WSM 18.5" only option in Oz, is it big enough?


 
G

GavinHealy

New member
Hi guys,
In Australia the only WSMs sold are the 14.5" and 18.5". Sadly the 22.5" is not sold here.

I really want to get a WSM to do my favourites (brisket, racks of ribs) and perhaps experiment with other stuff like Christmas turkey etc. Family occasions and having mates over.

The 18.5 is pricy here ($800) is it big enough for my needs? I am concerned that it is not big enough for the brisket and/or sufficient ribs.

So, my questions are

* Are my worries unfounded, is the 18.5" sufficient?
* Should I look to see what I can do to get a 22" imported (no retailers of it on Amazon will ship to Australia unfortunately and shipping it seems extortionate?) Unless anyone has any tips?
* Should I look at an alternative?


Thanks in advance!
 
Hi Gavin,

the 22.5 " (57cm) WSM actually has been for sale in oz for the last 12 months or so, only $999.00AUD RRP. The 18.5" is $749.00 and the 14.5" is $399.00.

All on the Weber Australia web site.

Private import from the USA is probably cheaper.
 
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GavinHealy said:
.......
* Are my worries unfounded, is the 18.5" sufficient?
* Should I look to see what I can do to get a 22" imported (no retailers of it on Amazon will ship to Australia unfortunately and shipping it seems extortionate?) Unless anyone has any tips?
* Should I look at an alternative?........
Click to expand...
Hi Gavin & Welcome.

Point 1. Yes & Yes. That 18.5 can cook up a ton of grub.
Point 2. Lots of q-ers in Oz. Try to get one second hand. Or, if anyone is coming to Oz for a visit, have them bring one over to you.
Point 3. Yes. Get a 14.5". ;) It's a fantastic little cooker for smaller cooks. (6-8 folk).

Good luck mate.
 
While I don't have an 18.5, I see many posts here where people are successfully using the 18.5 for brisket and ribs and all sorts of other things. You should have no problem and you will enjoy the WSM18 a lot. I have the WSM22 and am looking for a used WSM14 for the small cooks for just my wife and I. Remember, for a long time there was only the WSM14 and no 22 and everyone was pretty happy with it and did all kinds of amazing cooks and they still do. Check out slapyodaddy.com and see what he does with the 18 and 14's. Very successful. Good luck.

A thought, is there anything there like our Craigslist to maybe find a used WSM22 at a great price. Might be worth checking.
 
Gavin.

I've just looked at the price of Webers in Oz.
4fvgdaq_th.gif

And I thought we were getting it sideways here in UK! Unbelievable. Import duty must be through the roof.
Your best bet would be to get someone in the US to agent for you. The price & shipping would be way cheaper than buying in Oz.
 
Stephen R said:
Hi Gavin,

the 22.5 " (57cm) WSM actually has been for sale in oz for the last 12 months or so, only $999.00AUD RRP. The 18.8" is $749.00 and the 14.5" is $399.00.

All on the Weber Australia web site.

Private import from the USA is probably cheaper.
Click to expand...

Wow that is embarassing for my first post! In the shops they said it isn't sold and all the online posts I could find backed it up, but I should have went to the source! Cheers
 
TonyUK said:
Hi Gavin & Welcome.

Point 1. Yes & Yes. That 18.5 can cook up a ton of grub.
Point 2. Lots of q-ers in Oz. Try to get one second hand. Or, if anyone is coming to Oz for a visit, have them bring one over to you.
Point 3. Yes. Get a 14.5". ;) It's a fantastic little cooker for smaller cooks. (6-8 folk).

Good luck mate.
Click to expand...

Cheers. Food for thought there.
I am reading on many places, including here, about briskets not fitting on the 18", likewise with full ribs? I guess it is manageable then?
 
Bob Ivey said:
While I don't have an 18.5, I see many posts here where people are successfully using the 18.5 for brisket and ribs and all sorts of other things. You should have no problem and you will enjoy the WSM18 a lot. I have the WSM22 and am looking for a used WSM14 for the small cooks for just my wife and I. Remember, for a long time there was only the WSM14 and no 22 and everyone was pretty happy with it and did all kinds of amazing cooks and they still do. Check out slapyodaddy.com and see what he does with the 18 and 14's. Very successful. Good luck.

A thought, is there anything there like our Craigslist to maybe find a used WSM22 at a great price. Might be worth checking.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Craiglist isn't really big here but Gumtree is, I will keep an eye on it.

I am doing an American Smoking BBQ course here in a couple of weeks, I may hold off buying one of my own until after that.
 
Bob Ivey said:
A thought, is there anything there like our Craigslist to maybe find a used WSM22 at a great price. Might be worth checking.
Click to expand...

