Differences guys notice when going up from an 18.5” to a 22.5” wsm?

[Adam-mr smokey]

Hey guys,
pretty sweet getting outside smoking again, if i wasnt working id be out there so much id probably need to learn to make my own charcoal haha

I had the 18.5” wsm for a decade, and sold it when we moved. I found that it was super low maintenance, leave the vents wide open, dump one chimney of charcoal along with 2-3 chunks of wood, top it up with a chunk of wood and more charcoal after 3 hrs…it was easy, and the meats were perfect.

I have a family now, so I went up to the 22.5”, and maybe im rusty, but im finding its more finicky. What differences have guys noticed with the 22.5” va the 18.5” regarding charcoal and wood amounts, frequency of adding them, closing vents etc…

thanks a tonne
Adam

 

[Chris Allingham]

It takes more fuel to run the 22.5" WSM. I liken it to how much electricity it takes to run a toaster oven vs. a regular home oven. It's got greater volume and more steel and thus takes more energy to reach and maintain cooking temp.

It's also the case that the 22.5" WSM is not as air-tight as the 18.5", so you will find your vent settings to be different. This can sometimes make it hard to extinguish the fire by closing all the vents at the end of a cooking session. Some folks like to buy a gasket kit to try to seal the gaps. I suggest trying to adjust the door to get as good a fit as possible and see if you can live with the other gaps; if you can't, then try the gasket kit. Regarding the door, some folks buy the Cajun Bandit replacement door hoping for a better fit. It's pricey and not always a good fit, either, which is why I suggest trying to perfect the stock door.

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I've never been an "add more charcoal after 3 hrs" user. When cooking longer than 3-4 hours, I'm usually doing low & slow cooking, e.g. pork shoulder or brisket. I use the Minion Method for firing the WSM, which preloads the charcoal chamber almost to the top with unlit charcoal, then I pour about 30 briquets on top of the unlit and manage the bottom vents to bring the cooker up into a 225-250*F temp range. It will run for many hours this way without needing the addition of more charcoal.

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[Adam-mr smokey]

the minion method is aconvenient way to go..i use this method as a way to smoke in cold and windy weather, it helps keep it to temp …ya must find in hot summer weather ya gotta close the vents quite a bit to keep the temps down

adding charcoal as ya go works good if ya have time

 

[Adam-mr smokey]

Chris do u find that ya need to add more wood chunks in the 22.5” than the 18.5”?

 

[Brock Gingery]

Chris do u find that ya need to add more wood chunks in the 22.5” than the 18.5”?

I'm not Chris, but I have not. On shorter cooks I will add 1 to 2 pieces depending on the meat, and on heavy cuts that can take smoke like brisket or pork but up to 3 or 4 for a long low and slow. Most of your smoke flavor will be added in the first 3 to 4 hours only anyway.

I recommend you follow Harry Soo's advice and put your smoke wood chunks under your charcoal. That seems to help in the larger capacity 22 inch. I've not had problems with mine, but make sure you watch how much coal you use to light it because it holds a lot of air and can run away from you.

 

[Chris Allingham]

What he said.

 

[GaryP]

For some reason I do find the 18.5 to be more easy going and less fussy. The 22 seems to need a little more attention. It got better for me when I stopped trying to make it act like the 18. If the 22 wants more air via vents open, I let it eat. I also fill the ring and do minion method. It will run a long time without adding any fuel. I bury the wood chunks like Jedi master Harry says. I've been using the 22 a lot also with the Cajun bandit rotisserie, awesome for turkey and chicken. Even pastor!