newb questions---love this site!


 
B

Bryan Elkins

New member
hello all, new to the site. couple of newb q's!

Weber chimney compared to wally world chimney - pro's cons? size difference? more coals/less coals?

wife bought me the 22.5 wsm, the 18.5 wasn't available. i normally only cook 1 butt or 2 racks ribs at the most...is this too much smoker for that? will i be using the same amount of fuel for the little i cook, as i would for 2-3 times that?

i get home from deplyment in a couple weeks and i know me...i won't have the will power to NOT use it, so if need be i'll have the wife take it back and try to wait for the smaller one. but i don't know...opinions?
 
I'm new to the site and smoking too.

However, I love the 22.5 WSM. I've only used it twice since I got it for Father's day but it is really nice to lay out the ribs flat...

I understand it does use more charcoal but can't say how much.. The weber manual seems to suggest 50% more..

Enjoy!
 
You may have a little too much equipment for what you do. I do the same on an 18.5 easily. But you never know. Once the word starts to spread that you're the man on the smoker you may find yourself cooking for some bigger crowds.
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As far as the chimney, I know the difference in price between WalMart's chimney and a Weber is only a few bucks. My advice, drop the extra couple bucks and get the Weber. I believe strongly in the saying "you get what you pay for". The one at WalMart is less money for a reason. I have 2 Weber chimney's - 15 bucks a pop at Home Depot.
 
Well i have the 22" and never looked back. That extra space is GOLD the day you need it. Chimney...Well i have a cheap one...Its full of rust(3yo) but its still working as intended. If the store had some Weber ones for sale i would get me one of those instead. Next one will be a weber. Untill then my old friend "Rusty" works just fine.
 
Yes it may be some overkill however as noted you will probably start cooking more as time goes by. Kinda like cutting a board, way better to cut long than short.

I have both and the big boy is not a fuel hog unless it is maxed out with large cuts, but then any cooker will be.

Thanks for your service
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I love my 18.5 but I would recommend that you stay with the 22.5. I chose the 18.5 because of weight considerations after surgery on both of my shoulders. If you're deployed then you're a lot younger than me so the weight isn't a factor.

I also only normally cook small quantities but this month I'm doing 4 nine pound butts for a fishing/shrimping club BBQ. Once you get going with the WSM it seems like the scale of your cooks grows.
 
Bryan, both sizes have their upsides.
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The classic 18.5" is lighter and more portable, but cooks half racks of ribs and medium size briskets much better than full-size cuts.

On the other hand, the larger one is ready for when you want to do something other than pulled pork for a big crowd, and if the neighbors start bothering ya too much, keep an eye out and you can probably pick up the small wsm on craigslist for not too much.
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Like Glenn said, THANKS for your service to our great country, and I wish you a blessed homecoming.
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It seems from what I've read over the years that the Weber chimney is a lot better than most smaller ones.The only one that has come close to the Weber is the one sold by Steven Raichlen. As for the size of the WSM, I would rather have the space and not need it than the other way around and yes the 22.5 will use more fuel than the 18.5 because it's bigger, I just use a smaller charcoal ring for smaller cooks which can be made from expanded metal or you can buy a 18.5 ring from Weber,that's if you go with the 22.5
 
Welcome! I'm new to smoking and I got the 18.5", which is perfect for me (I don't cook for crowds).

Regarding the chimneys, I've used both a cheapie (from Lowes or Meijer) and the Weber; the Weber wins hands down! It's larger and seems sturdier. Got rid of the cheapie (it was a few years old and quite rusty) and replaced it with a second Weber chimney.

Like the others have noted, thanks for your service Bryan.

Petra
 
First and foremost, thank you for your service!

I'd go for the Weber chimney. You definitely get what you pay for.

I bought the 18.5" WSM earlier this year. I couldn't imagine needing a bigger smoker. Well, I wish I had gone bigger. I haven't cooked large amounts of meat yet, but it'd be a lot easier to cook multiple racks of ribs without cutting or rolling them up. IMHO, it's better to have the extra space and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Anyway, enjoy!
 
I just did my first smoke on my 22.5 last weekend. 3ea. 2lb racks of baby backs on the top rack with no rolling or stacking. For that reason alone, I'm glad I went with the larger size.

I have a Weber chimney, works well and feels very solid.
 
Go with the Weber! I've not seen any lately that appear to have the same quality. The bottom finally dropped out of my Kingsford that my best friend gave me many years ago when he went to a gasser. I so love that chimney! The hubster sort of fixed it with wire and told me not to count on it lasting too long. Then he surprised me a brand new Weber chimney this weekend and it works great! He's a real good man!
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back in the day, my dad had a chimney that had a squeeze handle that would allow the bottom to drop out, and all you had to do was pick up the chimney...

Any one seen one of those?
 
Nuuthin to add to the above.
Just wanted to say "THANKS", soldier.
I did mine '68 to '71. in country '69 to '70.
Not a lot of gratitude when i got back, so lap it up.
 
Mr. Hartwell, thank you for the kind words. It is truly one of America's greatest travesty's, the way our returning Veterans were treated in that time frame.

My father, too, is a Vietnam Vet, U.S. Army.

God Bless you and thank YOU for your service.



p.s.: GO NAVY!...BEAT army!
 
I never even knew there was such a chimney! What a good idea!

Bryan, Mike, and every man and woman who have served in the armed forces, thank you for your service to our country. I don't think we can say it enough, you are the best!

And as a life member of the Navy League: Go Navy!!!
 
Despite all the responses, I didn't see a direct answer to Bryan's question. And I couldn't find a "wally world chimney", so I assume it's a cheapie from Walmart.

I first bought a cheapie from Lowe's -- after a few near misses, I got the Weber chimney and use the cheapie to store my skewers.

Differences:
- Weber is bigger by at least 50%. I've learned that bigger is a good thing. If you really don't need that much charcoal started, use a half or 3/4 load.
- Weber has a heat shield -- definitely a good thing.
- Weber has a handle and a separate bail to allow you to control where you are spilling really hot coals.
- The Weber handle doesn't rotate when the coals are tipped out (that's the near misses I mentioned).
- Weber is heavier gauge and thus stronger and longer lasting.

The one negative I found of the Weber over my cheapie was that the holes around the base of the Weber are too small fro my charcoal lighter to fit. Since I use one sheet of paper towel with oil, I had to lift the chimney to start the paper burning. Airplane shear resolves that minor detail.

Rich
 
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