Will a WSM benefit me?


 
Andy Kaminski

Andy Kaminski

TVWBB Pro
Please don’t think I am trolling.
I’m not.

I use a 22” Weber Kettle Performer for most of my cooks and smokes.
I used to use the snake method before I got my slow n sear and drip pan.
This seems to work just fine.
The coals last a long time and the temps are very easy to control.

The WSM looks really cool and all that but what can it do that my kettle can’t do?
I mean they look nice and all but I don’t want to be a collector of stuff.

I am not worried about the price but I would rather not have something taking up space if I don’t need to.
Am I missing something like a hidden benefit ?

Thanks.
Andy.
 
I too use my Performer for both grilling & smoking via the slow n sear. I also have a WSM 22, which I use for larger cooks, like several racks of ribs or a brisket, etc. Some people like the 18 over 22 due to less fuel consumption, but capacity is what the WSM 22 is all about. Also, using an ATC (Automatic Temperature Controller) really reduces the amount charcoal needed. The thing I also like about the WSM is that the price is fairly reasonable & you can make several mods to it at a decent price. Just my .02.
 
I own both a Weber 22 Mastertouch kettle and a 22.5 Weber Smokey Mountain. I can’t answer for you, but my WSM would be the last to go. I also have a pellet grill. The WSM more closely fits how and what I like to cook. I know this probably doesn’t help you much.
 
You'll get lots of opinions. Here's a link to lots of past opinions on this subject.

tvwbb.com WSM vs kettle - Google Search

www.google.com

For me, the advantages of WSM are:
  • Two levels of cooking grates.
  • Designed for indirect cooking: Charcoal at the bottom, cooking grates at the top, and water pan in between creates indirect cooking environment.
  • Access door.
  • Breaks down into three pieces (I've gone mobile with my WSM, one piece in the trunk, two pieces in the back seat!).
 
I use my Performer most of the time for smaller smokes, with the Slow N Sear. For me, the WSM offers more capacity for cooking for larger crowds, which we do fairly often. Hope this helps.

Charlie
 
The question is:
"The WSM looks really cool and all that but what can it do that my kettle can’t do?
I mean they look nice and all but I don’t want to be a collector of stuff."

The WSM has vertical real estate that be increased by removing the water pan. This height comes in handy for hanging during cooks. Things like ribs, pork loin roasts, turkey breasts, whole chickens, whole turkeys, Picanha, hams, etc.

Hanging is great since the rising heat has access to evenly cook. This means less turning, which means less opening of the cooker; thereby containing moisture and heat. Many foods get a different and often pleasing flavor from the vaporizing liquids that drip on to the coals.

The WSM excels at indirect cooking. Plus the access door allows you add fuel or service your water pan without losing all the heat on the food.
 
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A 22 WSM would be a huge smoking upgrade over the Kettle. On the Kettle , your meats are close to the coals and there's a certain amount of direct heat that's cooking your meats. As already mentioned, capacity would be huge compared to a Kettle. An there's the ATC option that provides a set and forget element.

I've also done hot and fast chicken and pork steak on the WSM. Meat on the top grate and no water pan, get the additional flavor boost of juices dripping on coals.

I will always have a WSM on the patio.
 
I guess it’s really much like fishing, you would not only use one lure/fly casting technique for everything would you?
I’m a longtime and I mean loooooong time kettle user, like forty+ years long, I did everything on it and I mean everything! It was a magical piece of design!
My brother inherited a Brinkman smoker from my father, he actually produced some pretty good feasts on the piece of junk. Then, he got a 22” WSM, the quality of goods went through the roof! His stress level went way down doing massive feasts but, I knew it was just way too big for my needs and I got an 18” from a member here, greatest day of my life! It is a very different piece in the cooking tool box.
I would advise thinking about how many you may be cooking for as far as size, for my needs, the 18 is absolutely perfect! I’m doing two butts for a party this weekend for 20 and, I have no concern about anything but the weather!
Go ahead, get one, you will need to give it a few cooks to figure out how it works but, you can depend on getting a lot of guidance from the kind folks on this site. I’m not one of the kind people so, don’t depend on me after you fall victim to the siren song of the WSM!😁🍸 cheers!
 
