How many bbq with a kettle vs the wsm?


 
I have a Weber Genesis E320 gasser and an Original Kettle 22, so I do my smoking on the Kettle. If I had a WSM, I suspect I'd use that for smoking and my kettle for weekend grilling and my gasser for quick meals after work. Alternatively, rather than spending a few hundred dollars on a WSM, I might get an extension ring (either buy one or make one out of a drum) to get some more room for smoking in my kettle. I can maintain 225-250 for upwards of 6 hours without much, if any, attention to the grill in nice weather. I've actually never run out of coals and I have done smokes in excess of 8 hours. Soon I am going to do a brisket which will be the biggest test for myself most likely.
 
I mix and match a little, I'll do ribs on the kettle because it isn't a 10 hour cook at times and I do HH chicken on the WSM. For the most part I stick with what each one is designed for. The performer can be a hand full in the wind which we have a lot of here. The WSM and especially the mini could care less what the weather is like, just set and forget.
 
John Solak said:
When I first started I got the Smokenator for my OTG and it does a great job of controlling the temps low and slow but you have to monitor often and keep it full of water. Using a larger pan for the water helps but you still have to monitor it often. With the WSM it is pretty much set it and forget it.
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I also started with a smokenator and have moved to the WSM for long cooks. So much easier.
 
Mirroring many others----I own several kettles including a performer platinum but prefer my WSM for longer smokes. I have done ribs on the kettles but prefer them on the WSM. I do use my kettles for short smokes like tri tips, salmon, wings, fatties, and ABT's
 
I use my JJ & SJ for my grilling needs for me & the Mrs. I'll break out the 22" kettle when we have people round.

The WSM is used for my smoking needs. Having said that, I have seen some fantastic L&S cooks utilising the snake method on a kettle. I really must try this!
 
I agree with Bob , I love my Performer for most every quicker type of cook but for smoking the WSM other words why would I have bought?
 
Both the kettle and wsm are used for grilling and bbq at my house. I like them both , and each has its own strong points.
 
The fun part is having a choice, then you can choose whatever tool strikes your fancy that day.:wsm::blackkettle::blueperformer::ranchkettle::smokeyjoe:

Tim
 
For smoking I used to use one of my WSM's but since getting a Pit Barrel Cooker, I have not used them at all. The PBC is a lot easier to use and I was having temp issues with the WSM. I may have to try the WSM's again at some point.

For regular cooking I usually use one of the Performer's or my recently purchased PK grill.

Wayne
 
Wayne Dimirsky said:
For smoking I used to use one of my WSM's but since getting a Pit Barrel Cooker, I have not used them at all. The PBC is a lot easier to use and I was having temp issues with the WSM. I may have to try the WSM's again at some point.

For regular cooking I usually use one of the Performer's or my recently purchased PK grill.

Wayne
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Wayne, I am trying to decide whether to get my first WSM, lor the PBC. I am very torn. I like that PBC. I still can't understand why, if you hang a rack of ribs, the ones at the bottom (so much closer to the heat) aren't burnt to a crisp by the time the ones at the top are done. I don't get how it can cook so evenly.

Sounds like you prefer the PBC. I know one other guy who was a huge WSM guy, biught a PBC, and subsequently gave away his WSM. Prefers the PBC.
 
Jim Mathews said:
I still can't understand why, if you hang a rack of ribs, the ones at the bottom (so much closer to the heat) aren't burnt to a crisp by the time the ones at the top are done. I don't get how it can cook so evenly.
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I'm no scientist, nor have I ever stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, but I think it has something to do with forced convection due to the lack of a top vent on the PBC. Basically, all of the air (intake and exhaust) happens through the relatively small hole at the bottom of the cooker. So, as the hot air from the charcoal rises, it has to circulate back down to the bottom to leave the chamber, which results in a more or less consistent internal temp. I'd love to see someone take a PBC and install a bunch of thermocouples all over it to take measurements and prove (or disprove) my theory.

But, back to the original question: I bought my WSM first, then got a kettle a few months later. As most others here, my WSM does mostly long, overnight cooks at low temps while the kettle is used for higher-heat cooking. I've also experimented with smoking in my Jumbo Joe. It works great for chuck or eye round roasts in the 2-3# range, using very little fuel and holding pretty consistent mid-range (275-300 degree) temps for hours at a time.
 
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Jim Mathews said:
Wayne, I am trying to decide whether to get my first WSM, lor the PBC. I am very torn. I like that PBC. I still can't understand why, if you hang a rack of ribs, the ones at the bottom (so much closer to the heat) aren't burnt to a crisp by the time the ones at the top are done. I don't get how it can cook so evenly.

Sounds like you prefer the PBC. I know one other guy who was a huge WSM guy, biught a PBC, and subsequently gave away his WSM. Prefers the PBC.
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The PBC is pretty much a set it and forget it cooker which I like plus it uses charcoal which I also like. Even though the end of the ribs are not burnt to a crisp, the last few times I cooked ribs, I just cut them in half and hung them like that. It's just easier to handle them that way.

The PBC also cooks some of the best chicken I have cooked or eaten. I have also cooked hamburgers on the provided grate with the lid off and they turned out very good. PBC has great customer service and they have videos on their website on how to cook a lot of different things.

If you read reviews online about the PBC, you will not find many negative ones at all. I would highly recommend one.

Wayne
 
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