atc and water pan

I Have A Weber 22.5 And CyberQ Wifi. the Question Being About Do You Use The Water Pan With Water, Without WateR, OR With A Clay Saucer. If A Clay Saucer, What Size For A 22.5. What Works Best? I Have Cooked A Couple Butts About 8 Lbs Each And Have Found That The Charcoal Lasts About 12 Hours With Water. Please Help As I Am Definitely A Noob. Thanks.

Bill, most folks will tell you to just foil the pan empty to keep the drippings from burning on the bottom of the pan. It's up to you, though.

Lately I've been smoking pork butts in my 18" with a Guru PartyQ and having done it both ways, I prefer the clay pot base in the pan. The cooker recovers much quicker after I check the meat and replace the lid, and so it's gotta make it easier for the ATC to keep temps stable in windy conditions, IMHO. The only situation I'd use water is if you want to stretch out a cook and smoke real slow at 225 since the added humidity will help keep the bark from drying out. That's not an issue, though, if you're cooking at 235(+) or if foiling during the cook. Good luck with it.

ThankS Dave, I Appreciate The Help. I Will Try That For My Next Smoke. I Hadn't Foiled My Butts But Was Wanting To Try It Anyway. I Thought It Would Work Much Better For Charcoal Use Also But Didn't Want TO Waste A Meat If Someone Had Already Made A Mistake Like That. Thanks Again.