WSM... Advantages and Disadvantages


 
Brian-WI

Brian-WI

TVWBB Fan
I've tried smoking/slow cooking on my 22" kettle a few times with various levels of success. I honestly didn't know much about fire and heat management except what I read in the Weber Cookbook that came with the grill in 1979. Now that I've educated myself a lot more I'm wondering if a WSM maybe a better option to learn on. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using a WSM over my kettle as a starting point? Besides how much food each one holds is there a difference between the 14" and 18"? I'm generally only cooking for three people so the 14" should suffice but if the consensus would be to get the 18" because it is easier to cook on ill got that route. There is a very nice looking 18" close by that they are asking $300 for. I was thinking of making an offer of $200 and see what they counter at. I'm just trying to gain some knowledge before making a purchase.
 
I know guys here like their 14” but, I got a great deal from a member here on my 18” and for me it is perfect! The design difference between a kettle and the WSM is pretty significant. The air volume is greater and the smoke to heat environment is greater, a kettle does higher heat things better, direct or indirect, the proximity to heat is so much closer than in a WSM and once you start using it, you will see what a difference there is. Now that I have one, I don’t ever want to be without it!
Go ahead, get an 18 WSM, and start a new learning curve, the curve is not that long or steep it’s just different. And it is a ball!
My brother gifted me his 22 when he jumped ship to a Traeger, that thing was HUGE, far too big for my needs so, I sold it and got a Genesis gas gril and did a restoration on that with the funds. Now, I’m still working on a custom frame for it, it should have taken a month but, between life getting in the way it’s naan in process a while.
 
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WSM Advantages-
It's a dedicated smoker and it is relatively easy to control temperature. Once you get it dialed in, you can let it run for hours with relatively low stress :cool: . The 18 inch is very fuel efficient and it has more than enough space for every day smoking or even mid-sized get togethers. There is a ton of information on this site so the learning curve will be lessened, plus you already have the experience with your kettle. The WSM churns out great BBQ, with well formed bark and a solid smoke profile.

WSM Disadvantages-
It sits very low to the ground. For tall people or people with any back issues it can be a bit uncomfortable to deal with. The water pan is also a pain to clean.

I agree with Timothy that the 18 inch is a nice size due to the flexibility it gives for various size cooks. If you get the WSM, keep your kettle, as they are totally different cookers and while you can setup the WSM for hot and fast cooking, it is not very fun given how low it sits.
 
I agree with what Timothy and Richard state above.
As for the size, I've only ever had an 18" WSM, and I'm probably partial to it as a result.
I like to think of the 18" as the Goldilocks WSM, not too big and not too small.
You can get an entire brisket into an 18", but without a lot of room to spare.
I'm not sure that one could get a whole brisket into a 14".
Even though my wife and I are empty-nesters and don't entertain much outside of our own family (our two sons and their small families), I still like the size of the 18".
I often prepare enough to get several meals out a given cook, so I appreciate the capacity of the 18".
I also appreaciate that the fuel economy of the 18" over the 22", as I have seen several posts in these forums regarding the high fuel appetite of the 22" WSM.
I also have a 22" Weber kettle, as I find for grilling (versus smoking) the kettle is much better suited for that purpose.
As always, your own results may vary.
 
Keith Jenkins said:
I agree with what Timothy and Richard state above.
As for the size, I've only ever had an 18" WSM, and I'm probably partial to it as a result.
I like to think of the 18" as the Goldilocks WSM, not too big and not too small.
You can get an entire brisket into an 18", but without a lot of room to spare.
I'm not sure that one could get a whole brisket into a 14".
Even though my wife and I are empty-nesters and don't entertain much outside of our own family (our two sons and their small families), I still like the size of the 18".
I often prepare enough to get several meals out a given cook, so I appreciate the capacity of the 18".
I also appreaciate that the fuel economy of the 18" over the 22", as I have seen several posts in these forums regarding the high fuel appetite of the 22" WSM.
I also have a 22" Weber kettle, as I find for grilling (versus smoking) the kettle is much better suited for that purpose.
As always, your own results may vary.
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This!!
 
I did it the opposite way -- I started with a 18-inch WSM and ended up having to get a kettle to go along with it. I find it a shame that the kettle actually gets used more than the WSM nowadays just because the kettle is so much more fuel efficient for shorter cooks. But the WSM certainly excels at longer low and slow cooks. I almost want a 14-in WSM just for single pork butts and chickens but that would mean I'd have to keep the 18 around for turkeys and double or triple butt cooks. If I run into a free or cheap 14 in I will definitely grab it!

What I REALLY want is a mushroom smoker! A 22-in kettle affixed to the top of an 18-in WSM or an 18-in kettle affix to the top of a 14-in WSM -- I think those are fantastic
 
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After reading the comments to my initial question I figured I' do a quick scan of Facebook Marketplace to see what the prices were in the area and ended up stumbling on an 18" WSM for $150 and was able to dicker him down to $100. The previous owner said he only used it a few times and after getting the garage dirt off of it looks to be in amazing shape. The lid seemed a little tight but it looks like the lip maybe slightly out of round and will need to be gently bent back into position. There is A LOT of slop between the door and the side of the barrel. Also the greats looked like they were never cleaned. I may try soaking them for a couple days in Dawn. Otherwise I may just order new grates across the board. It is also missing the heat deflector and cover. I'm not sure how necessary the heat deflector would be. I will be doing a mod to it before I do any cooking on it and that will be to add some wheels. I'll probably create another post with my questions when I get to working on it but I did make sure to get a "family photo" first.

