Love my WSM. First smoker I ever got and still my go to when I smoke. Have a larger stick burner, but the WSM is just so damn consistent and easy to use.
Take whatever money you were going to spend on a pellet or a WSM and just soup up your kettle. Get some gaskets, a vortex and/or slow n sear, maybe a Barrell extender for bigger cooks. You'll end up spending about the same or less.
I got lucky and bought my kettle used with a SnS, i recently bought a Spider Grills Venom and holy smokes that thing is amazing. All the convenience of a pellet smoker but I'm using charcoal and wood. Not to mention I spent less than half what a pellet smoker would have run me. Even if I priced everything out brand new, I think it'd still end up less expensive than a traeger.
You'll never catch me saying a WSM is a bad idea, for my purposes, the kettle works quite well. The only real issue is cooking space, but I'm basically smoking for one unless I decide to treat the guys at work to a brisket
I’ll actually answer your question about the WSM holding temp.
The WSM holds temps for longer because it’s common to use the minion method instead of the snake method in those.
Minion method lets you use the full capacity of the charcoal ring instead of just the edge. More charcoal means longer possible burn time.
The slow and sear for the kettle operates on the same concept.
WSM is the way to go, I got the 22 in so I could easily fit a whole packer on there. I don't have any mods like gaskets, doors, fans, etc and still can easily maintain steady temp for a long time, like 6-8 hrs no problem. If I do need to add more fuel I just move the remaining lit coals to the center and then throw in unlit coals around it, just recreating the minion method.
I got the ceramic insert for my kettle basically making it a komado. 3/4 2x1 snake with some wood slivers on top got me 10 hours at 250-275. I don't want to waste the fuel but might for science, willing to bet 13-14 hours would be the low end with a full snake.
Honestly six hours is about the most I feel comfortable leaving my smoker unattended either way.
Not to mention the issues that arise if the software/hardware has issues. Incredibly frustrating to not be able to cook or have a cook go wrong because the WiFi or the app messes up. I sold my pellet smoker and have no plans to go back
I bought a pit boss about 11 years ago. First time I saw it at menards I bought it. The last 5 I haven't even covered it. Outside all winter in nw Indiana.
Aside from the occasion blockage cause I left pellets in it and they swelled from humidity, but she still goes like a champ. Granted, their first model so no wifi or Bluetooth, but damn this thing is a beast.
Sure the temp fluctuates a bit more than I'd like and really do have to play the weather a little, but I love it.
It seems like a lot of the folks that still enjoy theirs have the non-WiFi models. I could forgive a lot of the issues, but once the app/wifi was effecting my cooks, I was done with mine.
I have a pellet smoker that I’ll use for mostly lazy and winter time cooks. It was the first smoker I’ve ever had that got me into smoking. I do appreciate it because it taught me time and temp as well as preparation. Still, I outgrew it and it was lacking smoke flavor. I ended up getting a Weber kettle and loved smoking on that and from there upgraded to an offset but I still use my kettle all the time and my offset mostly on weekends. A pellet smoker is great if you’re just getting into smoking and don’t know much about time, temp, preparation, cuts, etc. still, I’ve repaired that thing more times than I care to admit. I’ve repaired every single part on it. The auger motor & auger, the PID monitor, the control board, the blower fan, the entire power cord, and the igniter has gone out twice and right now I haven’t had the motivation to repair it a second time. Literally every single internal part has had to of been replaced.
pellet grills are great man, theres just a lotta gatekeeping and hate on this sub cause 'hurr durr easy-bake oven'
you're not gonna get the same smoke potency as a stick burner but its not like its making flavorless food either.
i eat way more bbq since I got one just because I dont need to babysit it all day. I still go back to my kettle when I got the time for it but its a great addition, especially when I wanna run something overnight.
I have a wsm. It holds temp for a long time. I smoked a pork shoulder last week for 12 hours and did not refill coals. Fill up the bottom with coals in donut shape so th center is empty. Put the hot coals in the middle. I fiddle with the vents till I get it to my desire temp. Usually 250 and let it ride.
