Pre-Labor Day Smoke 2013 - Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5 - Goodbye Trager


 
D

Derrick Orlando

TVWBB Member
Back in late January 2013, I purchased a Traeger Lil' Tex Elite from Costco during one of their roadshow events. It was a total impulse buy, as I went in to buy the basics (eggs, milk, etc.) and came out with a $700.00 pellet smoker instead. Up to that point, I knew nothing about smoking food, but after listening to the sales guy, I thought I should give it a try. I was intrigued by the whole, "set it and forget it" sales pitch that he gave me.

Over the next few months, I used it a number of times to make pork shoulders, ribs, and a few spatchcock chickens & turkeys. I really wanted to like the smoker, but I felt that it wasn't all that the Traeger marketing folks positioned it to be. In the winter months, the temperature of the smoker fluctuated like crazy when the wind blew. Putting 5 fire bricks in its belly helped control the temperature swings somewhat, but no matter how many times I tried, I could never get the chicken or turkey skin to crisp up, nor could I get any real bark to develop on the pork shoulders. I tried pizza on it twice, and felt that it was a complete waste of pellets. So, in July 2013, I asked the nice folks at Costco if I could return it for a full refund, and they said that I could.

In March 2013, I found a screaming deal on craigslist on a used Weber Q300 for $40.00. When I went to pick up the Q300, the guy selling it also had an 18.5 Weber Smokey Mountain sitting out on his back deck as well. Half joking, I offered him $150.00 for the Smokey Mountain and he said I could have it too since he was moving.

So, last week, I decided that I was going to use the Weber Smokey Mountain for a pre-Labor Day smoke of pork shoulders and spare ribs. I did my homework by watching a number of YouTube videos on the Minion method. I also Googled rubs and injections for the shoulders and ribs.

Between the pork shoulders, ribs, and a rotisserie chicken that I did on my Weber Performer, I was able to feed 18 people on Sunday afternoon. Everyone loved the meats, and I was sold on the Weber Smokey Mountain!

These were the pork shoulders after they've been injected and rubbed down.

IMG_1566 by e4dorla, on Flickr

Here I am lighting the Smokey Mountain.

IMG_1569 by e4dorla, on Flickr

After 14 hours and an internal temperature of 200ish degrees, the bone-in shoulders are pulled off the smoker, wrapped in foil, and placed in an Igloo cooler to rest.

Front View

IMG_1570 by e4dorla, on Flickr

Right View

IMG_1571 by e4dorla, on Flickr

Rear View

IMG_1572 by e4dorla, on Flickr

Left View

IMG_1573 by e4dorla, on Flickr

Here are the ribs after they've been rubbed down with mustard and dry rub.

IMG_0403 by e4dorla, on Flickr[/IMG]

Four hours later, the ribs are done!

IMG_1575 by e4dorla, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
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only question I have is why it took you so long to try out your WSM. 5 months? I was twitching every second of the 3 days from when I got mine until I fired it up the first time. that being asked, I have no doubt that you'll love the WSM.
 
This is not even a contest. I like scared things like National League baseball, big dogs and real wood smoking. While intrigued about setting it and going to do something else, I would kick myself for leaving my cook if something didn't turn out the way I wanted it. That being said, I wouldn't give up my 18.5 or 22.5 for anything. All my cooks have turned out how I wanted it except one, and that was a pork shoulder that became over done because I decide it was ok to leave for an hour while I went and did some errands in the middle of the cook and temp spiked because very low on the H2O. Enjoy your WSM, it will not let you down.
 
Well, for anyone who is on the fence or doing research as to which smoker to buy, let the photos below show you what each smoker can do with pork shoulder.

The Traeger pork shoulder was boneless and was purchased at Costco for the 2013 Memorial Day holiday. While I didn't inject it with anything, I did rub it with French's yellow mustard and a dry rub. Since the shoulder was boneless, I decided to use some silicone rubber bands to keep it together during the cook. Traeger branded hickory pellets were used for fuel and a frogmat was placed on the grate. After the first six hours of the cook, I sprayed it down with apple juice every hour. I pulled it right at 195 degrees and wrapped in foil and then placed in an Igloo cooler to rest. As you can see, the bark on the Traeger pork shoulder still looks (and felt) wet and not really as developed when compared to the WSM pork shoulder. If my memory is correct, I think it was on the Traeger for about 12 hours.

