WSM 18.5 vs 22.5

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I have a two part question, the second part being aimed towards GWiv, although if anyone else has experience on the subject all input is welcome.

The first part of my question is to ask for opinions on whether to buy the 18.5" WSM or the 22.5". A friend of mine has an offset that we use for larger bbqs and this one will probably only be used to feed a maximum of 15 to 20 people. The majority of the time it will be used to serve 5 to 10.

Any input on the cooking capacities of both and whether it would be worth it to go to the 22.5, as well as any disadvantages of going with the larger smoker would be appreciated.

The second part of my question is whether any of the procedures in Low and Slow need to be adjusted for the larger WSM?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Brent

IMO, the 18.5" WSM is perfect for cooks the size that you describe. I can fit 6 racks of ribs or 4 - 6 pork butts or 2 briskets (or some combination of the above) in mine without crowding. When the 22.5" came out, I was anxious to get one, but after I had a chance to see one up close and personal, I decided that I didn't need that much capacity, plus the thing's a bitch to clean up compared to the 18.5". YMMV.

Though only 4-inches difference the WSM 22.5 is substantially larger than the 18.5, deceptively so.

New model WSM 22.5, old model WSM 18.5


The 22.5 offers typical WSM rock solid temperature control and capacity, four packer cut briskets, eight pork shoulders no problem on the 22.5. Negatives are slightly shorter burn time with full lump load, increased fuel consumption and a tendency to run hot. The size difference makes the 22.5 generally more cumbersome, plus with 3-gallons of water (24-lbs) and 60-70 pounds of meat it can get pretty heavy.

My 22.5 has been loaned out quite a bit, and everyone who's used it has nothing but positive comments, myself included, but if you don't need the increased capacity the 18.5 is the way to go.

Far as Low & Slow and the 22.5, it will run slightly hotter, especially when new, go through lump charcoal faster, but there are no changes to be made in the 5 lessons for the larger WSM.

Enjoy,
Gary

I had the old 18" and bought a 22.5" when it came out. The main downside of the larger model is the higher price. I would simply evaluate whether the increase price worth the increased capacity to you.

Thanks for the help everyone! I think I'm going to go with the 18.5". If I ever find that I need more capacity I can always buy another one

I look forward to working through Low and Slow this spring. Hopefully this weather sticks around.

Thanks again for the quick responses and for making a newbie feel welcome!

Brent

I kind of did the reverse of most people. I got the 22.5 first. I love it, but felt that maybe the 18.5 might have been a better choice (more compact, did I ever need THAT MUCH cooking space, uses more charcoal). Last summer I got one. Its great but.......... I would tell anyone unless space is an issue to get the 22.5. It needs more coal but I feel it is much easier to get it to maintain a constant temp. And holding more coal means no filling it during a cook. If I find a good price on a 22.5 my 18.5 will be sold.

Mustard Tiger wrote:Thanks for the help everyone! I think I'm going to go with the 18.5". If I ever find that I need more capacity I can always buy another one

Perfect! Always leave yourself opportunities to buy more smokers and grills.

The first few cooks have gone well. I can't believe how much easier to use and how consistent the WSM is in comparison to the Char Griller offset.

The only issue that I have run into so far was maintaining temp on my baby back cook the other day. I was running about 50 degrees cooler than my previous cooks according to my grate thermometer (between 200 and 225 when I flipped the ribs after an hour.) I reopened the vents from 1/3 closed to fully open and got up to 250. The temperature outside was in the high 50's/ lower 60's and it was pretty windy. It was probably about 10 degrees cooler and significantly more windy than my first two cooks. Could this have been the culprit? I also have to admit that I did my ribs on the bottom grate so that I could cook up some of the hot links I made last week on top (sorry Gary!) I put the hot links on at the hour mark when I flipped the ribs, so I wasn't opening the smoker extra and didn't think it would affect the cook too much if at all.

Another question I have is whether to add more wood for more smoke later in the cook if you're adding more meat such as hot links. My ribs came out very good with just the right amount of smoke ring for my taste. The links, though tasty, had little or no smoke ring. Would adding more wood chunks been detrimental to the ribs?

Thanks!

Brent

Wind can cause various temperature problems. It can increase convective cooling and result in lower temperature. If the smoker is not tightly sealed, wind can increase air infiltration and result in higher temperatures.

During the first few cooks a film of smoke builds up and can result in a tighter seal. That means that at the same opening on the bottom vents you will not get as much air and temperature will not go as high. It is also possible that you rotated the middle section or top and this resulted in a better seal and consequently lower temperature.

If your smoking wood was mostly gone by the time you added the links, that might explain why you seemed to get less smoky flavor in them. I often add smoking wood during a long cook and sometimes I find it necessary to add more charcoal. And some times I figure that the smoke flavor is there already and if smoker temperature drops as the fuel is consumed, I'll finish the cook off in the oven.