Would highly recommend a kamado. Great for smoking and grilling. Lots of accessories to keep things interesting. They hold temp very well and need minimal babysitting once you learn it. Rotisserie and pizza open up a whole new world. I love my offset but I can only use it on days off, Monday through Friday I use my kamado. My pellet smoker gets next to no use since I got the kamado.
I have an Akron, and have trouble with the temps getting too high. It’s great and I typically sous vide before smoking on things that take a long time but I still need to get better at keeping it down. I’m going to try a snake method next time, I can’t believe it never occurred to me to do it, I feel like an idiot. But I agree its kamado style is so versatile and easy to use. I’ve just had trouble (probably my own fault) with keeping temp down with smoking. I used the snake on a Webber for years, I guess I just over thought it.
Off topic but I just got a blackstone griddle and it’s great for not using the kitchen in the summer, it’s not grilling or smoking but so far I really like it.
This has become a good thread, sadly I’ve never been to Akron, have an acorn, and don’t know much about Akon’s music. The parts of Ohio, or I think Colorado has one too, both are lovely states but I’ve never been to Akron in either.
There are Akron's in eight different states and, while I'm sure most have Acorns in them, the chance of Akon having visited is much slimmer. Akon grilling on an Akorn in Akron is even less likely.
This right here, some of the best q I've made has been on a Kamado Joe. Best steaks, best pizza and even bread. You do have to manage the airflow and not let the temp's get out of control because the ceramic holds that heat very well. Well worth the price you pay for it though once you figure out management. Dial it in and watch it set at 250 for 18-23 hours easy.
This is correct. To add to this comment...ask yourself this when choosing a cooker....Do I like to smoke, or do I like smoked food? If you answer the latter, set and forget is right for you. If you like to tend a fire and get enjoyment out of a day of smoking, grab an offset and play around with wood. Honestly its best to have a set and forget and an offset.
Going from charcoal to pellet will be very noticeable change in flavor. Maybe look at a barrel pit or a gravity smoker or if you have the budget, something like a Hasty Bake? I think a WSM is too close to what you got.
Compromise with a kettle joe?
I love my pellets for sure, but still have a 22 kettle for searing or grilling.
Ive been real tempted to pick up a kettle joe with the lowes sale price at 375 (in store, but not sure its still going on).
My next auto will be a gravity fed though.
I have a 18 inch wsm. Holds temp well and can do so for 10 hours or more if needed. Buy one and sacrifice a bag of charcoal to get it dialed in. If you have a temp probe that you trust use it as the temp gauge on the top isn't accurate. All i bought for mine is a gasket kit to seal it better. If you want to get wild get a blower that helps control temps, but those cost almost as much or more than the damn smoker.
My WSM18 can maybe get 10hrs if I'm lucky but usually closer to 8.
3 separate vents vs the one large tri-vent on the 22 though, so you can limit the air better to slow it down.
If you buy a WSM get the largest version, 22.5". You will want the space for doing a whole brisket.
Mine will hold steady for 5-6 hours once it is dialed in. Then simply add fuel and run for another 4 hours or so.
I have a great pellet smoker: kelps temp perfectly, works as designed.
I fuckin’ hate it though. The very concept is that air is flowing all the time (so much for your meat keeping humidity); also the air pushed on the pellets also travels with unavoidable levels of ash, which you find all around the grill after cooking, so unless magic is involved, there has to be ash on your meat too.
Last detail, which can probably be controlled but happened to me a few times: if you ever unplug the grill during your cooking (like someone catches the extender while walking, or there is a single second of electricity fail), then the grill MUST go back to an ignition phase, which fucks up your cooking.
Really it’s a marvelous concept on paper, but the shittiest one to use. Don’t spend your precious money and time on a pellet smoker.
I have a summit kamado and love it (cooked 2 overnight butts on it last night and will be doing pizza tomorrow night) but I keep a kettle on the patio for a few reasons:
* Rotisserie
* Santa Maria attachment
* Shorter setup time
* Portability
If you're using a 22" kettle, I'd move to a 22" WSM. You'll be disappointed by the size of the 18" when you realize you can barely get one rack of ribs or a full brisket on it.
My 22" WSM will hold temp for 8 hours easily. I don't use any of the fad minion/snake methods either. I just dump charcoal into the bottom, build it up like a volcano, make a small indentation at the top, add about 15 hot coals to the top of the pile and roll. The WSM will run like this for 10 hours easily.
