New WSM models for 2009!!!

Looks like they are adding a 22" to the line-up!

More details can be found here.



This is super sweet news!

Jamie

Hi,

Whenever I have flipped through Weber catalogs, I always had the sense the WSM was someone's pet project and a bit of an orphan in their product line. After 27 years it is finally getting bigger and a bit refined is probably a tribute to enthusiasts like GWIV (wiviott.com) and those who founded and follow the virtualweberbullet. The WSM is certainly a niche market for them, though I sense it has gathered traction over the years.

Thanks for the information.

Regards,

The money for grill companies is, not surprisingly, in the Cadillac end of the market with all their frills and features. In fact Weber nearly went out of business 25 years ago when they reached saturation with the Weber kettle-- everybody had one, and they never broke, so suddenly there was no one left to sell to. Only the creation of the Genesis line back then kept them going.

So it is indeed a tribute to their core values that they continue to crank out the exquisitely simple and useful designs that founded the company and go for $50-200 when the profits are in the models that go for $700. If there's any reason at all to justify it, it'd be worth buying a new one, not only to get a smoker that will last you decades, but to thank them for keeping one of the great feats of consumer product engineering on the market all these many years.

I've been cooking on my little teeny Weber Smokey Joe (and it's really only about 15 years old!) that I need a new grill, as the old one is nearly worn through from having old food gunk scraped off it. I thought I had bought one, but it was actually a bottom grate for another grill, and just a hair too small. So I used it in the bottom of the WSM as a cross grill.


(edited to correct bad grammar)

i really dont think the WSM can fall under "niche market" anymore..they sell a ton of these across the country. As Comp BBQ has taken off so have sales on these..go to any bbq comp and you will see a ton of teams using them..most have 2 or more to cook on as well..
there is a video on youtube from someone who beta tested one of these..nice new features..still the same cheapie door though with a somewhat better latch and still no handle on the middle piece..other than that it looks to be a very nice upgrade from the older model..still have not seen prices on them yet
i believe they are also introducing a 26 inch kettle grill as well

Hi,

I saw a Weber catalog within the last year, the WSM was so deeply buried, it was clearly not a premier product. I am certain they now sell a lot of more of them than before, though likely it is a very minor component of their sales. As Mike highlighted, many companies would have dropped it and the Weber kettle to concentrate on higher volume and higher income producing lines. To Weber's credit, they did not.

Last May when the Fancy Food and ORganic shows were in town. Bobbie Flay did a food demo on tabletop grilling. He took a hands-up survey of the audience: How many have gas grills: 80% raised their hands. How many use charcoal: maybe 10-15% raised their hands. If he had refined the question to how many people use wood charcoal over briquettes, I would guess I might be one of the very few raising their hand. People who own WSM's are not in the 80% class, which is where all the money is.

Regards,

the WSM has been around forever....i cant see Weber suddenly sinking money into developing a bigger model unless there was quite bit of demand for it..including making a bigger kettle (which was around long before the gas grills)
Audience at fancy foods was just a small piece of the outdoor cooking public ..

Head's Red BBQ wrote:Audience at fancy foods was just a small piece of the outdoor cooking public ..

As are people who compete in BBQ competitions.

So, I'm surprised that no one has asked the question yet:

Professor, we all know you can fit many pounds of meat onto a WSM, but will you be purchasing one of the new models to up the ante even further? After all, nothing says excess....

Best,
Michael

Kman wrote:

Head's Red BBQ wrote:Audience at fancy foods was just a small piece of the outdoor cooking public ..

As are people who compete in BBQ competitions.

its bigger than you think ,,Comp BBQ has grown considerably in numbers....
and you missed the point of my post completely
and that is that the buying public would have to be larger than most think for Weber to invest in coming out with a new model. I think the number of WSM users across the country are a lot bigger than most imagine
I have a hard time thinking they rolled this out for the few enthusiasts on the Virtual Weber Forum or Gwiv

eatchicago wrote:So, I'm surprised that no one has asked the question yet:

Yes Sir Mr. Morowitz, I am completely, totally, head over heels in love!!

Just as I was about to have my old one re-chromed.

Choey wrote:Just as I was about to have my old one re-chromed.

You should have your "baby" WSM dipped in brass and you can keep it on the fireplace mantle.

