WSM 18


 
M

MikC

New member
Just got a 18 WSM and took me 3 weeks to make the dreaded decision of 18 vs 22. So far so good. My fav is brisket so have to shop for a small cut but since it is just my CEO and me it works. Got the temp thing kinda figured out. At first had a hard time getting it lit but that was due to me being impatient (have that in spades in my DNA).
For the money I can not see anything that can stand with my WSM. Brisket this weekend!@!@
 
My fav is brisket so have to shop for a small cut
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I have smoked plenty of whole packer briskets on the WSM 18 that are 15+ pounds. My best ever results came from a 16.22 lb. prime brisket, and I smoked a 17+ pounder this summer. You may have to tuck the tail-end of the flat in a bit at the beginning (or trim it off as some do), but the brisket will shrink a good bit as it cooks. Briskets in the 12 lb. range fit with ease. No need to limit yourself to flats or tiny packers.

I recommend you gain some experience with the WSM by smoking some chickens, ribs or pork butts, which are cheaper and more forgiving, before spending $40 to $50 on a brisket. Pork butt in particular will get you experience on a long, likely overnight cook, with less investment in the meat and way more room for error. That's what I did when I started, and it worked well.

Happy smoking!
 
I agree with Chris, get some butts under your belt and you will have learned some good lessons. My first brisket was after about six butts so, I felt like I had a handle on how things worked. Just remember the product will tell you when it’s done not the other way round.
The first one was the most intimidating, I sat up most of the night tinkering constantly, the next one was much more allowed to run its own race. They have all been between 12-16 lb. packers. Just tuck the ends under the handles and it will shrink to fit soon enough.
Don’t overthink the project, let things go as they will and you will be just as happy as if you worried it all night.
 
Or you can separate the flat and point and use both racks on the 18. I used to butterfly the brisket seam to expose more meat to the seasoning and to get more bark. Then figured it was just easier to fully separate.

Max bark, good for making burnt ends, saves cook time. Also let's you cook the pieces independently. I often wrap and pull the flat when its done, but leave the point unwrapped and cook it longer.
 
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I purchased a new WSM back in 2012, as of today I would imagine I probably have around $600-$700 in mods/upgrades. It’s a thing of beauty not to mention a well oiled machine! My motto, when in doubt, mod out!
 
thank you for all the tips. Think a few mods are in my WSM future as well. Look forward to learning from all the experience here.
 
Glad the mods work so well for you Eric. I tend to go the other way
Keep
It
Simple,
Stupid!
I have toyed with the idea of an temp controller then I think about how much more products that money will buy for greater digestive pleasure!
 
Most of my mods & upgrades came over a period of time, buy once, cry once. The addition of a hinge & temp controller, BBQ Guru are probably the most beneficial. The Guru takes about an hour of the cook to get dialed into the desired temp, once that's achieved it's pretty much set & forget. Highly recommended!
 
An 18 should run rock solid at 225, I had to add gaskets to my door and lid on my 22 to get it to like 235-240.
 
I've done briskets 13-19.5 lbs .
Just drape over something until it shrinks up , position ends inside handles.
I use a rib rack, but block of wood even works

I had one....just one....that really didn't fit and it was 17+ lb. It didn't shrink up much either....I think it was choice...it was just a long brisket. Came out great

It's a bit of money, but a heater meter controller with blower/damper , and extended capacity coal ring, will let you sleep thru most long cooks with confidence.
 
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