another water pan question

[EricD]

There is much debate about using water or sand in the water pan.  Anybody ever cook without the pan at all?  Seems to me it'd be similar to cooking in a drum (which I've never done).  Why or why not?
Thoughts?

[jmitchell418]

I tried sand for the first time in my wsm 18 using the snake method. Found that I couldn't get temps up past 175* for quite a long time. I dumped the sand and put hot water in the pan.... Temps got to about 200 and I was losing patience and daylight. So I pulled the water pan altogether refueled the snake and did my ribs with no water or sand using the 3,2,1 cooking method. Those were the best ribs I've cooked to date! I won't use sand again and might try water if I'm using a full ring of charcoal on longer cooks.

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[HoosierKettle]

I usually wrap the pan in foil and use water. I empty any remaining greasy water in my ash bucket when finished and let the ashes soak it up and dispose. I did try beef ribs without the pan and it did well. Radiant heat did not burn the ribs whatsoever. However, I think I cooked to hot because the ribs were tough. Maybe I didn't cook long enough?  Not sure but it was user error I think and not the fact that I wasn't using a pan. I need to get the wsm out and experiment. I haven't used it in awhile.


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[TheDude]

I ditch the water pan while cooking poultry.

[jeffrackmo]

I wrapped my water pan in HD foil, put in some ceramic briquettes from a gasser project and then wrap the bowl with HD Foil.   The ceramics act as a heat shield and it helps control the temps from runaways.   I replace the top piece of foil once the WSM shuts down.

Clean up is easy peasy and the cooks i do are consistent in temp and times.

Its always debated.   I just do what works for me.

YMMV

Grill on!!

Jeff

[EricD]

When I first got it, I followed the instructions and used a water pan.  Then after getting sick of trying to get the nasty water out after, I started using sand.  It works well that way too.   Then I was wondering about ditching it completely.  I was thinking it worked as a baffle.  I'm gonna experiment and cook some stuff without and see what happens.
Now, if I could remember to take notes on my cooks!!   

[EricD]

Thanks for all the input!

[Harleysmoker]

I've had my 22 WSM for at least 4 years and never used water in it one time. I used to wrap the empty bowl in foil for easy clean up but gave that up also. I cook on it empty and naked, a few days later scrap and wash the water pan after the cook, and cook on. I figure I was wasting money on foil, and so what it doesn't come clean as brand new. I guess I could get out a razor and clean like new every time but its not needed. Whats a new water pan cost? How much foil cost wrapping it every cook?

[Krex1010]

I have cooked in mine with no water pan at all (UDS style) right over the coals. It works really well, and you get that nice meat drippings in the fire flavor which I like.....works really well for poultry since I can run the temps higher, I also use the Weber hanging system for full racks of ribs which are too long to leave the water pan in, so ribs go right over the coals too.

[JDann24]

I cook with a full water pan every time and temp seems to hover around 230-260. Dump the pan once I'm done. Easy.

[BlueArch91]

I cook with water and don't sweat cleaning back to 'like new.' I buy the physics of creating indirect heat and thermal mass. That said we all have different styles and adapt to and get comfortable with their individual idiosyncrasies. (Thanks spell check!)


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[Big Dawg]

I use the pan (wrapped in foil) with water on long cooks like butts and brisket.  I wrap the pan but fill it for rib cooks. and I skip the pan entirely for chicken.





BD

[vwengguy]

I use the ceramic bricks from my dads gasser in the bottom of my MT and then put a SS restaurant pan with about a inch of water in it . Easy to clean up later also.
I use this set up for almost all my indirect cooking jobs.
 
And then the pan on top.



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[swamprb]

Hunsaker Vortex Firebasket for the WSM











We don't need no steenken water pan!

Hot n Fast baby!

[ramsfan]

Try this next time: Get rid of the water pan altogether. Take aluminum foil and wrap the lower cooking grate several times down the middle of the grate leaving the sides open for the heat and smoke to come up through. The aluminum foil on the lower cooking grate will act as a heat diffuser to block the direct radiant heat coming up from the charcoal below.

Put a cheap disposable foil pan on top of the lower cooking grate that you have wrapped in aluminum foil. It will catch all the drippings. (You can also add water to the foil pan if you want to use water). When your done cooking, just throw away the foil pan with all the drippings. Clean up is as easy as that. The lower cooking grate will be clean as well under all the aluminum foil. If you plan on putting food on the lower cooking grate, then this idea won't work obviously.