Water Pan & Stoker / Guru


 
P

Pat McCreight

TVWBB Pro
I own a stoker and normally use an empty, foiled water pan when running stoker-assisted cooks. I use it to create indirect heat and catch drippings. I have a piedmont pan set up that I use for non-stoker cooks.

I start all cooks with the minion method. Lately, the WSM is coming up to 250+ right away, even when I have 25 pounds of meat on. It hovers around 250 with the bottom vents closed (top open) for a couple of hours and then settles down. Once it settles, the stoker maintains excellent control until I run out of fuel.

Should I use a filled water pan, piedmont pan, clay saucer etc to control the heat? I imagine that it would use a lot more fuel this way, but I wouldn't have to deal with the initial overshoot so much. I can get 16 hours on a load of royal oak briquettes, so I don't normally need to refuel.

So, how do you configure your water pan when using your guru or stoker?
 
For my cookers, using the stoker or guru, I don't use water at all. The cookers do a great job with moisture without the need of the waterpan. I would just foil the pan and let the toys do the job. YOU WILL BURN MORE FUEL WHEN YOU USE WATER.
 
I use a clay saucer (in waterpan) with my Stoker cooks and find that it even's out the temp swings I was getting with just the foiled pan. Others run foiled pan only and have no issues. I'd say use what works best for you. I Have no issues with fuel economy when using my saucer, I can go 24 hours on a full ring of Rancher.
 
I use the foiled empty pan with crumpled foil. If the temp is coming up too fast for you, I'd suggest running your top vent at less than 100%. When doing a 225-250 cook, I use a propane torch to light a couple pieces of charcoal (lump) closest to the fan. I leave the top vent at 100% until the temp reaches about 180 or so, then shut down to 50%. Sometimes I get it as small as 25% open. With the smaller opening, you let the Stoker fan have total control of the draft and eliminate the natural draft which could cause you to run up too fast/high.
 
I concur with Todd. You may want to shut the top vent to about 25%.

Also, I've had very good luck using a regular 16 oz. or so bean can (with both the top and bottom removed) in the middle of the charcoal grate. I fill unlit charcoal around it. Then I light a few coals in the chimney, maybe 4 or 5. Once they're well lit, I put them in the can, pull the can out with tongs, and let the Guru do its job.

I tried using a foiled pizza stone over the dry water pan for awhile, pretty much the same idea as the clay saucer, but I honestly think I got better results with just a foiled water pan. Sometimes I put some crumpled up balls beneath the top 2 layers of foils. Sometimes I don't. I can't say it makes much difference.

Hope that helps.
 
Originally posted by Todd D.:
I use the foiled empty pan with crumpled foil. If the temp is coming up too fast for you, I'd suggest running your top vent at less than 100%. When doing a 225-250 cook, I use a propane torch to light a couple pieces of charcoal (lump) closest to the fan. I leave the top vent at 100% until the temp reaches about 180 or so, then shut down to 50%. Sometimes I get it as small as 25% open. With the smaller opening, you let the Stoker fan have total control of the draft and eliminate the natural draft which could cause you to run up too fast/high.
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Partially shutting the top vent does help as I've done that a few times. However, I get a nasty buildup of gunk on my top vent when I do that. Not a big deal, but I didn't know if it was okay to do that. I was always told to leave the top vent 100% open all the time, but that is obviously not always the case.

I think I'll continue with the empty pan and try to moderate the come up by closing the vent slightly at 180.

Thanks everyone.
 
This is what I like about running with a clay saucer, I run the top vent 100% and still can maintain temps as low as 225. Without it was hard to keep the temp that low without adjusting the vent. I understand it's OK to run it barely open but I prefer 100% open, just a better personal comfort level.
 
I'm thinking about doing my next stoker cook as follows. Start with a 2/3 full foil lined water pan. This should help regulate the come up temp, which is where I'm experiencing the overshoot.

I plan to let the pan run dry and not replenish with water for the remainder of the cook.

Does anyone see any problems with this?
 
Originally posted by Pat McCreight:
I'm thinking about doing my next stoker cook as follows. Start with a 2/3 full foil lined water pan. This should help regulate the come up temp, which is where I'm experiencing the overshoot.

I plan to let the pan run dry and not replenish with water for the remainder of the cook.

Does anyone see any problems with this?
Click to expand...
Pat, I see no problems with doing that. I would use less than 2/3 pan of water though. Just use a 1/2 pan, maybe slightly less cold water. If you only need to help with the overshoot, you won't need all that much cold water in there for a heat sink. Good luck, and let us know how it worked for you.
 
I got around to doing an overnight, stoker-assisted cook last weekend. I filled the pan 2/3 full and it did not overshoot at all. I actually used stokerlog to bring it up very slowly - 180, 200, 210, finally settling at 225. I have no doubt the water pan helped allow that to happen. See this thread if you want pictures.
 
Hi Larry.

I am also interested in the thermal stability properties of good ceramic bbqs, like the KK. Any comments?

Thanks.



Originally posted by LarryR:
I use a clay saucer (in waterpan) with my Stoker cooks and find that it even's out the temp swings I was getting with just the foiled pan. Others run foiled pan only and have no issues. I'd say use what works best for you. I Have no issues with fuel economy when using my saucer, I can go 24 hours on a full ring of Rancher.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by John Noble: I am also interested in the thermal stability properties of good ceramic bbqs, like the KK. Any comments?
Click to expand...
Well, there's no question that once my KK get heat soaked it will just park itself at the temp you've dialed in and use VERY little fuel. In-fact there's a guy who ran his at 225 for 85 hours on 16 lbs of fuel.
 
Larry - I took your advise and closed all the vents and my DigiQ seemed to do a great job. Others are opening the top vent to 50% or more?
 
Guru Digi-Q DX
22.5 WSM with foiled clay saucer

All bottom vents closed except vent where weber adapter is used.

Top vent 100% open. This is important to let the unit exhaust smoke and not allow creosote formation by choking down.

Guru brings up to temp prefectly when using Minion method. Light off 15 coals placed evenly around top mound of K and wood chunks.

Perfect cooks everytime.
 
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