I've seen a number of posts mentioning using a clay saucer instead of water. I understand the principle, but I'm not 100% on the implementation.

Is the sauce supposed to sit in the water pan or on top of it?

Also, I see a lot of comments that a 14" (or #36) saucer is the right fit for the stock water pan. However, most of these posts are older than late 2008 so I am guessing they mean the stock water pan from the pre-2009 model (2820, etc...).

Is that still the right size to use with 2009 model WSM 18 (721001) or is a bigger one needed due to the larger pan? I'm guessing if the answer to the first question is "on top" then a different size is needed.

If this issue has been discussed for the 2009 model, a link to the topic(s) would be great (I looked but couldn't find one). Otherwise, any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks.

The saucer goes in the water pan. Just nest it in.The edge of the saucer will be slightly higher than the edge of the water pan. There will be an air space between the bottom of the saucer and the water pan. I have the older WSM so I can't speak about the new size pan. I foil both the saucer and the water pan for easier cleanup. Suggestion---take the water pan to wherever you go for the saucer so you can check the fit. Don't worry, the people in the store will only think you're a little crazy.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dave/G,

quote:

Originally posted by Dave/G:
The saucer goes in the water pan. Just nest it in. There will be an air space between the bottom of the saucer and the water pan. I have the older WSM so I can't speak about the new size pan. I foil both the saucer and the water pan for easier cleanup

Ditto! I will never go back to water. But I wouldn't use the saucer until you feel totally confident on how to control the temps.

Chris I was wondering the same thing? I too have the 2009 version.

Do you guys foil both the top and bottom of the water pans and/or saucer or just the top?

I have the new 18. What I found was the 14" saucer fits on top of the water bowl perfectly. The only problem was the bottom grate then sat on the saucer. I then tried a 12.5" saucer that sits better in the bowl.

Thanks for the feedback guy. Good info here!

Hi All,

I just bought an 18" WSM last weekend and have yet to cook with it. Regarding the clay pots, has anyone tried to put a smaller pot under the larger pot thus having even more of a heat sink? Just curious.

Thanks, Benny

Are you blokes talking about terracotta plant pot bases?
How about getting some wet clay and filling the water pan with it, Put a pull handle on top, Let it dry and pull it out. Or a pre fab cement block(Or clay) disk sitting on the tabs and do away with the pan?

quote:

Originally posted by Mick N:
Are you blokes talking about terracotta plant pot bases?
How about getting some wet clay and filling the water pan with it, Put a pull handle on top, Let it dry and pull it out. Or a pre fab cement block(Or clay) disk sitting on the tabs and do away with the pan?

Any more input on this idea?

I have seen people use sand bricks just about anything you want, I have used the clay saucer from day 1 with my WSM, temp control is spot on, the burn times are great, I can load it up and go overnight, no problems without heating up the water.

I also wrap the clay base and the water pan separate, i have had it get past just the water pan, it was nice to have the clay base covered not that it would hurt, but for clean up.

I have an older WSM, and i use the 12 inch base, i like the way it sits in the water pan, and leaves room for the fat when doing loads of butts or chickens..

Should your clay saucer become impregnated with grease, do not, I REPEAT DO NOT, attempt to evaporate the grease from the saucer using your oven. Experience shows that a grease fire will result, with smoke billowing from your kitchen door all the way down the block. Heh heh. ...didn't happen to me but it's what I heard from a little bird! Heh heh.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGlinn:

quote:

Originally posted by Mick N:
Are you blokes talking about terracotta plant pot bases?
How about getting some wet clay and filling the water pan with it, Put a pull handle on top, Let it dry and pull it out. Or a pre fab cement block(Or clay) disk sitting on the tabs and do away with the pan?

Any more input on this idea?

This was just a fly bye idea, However, The more I think about a re-enforced clay disc, Say 1.5"-2" thick with lift out handles sitting on the pan tabs.
On top of that you could just place a suitable sized drip pan.

quote:

Originally posted by Mick N:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGlinn:

quote:

Originally posted by Mick N:
Are you blokes talking about terracotta plant pot bases?
How about getting some wet clay and filling the water pan with it, Put a pull handle on top, Let it dry and pull it out. Or a pre fab cement block(Or clay) disk sitting on the tabs and do away with the pan?

Any more input on this idea?

This was just a fly bye idea, However, The more I think about a re-enforced clay disc, Say 1.5"-2" thick with lift out handles sitting on the pan tabs.
On top of that you could just place a suitable sized drip pan.

I've seen some discussion of using a 16" pizza stone to sit directly on the tabs. This reduces the amount of room around the edges of the pan/stone, and is useful for low-temperature smokes like bacon, cheese, jerky, etc to reduce the hot-zone around the outside edge.

If we are to use the "water bowl" & clay saucer, wouldn't just dumping some clean sand into the water bowl work as well?

I have a '09 18".

~Roger

I have an '09 18" and I just bought a 14" terracotta saucer from Home Depot. It fit's perfectly. There is still about a 1/2" clearance between the top of the saucer and the bottom rack. Once I foiled both the water pan and saucer there was about 1/4", but they do not touch.

Call me slow, as my wife often does, but every time I smoke a butt, or even do a number of ribs, I end up with a fair amount of fat in my foiled pan with no water. How in the world would you keep the saucer clean? If I smoked a few butts the saucer would be floating in fat. What do you do? I'm very interested in the saucer for temp balance and control, but I don't need something else to take 1/2 hour to clean. What do you all saucers do about the mess?

HD Foil. I've used a saucer with up to 4 8lb + butts with no overflow. Clean-up with a saucer is always a breeze.

I'm a new WSM owner with 3 smokes under my belt and I've only used the clay saucer. By closing the vents to 25% when the cooker gets to 200*, I've been able to hold steady temps with relative ease without water. I use a 14" clay saucer from Home Depot which I foil and place it on top of the water pan. I foil the bottom of the water pan as well. Cleanup takes about 2 minutes and I couldn't be happier.

I'm not sure my WSM water pan will ever get wet!

quote:

Originally posted by Roger G. Paul:
If we are to use the "water bowl" & clay saucer, wouldn't just dumping some clean sand into the water bowl work as well?

I have a '09 18".

~Roger

Yes, it will work...see this thread for a more detailed response.

quote:

Originally posted by T Bounds:
Call me slow, as my wife often does, but every time I smoke a butt, or even do a number of ribs, I end up with a fair amount of fat in my foiled pan with no water. How in the world would you keep the saucer clean? If I smoked a few butts the saucer would be floating in fat. What do you do? I'm very interested in the saucer for temp balance and control, but I don't need something else to take 1/2 hour to clean. What do you all saucers do about the mess?

I take one of those half sized aluminum chaffing pan from Sam's Club and bend the corners out making it into a disposable round(ish) drip pan. Sit this on top of the bottom rack and smoke on the top rack. The pans corners are compressed and if you pull them outward you can expand the material and get pretty close to round. I sill foil the clay flower base and the empty water pan.

If I want to smoke 4 butts (as I'm doing tonight for a retirement luncheon tomorrow), I go back to the Brinkman water pan and water. With a Guru DigiQ II controlling the temps, I only have to top off the pan one time during the 18-20 hour cook.

I should add I have the older 18" model WSM.