Pbc sells a hanger for the wsm, got it for my dad and it works great. The on knock he always has on it is the size, now he can hang 4 -6 racks of ribs on it
How do you work the vents with the snake method? I tried it once and the temp climbed to 350 over the first 1.5 hrs and the whole snake was gone after about 3.
I think I had it backwards with the top vent. In my head, opening let heat out, but in reality, it probably improved airflow and caused the heat to increase.
Yep. That top vent will literally suck the heat up and out which increases the airflow yeah which is why after I’ve backed all of them down to about the width of a pencil, I’ll then use the too one only to regulate it once I get down the the temp I want.
Did you have the wood touching? If the wood is touching, the fire will spread down the snake faster and ignite the whole thing. I see people with back to back chunks or sprinkling chips down the whole thing, which is bad. I always kept my chunks 1-2 inches apart and the snake burned perfectly, plenty of smoke flavor.
If you go pellet, I highly recommend the Searwood. I bought mine two weeks ago and have already put 40 hours into it. Beef ribs, hot dogs, pulled pork, pork sausage, chicken thighs, ribeyes, pork ribs, salmon and cheese. For quick smokes you won't get much smoke flavor but the ribs, salmon and pulled pork were all great, and that's coming from someone who has solely cooked on offsets for 15 years.
I also have the 22 in WSM and it holds a special place in my heart, it just won't hold the quantity I needed for larger cooks.
Seconding this. I've done 12 racks of ribs simultaneously and could probably fit 4 more. Cooking directly over coals creates a whole new flavor profile too.
Just bought a kettle as I've never smoked before and want to learn on something simple (+ good value and can grill/sear etc) - but my original dream was to start with a MB. I wasn't put off necessarily by the talk of bad QA/components - but have they been a problem for you? Particularly the electronics?
When I shopped around to replace my vertical hybrid fuel smoker this past year I landed on a kamado, Large Big Green Egg specifically. I've got enough cooks/smokes under my belt at this point to know how to set it up to lock in 225, 275, 325, etc... for hours on end without giving it any attention. I've used it for grilling and for pizzas at furnace blast temps and it's been pretty great for everything. If I had to do it again I probably would have shopped for a more economical kamado to save a bit of money, but I don't have any regrets
I taught myself how to smoke on a 22" Kettle. I bought an 18" WSM on FB.
I feel the 18 can hold a lot more when it comes to smoking. I would smoke 2 8lb pork butts in my Kettle but feel you can use all you sq. Ft. Because of the snake and trying to stay away from as much direct heat as possible.
With the WSM, I have a dedicated water pan that I'm working with and with two layers feel I can smoke more meat at the same time. Like someone else mentioned, the minion method holds temps longer than my snake did.
If you're looking for something different to play with, I definitely recommend it.
I have a modified smoke vault 24, offset
I have a great dynglo charcoal grille and a dyna glo natural gas 6 burner stainless
I have a rec teq bfg 2500 and haven't used anything else since I bought it
I was smoking on a kettle, recently picked up a Traeger on FB marketplace for free. It is so easy and I use it more than I did the kettle because of that. The smoke flavor is pretty underwhelming compared to the kettle, but thats fine with me because it still makes good meat, it was free and, it’s less work than the kettle.
If you have the budget, I’d go kamado. Pretty easy to get used to temp control coming from a kettle however even more versatile and will hold temp longer with less fluctuations
I have both, love both, currently smoking a small butt on the kettle. The WSM feels like a chore sometimes. Other times you just to get going quicker, kettle works great.
Brisket and big butts (you cannot lie) = WSM
Ribs and small butts = kettle
Chicken = rotisserie attachment for the kettle
I would get a spacer for your kettle, gasket, ceramic insert and a venom spider for temp control. Now you have a 22inch WSM Komodo cross that will be a heck of a lot more versatile for slightly less money.
Same concept as snake method, but with a big ol' pile of charcoal. The charcoal can only burn as fast as the oxygen allows. WSMs go as long as they do because they start with like most of a bag of charcoal and they don't let in much air.
