Benefits of clay dish?


 
G

Grant Narita

TVWBB Fan
I am probably going to get a clay dish for my 18.5 WSM soon since a lot of people say they use one... But I am still not sure how it helps. Does it...

A. Help get the temp higher?
B. Help keep the temp lower?
C. Keep the temp from fluctuating a lot?
D. Combination of the above?

I have only used the WSM about six times so far, and my temps either don't stay low, don't get hot enough, or waver a lot. I don't use water and have wrapped my water pan in foil.

Also, what is the best size to get for an 18.5? Thanks for your help.
 
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Most will say get the 14" but I like my dual 12" set up
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The clay saucer helps to regulate the temp and keep fluctuations down. Much like water except it doesn't take as long to heat up and stabilize and you don't have to refill it during a cook
 
I use a clay dish as well in my 22 WSM. I didnt like having to change out the water after every cook.
What I noticed is the smoker gets hotter faster so you have to start to close the dampers earlier than you would with water. I start to close them around 190 instead of 210ish with water.
Also I have to close the dampers more with clay than I did with water.

Minus that they work about the same and the clean up with clay and foil is much much easier.
 
I'm not so sure it does all that much really. One advantage with a flower pot dish is the vents are closed a lot more so it burns less charcoal.

Water adds a moist cooking environment and controls temp fluctuations. ...but makes a mess and burns more charcoal.
 
I use a 14" wrapped clay saucer and last weekend I cooked with 1/2 ring of charcoal and 1/2 chimney of lit coals for 7 hours at 260 with +/-3 fluctuation if that. It was steady as a rock! And even after I closed all the vents, an hour later it was still 220 inside. After every cook and the smoker cools down I just simply take off that one layer of foil to reveal a clean shiny layer underneath. I love it! Some of the best advice I have gotten off tvwbb so far!
 
Thanks! I will probably go buy a 14" saucer and see how it goes.. I like the fact it will probably catch most of the liquid/drippings so it's easier to clean up.
 
Grant Narita said:
I have only used the WSM about six times so far, and my temps either don't stay low, don't get hot enough, or waver a lot. I don't use water and have wrapped my water pan in foil.

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Click to expand...

After six times your WSM should be on the road to a good seasoning, any slight gaps should have sealed up, and temp control should be easier.
If your not getting hot enough with just an empty foiled pan, than you have a cool running WSM.
Crack the lid or prop the door, you need oxygen to fuel the fire. Watch it tho, cause the temp will rise quick.

Tim
 
timothy said:
After six times your WSM should be on the road to a good seasoning, any slight gaps should have sealed up, and temp control should be easier.
If your not getting hot enough with just an empty foiled pan, than you have a cool running WSM.
Crack the lid or prop the door, you need oxygen to fuel the fire. Watch it tho, cause the temp will rise quick.

Tim
Click to expand...

I noticed the middle section kind of rocks back and forth on the bottom section, and it isn't a snug fit where it doesn't move around. Hope this is okay.... At least the unit still seems to work. But thought they would make it so it fits better.
 
I need some explanations. I thought the clay dish went into the WSM WITHOUT the waterpan. Just the dish supported by the 4 brackets.
Now I see that the dish goes into or over an empty water pan.
Wich set up is the best?
 
You can do it both ways if you have an 18.5 WSM...not sure on a 22...if you want to not use the water pan and just use a clay dish then you need a 14" dish...I couldn't find a 14" around here, just the 12" ones, so I situate mine exactly like the other Chuck does...one upside down and the other right side up on top of it...even though it looks flat on the top, the foil is just suspended over the dish...so it still has a little dish once fluid gets on it and puts pressure on it...

I don't think it matters either way how you do it though
 
Chuck Bench said:
You can do it both ways if you have an 18.5 WSM...not sure on a 22...if you want to not use the water pan and just use a clay dish then you need a 14" dish...I couldn't find a 14" around here, just the 12" ones, so I situate mine exactly like the other Chuck does...one upside down and the other right side up on top of it...even though it looks flat on the top, the foil is just suspended over the dish...so it still has a little dish once fluid gets on it and puts pressure on it...

I don't think it matters either way how you do it though
Click to expand...

Thanks for info!
 
Great info guys! I just got a 14 inch for my 22 yesterday and cooking with it today! So far I like it..my wsm is still new and likes to run hot with or without water but I'm sure that the high heat will come down a bit once seasoned better. I've been eyeing a 19" pizza stone as a water pan replacement...it should fit the 22 perfect if my measurements are correct.
 
I actually bought a 12 inch dish.... First difference I noticed today was that, using the minion method, the temp got up to target temp at least twice as fast as it did before using the clay dish.
 
I used two small foil wrapped paving stones. Wow. Temps got up HIGH really fast. I was then able to keep at 235 for twelve hours and didn't need to add any fuel. I could not have done that with the water pan. I did use the pan to hold the stones. Amazing.
 
Grant Narita said:
I noticed the middle section kind of rocks back and forth on the bottom section, and it isn't a snug fit where it doesn't move around. Hope this is okay.... At least the unit still seems to work. But thought they would make it so it fits better.
Click to expand...

I used water in the pan for one cook and went foiled after that. Buying the saucer added temp stability and less clean up. I also go one step further and buy those aluminum roaster pans and put one of those on top. Easy to yank that out and clean it off. I only replace the foil on my pan and saucer when they start looking really ugly.

If your middle section isn't a good fit, you might want to take it off and measure across it in several different places to see if it is out of round. If it is, a gentle hug where it is larger should push it back into shape. Make sure to measure the top and the bottom. If it still seems loose, I would get the gaskets from BBQGaskets.com and put them on the lower lip of the barrel. That should seal and stabilize it up.
 
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