Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

I would get the 22, you can find those all over for cheap, and I would get the WSM 18.5, have both. You’re totally covered with the best for all needs then. If you’re talking about feeding more than 4 people often, you may even want the WSM 22 instead of the 18.5. Hard to get more than a 11 pound packer brisket on the 18.5, but of course you have the two levels so you can do 2 of those at once. It’s more a matter of just finding the 11 pound or smaller briskets, they’re not as available as a 14 or whatever pounder.

 

22 is simply to damn small for smoking which I do 99% of the time. My 22" became my dedicated pizza maker. If you grill more than smoke a 22" is perfect.

I don't have a problem holding temps at 250-275 for long periods of times on my weber 26. Being able to cook a packer brisket, 3 whole chickens or 2 spatchcock chickens, I could probably cook 5 pork butts and hold more beef/pork ribs are priceless. Plus if you a chicken wing type person espesicialy if your entertaining the weber 26 is a win! Wings go fast and people eat a lot of them.


Biggest problem with having a weber 26 is that I don't have a need to upgrade to say a stick burner cuz I can't imagine the bbq tasting any better than what I already produce.

 

Did you just run the thermo lead under the lid?

 

If you wanted to cook a turkey which one would you use? My goal is to be able to cook a whole turkey or a whole brisket.

Would the 22” be able to smoke or grill that?

I went too small with the 14.5 WSM and I don’t want to make that mistake again!

Thanks

 

This is why I’m thinking to get a 18.5” WSM. I think it’d do what I want.

Maybe sell my little WSM.

I was just thinking maybe a kettle could do it too? My WSM is bullet proof, just too small.

Thanks

 

Yes! This is why I want a big kettle!

I imagine holding temps would be a matter of technique. I mean with enough coal that you could fit in a kettle that big... shouldn’t have a problem.

Thanks

 

You can cook a turkey in a 22 but your really pushing the limit of the grill. I've done it before.... What you need to know is that the temp from the dome, middle portion and grate level is all different temps. once you get that all figured out you can get some really good results.

This was my 16-17lb turkey on my 26 last year and turned out way better. If I had to do it again I would spatchcock my turkey to make it cook faster. Also the color on the turkey looked way better as it was farther away from the fire. As a tip keep the turkey legs towards the fire.

Otherwise you can see my skin on my turkey decided to tear when it was towards the fire. This was my turkey from the year before.


I also have a tip top temp to regulate heat better
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B0764T8386/ref=mw_dp_cr

 

This is a 8lb bird on a 22 rotisserie set up. The 22 dwarfs it. I've seen @Cold Iron pics with two birds on a 18.

 

I did a good sized turkey in my WSM 18.5, turned out perfect. Best turkey I ever did.

 

Like horstuff I have both 22" kettle and 18.5" WSM and feel they are the best of both worlds. Usually. For me. When it comes to steaks I use the 18.5" Jumbo Joe more times than not. And there are times I wish I had a 22" WSM for large briskets.

But there is this LOL. Yeah strangely enough the times I want a 26" always seem to revolve around wings....

Yes I do on the kettle. The thermoworks probe leads are flat and the lid still seals well.

I only cook turkeys on a rotisserie so not sure about splatchcocking them, etc. I am a big fan of birds taste better on a stick. And you can get a rotisserie for the 26" kettle from Cajun Bandit just to confuse you But it is going to cost you they are spendy for the 26".

I have a roti for the 18" WSM and it does work well for a turkey.



With the WSM the juices drip down into the fire and add a flavor you don't get from indirect cooking. And I really like it.

But also hate to waste those juices too. With the 22" kettle I can roti a turkey also of course but can do 2 chickens at once which would be pushing it with the 18" WSM. And those dripping juices are great for basting things, plus there is the gravy.

 

^ this guy, he knows of which he speaks.

 

I had a hell of a time with attaching the legs to the bottom of the kettle. I followed the instructions, which are only pictures. Put the clips in the bottom of the kettle. OK, no don't work. Then I put them in the leg tube and voila! I'm not going to say how long it took me to figure this out. But, if you're putting `1 together, heads up.

 

One of the reasons I wanted a Jaccard is for skirt steak. Not that there was anything wrong with the one I cooked before, but commercially they are usually mechanically tenderized. So I used it tonight on a skirt steak. Plus used a 15 minute meat tenderizer marinade.

Cooked directly on the coals but did an minute and a half each side this time instead of a minute like Alton Brown says.



Then while they were wrapped in double aluminum foil for 15 min. put on the grate and finished up some bacon, peppers and onions. With a split zuke coated with olive oil and Montreal Steak seasoning.



Perfect Medium Rare, juicy and literally fell apart as I was cutting it. I managed to not eat it all as I was cutting it this time.



Took a roll and some Mayo then made a sandwich. Put the rest on the plate with the bacon toppings.



Cost a third of a prime Ribeye cap steak, or Ribeye. And is just as good. Different but not in a bad way at all. And have at least 2 or 3 more meals left with the left over meat.

 

Now you tell me LOL. Yeah I got lucky, had the same issue putting the first leg in and the clip caught inside the leg. I pulled the leg out and was going to pull the clip out and thought hey wait a minute... Made it much easier to just push the button through the hole and let the leg stabilize it. All those years with adjustable tent poles finally paid off LOL. They should really change the instructions to make that the primary assembly method IMO.

 

So good!

 

I'm Going to Texarkana in a Couple months could you nice folks recommend a place to get good brisket?

 

Yes, the instructions need changed. And maybe add some words for idiots like me.

 

Chicken on Friday night turned out really good. The foil pack potatoes I usually do on the gas BBQ didn't finish up on the charcoal, will still need to work on that timing. Chicken was so good I repeated it last night.


Venison/pork burgers on Saturday night also turned out well, a few minutes less and they would have been perfect.

 

It was great. Very smooth smoky flavor, not at all overbearing.

 

Just pulled some venison out this am