Pros/cons of WSM 18.5" versus 22.5"


 
Z

ZaneMoseley

New member
Are there any good comparisons of the 18.5 to the 22.5? I'm on the fence size wise. Normally I would just pay a bit more for the larger size but read it's not quite as forgiving as the smaller 18.5. I would imaging a decent size brisket might need to be humped up or something to fit the 18.5.
 
This topic is the equivalent of discussing politics at Thanksgiving dinner. ;) Here's the most recent thread:

https://tvwbb.com/threads/best-size.83121/

I'm firmly in the 22" camp. I can fit briskets and ribs without forcing the meat into some contortionist maneuver in order to fit. On the 18, you have to roll racks of ribs and wedge a brisket into the handles to get it to fit. I had a pair of 18s and ditched them for the 22 when it came out in 2008. It does use a little more fuel. It is more difficult for Weber to manufacture to a certain tolerance, so many 22 users fit gaskets to their cookers to seal them better. If all you do is pork butt and chickens, get the 18. If you do mostly bigger cuts like brisket and ribs, get the 22. If you are worried about moving it around, the 22 fits in the same Harbor Freight cart as the 18.

Here's my 22 next to my Genesis 1000.
img_3462-jpg.2025
 
I have a 22 and found it was pretty steady around 235 -240 after I installed gasket material at the lid and door.
I’ve heard the 18 is easier to control and if I was buying again I might go that way.
 
Bruno said:
I have a 22 and found it was pretty steady around 235 -240 after I installed gasket material at the lid and door.
I’ve heard the 18 is easier to control and if I was buying again I might go that way.
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I actually have all 3 sizes and honestly the 18 is the step child. 22 for brisket and ribs and the 14 for butts and tri-tip. Yes the 22 is a little harder to hold temps and to adjust back to temp as it rises and falls. It also is a fuel hog since it has to warm a much larger area. Knowing what I know now though if I was just starting out I would likely get an 18 and pass on the 14 and 22 and just adapt to make everything work on just one, but since I have all 3 I go back to what is easy and size appropriate.
 
I'm a big fan of my 22" big enough to do a whole packer brisket, or several pork butts (up to 6 each). You can also take the main body off and stick a grill grate on top of the charcoal ring and make some pretty killer steaks (even put a vortex in there if you want. You can take Weber's rotisserie body and put it on the base and rotissserize whatever you want to. You can also fit an 18" stick of split wood in the 22" if you want to. I'm not hating on the 18, just letting you know why I like the 22. I think if you like to do a lot of brisket, or cook for bigger crowds (or both) the 22 is the clear winner. It does take a lot of charcoal to get it going, but that's the only downside I can think of.

Here's my rotisserie chicken post https://tvwbb.com/threads/rotisserie-chicken-on-the-wsm-in-the-drizzle.84057/ in case you wanna check it out.
 
Hey Zane,

I am a WSM newbie that is becoming a novice. I have about 10 cooks now in me on my WSM 18.

I debated the exact same question for about a month before pulling the trigger on the 18.

For me, price had nothing to do with it. Why I bought the 18 id because of portability and where I live (humid Toronto, Canada area)....let me explain....

For me, it was important to move the 18 around for a couple reasons:

1) I don’t have a covered area that I bbq / smoke in or nearby. So, because the covers that come with them are known to not be waterproof and the design is such that water will run into the bottom section when rained upon causing charcoal soup, I choose to move my WSM indoors between cooks. So I got the 18 because it is smaller and lighter and I am glad I did. I would not like to move the 22 around much unless, like some, it is along a flat surface and in a cart.

2) I have read thru multiple sources that in more humid areas, condensation at night and during some days can lead to mold inside the WSM. Then it needs to be thoroughly washed and/or possibly burned in to ensure getting rid or killing the mold. Not something I wanted to deal with. Not sure whether or not this is all true or not...I am sure someone will comment.

Another factor that led me to the 18 was that I already have a gas Summit so I could use it to do some really large things AND planned on getting a 22” Kettle Performer which I did shortly after. So I also had other options.

Lastly, I kept reading that the WSM 22 uses a lot more fuel than the 18. So that factor made me choose the 18 for the long run. And then there was the quality control issue potentially needing gaskets as stated above by someone else.

All in all, I have barely regretted not getting a 22. I mainly cook for myself and the wife and occasionally a visitor or 2 and for leftovers...so the 18 is just fine for me. If I was cooking a lot of meat for big groups I would have went with the 22. There are many ways to fit “more” on the 18 - lots of workarounds and hacks people on here can help you with. So don’t “fear” that the 18 will be too small. It won’t - again unless you do massive amounts and have no other devices.
 
Thanks for all the great info, also the link provided had tons more info with pics of meat loaded in both the 18 & 22.