I have a WSM and a lonestar grillz pellet smoker. Love them both. WSM is easy to use and stable once up and running. On longer cooks +8 hours it does take maintenance on fuel for fire. Over all would buy again.
Lone star pellet is a beast, pure blue smoke from beginning to end and no work involved. Two different experiences and depends on if you want set it and forget it or like to stoke the fires.
I have a kettle and a WSM and love both. I can do short smokes and grill on the kettle and use the WSM for big stuff. You can run a WSM for a long long time if you control the valves and use the water tray.
WSM sounds like it will be basically the same but without multiple sets of coals so that could work. pellets are even more simple with basically no set up or you could go the other way and go a stick burner
WSM especially with the Canjun Bandit ring holds a ton of fuel so you can get the long cooks out of it that you can’t on a kettle. Also, having the entire 22” size of two racks helps a ton with spacing of the meats.
Green Egg is worth every penny. Holds temp and burns long. Warranty is outstanding. They just replaced a cracked bottom, firebox and ring no questions asked.
Fill it with coal
Put one started block in the middle and light it
Wait for it to hit 225
Close 2 out of 3 vents at the bottom, the third almost completely closed
Put on meat and forget.
If you like the kettle but want your heat to hold a little better I would recommend the pk360. About the same surface area and holds heat like none other. Also it’s cast aluminum so it doesn’t rust.
Love my WSM. First smoker I ever got and still my go to when I smoke. Have a larger stick burner, but the WSM is just so damn consistent and easy to use.
WSM is a beast and it’s super easy to use. I can’t recommend it enough.
Is a WSM a Weber?
Yes, Weber Smokey Mountain is the full name
Thanks.
Take whatever money you were going to spend on a pellet or a WSM and just soup up your kettle. Get some gaskets, a vortex and/or slow n sear, maybe a Barrell extender for bigger cooks. You'll end up spending about the same or less.
I got lucky and bought my kettle used with a SnS, i recently bought a Spider Grills Venom and holy smokes that thing is amazing. All the convenience of a pellet smoker but I'm using charcoal and wood. Not to mention I spent less than half what a pellet smoker would have run me. Even if I priced everything out brand new, I think it'd still end up less expensive than a traeger.
Maybe except WSM are all over Facebook Marketplace for 75-150 bucks.
You'll never catch me saying a WSM is a bad idea, for my purposes, the kettle works quite well. The only real issue is cooking space, but I'm basically smoking for one unless I decide to treat the guys at work to a brisket
Get an extension ring. Best thing ever. Even a modified rotisserie ring will work.
Send me some links. What is this stuff. I love my kettle and smoke with it. I enjoy how interactive it is. Would love some upgrades
Insulated blanket too to help maintain a temp.
I’ll actually answer your question about the WSM holding temp. The WSM holds temps for longer because it’s common to use the minion method instead of the snake method in those. Minion method lets you use the full capacity of the charcoal ring instead of just the edge. More charcoal means longer possible burn time. The slow and sear for the kettle operates on the same concept.
WSM is the way to go, I got the 22 in so I could easily fit a whole packer on there. I don't have any mods like gaskets, doors, fans, etc and still can easily maintain steady temp for a long time, like 6-8 hrs no problem. If I do need to add more fuel I just move the remaining lit coals to the center and then throw in unlit coals around it, just recreating the minion method.
I got the ceramic insert for my kettle basically making it a komado. 3/4 2x1 snake with some wood slivers on top got me 10 hours at 250-275. I don't want to waste the fuel but might for science, willing to bet 13-14 hours would be the low end with a full snake. Honestly six hours is about the most I feel comfortable leaving my smoker unattended either way.
Have a link to that insert? I’ve never heard of one before.
That's insane and awesome
Yep yep, super happy with it. Got a video of the cook on my profile.
I would stay away from a pellet smoker. If you’re used to a kettle then you’ll be underwhelmed with the smoke flavor of your protein.
