What are the advantages of a WSM over a Kettle w/Smokenator (other method)?


 
Chris Nauman

Chris Nauman

TVWBB Member
I have a 22" kettle (Weber Performer) and have been considering adding a Smokey Mountain to the mix, but I'm curious... other than sheer capacity, is there a clear advantage for the occasional long cook?

I realize there may (will) be more fiddling, adding coals, monitoring heat, etc with a kettle - but as far as the final product, is there much difference?

I've done 2 low and slow cooks so far, first one was a newbie mistake of pulling ribs at 175 and the second was a brisket that turned out good enough for people to go back for seconds.

I'd like to try pulled pork next.

Anyway, for those who know... is it worth the extra deck real estate and expense or is it more for convenience?
 
You can definitely produce great barbecue on a Kettle. I think the biggest difference in the Kettle and the WSM is capacity. I have cooked pork butt, prime rib, turkeys, ribs, chicken, fatties, chuckies, you name it, on the Kettle. If you don't need the cooking capacity and don't mind baby sitting I'd stick with the kettle.
 
Thank you Dwain, I appreciate the feedback... probably sound advice until I find I'm smoking more often. Right now it's only been 2 cooks since I got my kettle in April.
 
Chris I have a Performer and purchased the Smokenator. I was able to do some great meals on it but elected to purchase the WSM. I found myself constantly ‘babysitting” the Smokenator either for temperature control, adding water or adding charcoal. It simply wasn’t fun for me. With the WSM all those things went away. To me the WSM was well worth the coin. Good Luck and let us know how you make out.
 
Thank you Rolf, how often were you smoking before the WSM and how often afterward? Just curious how we compare, I could see if I did it often that it would become an annoyance, but for the couple times I've done it I've enjoyed it for the most part. That said, I'm also interested to see if you find yourself smoking more now that you have the WSM as well.
 
I have a smokenator but never used it on my performer. I just lay down a nice big 1/2 ring of stubbs, put some wood chunks on top and add some lit royal oak on top of that. I will put a water pan underneath what I am smoking for example a pork butt. However, I have not used a water pan for ribs. No babysitting or refilling of the water or coals. Steady temps wherever I dial it in 250 , 270 , etc. I love my performer. I have very much considered a WSM, but I don't have a lot of people to cook for only about 10 or 12 at a time on holidays. But I can understand how the guys on here smoke a lot for big crowds and smoke different meats at one time in order to freeze them. Hope I didn't just confuse you :( I guess it just depends on your needs.
 
Chris Nauman said:
Thank you Rolf, how often were you smoking before the WSM and how often afterward? Just curious how we compare, I could see if I did it often that it would become an annoyance, but for the couple times I've done it I've enjoyed it for the most part. That said, I'm also interested to see if you find yourself smoking more now that you have the WSM as well.
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Chris I had the Smokenator for a little over a year. In that time, I probably used it no more than half a dozen times. Pork, ribs and chuck roast were the usual suspects. I ended up giving it to a friend of mine. We both fly fish and I suspect I’ll get some free flies for it someday. :) Now that I have the WSM, I still do not use it that much, one to two times a month but yes, a little more. Please understand I BBQ/Grill all year and enjoy doing so. If it ever becomes a chore, I suppose I would probably stop. No bad decision here Chris…. do what’s right for you.
 
Thanks Regina, and again Rolf that does help a lot... I think at this time it's definitely more a of 'want' than a need... guess I'll keep it on the wish list unless a screaming deal happens to pop up near me.

I really appreciate the input!
 
Chris i had the same question/debate last year. I bought the 18.5 WSM and love it. I smoked 40 lbs on my 40th birthday. The kettle is fine but if you want to smoke more and babysit less go with the WSM.
 
Chris;
I have a 22.5" OTG, a 18.0" OTS, a WSM, and a Mini-Joe Smoker.

If I were in your position, I would seriously consider a Mini-Joe Smoker. I have GREAT respect for my WSM and it makes wonderful BBQ. However, If I had discovered the Mini-Joe before I bought the WSM, I would not have bought the WSM. The mini-Joe has all of the control that the WSM does and it appears that the only difference is in capacity.

Since the Mini-Joe will do two 9.0 lb. Pork butts at once, or four full racks of ribs at once (cut in half), or about 36 wings, etc. - you get the idea. The capacity of the mini is more than enough for me.

Just a thought. Having a dedicated smoker IS truly worthwhile simply because it requires less hands on management during the cook. I use a Maverick remote so I monitor constantly but monitor while I am doing something else. Easy/peasy...

All of this with less storage space and a cost under $100.00. Now, THAT'S a DEAL!

FWIW
Dale53:wsm:
 
Chris i use the 18.5 WSM for long cooks like clods or butts. But i feel that unless i am cooking 20lb of meat or more there is a lot of wasted space in the smoker. I smoke ribs, chicken and other small stuff on the kettle about once or twice a week. I use the WSM about once every two months.
 
Over 20 years before the WSM was introduced I was learning to cook and and smoke on a kettle. It works for just about any
thing that I want to grill, que or smoke. I have never needed the capacity of an 18" or 22" WSM, but the new 14.5" WSM is
just about the right size for me, very portable, so I will try one as they become more available. I could live fine with only a
kettle, but welcome some variety as well.
 
Great question. Now, I cannot answer your question directly as I don't have a smokenator. However, before I bought a 22 wsm I smoked on my old char-broil (it finally died and rusted away after 20 yrs. of salt air) which was easy to build a fire in one end and smoke in the other, but it did require more tending than the wsm, but not that much to tell the truth. And yes, temp control was not as good as the wsm, but then I found that temp control is over rated as a cooking element in bbq, not to say one wants the temp to range from 200 to 350, but a range of 225 to 300 really doesn't seem to matter a bunch on rib cooks. Mastering temp ranges on a grill rather than a wsm is really a matter of a little practice. All in all, if I had to do it again, I would not buy a wsm, though I will keep the one I have. To me, it is more of pain in the *** the way it is built in three pieces and one has to remove the top grate to get to the bottom grate, to me that is not efficient engineering, heck, I bought the 22 so that the top held more so that I did not have to do that............It is way easier to set up a "normal" grill than a wsm, which comes with no wheels, no side table, no top hangers, no handles on middle section, etc. etc. I have to pick up the bottom section and carry it out into the yard to dump the ashes and quite frankly, a person with any type of back problem might find it a killer.

And, according to my wife, the best ribs and chicken I ever did was on that old char-broil and not the wsm, but yea, it did require a bit more tending. Years ago, I had one of those "other" chimney smokers, that I put in charcoal, a pan of water, had no idea of what the temperature was or supposed to be, and did several turkeys every year. Threw in more charcoal along the way, added more water, put oak and hickory in up until it was done, and they were great smoked turkeys. Now, I don' use a water pan, use the minion method, have temperature controls with wireless connections, etc. etc. The turkey tastes the same out of that old $40 orange smoker as this $400 with another $150-200 of add-on's and mods...........

Used to smoke over an open fire didn't we? In answer to your original question, no, for two cooks since April, I wouldn't buy one........................d

ps, by the way, a pork butt is about the easiest thing to cook. If you did a good brisket, a butt is a no brainer........
 
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I have not used a smokenator, but have heard many (most) that have it (had it) stopped using it. Been told a major PITA
a few years ago, I had made the smoker plate but i have stopped using that...
I think using the snake method with your meat opposite the heat works perfectly fine without the added gadgets.
 
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