Smoking With Sand??


 
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Tom Barineau

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I have always used a water pan full of water with my "el-cheap-o" smokers with the belief that the charcoal heated the water and drippings to boiling and kept the meat moist.

I've read posts here about using water or sand as a "heat sink", which I believe means to keep the temperature of the smoker constant.

So I'm a little confused about exactly what the full water pan is supposed to do--make moisture, or stabilize the temperature.

Another question is, has anyone ever tried a water/sand mix--like wetting the sand, but not enough to have water standing in the pan??
(I'm thinking "adding moisture, but but easing cleanup".)

Any ideas??

Tom
 
Think of the water-filled pan as a "non-durable" heatsink. Water cannot rise above 212*F without turning to vapor, hence it must be replenished. It's moisture adding/preserving effects are negligible.

Sand can also perform the same heatsink function-- to a point. Sand can absorb much more heat without turning to vapor-- obviously-- and I don't think the WSM is capable of the necessary temperatures to do that anyway. On long cooks, using sand in the pan tends to not fulfill the desired effect, and actually may cause temperature to increase above the intended range.

As far as mixing the two-- water and sand-- I think any benefit may be of dubious value, since the water will surely evaporate and then need replenishment lest the sand continue to increase in temperature.
 
I'm still hung up on the moisture--does the water in the pan contribute to keeping the meat moist or not?

Seminole at Lake Seminole
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tom Barineau:
[qb] I'm still hung up on the moisture--does the water in the pan contribute to keeping the meat moist or not?[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>According to many posts on this site, the answer is no. However, I always wonder whether the added humidity increases condensation on the cooler meat which might lead to greater smoke flavor.
 
I have used sand often, especially in the cold winters of Chicago. I can't say for certain that there is no difference in moisture of the meat, but I do know that the bark on pork butts and briskets are much crispier with sand than with water. Especially for the meat on the lower rack. I've always felt the lower rack steamed the meat a little too much for my tastes.

In the summer, I do tend more towards water in the pan--no science behind that other than ambient air temperature makes it easier to maintain lower temps. Of course, wind at any time of the year makes for an interesting cook.

Dale
 
Tom,

Sand and water sounds like it would make one incredible mess for you, think of the fat dripping onto the sand...yuk! Water is meant for temperature control not moisture and I don't beleive that steam helps the smoke flavor cling to the meat...I would think if anything the steam would grab the smoke flavor and waste it on the top and sides of the smoker...but that's just one Gal's opinion...
I like the logic of Jim Minion and Dale...who use both methods at different times for different reasons.
I have a question for any of the old timers who may have tried this...would it be possible to line the water pan with plastic wrap, foil..whatever to make a mold of some sort of cement...one that could be used after it has dried and formed instead of using sand? Would plain cement work? How about a mixture of sand and cement or some other pourable, moldable compound? Wouldn't it be nice to just be able to pop that mold into the water pan when you wanted to use a sand like cook? I know it must sound bizarre, but for those that may want to use both water and sand at different times...unless you get a second water pan, it must be a pain to deal with...just wondering...
 
I'm in the concrete business and that is why I first brought up this topic. Sand has a certain percentage (and it varies) of moisture-- we cook it in order to determine how much moisture it contributes to the concrete mix (we're talking tons here, not pans full). I am probably wrong, but while water in the pan may not add moisture to the meat, would it not not slow down the dehydration of the meat that heat may cause? I may have said "sand and water mix" but I'm picturing "wet or damp sand".

As far as cement or concrete in a pan beneath my food--no thanks. Cement is extremely acidic (wet concrete will burn you ) and I don't want it near anything I intend to eat. I'm sure that it becomes inert at some point, but I do not know exactly what that point is.

Tom--Still a Seminole at Lake Seminole
 
Randy Parr said:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I know it must sound bizarre, but for those that may want to use both water and sand at different times...unless you get a second water pan, it must be a pain to deal with...just wondering... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I think you answered your own question when you said get a second water pan. Keep one with sand, one empty to use with water. Stack them storing.

I'm using sand in all of my cooks (including trout that I did this weekend and 16 lbs of bone in butt).

It is SUPER easy to clean up.
 
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