Ash in dry water pan for easy cleanup?

[Werner]

I have done both water and also a dry water pan for my cooks. Mostly I use a dry water pan. I was curious however whether anyone has ever put ash in the water pan to make cleanup easier. I have read that for cleanup cooks have mixed the fat from a cook with the ash and wondered whether putting ash in the pan for a dry water pan cook may help with that instead of foiling the pan.

Maybe dampen it slightly so it does not kick up ash when drippings fall into the water pan?

Would this be a sink for heat like sand or is the density too low?

Thoughts?

 

[TonyUK]

Werner.

I think I saw Enrico doing just that. Funny thing is, I did a chicken cook on my kettle the other day and all the drippings fell into the empty ash catcher. Not nice. So I thought I might foil the ash catcher next time to help with clean up. Ash could be the way to go.

 

[Ray.S]

I have not tried this Werner but I really don't think there is enough mass and I am not sure of ash's heat retaining ability. That is the buffer we look for. I am not sure cleanup will be any easier either. I say this by looking at my Performer ash clean out pan.

 

[Ethan G]

Sometimes when my bowl accumulates some grease/tar, I will dump ash in it to soak up the greasy liquid so that it's easier to remove. Just dump the sludge in a garbage bag, quickly rinse the bowl with a hose, and let it dry in the sun.