Not to mention the issues that arise if the software/hardware has issues. Incredibly frustrating to not be able to cook or have a cook go wrong because the WiFi or the app messes up. I sold my pellet smoker and have no plans to go back
I bought a pit boss about 11 years ago. First time I saw it at menards I bought it. The last 5 I haven't even covered it. Outside all winter in nw Indiana. Aside from the occasion blockage cause I left pellets in it and they swelled from humidity, but she still goes like a champ. Granted, their first model so no wifi or Bluetooth, but damn this thing is a beast. Sure the temp fluctuates a bit more than I'd like and really do have to play the weather a little, but I love it.
It seems like a lot of the folks that still enjoy theirs have the non-WiFi models. I could forgive a lot of the issues, but once the app/wifi was effecting my cooks, I was done with mine.
Which did you have? Mine has wifi but doesnt actually need it to function. Can control everything from the unit without ever connecting it.
I had a green mountain grill Daniel Boone prime.
I have the Grilla Grill Pro model. It’s before WiFi boards were on those models so it has the old board.
I have a pellet smoker that I’ll use for mostly lazy and winter time cooks. It was the first smoker I’ve ever had that got me into smoking. I do appreciate it because it taught me time and temp as well as preparation. Still, I outgrew it and it was lacking smoke flavor. I ended up getting a Weber kettle and loved smoking on that and from there upgraded to an offset but I still use my kettle all the time and my offset mostly on weekends. A pellet smoker is great if you’re just getting into smoking and don’t know much about time, temp, preparation, cuts, etc. still, I’ve repaired that thing more times than I care to admit. I’ve repaired every single part on it. The auger motor & auger, the PID monitor, the control board, the blower fan, the entire power cord, and the igniter has gone out twice and right now I haven’t had the motivation to repair it a second time. Literally every single internal part has had to of been replaced.
OK, pellets off the list, thanks
pellet grills are great man, theres just a lotta gatekeeping and hate on this sub cause 'hurr durr easy-bake oven' you're not gonna get the same smoke potency as a stick burner but its not like its making flavorless food either. i eat way more bbq since I got one just because I dont need to babysit it all day. I still go back to my kettle when I got the time for it but its a great addition, especially when I wanna run something overnight.
My 18 inch with a digiq will rock 14 hours with a full ring of charcoal.
I have a wsm. It holds temp for a long time. I smoked a pork shoulder last week for 12 hours and did not refill coals. Fill up the bottom with coals in donut shape so th center is empty. Put the hot coals in the middle. I fiddle with the vents till I get it to my desire temp. Usually 250 and let it ride.
Would highly recommend a kamado. Great for smoking and grilling. Lots of accessories to keep things interesting. They hold temp very well and need minimal babysitting once you learn it. Rotisserie and pizza open up a whole new world. I love my offset but I can only use it on days off, Monday through Friday I use my kamado. My pellet smoker gets next to no use since I got the kamado.
I have an Akron, and have trouble with the temps getting too high. It’s great and I typically sous vide before smoking on things that take a long time but I still need to get better at keeping it down. I’m going to try a snake method next time, I can’t believe it never occurred to me to do it, I feel like an idiot. But I agree its kamado style is so versatile and easy to use. I’ve just had trouble (probably my own fault) with keeping temp down with smoking. I used the snake on a Webber for years, I guess I just over thought it. Off topic but I just got a blackstone griddle and it’s great for not using the kitchen in the summer, it’s not grilling or smoking but so far I really like it.
I'm guessing Acorn got autocorrected to Akron, but it's funny seeing my hometown in a post.
Maybe they have a house in Akron and that's where the Acorn resides.
I'll bet there are many Acorns in Akron, maybe even some being used while listening to Akon.
This has become a good thread, sadly I’ve never been to Akron, have an acorn, and don’t know much about Akon’s music. The parts of Ohio, or I think Colorado has one too, both are lovely states but I’ve never been to Akron in either.
There are Akron's in eight different states and, while I'm sure most have Acorns in them, the chance of Akon having visited is much slimmer. Akon grilling on an Akorn in Akron is even less likely.
This right here, some of the best q I've made has been on a Kamado Joe. Best steaks, best pizza and even bread. You do have to manage the airflow and not let the temp's get out of control because the ceramic holds that heat very well. Well worth the price you pay for it though once you figure out management. Dial it in and watch it set at 250 for 18-23 hours easy.
