The 22.5 uses quite a bit more fuel than the 18 for the size. But if you need the capacity is is a great cooker.
I competed on WSM's for years and I am probably going to go back to them this year. One thing to do is fill the water pan with sand and then cover it with foil. When you are done cooking discard the foil and put new on. Makes temp control much easier and you don't have a giant pan of gunk to git rid of when you are done. We have used BBQ Gurus for years and they work very well. I also highly recommend the Virtual Weber Bullet as it is one of the best BBQ sites on the net. Hollar if you have any questions.
Mark
I don't get the sand. The water vaporizing absorbs a lot of heat, thus keeping the temp down. Sand wouldn't do that. Once the sand gets to temp, it's useless.
I don't get the sand. The water vaporizing absorbs a lot of heat, thus keeping the temp down. Sand wouldn't do that. Once the sand gets to temp, it's useless.
One thing to do is fill the water pan with sand and then cover it with foil. When you are done cooking discard the foil and put new on. Makes temp control much easier and you don't have a giant pan of gunk to git rid of when you are done.
DAMN!!!! I wish I hadn't seen this thread!!! Now I need a smoker!!! This community is so good at point out things that I need!
It's my 28th bday; also the last bday being a bachelor. I feel I should give myself a neat gift.
I have owned an 18.5 for about 5 years and I love it.
The shallow water pan is an easy upgrade:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049EYYCS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Here is my tip on the water pan.
1. Foil the water pan completely with HD foil.
2. Foil a 12" clay flower pot base completely with HD foil.
3. Place the foiled flower pot base inside the water pan.
4. Place a 12" disposable foil pizza pan inside the flower pot base.
Each cook toss out the foil pizza pan and replace with a new one.
This way you have a clean grease free cooker every time you smoke and you don't waste foil. I only refoil the works about 2 times per year.
Temps remain much more steady with the clay in there. This is especially important when it is windy.
I have never used water.
Haha, you don't waste foil but you throw the foil pan away each time?
I do not think the clay pot, sand, or any other material is useful in maintaining temps. Once it is heated up, what good could it possibly be? Water is understandable as it absorbs a lot of heat when vaporizing, and the 212F vapors fill the smoker and keep the temps down.
I'm smoking in mine right now. I have the water pan in there, but no water. I think this is the way I'll run mine from now on. Tomorrow I'll just dump the water pan/grease in the woods, hose it off quickly. Easy.
I said the hell with the water pan. I couldn't get temps up on my second cook, so I dumped it out and had no issue with that.
I suppose it is not as much about wasting foil but, the time it takes to do it. Plus, I do not like cooking each time with the burning grease vapors from the previous food.
We all do not live in Florida so, maintaining temps can be more of an issue in other climates. Specifically, I can maintain 225° consistently for more that 10 hours without refueling in < 40° conditions.
My opinion is that water is very messy to deal with and you have to continuously refill it during longer cooking sessions. If you use the Minion starting method then you don't need to worry about using water to keep temps down.
It is only my technique, I did not imply that it was the best way or the only way, it is just my way.
Yep, it's tricky in the cold weather. My gut feeling is that a couple pounds of sand becomes a 250* mass that can help to stabilize the temps if wind starts sucking the heat away. It's totally gut feeling/anecdotal, but in the cold, a combination of sand in the water pan and a wind break make it easy to maintain temps.
...I'm smoking in mine right now. I have the water pan in there, but no water. I think this is the way I'll run mine from now on. Tomorrow I'll just dump the water pan/grease in the woods, hose it off quickly. Easy.
It's really only a concern on subzero overnight cooks. Like I said, it's totally anecdotal, but I tried a cook with an empty water pan on a mildly brisk fall day, and couldn't get stable temps or even temps over 200, even with the use of the DigiQ. Pan full of sand, and I have no trouble maintaining temps even if it's 0* outside.
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