Fuel Usage 18.5 vs. 22.5


 
A

Andy Erickson

TVWBB Pro
I see a lot of posts that suggest the 22.5 is a fuel hog. After owning both the 18.5 and now the 22.5, I'm not seeing a huge difference between the two yet. I'm sure the 22.5 is using more fuel, but has anyone ever done a side by side comparison to see how much more it really is burning?
 
Well I can't give you a quantitative answer but feel the difference in fuel use is proportional. The 22.5" is a LOT bigger and should use more fuel.

So I got the big one for big cooks and the 18" for more normal loads.
 
I have both and while I have never used side by side I have noticed that 22 uses more but it also has a large coal ring too. I used the 22 yesterday and it took a full 18 pound bag KBB (I have the CB high capacity coal ring). Never checked poundage on the 18. One thing I do on shorter Cooks on the 22 is use the coal ring from my 18.
 
Dustin Flavell said:
I have both and while I have never used side by side I have noticed that 22 uses more but it also has a large coal ring too. I used the 22 yesterday and it took a full 18 pound bag KBB (I have the CB high capacity coal ring). Never checked poundage on the 18. One thing I do on shorter Cooks on the 22 is use the coal ring from my 18.
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The usage is pretty much proportional to the size increase, or possibly even less than proportional.

That being said, you'll notice "wasted" (depending on how you define waste) coal when doing shorter cooks like ribs, and this is due to the charcoal ring size. You end up having to use more fuel in the first place since it all spreads out.

One of these days I'm going to go grab some squares of expanded metal, cut them into 2 strips and bolt together to form an 18.5-model-sized ring for the 22.5. It'll help a lot with those short cooks.
 
NickMV said:
One of these days I'm going to go grab some squares of expanded metal, cut them into 2 strips and bolt together to form an 18.5-model-sized ring for the 22.5. It'll help a lot with those short cooks.
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Or buy an 18 WSM and use the coal ring in the 22...then up you'd have another WSM ;)
 
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Dustin Flavell said:
Or buy an 18 WSM and use the coal ring in the 22...then up you'd have another WSM ;)
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That's about the last thing I need. I sold my 18 to a friend, and am eventually going to sell my Yoder 640 pellet pooper, since I don't use it nearly enough now that I have the HeaterMeter for my WSM. Charcoal is always better, but just wasn't nearly as controllable til I got a TC.
 
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