WSM 22" Water Pan


 

Morrey Thomas

TVWBB Super Fan
I am a clean-up stickler, and water pan cleaning in my 22" is a PITA. I try to make a foil liner by rolling a seam in two foil sheets to give me width to fit, but water and grease always finds a way to leak and get a gummy mess under the foil. Anyone got a good way of dealing with a water pan if you choose the water in the pan cooking method? I have tried to find a specialty alum pan that would fit so it is disposable. Advice on the way you do it for easy cleanup using water in the pan?
 
I just dump the pan out while its still hot out of the smoker. Put the pan back in and leave the door off the smoker for a bit. Heat the pan up and burn it off like grill grates.
 
Are you making a foil liner or no liner?

No liner. I just use the pan bare. When I am done cooking I dump the water and grease while its still hot. Then put the empty pan back in and burn off any crud that didn't dump out. It wont look bran new but it doesn't build up crud. After it cools down I use a grill brush to knock off the burn junk.
 
I am a clean-up stickler, and water pan cleaning in my 22" is a PITA. I try to make a foil liner by rolling a seam in two foil sheets to give me width to fit, but water and grease always finds a way to leak and get a gummy mess under the foil. Anyone got a good way of dealing with a water pan if you choose the water in the pan cooking method? I have tried to find a specialty alum pan that would fit so it is disposable. Advice on the way you do it for easy cleanup using water in the pan?

You might contact this member...not sure if he's still selling these 22" foil liners.

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?60824-22-5-quot-disposable-foil-drip-pans
 
I foil too. I dump my ashes in the the foiled pan to absorb the water. I fold the foil into a small pillow and slide it into the empty charcoal bag. I just wash out the pan afterwards with Dawn and hot water using a wash cloth, dry and re-foil for the next time.
 
I just foil the bottom described in this TVWB video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR5Y3OZwlfc
I seam together two 18" sheets by pinching them together (about 3 or 4 inches worth) and then folding it over itself, making sure it's a tight seam. When the cook is over and the water has cooled down, I dump the water, pull the foil, rinse off, and dry. I think spend more time wiping down the outside of the cooker than I do cleaning the water pan.
 
I just foil the bottom described in this TVWB video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR5Y3OZwlfc
I seam together two 18" sheets by pinching them together (about 3 or 4 inches worth) and then folding it over itself, making sure it's a tight seam. When the cook is over and the water has cooled down, I dump the water, pull the foil, rinse off, and dry. I think spend more time wiping down the outside of the cooker than I do cleaning the water pan.

I notice Chris said he cleans his pan out a day or two after the cook. I clean mine while it's still hot. I brush off the grates (both sides) and the crumbs/debris either falls into the water/foiled pan or into the ashes around the sides. Then I close it up so the coals can die. I come back in a hour and do a final disassembly, clean up, and reassembly back into the garage. Most of the time this is done while the meats are resting.
 
While we're on the subject, I purchased a Brinkmann charcoal pan for my 18.5" WSM, and I swear, it cleans up nicely compared to the original equipment bowl that came with the WSM. In fact, the bowl in my new 14.5" WSM is a pain, too, to clean up compared to the Brinkmann.

Which begs the question; are the original WSM bowls coated with porcelain, or are they just painted? I've scrubbed the Weber 14.5" bowl with a metal pot cleaner, and it scratches the finish - to the point the finish appears to be coming off. I don't recall the Brinkmann pan's finish acting any such way.
 
...original WSM bowls coated with porcelain, or are they just painted? I've scrubbed the Weber 14.5" bowl with a metal pot cleaner, and it scratches the finish - to the point the finish appears to be coming off....

I'm not sure what you mean by "original", old bowls or as they come from Weber?

Have you thought about using high temperature paint to pretty it up?
 
I'm not sure what you mean by "original", old bowls or as they come from Weber?

Have you thought about using high temperature paint to pretty it up?

Original means the bowl that came with the smoker.

High temp paint? I'm not really concerned with the cosmetic looks of the bowl as I with the ease of cleaning it up. The Brinkmann pan cleans up rather easy compared to Weber bowl - which makes me wonder if the Weber bowl(s) are painted.

Thanks for the suggestion though.
 
Original means the bowl that came with the smoker.

High temp paint? I'm not really concerned with the cosmetic looks of the bowl as I with the ease of cleaning it up. The Brinkmann pan cleans up rather easy compared to Weber bowl - which makes me wonder if the Weber bowl(s) are painted.

Thanks for the suggestion though.
My bad. I misunderstood your "finish" concern.
 
Weber bowls are not painted, it is porcelain enamel. Each bowl is just the lid from another kettle. The 22.5 wsm uses a 18.5 kettle lid for the water bowl, the 18.5 wsm uses the lid of a 14.5 kettle, and the 14.5 wsm breaks my theory.
 
Weber bowls are not painted, it is porcelain enamel. Each bowl is just the lid from another kettle. The 22.5 wsm uses a 18.5 kettle lid for the water bowl, the 18.5 wsm uses the lid of a 14.5 kettle, and the 14.5 wsm breaks my theory.

Boaters have "2 foot-itis". (Every new boat has to be at least 2 feet longer than it's replacement).

I think Weber is in competition with itself...it has "4 inch-itis". :rolleyes:
 
...and the 14.5 wsm breaks my theory.
It's adapted from the Weber Torch.

As already noted, all of the Weber water pans, past and present, are porcelain enamel coated, same as the lid, charcoal bowl, etc. I've taken a Scotch Brite pad to mine and scratched the hell out of it...don't do that! The Brinkmann charcoal pans that we used to buy pre-2009 as high-capacity replacement WSM water pans are very thin steel but with a porcelain coating, too. Not sure why you experience a difference in cleaning, though.
 
If the Weber bowls are porcelain coated, my 14.5" bowl seems to have a soft coating. It's the first time I've ever seen a scouring pad go down to the metal. Maybe all porcelain isn't created equal.

I know I have scrubbed the heck out of my Brinkmann bowl and the finish is holding up well. Wish I could find a suitable replacement for the 14.5" smoker's bowl.
 
I had this same question, and after delving into it found out that 24" wide heavy duty foil is available, IF you are willing to pay over $100 for a 500 or 1000 foot roll.
 
If the Weber bowls are porcelain coated, my 14.5" bowl seems to have a soft coating. It's the first time I've ever seen a scouring pad go down to the metal. Maybe all porcelain isn't created equal.

I know I have scrubbed the heck out of my Brinkmann bowl and the finish is holding up well. Wish I could find a suitable replacement for the 14.5" smoker's bowl.


Hmmm...I think I'm going to back off that statement. There is some slight etching (from the feel of things), but I think I am mostly seeing metallic discoloration from the steel scouring pad.
 

 

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