Looking some WSM advice

[Slicer021]

Hey everyone. I am finally looking at getting my 1st dedicated smoker. Currently all I own is my 22 OTS.  I have cooked a lot of low and slow on my Kettle but ready to up my game. I am looking at getting the WSM ( or PBC ).  I would really like to start cooking for 10 or so people a few times a year but mainly it will be for 4 people. I have been looking for a good while on CL and just can’t seem to find one. I was wondering if I can feed 10 or so people with the 18 since springing for the 22 will be a lot harder unless I can buy one from a WKC member lol. Thanks a lot for your help


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[wessonjb]

The 18 will cook a lot of food. I have all 3 sizes and love them all. Here is a great article on the capacities of the 3. http://virtualweberbullet.com/wsmcapacity.html


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[HoosierKettle]

The 18 plus your kettle will easily feed 10 people imo.  It would feed 20 unless your cooking all the sides outside as well


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[addicted-to-smoke]

My 18.5 is my least-used machine for 4 people. I rarely have a need to cook two main course meats at once, and lack any sort of hangars to do fish or whatever.

But so what ... the 18 is the most likely to appear for sale used, and for a good price. Even if God Forbid you should be forced to buy at retail, the 18's a winner here. Worst case, you could cheaply get another 22 kettle and use all 3 machiines to handle the load for 10-12 people.

[Slicer021]

So do you think the 14 is best for mainly feeding my family of 4 and some additional for lunches?


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[wessonjb]

So do you think the 14 is best for mainly feeding my family of 4 and some additional for lunches?


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You can cook a decent amount of food on the 14. I’ve done a 9 lb butt , 8-9 pieces of thighs , rack of ribs ( do 2 with rib racks ) , big pork loin , chuck roast , and doing a whole chicken tomorrow on mine since getting it few weeks back. All this was done on one rack , so it can actually be doubled if you use the lower rack too.


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[addicted-to-smoke]

So do you think the 14 is best for mainly feeding my family of 4 and some additional for lunches?

Mainly? Yes, that changes my answer, sure. Remember that everything on a smoker is basically cooked indirect, so you have the full area of the cook grate to use, AND you have two of them.

Half of everything you'll do, is done by adapting to the hardware you own, whatever the size machine(s) in the stable. The rest is convenience, experience using the setup, finances, etc.

[Harleysmoker]

I have a 22 and say if you can make it happen get one. The extra space is nice when needed. Its better to have too much space than not enough.

Now, I am looking for a good deal on a 14 for the times I want to cook something small, but I have several kettles for that.

[jcnaz]

IMO; The 14" WSM is cool, but not nearly as versatile as the 18" (I don't have a 22" 😉).
Here is a current thread that addresses my point:
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/index.php?topic=33614.0

If you can get an 18" do it.

$0.02

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[Slicer021]

Well at some point the goal is to have all 3 of them just trying to get up and rolling lol


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[Brain_STL]

18, definitely. No questions asked, do not past go, do not collect 200.00.


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[swamprb]

Get a 22" and never look back!

Don't get hung up on how much charcoal it uses-there are simple ways to make it work for you. 18's were the standard for so long that once I started cooking on 22's and enjoyed the space, my 18's found new homes.

Or get a Cajun Bandit Stacker for your kettle if you don't want to drop the cash on a big bullet.

As far as the PBC, I can't give you any advice since I don't own one, but I do cook and compete on a variety of drums ranging from a 15 gallon can up to an 85 gallon drum.

The PBC is a 30 gallon can with an 18" cook grate. The hanging rods are the feature of the can and you'll be cooking direct over an open basket. Check out the fb page and you'll get a lot of info and tips. Don't be limited to what you can hang, you can use skewers like a tandoor or what I like are rotisserie baskets which I use quite a bit.

Cooking on a drum is so much easier with less parts to deal with as opposed to a WSM. Drums naturally cook moister without the need for a waterpan and the flavor profile of the fats dripping on the coals are unmatched.

Not knocking the bullets

[Mike in Roseville]

Some good things already said here.

An 18WSM is plenty for most people. I have two 18WSM's I purchased used and if I ever needed more room than one could provide, I would use the other. They are easy to find used online at a great price (I am currently trying to point my buddy to an 18 I found a few miles away from him for $40).

I have a Weber hanging rack for one of my 18's so its basically set up like a PBC. 18's are a great size for my current set up. The only way I could justify a 22WSM is if (and potentially when) I start doing BBQ competitions. You can do everything on an 18 that can be done on a 22...yes even full racks of ribs. You just can't lay them flat without cutting. That's all.

@swamprb makes good points as well. With a 22WSM you'll never have to worry about room. But I can't tell you how many people buy one because of all of the "cookouts" or "people" they are going to have, cook on them once or twice, and then sell them because they are "too big." If cost isn't much of a factor, buy a 22. If you're looking to get your feet wet, find a used 18 and play around with it. Its very easy to use and dial in.

Hell, my dad got an 18WSM for his birthday, and he has only used it twice in the past 7 months. I use my 18WSM every week/every other week.

[addicted-to-smoke]

I'm one of those people who bought an 18 WSM and have only used it a few times. My recommendation above, for the 18, still stands however, because of how inexpensive they can be when purchased used. Gotta be patient.

That said, I'm always looking for ways to use it but seldom need it compared to smoking or cooking something on one ore more kettles, for a family of 4.

It's sort of the age-old question of what-do-you-need, answered with "how many of anything else do you already have?"

[Slicer021]

Thanks all for the help.  I am going to just hang in and wait for a good deal I think on either an 18 or 22 instead of buying new.