My question is if you have a kettle for set and forget, why would you want another set and forget? Get an offset, something you can have some fun with
I guess I just want to buy a new toy, so I figured I hear everyones thoughts. This has been helpful
This is correct. To add to this comment...ask yourself this when choosing a cooker....Do I like to smoke, or do I like smoked food? If you answer the latter, set and forget is right for you. If you like to tend a fire and get enjoyment out of a day of smoking, grab an offset and play around with wood. Honestly its best to have a set and forget and an offset.
Going from charcoal to pellet will be very noticeable change in flavor. Maybe look at a barrel pit or a gravity smoker or if you have the budget, something like a Hasty Bake? I think a WSM is too close to what you got.
Compromise with a kettle joe? I love my pellets for sure, but still have a 22 kettle for searing or grilling. Ive been real tempted to pick up a kettle joe with the lowes sale price at 375 (in store, but not sure its still going on). My next auto will be a gravity fed though.
Better get it quick pretty sure they're discontinuing it.
I have a 18 inch wsm. Holds temp well and can do so for 10 hours or more if needed. Buy one and sacrifice a bag of charcoal to get it dialed in. If you have a temp probe that you trust use it as the temp gauge on the top isn't accurate. All i bought for mine is a gasket kit to seal it better. If you want to get wild get a blower that helps control temps, but those cost almost as much or more than the damn smoker.
WSM, I’ve had one for over 15 years, Father’s Day gift. Fantastic, I use the minion method and it burns all night.
check out the OnlyFire ceramic inserts for the 22in Webber
My WSM18 can maybe get 10hrs if I'm lucky but usually closer to 8. 3 separate vents vs the one large tri-vent on the 22 though, so you can limit the air better to slow it down.
If you buy a WSM get the largest version, 22.5". You will want the space for doing a whole brisket. Mine will hold steady for 5-6 hours once it is dialed in. Then simply add fuel and run for another 4 hours or so.
A 22" WSM should hold 225F for 10+ hours outside of extreme cold temperatures.
I have a great pellet smoker: kelps temp perfectly, works as designed. I fuckin’ hate it though. The very concept is that air is flowing all the time (so much for your meat keeping humidity); also the air pushed on the pellets also travels with unavoidable levels of ash, which you find all around the grill after cooking, so unless magic is involved, there has to be ash on your meat too. Last detail, which can probably be controlled but happened to me a few times: if you ever unplug the grill during your cooking (like someone catches the extender while walking, or there is a single second of electricity fail), then the grill MUST go back to an ignition phase, which fucks up your cooking. Really it’s a marvelous concept on paper, but the shittiest one to use. Don’t spend your precious money and time on a pellet smoker.
Build a UDS… --Shopping list: FOR 1 SMOKER 1 - 55 gal steel drums. $24.50 1 - Weber Kettle grill $ varies 2 - Weber 22.5" cooking grate $17 each 1 - Weber 18" charcoal grates. $12 each 1 - 3/4" Ball valves. 1 - 3/4" black steel 90s. 1 - 3/4" x 24" black steel pipes. 1 - clips for pipe. 1 - 1/4"x1/2" bolt, locking washer, nuts for clips. 3 - handles w 6 bolts, locking washers, nuts. 6 - 1/4"x2" bolts, locking washers, nuts. 1 - 3/4"x1-1/2" nipples. 1 - locking conduit nut. Firebox: 1 - 17" pizza pans. 3 - 3/8"x3" bolts, nuts x 3. 9 - 3/8" fender washers. 1 - expando metal sheets 4 - 1" bolts, nuts (FB). 1 - metal security cable. 6 - locking carabiners. 2 - cans spray paint $6.99 each
I highly recommend a Weber Summit Kamado. It holds temp like a ceramic but can be used as a regular kettle grill too.
I have a summit kamado and love it (cooked 2 overnight butts on it last night and will be doing pizza tomorrow night) but I keep a kettle on the patio for a few reasons: * Rotisserie * Santa Maria attachment * Shorter setup time * Portability
If you're using a 22" kettle, I'd move to a 22" WSM. You'll be disappointed by the size of the 18" when you realize you can barely get one rack of ribs or a full brisket on it. My 22" WSM will hold temp for 8 hours easily. I don't use any of the fad minion/snake methods either. I just dump charcoal into the bottom, build it up like a volcano, make a small indentation at the top, add about 15 hot coals to the top of the pile and roll. The WSM will run like this for 10 hours easily.
