# WSM 18”



## Central PA Cowboy (Apr 25, 2021)

Anyone here have a WSM 18”? Do you like it? Do you have to add charcoal to the initial batch for a brisket or pork butt?


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## Hamdrew (Apr 25, 2021)

Central PA Cowboy said:


> Anyone here have a WSM 18”? Do you like it? Do you have to add charcoal to the initial batch for a brisket or pork butt?


WSM's are great easy smokers. You can get 12+hrs at 225*F pretty easily with the "minion" method.

Honestly, adding more coals isn't nearly as much of a pain as most make it out to be, either. Pick up the barrel, have dry towels/heat-resistant gloves and quickly dump out the basket/ash. Clay pots are great for that. Have your additional coals+wood ready in another clay pot, and a few lit briquettes/chunks ready to go in the chimney, and voila.


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## Central PA Cowboy (Apr 25, 2021)

Hamdrew said:


> WSM's are great easy smokers. You can get 12+hrs at 225*F pretty easily with the "minion" method.
> 
> Honestly, adding more coals isn't nearly as much of a pain as most make it out to be, either. Pick up the barrel, have dry towels/heat-resistant gloves and quickly dump out the basket/ash. Clay pots are great for that. Have your additional coals+wood ready in another clay pot, and a few lit briquettes/chunks ready to go in the chimney, and voila.



Thanks Ham. I appreciate your input. Sounds easy enough.


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## Hamdrew (Apr 25, 2021)

Central PA Cowboy said:


> Thanks Ham. I appreciate your input. Sounds easy enough.


Happy to help; I know kettles best but an old 14" WSM was my first real smoker.

Got a steal of a deal the other day on a like-new 18" myself just this past week, actually. Windy here today, but i put some water in the pan and took a little nap while the chicken was cooking; You gotta love that convenience!


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## mcokevin (Apr 25, 2021)

Love my WSM 18”. I typically would need to add half a chimney or so for a pork shoulder as I run them 275-300, so I chew through fuel a little faster at those temps.  Adding some fuel mid smoke isn’t too big of a deal.


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## Delpo (Apr 26, 2021)

If you are concerned about  charcoal capacity and / or burn times take a look at the Arbor Fabricating basket with minion starter.  I've run 18 hours at 250 with charcoal to spare. Cheers.


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## SmokinAl (Apr 26, 2021)

Great smoker, but if you can afford the extra $100, get the 22.
You will appreciate the extra room.
Al


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## mcokevin (Apr 26, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> Great smoker, but if you can afford the extra $100, get the 22.
> You will appreciate the extra room.
> Al


As the owner of an 18", I agree with this.  Go for the 22" if you can.


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## SlowmotionQue (May 2, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> Great smoker, but if you can afford the extra $100, get the 22.
> You will appreciate the extra room.
> Al



Gotta agree.

I have both the 18in and a 22in. 

Had I bought the 22 first, I would not own the 18.


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## apn73 (May 15, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> Great smoker, but if you can afford the extra $100, get the 22.
> You will appreciate the extra room.
> Al


I thought  I had heard that the WSM 22 has a hard time getting below 275 degrees F, is that true?


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## SmokinAl (May 16, 2021)

apn73 said:


> I thought  I had heard that the WSM 22 has a hard time getting below 275 degrees F, is that true?


 I’ve never had that problem, and I live in Florida.
All you have to do is close 2 of the bottom vents & leave one just cracked open. It will settle in at 225. Or you could do as I did & get a BBQ Guru pit controller & it will hold any temp you set it at.
Al


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## apn73 (May 16, 2021)

SmokinAl said:


> .... get a BBQ Guru pit controller & it will hold any temp you set it at.
> Al


I looked into those last night, and wow, $220 for the most basic model seems pretty  $pendy. But it would be nice....


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## JWFokker (May 16, 2021)

You should check out the BBQube. Comes preprogrammed with algorithms for different cookers. Less expensive than the Guru or Flameboss temp controllers. They're running them $30 off + free shipping (in the US) which brings it down to $130 delivered if you get it from their website.

I got the Lavalock controller which works fine for me, but I would strongly consider the BBQube controller if I were buying one today. 

It looks like Inkbird copied the design, added wifi and jacked up the price. Avoid that one, Inkbird makes JUNK.


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## smokinbill1638 (May 16, 2021)

I have the 14, 18 and 22.  Bought the 22 first with cyberq fan.   I would go 22 with fan to start again.  Fan is not required but then I get to sleep with no worries.    As for adding charcoal,  i have a piece of sheet metal bent in a v shape that I stick in the door and use as a slide to put charcoal in.   By the time I'm adding charcoal there is no point of adding wood.


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## hawtsauc3 (May 16, 2021)

Used my 18.5” and didn’t have to refuel until the 10 hour mark and that was with a lot of lid opening. Love that thing to death


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## SlowmotionQue (May 16, 2021)

apn73 said:


> I thought  I had heard that the WSM 22 has a hard time getting below 275 degrees F, is that true?



No.  That isn't true.  I run mine at 250°F  regularly and 225°F  is hardly a problem for it.


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## SlowmotionQue (May 17, 2021)

apn73 said:


> I looked into those last night, and wow, $220 for the most basic model seems pretty  $pendy. But it would be nice....



A temperature controller in a WSM is a very good addition.


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## smokinbill1638 (May 17, 2021)

SlowmotionQue said:


> No.  That isn't true.  I run mine at 250°F  regularly and 225°F  is hardly a problem for it.


What he said.   As long as you don't start it with to much fire.   Kind of like learning to start your vehicle to get the ice off of it.    You learn your smoker with each use.   Each has a personality.  You learn what it likes and more importantly what it doesn't lol.


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## smokinbill1638 (May 17, 2021)

SlowmotionQue said:


> A temperature controller in a WSM is a very good addition.


I love mine.   I put my pork butts on at 9- 10 at night and get sleep without worry. It's not a necessity for sure but it's nice at my age!


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## Workaholic (May 29, 2021)

When I went and got my WSM, I looked at the different sizes, and at the time, there wasn't a place around me that had them on display.  What I wound up doing, thanks to the fine people here, is buying the size I would need occasionally, for the big cooks, like Thanksgiving.

  I don't regret getting the 22 at all.  As a good example, on Thanksgiving, I normally am feeding myself, the wife, son, oldest daughter and son in law, and their 3 kids.  I can easily fit 3 8-10# hotel turkeys on the top grill, which is perfect for what we need.

  A lot of times when I do smoke something, I'll add something else on there, just because.  The one item I do wish I had gotten, and will be getting this year, is a temp controller of one version or another.


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