The 18 would probably be the smart bet but might talk myself into a 22 for just another Benjamin. I'm just smoking for the 3 of us and not sure how much my wife and daughter will like all the smoked meat as they are picky eaters sometimes but I'll vacuum seal meals for later as I do a lot of quick meals during the week. The charcoal consumption isn't a big deal for me as I don't see me smoking more than a dozen times a year so we're talking $100 a year worst case.

I'm sure the 18 could accommodate a medium size brisket or a few racks of ribs but I would love just being able to lay them flat without bending up would ease my OCD lol.
 
Here’s a few pictures of the 22 in action.
278B27C7-718C-4038-8CC1-E01EE4F11806.jpeg
A 17lb’er last Thanksgiving.

8A046A0E-C558-491F-BE3B-27171E41E07A.jpeg
four racks of ribs.

3431C501-49F4-42B3-BC61-BED7BA582D99.jpeg
12lb brisket
 
Well now I think I've talked myself into buying a Grilla Kong Kamado grill/smoker. The grates are about 20" so right between the size of the medium and large WSM but shorter obviously. Can still install a controller if needed but might not need it since I think the Kamado's are stable since all the ceramic.
 
There are several brands of Kamado's out there now and some are probably better than others. If you're looking at that option, you may want to consider a weber summit. Weber has really good warranty and customer service. I really worry about the Johnny Come Lately brands. I'm not talkin trash on Grilla Kong, I've just never heard of it.
 
My neighbor wanted a WSM. I tried to steer him to the 18 since it’s just two of them, but he is the kind who would buy a 44 if they made it, so he got the 22.

It’s years old now but barely used. It burned so much fuel that, for his normal size cooks, he just uses kettles. Of course, he has a huge kettle too, but it is great.

I have an 18 and have cooked many 15 lb packer briskets, and as many as 4 pork butts at once. Ribs do require rolling, slicing, and perhaps using racks.
 
ZaneMoseley said:
Well now I think I've talked myself into buying a Grilla Kong Kamado grill/smoker. The grates are about 20" so right between the size of the medium and large WSM but shorter obviously. Can still install a controller if needed but might not need it since I think the Kamado's are stable since all the ceramic.
Click to expand...
Alright Zane well you went there so here we go. I mentioned that I had all 3 WSM so I used that as my example when you were looking at the WSM 18 or 22, but now you mentioned a Komodo style so let’s fast forward to 2020.

In April of 2020 I had the opportunity to get a Weber Summit Charcoal for a really good price. Since then I have not used any of my WSM at all. The only grill that has been used since April is the 26” mini ranch kettle twice and only because it was convenient with the cold weather.

if you can justify the cost I would highly recommend a Weber summit. You can grill, you can smoke and you can go indirect. At 24” it will handle racks of ribs flat like the 22” WSM. I’ve done 2 packer briskets (not at the same time) without any space problems and they turned out great. Easily you can get 225° for low and slow or 700° plus for grilling on the Weber charcoal summit.

Skip the WSM and go Summit charcoal...and you’ll be a happy smoker ;)
 
I have the WSM 18" and love it. I normally cook for just two people so it's perfect for 2 racks of ribs, a 10-12 pound brisket or really any size pork butt. It's really a stretch trying to fit anything much bigger in it. There is the lower rack but I've never used it since it seems to be too inconvenient or I'm just too lazy. An automatic temperature controller makes the 18" a set it and forget it smoker. I have no idea if they work as well in the 22".
 
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Only thing the 22 does better is lay multiple rib racks flat
And cook a lot more food....

3 in a rack are no problem on 18
But there is something to be said for that if you cook a lot of ribs.
Of course, you can make a UDS for that too.


Brisket is no problem. I lay big briskets over a rib rack until they shrink up. Done 19 lbs.
Once wrap....lay flat.

ATC on an 18.....is as easy as cooking in oven.
 
I’ll throw in my hat for the 22. There is just the wife, me, and temporarily live in son. I can cook for 3 or 30. Did more big cook before the virus thing. I like that I do not have to cut rib slabs in half. For smaller cooks, i just use less charcoal.
 
The 18 vs. 22 debate for me comes down to these two things:

1. Ribs. Ribs on the 18 require some kind of manipulation -- hanging (what I do), cutting, racking, rolling, etc. 22 lets you lay out 3 slabs on each rack flat.

2. Grilling. If you want to use your WSM as a sometimes charcoal grill, the 22 (same size as a standard kettle) works better. The 18 is a bit small to do any kind of serious grilling, especially when you start doing two zones.

Everything else is pretty much a wash. I can easily do two briskets and four butts on my 18 -- I will never ever need to do more than that.

So if you don't care about #1 or #2, get the 18.
 
My first WSM was a 22 that I completely tricked out, I recently bought a 14 and really like that cooker. It’s soooo efficient!

So now I use the 14 most of the time and use the 22 if I’m doing a big brisket or big cook which is not very often. Point is my 14 is getting all the play for the most part, not worth firing up the 22 for a couple racks of ribs or a butt.
 
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