IMG_3456.jpeg
 
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Nice find, good deal. The door seems to be a trouble spot and may simply need to be “encouraged back to proper arc, not a major problem, just work it into shape slowly. As with the barrel, slow ad careful manipulation is the key. Grates, I really consider them more or less long lived disposables, they will wear out.
Now that you’ve got one, you have opened up a whole new kettle of fish so to speak.
Have fun, any questions will be answered with loads of input, all variable. Most, well considered (not necessarily mine) by folks with a lot of experience.
First cook? I’d suggest a couple of pork butts, very forgiving, very tasty, not break the bank expensive. I’m looking forward to seeing how you like it!
As the Blue Angels say in performance “Smoke On!”

Oh, edit…
Mine is old enough to not have the heat deflector for what that is worth.
 
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Congrats, Brian, a great find!
Go easy on bending things back into shape, working gradually, and you'll be fine.
The heat deflector may not be a big deal, unless you're planning on running the WSM on a flammable surface, such as directly on a wooden deck.
I would second Timothy's recommendation, a pork butt is a good starter; pork in general is very forgiving.
 
Brian-WI said:
I've tried smoking/slow cooking on my 22" kettle a few times with various levels of success. I honestly didn't know much about fire and heat management except what I read in the Weber Cookbook that came with the grill in 1979. Now that I've educated myself a lot more I'm wondering if a WSM maybe a better option to learn on. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using a WSM over my kettle as a starting point? Besides how much food each one holds is there a difference between the 14" and 18"? I'm generally only cooking for three people so the 14" should suffice but if the consensus would be to get the 18" because it is easier to cook on ill got that route. There is a very nice looking 18" close by that they are asking $300 for. I was thinking of making an offer of $200 and see what they counter at. I'm just trying to gain some knowledge before making a purchase.
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Get the 18 and don't look back. I was shortly performing overnight 12-14 hour cooks (pork butt) and ribs/brisket came easily thereafter. Rock solid heat control and very fuel efficient. I sold my 18 after 10 years for a 22" and never was able to dial it in the same. The 18 is the sweet spot. I tried with the kettle off and on. I had been cooking on a 22" kettle since the 1980's.
 
I have all three sizes of the WSM and my 22 gets used just once a year for family reunion and the 18 when I do more than 3 pork butts! But the 14 gets the most use with my rib hanger from Hunsaker smokers I can do 10 racks of babyback ribs at once, or two pork butts, or 1 small brisket seperated just love my 14 WSM.
 
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Garvin R said:
I have all three sizes of the WSM and my 22 gets used just once a year for family reunion and the 18 when I do more than 3 pork butts! But the 14 gets the most use with my rib hanger from Hunsaker smokers I can do 10 racks of babyback ribs at once, or two pork butts, or 1 small brisket seperated just love my 14 WSM.
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I honestly wonder if an 18" is bigger than what I need. I understand that it is able to hold more, but I rarely cook for more than 3 of us and I have the Searwood if I want to smoke two different things at once. I may finish cleaning it up and just flipping it. I really haven't decided. I see pros and cons of keeping it.
 
Run the 18 until you run into a deal on a 14 --- then decide which is the right one to keep. That's my plan. Storing a 14 should be easy compared to an 18 or 22. I've got to believe a 14 would be VERY efficient with coal useage.
 
I have a 18, and have smoked a 16 lb brisket, and 18-20 turkeys, also several smaller cooks sausage, ring and separates.
It is a great tool, great on fuel, only temp problems i have had is on a cold windy days that is when the Genesis wind blocker comes in handy
 
18” owner, happy with it in so many ways, I’ve done 18-20# briskets on it, it is the go to for my needs. I don’t do big parties anymore, I’ve decided I just don’t like that many people! I do two parties, early summer birthdays 10-12 guests and late summer birthdays, same number. Butts, brisket, sausages, wings, shotgun shells, all that kind of thing. Between the two kettles and the 18, I have so much square footage in grill space I’m rarely overly crowded! I like the 18, had a 22 and it was just miles too big. I’ve not used a 14 but, I know I couldn’t get a big brisket on one.
 
There are some here who adore their 14’s I’m so glad they do, I “fell into” the 18 that I would not trade for anything.
My brother had a 22” and every time he fired it up he felt like he needed to have a dozen people over. Struck me as a waste of fuel and having people over when he would just decide that since he had been up since “sparrows fart o’clock” and leave guests for my sister in law (or me and the nephews) to play host and clean up.
I have no such manpower, I need to be able to manage it all mostly singlehanded. I can’t say whether or not there is less work to using ANY size cooker, but, when the capacity of the unit is larger than one’s group of friends, a smaller one might be less expensive in many ways.
Maybe I’m just a cranky old git!
 
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