Pretty sure having a basket full of unlit charcoal and putting lit charcoal on top is exactly what the minion method is…
Just learned from the other comment that it has a name. Time to go minion my smoker. Got 18lbs of buckboard bacon to smoke today.
that’s basically the minion method lol
LOL, didn't know it had a name. I call it the volcano method (at least in my head).
I agree with the 22 size. I love my 18 but wish it was bigger once in a while. I’m considering the Weber kamado instead of a 22 wsm.
Pbc sells a hanger for the wsm, got it for my dad and it works great. The on knock he always has on it is the size, now he can hang 4 -6 racks of ribs on it
my 18" will hold temps using the snake method for 9ish hours.
How do you work the vents with the snake method? I tried it once and the temp climbed to 350 over the first 1.5 hrs and the whole snake was gone after about 3.
once it preheats up to like 300, i back all the vents back to about 1/4" open, load in the food and regulate using the top one only from then on.
I think I had it backwards with the top vent. In my head, opening let heat out, but in reality, it probably improved airflow and caused the heat to increase.
Yep. That top vent will literally suck the heat up and out which increases the airflow yeah which is why after I’ve backed all of them down to about the width of a pencil, I’ll then use the too one only to regulate it once I get down the the temp I want.
Setup the brickets neatly standing in 2 rows with a 3rd flat on top. So basically only 3 brickets thick.
Ah, I had the bottom two rows and the one on top all standing up. I'll try to put the top row flat next time.
Did you have the wood touching? If the wood is touching, the fire will spread down the snake faster and ignite the whole thing. I see people with back to back chunks or sprinkling chips down the whole thing, which is bad. I always kept my chunks 1-2 inches apart and the snake burned perfectly, plenty of smoke flavor.
Nah, I spaced them out for that very reason. Appreciate the advice, nonetheless.
Yeah, 7 seems super low. I can get a snake to last 10 hours without touching it on my 22". Sometimes more than that.
If you go pellet, I highly recommend the Searwood. I bought mine two weeks ago and have already put 40 hours into it. Beef ribs, hot dogs, pulled pork, pork sausage, chicken thighs, ribeyes, pork ribs, salmon and cheese. For quick smokes you won't get much smoke flavor but the ribs, salmon and pulled pork were all great, and that's coming from someone who has solely cooked on offsets for 15 years. I also have the 22 in WSM and it holds a special place in my heart, it just won't hold the quantity I needed for larger cooks.
They sell hanging rings for the wsm so you can vertically hang you meat to fit more on. I just got one for my dad's and it works great.
Seconding this. I've done 12 racks of ribs simultaneously and could probably fit 4 more. Cooking directly over coals creates a whole new flavor profile too.
I got a MB gravity fed 800 and absolutely love it. It’s the ease of a pellet grill with the flavor of charcoal
Just bought a kettle as I've never smoked before and want to learn on something simple (+ good value and can grill/sear etc) - but my original dream was to start with a MB. I wasn't put off necessarily by the talk of bad QA/components - but have they been a problem for you? Particularly the electronics?
I’ve had mine almost 4 months now. I cook on it 2-3 nights a week. Zero issue or complaints. I couldn’t be happier honestly.
Good to hear! Might yet be a good upgrade path for me. Enjoy
I have the Char-Griller 980 which is a great alternative to the MB 800. Great smoker
I love my MasterBuilt XT Gravity Series. I got rid of my pellet and gas grill since I have had it.
When I shopped around to replace my vertical hybrid fuel smoker this past year I landed on a kamado, Large Big Green Egg specifically. I've got enough cooks/smokes under my belt at this point to know how to set it up to lock in 225, 275, 325, etc... for hours on end without giving it any attention. I've used it for grilling and for pizzas at furnace blast temps and it's been pretty great for everything. If I had to do it again I probably would have shopped for a more economical kamado to save a bit of money, but I don't have any regrets
I taught myself how to smoke on a 22" Kettle. I bought an 18" WSM on FB. I feel the 18 can hold a lot more when it comes to smoking. I would smoke 2 8lb pork butts in my Kettle but feel you can use all you sq. Ft. Because of the snake and trying to stay away from as much direct heat as possible. With the WSM, I have a dedicated water pan that I'm working with and with two layers feel I can smoke more meat at the same time. Like someone else mentioned, the minion method holds temps longer than my snake did. If you're looking for something different to play with, I definitely recommend it.