Because the 22.5s have only been sold here recently, not that many second hand ones turn up. Some do, but usually from BBQers who have imported them- so still quite pricey, i.e $500.00+

TonyUK said:
Gavin.

I've just looked at the price of Webers in Oz.
4fvgdaq_th.gif

And I thought we were getting it sideways here in UK! Unbelievable. Import duty must be through the roof.
Your best bet would be to get someone in the US to agent for you. The price & shipping would be way cheaper than buying in Oz.
Click to expand...

Tony, 'import duty' here, for want of a better name, is only 10% of declared value. So it is the local Weber agent who sets the price, and they have made Weber an 'upmarket product'.
Your idea of getting someone visiting to bring one over is a good one, but the dimensions and weight of a 22.5' boxed usually exceeds the Airlines limits.
 
And we complain about WSM22's at $400.00 and shipped free on Amazon. Shows us how good we really have it in the states. But I am sure we will still complain.

Interesting thought, what would air freight from the airlines cost for shipping?
 
What would you recommend?

I will not use it too often, but when I do it is going to be for 10+ people. I really want to do briskets and ribs concurrently and other things, but I have a Q as well. Slightly concerned at reading people modifying the meat to fit the 18?

I would hate to regret not getting something bigger for a slightly larger investment.

the 22" is $999 AUD, roughly $750 USD. Importing doesn't seem to be an option
 
If you are in a position splash-the-cash, the 18.5 will be good & will suit your needs. Just buy meat that will fit the grate. Remember you have two grates to play with.
 
Build a UDS. 1 55 gallon drum + 1 lid from a 22.5" kettle = awesome smoker that many say is just as good as a WSM22. I don't have one but have had really good Q from them several times. Good luck.
 
Hi Gavin,
I think Tony is probably right with advising an 18.5. These are the ones that have been on sale in Oz for a while, so you can find them second hand as well. I found mine, near new, for $300AUD; but I had to drive 160km each way to get it, and it took me 12months to find it. But I find I still tend to do most BBQ cooking on the two WSM Minis I first had (14.5" made up from a Smokey Joe and a big steamer pot). I have pretty well fed 25+ people just using the minis- two briskets or pork butts on one mini (two shelves), and 8 medium length racks of ribs using a rib racks that hold 4 racks of ribs on each shelf of the other mini. Also the brisket you can easily find here is mostly smallish flats from yearling beasts, so they fit a 14.5 quite well. Ribs also here tend to be on the smaller side, and 'shiners', Australian butchers tend to cut the bacon away from the ribs. To get American style ribs, with more meat on, I actually stock up on them from Costco, otherwise you have to tell your butcher exactly what you want, and not all butchers break down their own pigs. Pork Butts are common here(bone out) known as pork Scotch Fillet.

Big US style fatty brisket also seems to be a special order item.Costco seem to have them.

A few months ago Weber AUS also started selling 14.5 WSMs. Jack Daniels had a promotion with the Bottle Shop chain BWS, where one 14.5 was a prize at each BWS store, so 400+ WSMs were suddenly out there. These pop up on Gumtree/E-bay fairly often- I have seen them as low as $200, I paid $250AUD for mine, and $300-350 seems the usual asking price.

Now, having said all of that, it you want to cook for large numbers, using US style meat i.e. full size racks of pork ribs,cooked on the flat, not in a rack or and massive US style briskets, at the same time, in one WSM only, and you are prepared to by a new WSM at the AUS asking price, well, get the 22.5.

Lots of fun, and good eating, whichever way you do it.
 
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RRP is $749 here. Found someone selling a new one for $100 less than that on eBay, and eBay were offering a 10% discount on Australian based sales this weekend so I have ordered it. I will have the 18" on Wednesday, can't wait.

Thanks for all the advice. It does seem that 18" suits my needs

Now to get all the required accessories!
 
Just out of curiosity, was the teacher for the class you took or are taking from the US and if so, who? I just read that Harry Soo taught a some classes in Australia very recently and will be doing more in the next year. In fact, he posted a lot of good things about those classes and pics also.

Also, congrats on the new WSM. It will cook some great Q.

GavinHealy said:
Thanks. I am doing an American Smoking BBQ course here in a couple of weeks, I may hold off buying one of my own until after that.
Click to expand...
 
Bob Ivey said:
Just out of curiosity, was the teacher for the class you took or are taking from the US and if so, who? I just read that Harry Soo taught a some classes in Australia very recently and will be doing more in the next year. In fact, he posted a lot of good things about those classes and pics also.

Also, congrats on the new WSM. It will cook some great Q.
Click to expand...

Hi Bob,
Sadly not Harry Soo. It's a local company which does BBQ classes every week. I am doing this class this coming Saturday
 
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