Rib Hanger on 18” vs 22” WSM


 
J

JPHerring

New member
Does anyone have experience using a Gateway Rib Hanger on the 18” AND 22” WSM? Does one work better than the other, or pretty much the same? I theorize that the narrower chamber of the 18” is more conducive to producing the “fog” atmosphere, but I have no evidence of this. On the other hand, ribs hang pretty low in the 18”, so I’m wondering if this technique works better on the 22” due to its height above the coals.

Any insight to this would be appreciated.
 
I have the gateway hanger for the 22, it's very strong and quality piece of equipment, I've used it to hang ribs and they come out very well, no burning at the bottom, does not interfere with the lid.
YMMV with an 18 but it should be fine.

Apparently the hangers are a little cheaper, with free shipping from Target, then from Gateway...
 
Geo S said:
I have the gateway hanger for the 22, it's very strong and quality piece of equipment, I've used it to hang ribs and they come out very well, no burning at the bottom, does not interfere with the lid.
YMMV with an 18 but it should be fine.

Apparently the hangers are a little cheaper, with free shipping from Target, then from Gateway...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! Have you tried it with chicken? I've done chicken halves on the 18" and it's just amazing.
 
I appreciate this question. I have a PBC and I have all three WSM's. I've been curious about the Gateway hanger on the 18" but the last I checked I did not see any clear feedback.
 
I havn't tried it on chicken, I usually buy the costco legs, and thighs and they go on the rack on hot...lol
If you double hook a chicken it should be fine
 
I have used both the 18 and 22 Gateway's in my WSM's (and currently own the 22).

Simply put, if you are hanging in a WSM it's the best option available. They both work the same, but you do get a little more height with the 22.

I did some baby backs (hung the whole time in my 18) for the serving portion of my first comp...and even though they were pretty dark (sugar in my normal rub), they weren't burned or dry. Out of 22 entries, they were in the first 3-4 to sell out. Cooked like a PBC the entire way. I was astounded.
 
JP,

The gateway works awesome in a WSM 18. I bought it a year ago and used it all last spring/summer/fall with excellent results. I'm a HANGER for life.
 
JP, I have the Gateway Rib Hanger for my 18" WSM. I agree that some racks of ribs are a little too long but I have never had any cook that did not come out great. I have not tried this combo with any other meat such as chicken. On my list!
 
I have Gateway hanger on my 18" WSM. I have used it twice and both times I just cut the ribs in half and used more hangers and they turned out great. I had to buy extra hangers due to the number of ribs I cooked all at once.
 
Very, very happy with the gateway hanger in my 22". Here's my thought process - one of the big benefits of hanging is the ability to cook a TON of ribs. I did 8 racks last weekend and it was getting tight. No way would they have fit in the 18 without being a lil too close
 
BFletcher said:
Have you hung ribs, yet, and do you like the different flavor?
Click to expand...
If put drip tray under them, the taste doesnt have to be different.

I made my own hanger for my 18., didnt like the taste of dripping in coals much. Its very subtle, but its a burnt fat taste, not grilled to me. Put drip tray under....much better...to me, and still clear tray by 2" . No problem cooking 4, 6-8 , maybe more possible. If careful to keep them aligned. Cooks very evenly, i hang big end down.

IMG_20190330_122047131.jpg
 
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i'm curious about the hanger vs a regular rib rack which i already have.i wasn't impressed with the rack but it's $12. a hanger is like $50-$60
 
For those who hang their ribs in the WSM, do you close the top vent and most of the bottom vents to simulate the PBC? Thanks!
 
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