pbc or wsm?

[marshall]

I have been using 22 weber kettle with sns for smoking and want more space for food, I was set on the 22 wsm but came across the pbc and saw it had great reviews as well. I would appreciate all opinions on the better choice. thanks in advance everyone!

[FLBuckeye]

I am a Weber guy (6.5 total, between my kettles and WSM's) but I know the PBC has a cult following. Seems like a very nice platform. That being said, I recently bought a 26" Weber kettle and I love the extra capacity it gives me. 15 lb. packer briskets fit easily. With the SnS, I can cook pretty much anything I need. I did use my WSM today for two pork butts because I was cleaning the 26" unit.

[marshall]

I have thought about getting the 26 kettle, do you feel like smoking on a kettle is just as good as a wsm?, my thought with purchasing the wsm is not only the extra space but I thought maybe I could produce a better smoked product by being able to cook more indirectly, thus a lower slower cook..?

[FLBuckeye]

marshall Yes, my 26" kettle works superbly as a smoker. The SnS allows indirect cooking as you know. I have the regular SnS for my kettle, not the XL and it works great. My WSM can't fit a big packer brisket without trimming the end a bit. No issues on the 26".

[kmhfive]

I have a Weber Kettle, but I think if I decide to go there, I'd get a PBC.

[marshall]

what do you like about the pbc over the wsm may I ask?

[kmhfive]

I think that the WSM can make great food, but may need some fiddling out-a-the box. Whereas everybody on here that has gotten the PBC is Smokin' right away.

[FLBuckeye]

I felt the need to get the upgraded door on my WSM as well as the hinge. Not sure why Weber uses that garbage door that leaks a lot. $299 plus the hinge plus the door equals about another $120 to the $299 purchase price. I got my 26" for $249 plus the SnS for a total of around $325. Big savings

[Mr. Bones]

Man, that's a tough call...
Both are great cookers...
Hail, given this dilemna, I'd haveta pick BOTH!!!!

[marshall]

I'm thinking of a bigger pit so I can smoke lots of great meat and I plan on giving it to friends and neighbors and seeing what "magic" happens , hoping to bring people together with good food!

[Skelly]

Sometimes in life, both choices are the correct choice...

[3DJ]

Gotta say I'm a lucky guy with both, and I love both of them. I do have my preferences of what I cook on them. I call the PBC the bird whisperer lol, I'll never do chicken or turkey on my WSM as long as my PBC is around. That said, I only did ribs once on it and the wife won't let me do that again, the WSM is hands down the winner for me and ribs.

Any specific questions ions I'll try to answer.

Jim

[3DJ]

Also since when did the forum limit character counts? Jared49 here is the rest of my comment: I'm always wanting to try it again, but my WSM is just good old fashioned perfection and what we are used to eating ribs from. I just think they are better.

[Thunder77]

Comments are limited to 300 characters. Main posts, you can have as many as you like.

[3DJ]

Thunder77 thanks for the info.

[FireMan]

You want me to decide? How much room do you have? Forget the money, feed the need. For starters, Skelly hit it on the head, both. Then, progress from there. PBC is terrific & simple & I love the ribs on it, doing 5 racks this morn.

[Pirate Scott]

I have the 26" Weber Kettle and have had good success, no SNS, just figuring it out with the snake method and a pan of water. I have done 4 baby Backs on the Weber rib rack. I have done an 8lb Shoulder and a 4 lb Chuck at the same time. That being said I think the PBC has more capacity, in fact I was going to buy one and got the Weber instead. But I also wanted it for grilling. Good Luck, and I don't think there is a wrong choice.

[grampa]

The PBC will do 8 racks of ribs at once.

[Obi-Dan]

When I bought my smoker I had come down to the same choice. I eventually chose the PBC and I love it. There is something primal about hanging meat on hooks. But really it was the reviews that kept talking about how fool proof it was. I've since had the opportunity to cook on a WSM and it was fine, but required more attention and work than the PBC. And I am pro Weber having had a Kettle for 20 years and my dad having one his whole life.

Just my $.02. You can't really go wrong either way.

[grampa]

The Weber Smoky Mountain is a great smoker, but required a lot of watching, in my experience. The PBC is almost "set it and forget it". With a Weber kettle and the SnS, I can smoke as about much as I could on my WSM, with a lot less fiddling. Between my PBC ,and my Weber 22" kettle and my SnS, I can smoke up a storm! If I get another, it will likely be a 26" Weber kettle.

[MBMorgan]

Both the PBC and WSM are capable of producing awesome results ... and both have great capacity for lots of food. That said, I went with the PBC a couple of years ago and couldn't be happier. In my situation, I needed something as close to "set and forget" as possible ... and the PBC (especially since I started using a Thermoworks Smoke thermometer) really delivers. Bottom line, get the one that best suits your needs and your personality and you won't be disappointed.

[marshall]

thanks all for your thoughts, ill let you know what I go with when i decide...

[EuGostoKaraThrace]

Sorry for the tardiness...I have both. In the year and a half I've owned the PBC, I have not fired up the WSM once. That PBC has changed my cooking life for the better-- the food is produced is outstanding and the results are repeatable.

[Gooner-que]

I have been thinking about the same question and I would lean towards the PBC because it is a cooker style that I don't have. I run my 22"/SnS/DnG/Party-Q for pretty much everything and I can squeeze 18# of pork butt on it. I just tried the coil method for SLC ribs and they came out great, and I can get 5 racks on the 22". I do want to try PBC chicken since everyone raves about it.