify it (there are plenty of my wife's relatives around here to eat up the excess). ;)
 
JPGodfrey;
I first bought an 18.5" WSM (after my OTG and gasser). Later, I was intrigued by the thought of the Mini-Joe. I built one and was extremely pleased. If I ever needed to add capacity, I'll just run both on a particular event. An 18.5" will do more than most will ever need. It is a pleasure to run it and when and if I wanted to do just one chicken, it wasn't terrible overkill.

I just added the 14.5" as a matter of academic interest. Frankly, the 14.5", if people would be honest with themselves, will handle most small families and their guests. I recently did two 8-9 lb Boston Butts on my 14.5" and it did a FINE job.

My vote goes for the 18.5", it'll do a LOT of BBQ. I can recommend the Brinkman rib racks as I do as many as 8 half racks (one rib rack on each grate) at a time in either the 18.5" or the 14.5" and Mini-Joe. As Larry mentions above, you can easily do four Boston Butts on the 18.5" (I believe others have even done more).

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
I have both and use both. Started with the 22.5" and I'll never get rid of it as the real estate is great to have. Much like Robert above, I also built a mini-WSM from a Smokey Joe and he does a fine job for smaller cooks. And by smaller, you can still fit a decent amount in a 32 quart stock pot. This past summer, I scored an 18.5" WSM at an estate sale. It's a fair amount smaller than the 22, but he's getting into the rotation on a regular basis. (yesterday in fact)

From the sounds of YOUR needs, I'd probably recommend the 18
 
The 18.5 is easily big enough to cook a turkey on. I have not regretted not getting the 22.5 at all.
 
Bear said:
The 18.5 is easily big enough to cook a turkey on. I have not regretted not getting the 22.5 at all.
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I agree with this statement. I was torn at first as well and the 18.5 has done just fine. Like another poster said the only time I would prefer the 22.5 is for rib, but I just don't do them enough to justify it.
 
18.5 is what I have at first I wished I would of gotten the 22.5 but now several months later I realize I don't need anymore dang room cause I already cook enough for a whole week and still can't eat it all in one cook! 18.5 is way to to 22.5 eats way more charcoal just due to size I already go through with the 18.5 ( not saying it uses too much I just cook too much ) I'd hate to be buying for the 22.5
 
For the first year I had mine, I wished I had the larger size. But when I look all the times I've stuff the 18.5 to the max, I can't imagine needing a bigger one that often. Like mentioned earlier, only really for ribs would come in handy. I can still put two bb on the top grate side by side without any issues. A large brisket fits fine on either grate, too. I also don't try to maximize my cooks anymore. I used to sit there and brew over how to stack it and stage what I'm cooking, so that I don't waste charcoal. Now, I just use it like our oven where I really don't prep a whole lot. I'll use it from the small to large cooks, and I usually wind up reusing charcoal from the last cook. The 18.5 is big enough for 95% or more of the stuff I cook.
 
Bear said:
The 18.5 is easily big enough to cook a turkey on. I have not regretted not getting the 22.5 at all.
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I will add my vote to this. You could easily cook 2 ten pound Turkeys on an 18..... Which is better than one big bird for many reasons.
 
JPGodfrey said:
Thanks for all your comments.
How large a turkey could be cooked/smoked in the 18.5?

JP
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A massive one. We get a medium to large sized tukey each year, and I set it on the top grate. It sits in the center with plenty room to spare. You could do a couple, but they only take about 3 hours to cook. You could spend the day cranking out enough turkeys to feed a small army with both grates of the 18.5.
 
This was a 22# with room to spare.
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Tim
 
I like and use both, but unless you want to start smoking briskets all the time, I'd get an 18.5". Regarding charcoal usage, not only is the 22" bigger, it's MUCH taller, and that's because there's a huge distance from the fire to the pan. That makes it a bit of a charcoal hog, compared to the 18".
 
Dave Russell said:
I like and use both, but unless you want to start smoking briskets all the time, I'd get an 18.5". Regarding charcoal usage, not only is the 22" bigger, it's MUCH taller, and that's because there's a huge distance from the fire to the pan. That makes it a bit of a charcoal hog, compared to the 18".
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Good point. Sometimes, the big briskets get near the edge, but I haven't found a brisket that wouldn't fit. Heck, the really big ones are on the edge of what you may want anyway from a meat standpoint. If I did have a size issue with briskets, I would just pick the ones that aren't really long.
 
Gene said:
Good point. Sometimes, the big briskets get near the edge, but I haven't found a brisket that wouldn't fit. Heck, the really big ones are on the edge of what you may want anyway from a meat standpoint. If I did have a size issue with briskets, I would just pick the ones that aren't really long.
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True, or you can fold the big ones in half. I've done that once. It just took longer, but eventually shrunk down to the grate. After wrapping, I just wouldn't want my butcher paper too close to the wall of the cooker.
 
I'm probably not a good person to answer since I have all three sizes, but there are times when I really appreciate the size of the 22.5". I use all three and have used all three in the past 3 weeks, just depends on what I am cooking. If I had to choose just one, I'd probably go with the 22.5" just to have the added capacity. When you need it, you have it. Add the other ones as you can. 18.5"'s have been around so long, you should be able to grab one off CL. 22.5"s not seen as often for sale, at least around here.
 
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