height difference between stacker and wsm cylinder

[mtneer]

Hi all,
   I'm pretty new around here, have only cooked on a weber kettle once (smoked a pork shoulder a couple weeks ago.)  I'm still trying to see if my wife is ok with cooking over charcoal (fingers crossed.)  I'm going back and forth between a wsm and a kettle.  I do have a gas grill that I can use for my grilling needs so a wsm may make more sense if I use it primarily for smoking.

Anyway, my question is...what is the size difference between a stacker and the center cylinder on the wsm.  The flexibility of a kettle really appeals to me but it looks like the stacker is about half the height of the standard wsm which makes me wonder about how well it can handle 2 racks of cooking.  Can anyone let me know the differences and if possible how does cooking on the lower grate of a stacker compare to the lower grate of the wsm?  Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Chad

[kettlebb]

Google searching led me to 21.5" tall for WSM mid section and 10" for CB stacker.  What I'm curious to know is can you double stack the CB stacker to have a 20" mid section on a kettle?

[HoosierKettle]

Good topic. Don't have a stacker but do have a wsm 18.

Top rack of a stacker would be enough room for 95% of my cooks.

I've often thought I would have bought a stacker if I had to do it again but don't know since I haven't used one.

Regardless I vote stacker because you need a kettle anyway. Very versatile and more portable than your gas grill.


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[mtneer]

that's good info, the wsm mid section looked about 2x the height which led me to question the benefit of the lower rack during smoking.  I like the idea of a kettle and stacker being cheaper than the 22 wsm (though not as set it and forget it for a smoker) but if the bottom rack with a stacker is a no go then the wsm still provides 2x the cooking surface...so many options so little money

[HoosierKettle]

Sounds like your on the right track.

I do love my 18 wsm. A larger grate would be handy but i cook a ton of food in the 18.

I did a full brisket and 2 pork butts overnight. Pulled them after 12 hours and no refueling. Let it continue to burn a couple hours then added some fuel and cooked beans and Mac and cheese. It was a 16 hour cook.

I can only imagine how much I could cook with the 22.


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[kettlebb]

Don't buy a new WSM or kettle and save some money.  You'll be able to find one on the seller sites if you take your time looking and you should save quite a bit of money.  I don't have either but when I do pull the trigger it will be the CB stacker all day long.  I like the fact that it works with my current kettle lineup so there is very little to store while not in use and I like the lid design.  I hear the WSM will let water in the cooker and it builds up around the lip of the lid the way it sits on the middle section.  If you can stack 2 stackers then I'd even go that route for more capacity in a single cooker or running two stacked kettles.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Sounds like your on the right track.

I do love my 18 wsm. A larger grate would be handy but i cook a ton of food in the 18.

I did a full brisket and 2 pork butts overnight. Pulled them after 12 hours and no refueling. Let it continue to burn a couple hours then added some fuel and cooked beans and Mac and cheese. It was a 16 hour cook.

I can only imagine how much I could cook with the 22.

Wow, what was your setup? Bread pan or ? for the beef, pork on bottom?

[mtneer]

Thanks for the thought kettlebb.  I am planning to purchase whatever gear I can pre-owned.  Grills and smokers seem to be items that many people buy new then realize they don't use that often and just want to unload them.  The only issue with buying two stackers (doubt finding them used will be easy) is the price then becomes that of a new 22" WSM.  Thought it can break up the expenditure over time if I don't need the capacity immediately.  I also like the idea of the one tough cleanout that a kettle and stacker offer.

Followup question, does the one touch vent on a kettle equal the temp control offered by the 3 vents on the WSM?

[HoosierKettle]

Sounds like your on the right track.

I do love my 18 wsm. A larger grate would be handy but i cook a ton of food in the 18.

I did a full brisket and 2 pork butts overnight. Pulled them after 12 hours and no refueling. Let it continue to burn a couple hours then added some fuel and cooked beans and Mac and cheese. It was a 16 hour cook.

I can only imagine how much I could cook with the 22.

Wow, what was your setup? Bread pan or ? for the beef, pork on bottom?

I used weber briqs and a water pan. I let the pork baste the brisket.


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[HoosierKettle]

30 lbs of meat on the 18 wsm
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/index.php?topic=33614


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[Jules V.]

I went with 2 caliente stackers  and converted into a rotisserie/smoker. It's an inch shorter than the CB being 9" high.  Not familiar with the CB but the caliente stackers have a very nice  stackable top and bottom lip. It's very airtight and off course you don't have to worry about water getting inside the bowl. I installed tabs to accommodate 2 grates per stacker so up to 4 grates can be utilized while smoking. Heat deflector sits atop the bowl grate. It's currently undergoing functional test using a variety of accessories etc.



Multi-purpose cooking machine.
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=63141&share_tid=37377&url=http%3A%2F%2Fweberkettleclub%2Ecom%2Fforums%2Findex%2Ephp%3Ftopic%3D37377&share_type=t

[mtneer]

Thanks Jules, I've been following your thread, very nice work.  I don't think I'm to the point of needing that versatility (yet) but I love how the kettles can do so much depending on the setup.

I think my ideal setup (for flexibility vs cost) would be two ~10" stackers, one with rotisserie capability and one with a wide door for doing pizza, but can be used together for wsm type smokes (with the height for hanging ribs or lions.  If there isn't the extra capability from each stacker then cost wise I could just buy a kettle and wsm.

[Jules V.]

Got to admit that rig that i built is quite pricey wit the the 2 stackers alone costing $500. Adding 2 roti spits/motors and 4 stainless grates can drive up the cost very quickly. Could have just gotten a 22.5" wsm but water collecting on the bottom lip and clean up after use are a deal breaker for me.  I had picked up an 18 and 22 wsm before but didn't even bother using it.
My current setup is a whole lot more versatile and clean up is much easier. With the heat deflector, capacity is also higher than a 22 was.  Access to the water pan and coal are not really an issue since  both have a very large capacity  if need be. Two of my favorite features are the ability to grill/rotisserie  directly  over  the heat source without having to worry about flare ups. I can do it with or without the lid. For indirect  and without the lid, i use wood splits in conjunction with lump.
Coming from a previous  grilling background in which a much higher heat and greater distance to the coal are utilized, it took me a very long time to warm up to the weber kettle because of the close proximity between the charcoal and cooking grate.  Started  using the weber roti ring and then to the caliente stacker  to increase distance to the heat source.

[mtneer]

Found a great deal on a NIB 22 WSM.
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/index.php?topic=38005.0

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[Jules V.]

Congrats. That's a killer deal.