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Thanks for the reply guys.
I appreciate it.
I see me getting either an 18 or a 22 in the near future.
My 22” kettle does most things well like a butt or a brisket but it does suck at multiple ribs.
I can only get 2 slabs comfortably on the grill.
Can’t say I’m a fan of my Weber rib rack thingies.
The way a single one folds the ribs down on each other does not impress me but I have a couple so using 2 of them might work out better.
I mainly just cook for 3-4 people and it would be great to cook for more.
 
Andy, I did four racks of ribs in “rolled” format and they turned out very well. Single level.
That’s on the 18”, if you really want to do a lot like a dozen racks, get the big one.
This set up tells me that I don’t want to have that many people over to dinner! I suppose two or three 8# butts and four racks is surely as many people as I’d want in my back party zone!
I’ve found that the kettle can do a LOT! Indeed pretty most of what I do. A rotisserie ring can provide some “attic room” for getting a bit of space.
 

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"I mainly just cook for 3-4 people and it would be great to cook for more."

Get the 22" WSM. You'll continue to cook most of your meals on your kettle throughout the year, but when you want to host people for a cookout, you'll have the cooking space for it in the form of the 22" WSM.

I have all three sizes of the WSM and mostly cook on my 14", but I cater now and then and need the space of the 22" WSM to be able to feed a bunch of people.

If you have other smokers, the 22" WSM may be unnecessary.

Also, consider B.A. Poole's post up above about hanging foods. (You'd have to buy a Hunsaker rib hanger or similar product to make this happen.)

There's also a video where 22 racks of baby back ribs were cooked on a 22" WSM. (
)

That's a lot of meat!
 
I have the 14 WSM and a Master Touch 22 in kettle that I added the Aura Kettle Zone Cooking System to help me be able to do low and slow on it (I paid less then half of what it is listed for now). So where others have shared that larger WSM's are better then the kettle for space, that is not why I keep my WSM around. My kettle is my work horse, I would never go without a kettle, I love doing low and slow with the kettle and my Aura system, but it does not hit the ease or quality of low and slow that I get from the WSM 14. My WSM 14 is designed to do low and slow for HOURS and it does it with the greatest of ease. I get a deeper smoke flavor from the WSM over the Kettle, I think this is because there is more airflow, and even though the kettle with my aura system is easy to cook wit, my WSM it is truly 90% of the set it and forget it for most the cook...

As I was writing the above response I thought I am just rambling so I paused.

I keep thinking about your question and I think I go to this: there is nothing a WSM can do that you can't also do on your kettle! However, I think that the WSM does do low and slow just a touch better then you will ever be able to get off the kettle.
 
I smoked a few pork butts on my performer using the snake method. It worked fine but I was always making vent adjustments. I got a WSM 14 and it's so much easier. The only downside is the cleanup is harder on the WSM. On my kettle I could wipe off the grate with a paper towel and a light chimney of charcoal and clean the grates. On the WSM I don't get that hot so I clean the grates in the kitchen sink.
 
A kettle is a great grill and a meh smoker.

A WSM is a great smoker and a meh grill.

If you really want to stick with just one unit, you can improve your kettle's smoking performance and capacity with a smoke stacker kit. But the WSM will always be a better smoker. Especially on long cooks. You ever done an overnight cook with your kettle?

Few people really need the extra capacity of the 22 WSM unless catering a wedding. An 18 can do four pork butts or two briskets. And even more if you rig up a third grate. How often would you need more than that (and which couldn't be accomodated in a pinch by using your kettle as a back up)?

So imo the reasons to get the 22 over the 18 are:

1. Ribs. If you want to cook full slabs of ribs laid out flat, get the 22. Full slabs on the 18 require some kind of work around -- rolling, rib rack, cutting in half, hanging. I like to hang ribs, so my 18 works great. My typical rib cook is six half racks hanging. I can fit more than that. And I can hang full slabs in the 18 (although the bottom end does get kinda close to the fire). If you hang ribs in the 22, you can probably fit 97 full slabs -- or more!

2. Grilling. Because of the 22 inch form factor, the WSM 22 is better than the 18 when used as a grill.

If you don't care about 1 and 2, get the 18.
 
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I was kind of in your situation. I just got back into coal last October and used my kettle to smoke a couple of briskets. They came out fantastic but took a lot of vigilance to maintain temps. Then I picked up a WSM18 just to flip as I got it for $20. I decided to use it and was amazed how easy it was. I had 225 - 235 locked in my first time for hours on end. I now have one sitting next to my kettle.
 
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