Different Technique between 22 and 18


 
J

Jim Creasy

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If this has been posted before... Sorry. I own a 22 and for Father's Day, I am traveling to Savannah, GA to cook on his 18 (we gave it to him) for the entire family. I am doing a Boston Butt. I've got my method perfected (for me at least) on the 22... Any adjustments I need to do on an 18, or can I just scale back?

Here is how I am currently doing it... I put water in pan, full. Full charcoal ring, light a chimney, full open bottom vents and minion start, then dial the vents back to about half open. Pretty simple, but will the 18 settle in the same way or does it run hotter or cooler? Also, my 22 will cook this way for about 12 hours at about 230 to 240. Will the 18? I don't use smoke wood. I just use the Hickory impregnated Kingsford. I assume I can just transfer that over. Any issues?

I am hoping to hear from people who have cooked on both and can comment on any differences they've experienced. If you've got an 18 and what I described above falls in line with your experiences, please let me know that as well.

Thanks in advance and I hope everyone is otherwise doing well.

JKC

No issues about excessive wind or direct (high heat) sunlight and no issues about overloading with meat, so no variables there I am concerned about.
 
I only own a 18.5" WSM, and your method sounds just like mine. For a butt, I fill the ring nearly full with unlit charcoal, then put on about 15 pieces of lit charcoal and set the bottom vents to full open. Assemble the cooker, fill the water pan with water and put the meat on the top grill. Once temp gets to 200 - 210, I adjust the bottom vents to 1/4 open. Temp will settle in at 225 - 235. Sometimes, I end up fully closing the bottom vents. Temp is good for 8 - 10 hours with no adjustments needed. As the charcoal burns down, I may need to open the vents to get 2 additional hours of cooking to get 12 hours on single load of charcoal.

I love the 18.5" model and once it gets to 225 - 235, no adjustments are needed.
 
I own both. Only difference is 18 is more fuel efficient and temp adjustments respond quicker on the 18 for me. My 18 is a little more air tight than my 22. Good luck!!
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Jim,

I own both the 18” and 22”. I started out with the 18” a few years ago. I just got the 22 in January of this year.

Since getting the 22” I have been cooking all my butts on there trying to get a good coating and get a nice seal on it. However, for mother’s day I only had to cook 1 butt for my MIL, so I went back to the 18”.

The 18” is more fuel efficient; you will get longer than 12 hours. I have the old 18 so I have the smaller water pan. When I used to use water, I had to refill usually only once. I believe the newer 18 comes with a larger pan so you may be good there. I no longer use water, so I am not sure if you have to refill on the 22”, but can’t imagine you do since that pan is huge.

You state you light a chimney, but not how much you use. The 18 needs less lit charcoal than the 22 to get it going using the MM. It will also climb to temp faster, so watch it in the beginning and make your adjustments down to half open. Once it’s settled in, it should cook just like your 22”.

So is this 18” new to this Father’s day? The newer the WSM, the more gaps you will have. But when cooking with water, this really negates a lot of the temp spikes you may get due to extra air flow from gaps.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks Guys. The comments help.

Josh. It is not new. He's used it before, but not much. It is a newer version with the thermometer, so I assume the larger water pan.

It sounds like it will respond more quickly but settle in similarly, so that helps.

Take it easy, and I appreciate the replies.

JKC
 
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