What to buy?


 
M

Mike_L (Big Mike)

TVWBB Fan
This question has been asked many times and i have read most of those posts,but i have the money finally and would like to order my WSM.

I just can't decide which one to buy 18.5 or 22.5. I can't say i have any real smoking experience. I have one of those $60 brinkman bullet smokers and have used it a few times. I have never actually added wood to the cook so that doesn't really count, but i have had cooks last about 5 hours on it.

I guess i'm scared that the 22.5 might be too much for me to handle. But then again, i love ribs and would want to cook them mainly and not to mention i want to try smoking brisket and butts.

price wise, not much of a difference anymore 250 or 325. I feel like i might have buyers remorse if i end up getting the 18.5.

So, what do you guys think. Would i be getting in over my head if i get the 22.5? I know the recipes on this site say they are made using the 18.5 WSM so that concerns me as well.
 
Big Mike,
First thing I'd do is to check my local Home Depot to see if you can get a great deal on the 18.5". Some Home Depots have been discounting them heavily, like $41-$56 for one. I'd also check the local Craigslist as some of these guys buying them at HD are probably going to be selling them for less than other retailers.

I have the 18.5 and it's plenty big for what I've cooked so far. I've cooked chicken, tenderloin, and turkey breasts. I haven't done brisket or ribs but I know it's not easy to fit a full rack of ribs on the 18.5" and cook it properly. You'll may need to wrap (skewer) it or cut the rack in half to get it to fit.

I'm pretty sure that the big difference between the cookers is simply size, not technique. If you feel you need the additional size, then I'd go for the 22.5". If not, you can save a bit on charcoal and initial cost by going with the 18.5"

This comparison might help you.

http://www.virtualweberbullet....2wsm.html#comparison
 
Gary,

Thanks for the input. I will go and check home depot this weekend before i buy.

I also read that comparison page and the one thing that conserned me was the fact that he had a hard time running the smoker any longer than 11 and half hours. I'm sure i won't be cooking 45 pounds of BB's, but i still would think it would be able to run longer holding a 250 temp.

Still, i think i'm leaning towards the 22.5. I love the thought of making a ton of ribs at once.
 
Big Mike,
If you're leaning toward the 22.5", then that's what I'd go with. Better to get it a little large than a little small and the purchasing price difference is negligible over the period you'll own the cooker.

Good luck and if you go through Amazon be sure to link to Amazon through this site. I don't know the details but I know it helps the website.
 
I have owned the 18.5 for 7 months. I have cooked Chicken, Ribs, Pork Butt, Brisket and smaller stuff with no problems. I'm 70 and when I chose the smaller WSM it was due to the weight. If I had felt comfortable with the 22.5 weight I would have gone that way.

If you're leaning towards the 22.5 then go that way and enjoy.
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I had the 18" for three months before I decided that I wanted the bigger unit. The smaller one does fine with a sinle pork butt or two on the top rack if they aren't too big. Otherwise you end up putting one on the lower rack which makes it a ittle bit more difficult to check on the meat - not impossible, just a little more work.

The real kicker for me was doing rib racks. On the 18" I had to cut the racks down in size and use a rib rack. The ribs would get caught in the rack and in my opinion the ribs did not heat evenly. On the new 22" unit, I can fit three full racks on the top cooking grate (all laying down).

Either way, you will love the WSM.
 
You'll get different answers based on everyone's useage. If you intend to do larger cooks, no doubt the 22 is superior.

Some who have bought the WSM had no idea they would do larger cooks. See all the threads of how many lbs of meat for 50+ people.

I started with an 18... I now sometimes do large cooks for either non-profits or catering.

What I use most in order of useage is as follows:

1. Mini WSM/SJ Tamale Pot-Smokey Joe
2. 22 WSM
3. 18 WSM bottom only for grilling
4. 22 Kettle
5. 18 WSM
6. Ranch Kettle
 
For my family of four the 18.5 is the correct size for my needs. I rarely cook for more than 8 adults at once so I wouldn't need a 22.5. If your cooking for large groups then I can understand opting for the larger WSM.
I just couldn't see myself firing up that monster and using all that charcoal for 2 or 3 ribs.
 
There are several threads about 18.5 vs. 22.5 on this site. The general theme is that no one has felt bad about buying the big one, but several have had regrets about buying the smaller one.
 
Big Mike I purchased my 22.5 in early September after painfully trying to decide which one to buy. If your purchase the 18.5 and find ourself needing more space then your going to second guess yourself everytime. The 22.5 is the one with the most cooking space so the only second guessing your going to do is "did I need all of this space", that's not a bad thing.I went with the 22.5 with no regrets, they're both great smokers. Good luck in what ever you decide.
 
I have an 18.5 now. If I was facing the situation you have I would go with the 22" but get a smaller charcoal ring. Maybe the ring for the 18.5. Most of the cooks I've done don't require the additional charcoal or grate space that the 22 gives but then there is the time you want to load her up and the space is really nice to have
 
i was dead certain that i was going to buy a new 22.5" WSM until i saw the trading post section of this forum and saw the clearance prices going for the 18.5" models through the home depot. that changed my mind. it's a no brainer that for $41 for an 18.5" WSM i can buy two at that price if i am worried about more space. however i do still like the look and capacity of the bigger model and might pull the trigger on that one after my inventory of 18.5's is gone. even though two would take care of the capacity problem, i don't want to be running two smokers unnecessarily when i could just do it all on one.
 
well,

I was going to buy one today, but the price has jumped up 40 bucks. No way i am doing that now. I went to Home depot around here and they don't have any. I guess i'll keep looking.
 
I ended up with a 18.5 WSM. I figured that people around here found the good deals on the WSM at home depot so i checked Craigslist again today and someone had a brand new in the box never opened one for 200.

So i asked him if he would negotiate the price. I told him i would give him 150.00 cash today.

He excepted and now i have a brand new 18.5 WSM. After putting it together i think the 22.5 would have been perfect, but i'm very happy with the deal i got. Thanks again for the input.
 
Mike, that's a great price, and I think you'll be well pleased.

Here's some tips for free regarding the size of the racks and avoiding the outer hot zone:

Put some foil and/or fat trimmings under the flat end of your brisket.
Try half slabs of ribs and like with chicken, especially be sure to keep over the pan.
Rotate butts 180* midcook if doing two butts on the bottom rack.

Try a few different cooks somewhere around 250* (including poultry) with water in the pan before you jump on the "dry pan" bandwagon. (I've tried it all and now only cook dry in my kettle.) You'll find it easier to get a nice clean smoke. Regarding charcoal, I use Kingsford in the blue bag most of the time and it's cheap. Get your charcoal and wood burning hot enough before putting the meat on, and nobody will care about what it smelled like when lighting in the chimney. Regarding clean-up with the pan, first spray the inside of the pan with Pam and it'll be a breeze. Regarding the water pan though, find a Brinkman water smoker CHARCOAL pan for long cooks.
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If you were going to cook for more than say 5 people on a regular basis I would say get the 22 otherwise 18.5 is no slouch.
 
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