WSM Pre-Purchase Questions


 
I have cooked on homemade mini-wsms for almost 7 years now. I can cook more than enough for my family of four on one of them.

I bought the 18.5" off of Craigslist and I rarely use it. It is nice to be able to cook full racks of ribs without having to half them or roll them. Same goes for Brisket, but we rarely do brisket because we prefer tri tip. Which I can do 4 whole trip tips on two racks in the mini-wsm. As for length of cook my longest was 16 hours on one load of KBB, cooking two pork butts running the pit at 265°. It was loaded to the max and I used the side light method.

This fall I got sucked into Walmart and purchased a 14.5. I haven't done any long cooks yet. I may this weekend as I have been wanting pulled pork. That being said I have been cooking all my butts with the pit running 285°-325°. Hence eliminating the need for longer cooks. one thing I don't like about the WSM's is the charcoal ring. I prefer a basket, and I am planning on modifying both the 14 and 18.

So for me and my family of 4 the Mini-wsm or the 14.5" WSM really suit us well. I can even do a 12-16 pound turkey standing up, or halved on two racks.
 
It's good to see that the consensus is both sizes would suit my needs/wants. An 18.5" would probably be my best all-around choice for most situations, but will sometimes require some creative arranging. A 22.5" would offer freedom of space, doesn't use enough more coals to cry about, but may require a mod or two and a slightly higher learning curve, and would be perfect paired with a 14.5".

Now I just need to decide if I want to be a 1-smoker guy or have the other 5% peace of mind but 2 smokers to store (and explain to the wife).
 
As for explaining to the wife, "it is easier to ask for forgiveness that ask for permission". Just a thought from someone who is consulting his wife about timing for a 14.5.:(

JJackson said:
Now I just need to decide if I want to be a 1-smoker guy or have the other 5% peace of mind but 2 smokers to store (and explain to the wife).
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