The WSM pork shoulders were bone-in and were purchased at Sam's Club for the 2013 Labor Day holiday (Sunday). I did inject the pork shoulders with a mixture of apple juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and rubbed the outside with French's yellow mustard and a dry rub. Kingsford blue bag charcoal was used for fuel and I also tossed in 5 small chunks of apple wood. As I stated above, I pulled these shoulders around 200ish degrees and both were then wrapped in foil and placed in an Igloo cooler to rest as well. The total amount of time on the WSM for both shoulders was about 14 hours.

Overall, I was very pleased with the WSM as compared to the Traeger. My only gripe with the 18.5 WSM, is that I felt that I didn't have enough grate real estate as the Traeger. I guess I'll save my pennies for a 22.5 WSM!

Enjoy!


IMG_0410 by e4dorla, on Flickr
 
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This is a great post Derrick. A few months ago I wanted a pellet smoker but my wife told that's not real smoking and or bbq.
 
Nothing wrong with getting a 22.5 BUT it looks as though your bottom grate is empty. You only used up half your real estate.
Those shoulders look awsome though. :wsm:
 
I too almost (repeat... ALMOST) fell prey to the Traeger roadshow at Costco. My wife was actually pushing me to buy one because she knew I REALLY wanted some type of smoker. The Traeger guy was a good salesman, but I ultimately passed because (1) I am not a fan of wood pellets and (2) I just couldn't bring myself to drop $700+ on something I really knew nothing about. I have always prided myself on fully understanding the pros and cons of every purchase over about $100. This usually includes a check of Consumer Reports as well as a bunch of on-line research (Amazon reviews, etc...)

A couple weeks later as the summer grilling season was approaching, I decided to do some actual research with the goal of finnaly buying a smoker. After many hours of research, I concluded the WSM 18.5" was THE smoker for me. I even found this message board for moral, technical and cooking support. After innumerable racks of ribs, several butts, a huge fatty, some ABT's and about 20 pounds of bacon, and I am still loving my new "toy". Of course, my wife and kids are beneficiaries of this as well and our friends always look forward to our invitations since they almost always include something cooked on the WSM. I recently sent my daughter back to college for her final year and the "going away package" included a cooler with a couple slabs of bacon I had smoked a week earlier and froze, then vacuum-sealed. She lives off campus and does her own cooking. She called me after opening the cooler and finding my "present". You'd have thought I left a her a couple $100 bills . She was THRILLED!

I'm sure the Traeger is a fine product, but I bet it can't hold a candle to a WSM.
 
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I bought and returned a Traeger last month too. I think it's a great wood-fueled convection oven. Decided to hone my skills with the Webers instead of learning a whole new way of cooking.
 
Hey Derrick,

Just came across this post, must have missed it when it first came out. Welcome to the forum from a fellow Jacksonvillian.

I never used charcoal until I got my 18.5 WSM. Now I have 2, plus a smokey joe and a performer platinum I picked up on CL. I got rid of the old gasser and have never looked back.
 
I actually stopped and talked to these Traeger guys at our Costco, and played dumb.

Told them I was considering a WSM and they just ripped it unmercifully.

I knew right there they were just clowns, and walked away.
 
I have an 18.5" WSM and am in the process of collecting parts (tomorrow the last piece of the puzzle should fall into place:rolleyes:) for a Mini-WSM (Smokey Joe Gold) and I can say, without fear of contradiction, that the WSM is one of the finest smokers money can buy. You can certainly pay more (into the tens of thousands) but you will NOT get better!

If a person will fully utilize the capacity of an 18.5" WSM that'll take care of most folks needs/wants. That is, unless it is too big and you need/want a Mini...:wsm:

Dale53
 
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