Smoking On The WSM With No Heat Diffuser


 
S

Scott Hammock

TVWBB Member
I've done a search on here and the question is asked from time to time, but the replies seem to get off course quick and don't directly address it. Does anyone smoke with no water pan, no terra cotta plate, no nothing? Chicken seems to be a popular one to do, but ive also read the dripping from butts, hitting the charcoal and steaming, adds flavor. This sounds far fetched, but what do I know?
I have a temp control, so temps won't be an issue to manage. Does anyone run their smoker without a diffuser? My typical setup is a foiled terra cotta plate.
Love to hear.
 
Last edited:
I would think that the lack of any barrier, while it will provide some “dripping flavor”, will make temperature control difficult.
Even with an ATC, the accumulation of dripping will eventually develop flame. Grease burns, sooner or later you will get a flare which may be uncontrollable by the ATC.
I don’t know first hand, this is pure conjecture on my part.
Wow, I actually stayed on topic! I almost never do that!!
 
Similar to a pit barrel smoker, and yea I've done it a few times on butts, a lot more on chicken, and one time on a big ole chuck eye roast I did on one of the throw-downs.
It does add different flavor, more like a grilled piece of meat with smoke. Try it I think you'll like it:wsm:

Tim
 
I've been doing it for years. No problems. Well... except once. Did a 10 lb butt in the 14.5 and there was so much drippings that it became a flood. So now I use the 18.5 if I'm doing that big of a chunk of meat. Gotta size the meat to the cooker.
 
For several years it’s been the only way I cook ribs on mine. My theory, which may be totally wrong, is that without the pan the heat rises straight up which helps the center of each rack cook evenly. I noticed that with the water pan in place the ends of the racks tend to burn a little.
 
I’ve hung ribs, chicken, and turkey as well as smoked-roasted chicken on a grate all with no pan installed. Each turned out great.
 
Lately been hanging ribs directly over the coals, same with grilling chicken and even a pork butt, all came out better then with the water pan. Basically, a barrel cooker. When I last did Canadian bacon I used the pan with water, only to keep the temp down and extend the smoke.
 
The one thing that you have to be mindful of if you do it that way is to not leave the lid off for too long.
That added oxygen will quickly ignite all those grease drippings on the coals and could develop into a full blown out disaster.
I added handles on my mid -section years ago, and that makes it easy to baste or turn or mop or what have you , by simply removing it and placing the lid over the charcoal chamber.

Tim
 
I did the hanging ribs thing a while back, but I only cooked one rack. I was a little underwhelmed. Maybe with more racks of ribs dripping I'd get more flavor from it.
 
I have been cooking Boston Butts, ribs, and chicken with no diffuser for quite a while. Chicken was the first, followed by ribs. Both were very good that way. I then switched to doing butts that way and the flavor is so much better to me and I have gotten many compliments from others as well. It gives the pulled pork bbq a much more authentic flavor and much more like the true Eastern NC style that I prefer. The only drawback for me is that I can only cook two butts at a time with this method as the lower rack is too close to the coals. I would often cook four butts at one time when using an empty (foiled) water pan.

It does make the temp control slightly more difficult but not significantly. Mostly it runs hotter so the vents on my 18.5 need to be almost completely closed (just slightly cracked open) versus about 3/4 closed when I use the empty water pan. You do need to be aware of the potential for a major flame up if you leave the lid off for more than about 20-30 seconds but it snuffs out quickly when the lid goes back on.

I would like to find/make a diffuser that has holes in it that allows for the flavor of the drippings on the coals but still allows for cooking on the bottom rack. I think I may try using a pizza pan with holes drilled in it and see if that works.
 
30 gallon will work, don't know what to tell you about the price. Maybe find a pizza pan and pop some holes in it?
 
I have never cooked without a pan to catch the grease. I have always been fearful of turning to a roaring grease fire. Am I reading the prior posts correctly that this will not happen as long as the lid is not off for too long? If that is the case, I would love to try it as I think the grease on the coals adds additional flavor.
 
Griff said:
I have never cooked without a pan to catch the grease. I have always been fearful of turning to a roaring grease fire. Am I reading the prior posts correctly that this will not happen as long as the lid is not off for too long? If that is the case, I would love to try it as I think the grease on the coals adds additional flavor.
Click to expand...

Griff. We learn by our mistakes, and I learned on that one once or twice. so yea don't leave the lid off for too long:wsm:

Tim
 
D Mark said:
I have been cooking Boston Butts, ribs, and chicken with no diffuser for quite a while. Chicken was the first, followed by ribs. Both were very good that way. I then switched to doing butts that way and the flavor is so much better to me and I have gotten many compliments from others as well. It gives the pulled pork bbq a much more authentic flavor and much more like the true Eastern NC style that I prefer. The only drawback for me is that I can only cook two butts at a time with this method as the lower rack is too close to the coals. I would often cook four butts at one time when using an empty (foiled) water pan.

It does make the temp control slightly more difficult but not significantly. Mostly it runs hotter so the vents on my 18.5 need to be almost completely closed (just slightly cracked open) versus about 3/4 closed when I use the empty water pan. You do need to be aware of the potential for a major flame up if you leave the lid off for more than about 20-30 seconds but it snuffs out quickly when the lid goes back on.

I would like to find/make a diffuser that has holes in it that allows for the flavor of the drippings on the coals but still allows for cooking on the bottom rack. I think I may try using a pizza pan with holes drilled in it and see if that works.
Click to expand...

Do you flip the butts often? I usually never do when running the terra cotta plate.
 
I do....
Especially in wintertime, easy to get the temperature up.
In summertime, the WSM would run to0 hot, so I use the waterpan with water (ambient temperature can easily reach 110 F in the shade)
 
Scott Hammock said:
Do you flip the butts often? I usually never do when running the terra cotta plate.
Click to expand...

No, not flipping at all actually but it doesn't seem like a bad idea. Just be careful not to keep the lid off for too long so the grease doesn't light up.

I cooked two butts this way over the weekend for a pre-Thanksgiving gathering of about 30 people. I have been smoking butts for this gathering for at least 10 years but this is the first time that I did them for this gathering without a pan. Multiple people told me that it was the best bbq I had ever done and several said best they ever had at all.

That settles the debate for me and I won't be using a pan again for butts, ribs, or chicken. I still may try a pizza pan with a bunch of holes drilled in it at some point to see if the lower rack can be usable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top