Can I hold 300 - 325 on WSM with empty water pan?


 

W_Stewart

TVWBB Fan
I plan to do a hot and fast brisket cook tomorrow. My goal is to hold a steady temp somewhere 300 - 325.

Last week I tried it with water in the water pan and was unable to sustain steady temps over 300. I had temp spikes as the water pan ran dry, then big temp drops as I added water to stop the spike.

This cook I plan to keep an empty (foiled) pan the entire time. Will that work? Tips?
 
Yes. 325 should be no problem with a foiled water pan. My 22.5 likes 300 with no water in the pan,1 bottom vent full,1 bottom vent 1/2 top full wide open. I do all my cooks with no water and a foiled water pan. I’ve found that if say 325 is your target temp add the meat at 350. Temp will drop 25-30 degrees.
 
Today on my beef rib cook, my 18 WSM got as high as 319 with the water pan 1/2 filed, and two vents completely closed. It took three hours to get there, however. And I'm not sure it could maintain it. I got to 300 after a couple hours with it wide open and the pan maybe a 1/3 to 1/2 full. It kept climbing so I shut off a couple vents and it sitll got to 319 .

But that's just one cook.
 
Just started my brisket cook. Full chamber with full chimney dumped on top. Empty water pan. All vents open. Shot to 288 and just sitting there. Had hoped to pass 300 and close vents a little to level off and cruise.

Temps dropping now, down to 280. Not sure the WSM wants to breathe enough to run that hot has been my worry.

Wondering if a 22.5" unit with the 4-hole style air vents would allow more air flow for hotter cooks?
 
My recently-purchase used 18 which is slightly out of round and leaks a LOT hits 360 degrees with the pan removed and all vents closed. While I am sure, this is extreme. With water in the pan and 2 bottom vents shut tight and the top open about 1/2, I can get her down to 250-260 which is fine for now, but I want to work more on seeing what I can do to get it to hold 215-250 better without have to shut off all the vents. This is the perils of purchasing a used unit where insufficient packing and poor handling by the shipper can cause the center barrel to go out of round and it is tricky to straighten it back perfectly, or if it can even be donel
 
Well we've had no problem cruising 315-325. A little more fluctuation than when I hold around 250 but it's going ok.

Earlier I ever so slightly cracked the lid with a wooden skewer but temps shot to 370, so don't do that. They dropped and I was able to get stable by adjusting down some vents.

My brisket is already at 156 after 2 hours so this is going to be the hot-n-fast experiment I wanted. Unfortunately a rain is starting and expected to go all day which will likely impact holding steady temps.
 
I can get to 350*F if I lay a metal skewer between the center section and lid. In fact, I have to watch it or it will go even higher. It will barely hit 300*F without the skewer.
 

 

Back
Top