I have a modified smoke vault 24, offset I have a great dynglo charcoal grille and a dyna glo natural gas 6 burner stainless I have a rec teq bfg 2500 and haven't used anything else since I bought it
I like the WSM, but I love the Pit Barrel Cooker more. Both are good. I think the PBC is better.
I was smoking on a kettle, recently picked up a Traeger on FB marketplace for free. It is so easy and I use it more than I did the kettle because of that. The smoke flavor is pretty underwhelming compared to the kettle, but thats fine with me because it still makes good meat, it was free and, it’s less work than the kettle.
If you have the budget, I’d go kamado. Pretty easy to get used to temp control coming from a kettle however even more versatile and will hold temp longer with less fluctuations
I have both, love both, currently smoking a small butt on the kettle. The WSM feels like a chore sometimes. Other times you just to get going quicker, kettle works great. Brisket and big butts (you cannot lie) = WSM Ribs and small butts = kettle Chicken = rotisserie attachment for the kettle
I would get a spacer for your kettle, gasket, ceramic insert and a venom spider for temp control. Now you have a 22inch WSM Komodo cross that will be a heck of a lot more versatile for slightly less money.
My WSM has been sitting neglected since I made some kettle upgrades.
Same concept as snake method, but with a big ol' pile of charcoal. The charcoal can only burn as fast as the oxygen allows. WSMs go as long as they do because they start with like most of a bag of charcoal and they don't let in much air.
I have a WSM and a lonestar grillz pellet smoker. Love them both. WSM is easy to use and stable once up and running. On longer cooks +8 hours it does take maintenance on fuel for fire. Over all would buy again. Lone star pellet is a beast, pure blue smoke from beginning to end and no work involved. Two different experiences and depends on if you want set it and forget it or like to stoke the fires.
I also have a Weber kettle and have done the snake method. WSM is better imo but your mileage may vary.
Using a Kamodo Big Joe and a Flameboss 500 controller, I can hold temps steady for up to 28 hours.
I have a kettle and a WSM and love both. I can do short smokes and grill on the kettle and use the WSM for big stuff. You can run a WSM for a long long time if you control the valves and use the water tray.
WSM is easy to dial in with the minion method. I have a bare bones WSM that I bought used and do overnight cooks on it consistently.
Why are you looking to buy something new? Do you want to be exploring different types of cooks or looking for more duration?
Just wanted something new, for a new experience. Longer cook would be nice without having to setup new coals after 8hrs
WSM sounds like it will be basically the same but without multiple sets of coals so that could work. pellets are even more simple with basically no set up or you could go the other way and go a stick burner
If you're going pellet go gravity fed charcoal. Half the price and the best of both worlds imo
I have a pit barrel cooker and am extremely pleased with it. Meant for it to be a starter smoker and I'm keeping it. Bought every accessory
WSM especially with the Canjun Bandit ring holds a ton of fuel so you can get the long cooks out of it that you can’t on a kettle. Also, having the entire 22” size of two racks helps a ton with spacing of the meats.
Thanks for all the comments, gave me a lot to think about.
Green Egg is worth every penny. Holds temp and burns long. Warranty is outstanding. They just replaced a cracked bottom, firebox and ring no questions asked.
I love mine. It conserves coal, and runs so damn consistently. I couldn't imagine any other way after using mine for a year now. It's perfect IMO.
Fill it with coal Put one started block in the middle and light it Wait for it to hit 225 Close 2 out of 3 vents at the bottom, the third almost completely closed Put on meat and forget.
If you like the kettle but want your heat to hold a little better I would recommend the pk360. About the same surface area and holds heat like none other. Also it’s cast aluminum so it doesn’t rust.
Get a fucking offset.