Jamie

Choey wrote:Just as I was about to have my old one re-chromed.

Rode hard, put away wet, here's what my first WSM looked like in 2002, it is still in use. (Link to additional pictures.)

WSM, 2002





Enjoy,
Gary

original door too? thats a feat in itself

Is it fairly easy to use either the original or the current product line WSMs for regular direct grilling in addition to smoking (with the removal of the stack, I assume?) Does one then put the smaller (shorter) configuration up on something to raise it to easy tonging level, or just use it low?

Hi,

Here is another approach I learned from Gary:

Build your fire on the bottom grate, then cook on the upper grate. No need to bend down.

You can also building your fire in the lower portion and still cook on the upper grate. Just take the water pan out.

Versatility is the WSM.

Regards,

Some new pictures which also include the new 26" One Touch charcoal grill. Weber is on FIRE!

From what I gathered, these will be Dec/Jan.

Jamie

Cathy2 wrote:You can also building your fire in the lower portion and still cook on the upper grate. Just take the water pan out.

[referring to the WSM]

I do this a lot for things that tend to drip fat and catch fire or cook quickly - lamb, chicken, salmon with skin on. I close the lid, they get crisp but not burnt, and I get the added bonus of a bit of smoke (I put a chunk of some wood on, depending on what I'm cooking).

Yes, I think that's preferable for things where you want a bit of crispiness and they don't take that long anyway. I always do chicken that way.

LTH,

In advance of an upcoming BBQ book, Low and Slow: Master The Art of Barbecue In 5 Easy Dinners, Weber was kind enough to provide an early production WSM 22" to run through its paces.

The new WSM 22" is huge, much bigger in person than it looks in pictures. And yes, I am deeply in love.

Weber Smokey Mountain 22", old model WSM 18"



Smoking on the WSM 22" starts tomorrow.

Enjoy,
Gary

Very nice, Gary! Have you named it yet?

What do you have planned for your first cook on the new unit? I can't wait to hear about how it goes.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:What do you have planned for your first cook on the new unit?

Ron,

In a surprising turn of taking my own advice, I plan on smoking a few chicken halves.

Chicken has advantages for a fist cook on a new smoker, neutral flavored bird flesh, as well as pale skin color, help reflect nuance of fire/smoke quality, chicken cooks relatively quickly and, with a light brine, it's difficult for things to go awry. Though, if disaster strikes, no harm no fowl as chicken is relatively inexpensive in comparison to ribs, brisket etc.

I'm looking forward to the first WSM 22" cook.

Enjoy,
Gary

Seeing it next to the old model is quite striking. When I read that it would be 4" bigger, I had no concept of how that would translate into overall size.

But remember, Professor, it's not all about size. It's how you use it that counts.

Best,
Michael

Hi,

Are my eyes deceiving me? Do I see a fetching thermometer built into the lid? Maybe you need to cover it with black electrical tape, like my friend does for the 'idiot light' otherwise known as 'check engine.'

Regar

Cathy2 wrote:Do I see a fetching thermometer built into the lid?

Fetching.....

The thermometer read is dome height and extends but a half inch into the cooker, it will not accurately reflect cooking grate temp. What I suggest, aside from electrical tape, is get an accurate grate temp with a oven thermometer and then place a stripe of red nail polish on the dome mounted thermometer to reflect 250 actual.

Both the new 18" and 22" WSMs have dome mounted thermometers.

Enjoy,
Gary

gwiv you should open up your own bbq place i would go so would everyone here... open one up in park ridge

Looking forward to many new pics and tips!

LTH,

First WSM 22" cook tonight, held a steady 275°, not unusual for a new WSM to run a little hot the first few cooks, even in the rain. 6 Chicken halves fit easily on the top grate, I could have added another 2 chickens without problem. Chickens were done in 90 minutes.

6 Chicken Halves on WSM 22"



Light clean smoke flavor complimented moist meaty birds which came from Harrison Poultry in Glenview.





At first blush the WSM 22" acts/reacts like a WSM 18" only larger, though only longer cooks, when it is not pouring rain, will tell.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary - did you find that the larger size has any effect on stable temps? I know the 18 inch holds rock solid temps for a long time ..just wondering if a larger size would affect that