I currently have one an early model Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5", and use it dual-purpose as a smoker and a kettle grill (without center section). When I smoke, it is almost always with top grate, as I don't like to hassle with removing the loaded grate to access the meat below on the middle grate. I often will also use the bottom grate to throw corn on the cob or potatoes through the door near the end of the smoke, or pull everything off the bottom, and put the meat over the hot coals to caramelize a sauce or crisp the skin. Other times, I will just use the bottom and top as a kettle grill for burgers, brats, steaks, or veggies. I mostly smoke chicken (splatted, thighs, or wings), beef roasts, pork butts, and the occasion rack of spare ribs. I also use Grill Grates for burgers and steaks to avoid flair-ups and loss of meat or veggies through the grate.
Lately, I have gotten frustrated with a lack of surface area for the grilling portion, and want to move up to a larger grill. I could sell my WSM 18.5 to help fund a new WSM 22.5 and have the option to get the Cajun rotisserie, and keep using the WSM as a dual-purpose smoker or kettle grill, at the expense of fuel costs and more manual effort to move the smoker from my garage to the smoking location whenever I use it, or pulling off the top sections at the end of a smoke to use it as a grill. My second option would be keep the 18.5", forego the rotisserie for smoking, and simply add a Silver or Gold Kettle 22.5 for my larger grilling needs. The one drawback I see to having two, is that the smoke then grill procedure would become smoke, transfer coals from smoker to kettle, then grill.
Having separate smoker and grill gives me a little more flexibility, is cheaper than a bigger smoker, more fuel efficient, on the one hand, but I give up having that big smoker, and I need more storage space.
Anything I am missing in my analysis? Any recommendations? If I add the Kettle, is the cost difference worth it for the Gold over the Silver to have the ash bucket and one-touch over the ash pan?
Thank you,
Geordon
Lately, I have gotten frustrated with a lack of surface area for the grilling portion, and want to move up to a larger grill. I could sell my WSM 18.5 to help fund a new WSM 22.5 and have the option to get the Cajun rotisserie, and keep using the WSM as a dual-purpose smoker or kettle grill, at the expense of fuel costs and more manual effort to move the smoker from my garage to the smoking location whenever I use it, or pulling off the top sections at the end of a smoke to use it as a grill. My second option would be keep the 18.5", forego the rotisserie for smoking, and simply add a Silver or Gold Kettle 22.5 for my larger grilling needs. The one drawback I see to having two, is that the smoke then grill procedure would become smoke, transfer coals from smoker to kettle, then grill.
Having separate smoker and grill gives me a little more flexibility, is cheaper than a bigger smoker, more fuel efficient, on the one hand, but I give up having that big smoker, and I need more storage space.
Anything I am missing in my analysis? Any recommendations? If I add the Kettle, is the cost difference worth it for the Gold over the Silver to have the ash bucket and one-touch over the ash pan?
Thank you,
Geordon
