Clay Saucer Issue


 
Garland Hudgins

Garland Hudgins

TVWBB Member
Long time lurker and have posted a couple times. I do appreciate the experience and knowledge shared here and find this one of my favorite forums to read. I have taken away more then I have given. And sometimes that is because most of the time someone beats me to the answer and I don't want to sound like an echo or be repetitive. I finally have something I can share that I have not found on this board and I am excited to finally contribute something.
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I want to share an issue and possible resolution I have with using clay pot saucers.

I have been using clay pot saucers in my 18.5 WSMs for 3 or 4 years now with no issues. I cook competitions (team name is Big GQ, from Columbia, SC. Check us out of Facebook) and my old style WSMs have done me well. Over the last 4 or 5 cooks, I have noticed the saucers are very greasy and oily when I unwrap them from tinfoil to breakdown the cooker. I had a leak in the tinfoil several cooks back and apparently the clay soaked up some pork grease when it cooled. Then when it heated up again, it released the grease. Much more then you would expect! Wiping them down did not solve the problem. I began to worry about burnt grease smell in the cooker becoming an issue.

I could have just replaced the saucers and solved the problem. But instead, I fired up the Weber Silver B to about 300 and put the saucer on indirect and let is cook for about three hours, wiping them down once an hour. I was shocked how much grease came out those saucers. Enough to ruin a bar towel! I wish I would have taken a picture. After the third hour they were very hot and dry. I think I salvaged them.
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I am going to heat one up again Thursday morning to use as a heat source for my Cambro. We will see if it releases more grease.

Has anyone else experienced this issue?
 
Well i bet there is alot of grease inside mine. But so far i have had no problems with the burnt smell/taste. Think i need to try to bake mine aswell,Just for fun!

Thanks for sharing!
 
Sounds like you are on the right track, Garland.

I also like the idea of using a heated clay saucer for a Cambro. Working with a pan of warm water is tedious at best, especially @ competitions. Thanks for the tip!
 
Thanks for the tip. Before I started my current foiling method I had a huge leak and completely soaked a saucer. I tossed it, but won't next time.

Heated saucers work great for warming things. Last year we used one to keep people's choice pork warm.
 
The latest update...

I did have more grease. I wiped it off and used it as planned. When we returned home, placed the saucer back on the grill a couple more times. The last time it burnt what little grease was left onto the surface. I cleaned it up and it looks good so far. It appears to be working, just taking a little longer then expected. I am going to heat it up a couple more times this weekend and report back.
 
Thanks for the suggestion, I've been thinking about the same thing. I actually thought about getting a propane torch and just burning but I think this is better.
 
I wonder about flipping the pot upside down in the WSM pan and letting it "cook" over some coals in the WSM? The WSM water pan would protect it from direct heat just like during a normal cooking session and any drips would fall into the pan and not on the coals to prevent fires starting.

Has anybody tried this?

Yes, my clay pot base is greasy too. Short of someone making aluminum foil wide enough where you don't have a seam, I don't think there will ever be a away to protect the pot base from some grease making it's way in.
 
My saucer is extremely greasey. I never gave it much thought. I think I am going to have to clean it up.

Thanks for the idea
 
I noticed the clay suacer I had in my SJ Mini was really greasy. I am thinking a pie tin inside the sauver would capture most of the grease and could be easily disposed of.
 
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