First clay saucer smoke...


 
Dave, Yes, I use the bottom grate all the time. I can see your point about the water, but I usually don't see more than 10 or so degrees difference between the grates, so it doesn't bothere me much.

At home, most of my smoking/grilling is done on a BGE. But in competition, we use the WSMs exclusively, and I also use them for the odd party jobs. For a wedding we cooked for, I did 10 9-10 lb butts in the 22.5 WSM, 5 on each grate, and they were all done at just about the same time, and I used a clay saucer vs water. I started the cook at about 7:30 PM, topped off the lump at about 10:30 PM, let it settle, and went to sleep. Next morning at 8, was still cruising along at about 230 or so.

I don't think there really is one right way. The "right" way, is whatever works best for the person using it. So I wouldn't tell anyone they're wrong to use water, or sand, or a clay pot. If they're having trouble, I might suggest they try a different method to see if it helped them, but I wouldn't suggest someone was wrong for not doing something the same way as me.

As to "dialing in" the temps. What I normally do is start my coals minion, with top and bottom vents fully open. When the smoker temperature reaches about 190, I shot the bottom vents completely. With all 3 of my 18's and the 22, this works well. I usually settle in around 235-240, which works for me.
 
Dan, you make good points. As to your success with the clay pan method, any fuels you'd suggest to use or avoid? Would you suggest any more than one 12" clay pot base in a 18.5" cooker? That's what I've tried a couple of times in my ECB pan.

While I didn't have any problems with big temp spikes, I did make some adjustments along the way since it was a day cook. Anyway, I still feel uncomfortable about trying again and leaving alone, especially since Kevin and others make the point that sand or clay does nothing to keep temps down. I would've thought that it would take btu's to not only heat something up, but to keep it hot, but evidently not, or so they say. Just trying to wrap my head around it all, but like you say, whatever works for you.
 
Been a while since I got them, might have to go out and measure them to be sure, but I believe I have either 12 or 14" saucers in the 18.5's, and a 16" in the 22

I understand your reluctance. I feel the same when I read that some folks just wrap the pan in foil with nothing in it. Tempted to try it (one less thing to lug around) but now willing to risk perfectly good food.

Not sure how cold it gets down in TN, but up here in IL, using water can be a REAL hindrance when the weather is freezing or below. Very hard to get up to temp
 
Smoked four small broilers in the wsm just yesterday afternoon and tried my 12" clay pot base to help stabilize temps. Torched the top of 2/3rds a ring of Kbb and preheated the smoker to somewhere around 350* by gapping the lid for about 25 minutes while I prepped the poultry with numerous distractions.

Two birds to a rack, two to a pan, and the grate temp fell to 300*. Super, since that's my target. I'm thinking that it MIGHT be ok since the birds are still cold. Well, temps fell to 275* and held stubbornly for the next half hour, so I cracked the door and occasionally had to add some more fuel to maintain 300*, unsuccessfully for part of the time, I must confess. Needless to say, my cooker doesn't leak like a sieve as so many folks evidently do. Often wish it did, though!

QUEASTIONS:

Does Kbb burn THAT much slower than Stubbs, my usual briqs? (I hate to use a full ring of charcoal just to cook a few small chickens at HH!)

Do ALL agree that a clay pot base does nothing to hinder reaching higher temps?

Would the bottom grates birds have cooked more evenly without the clay pot base? The breasts started overcooking before the thighs were up to 170*.
 
" Do ALL agree that a clay pot base does nothing to hinder reaching higher temps?"

It's been awhile since I used a saucer. But if I'm reading you rite, than yea. If you crack the lid or prop the door or run with all vents wide open, than the saucer will absorb as much heat as possible than turn around an start radiating it.
I have no problems hitting 350-400+ with just an empty foiled pan.(measured @ the top vent) But for the folks that have a cool running WSM the clay saucer in the rite instance should work as a nice little heat generator.

Tim
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by timothy:
" Do ALL agree that a clay pot base does nothing to hinder reaching higher temps?"

It's been awhile since I used a saucer. But if I'm reading you rite, than yea. If you crack the lid or prop the door or run with all vents wide open, than the saucer will absorb as much heat as possible than turn around an start radiating it.
I have no problems hitting 350-400+ with just an empty foiled pan.(measured @ the top vent) But for the folks that have a cool running WSM the clay saucer in the rite instance should work as a nice little heat generator.

Tim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Except that it doesn't generate heat. It merely releases it after it absorbs it and can't hold more. So no, I do not agree that a saucer does nothing to hinder higher temps. It does. That it releases heat later is beside the point. It hinders the rise in its heat sink stage at the outset of the cook - not something I'm at all interested in.
 
Generate or releasing heat is all the same in my eye as a carpenter. That it releases higher heat later in the right circumstances is what I thought Dave was asking about.
Interesting that you added that it hinders the rise in its heat stage at the outset of the cook. Why are you not interested in that Kevin?
Any sink be it H20,saucer, sand or an empty foiled should have a slow start up on a MM..
No?

Tim



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To speak plainly, I was simply wondering if my wsm would've cooked any hotter at all with nothing in the pan but foil, as opposed to my 12" clay pot base. After thinking about it though, I don't think it makes much difference, if at all. My cooker just tends to run "cool", as Timothy mentioned.

Since I usually need both grates anyway though, I think I just need a cooker with more space for HH, like another UDS. That way, no more propping up and cracking the door, and everything could just cook on the top rack.
 
This is a very interesting thread. I've only had 3 smokes on the 18 WSM. All with water.

Does or can someone direct me to a picture of this clay saucer rig?

Thanks!
 
Mike, it's really quite simple. You just wrap up the clay saucer in foil and lay in your water pan. (The idea is that there's a space between the bottom of the pan and the saucer.) Then you wrap foil over the top of the pan with a depression to catch the drippings. I picked up my 12" saucer from Home Depot for little more than $5 or so.
 
Dave, in response to your post a few above....

I can only answer the second question about clay hindering high temps. My first and only observation so far is I agree with you...it does nothing to hinder. I did this on a cool day with vents mostly closed after the spike...for almost the entire cook! That's why I commented earlier I'd have to try this again when it's warm out...I have a feeling now the temps might get out of control (for extended low n slow) when warm out. Maybe I have a leaky cooker. I thought controling temps was very easy with clay, but overall, they were closed or just cracked for a lot of the cook.
 
Sure it hinders - i.e., it delays or causes an obstruction - as is quite obvious here:

"...to 300*. Super, since that's my target. I'm thinking that it MIGHT be ok since the birds are still cold. Well, temps fell to 275* and held stubbornly for the next half hour, so I cracked the door and occasionally had to add some more fuel to maintain 300*, unsuccessfully for part of the time,..."

It does not prevent.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> That it releases higher heat later in the right circumstances is what I thought Dave was asking about.
Interesting that you added that it hinders the rise in its heat stage at the outset of the cook. Why are you not interested in that Kevin? </div></BLOCKQUOTE> I agree that Dave was asking about that. I'm not interested in it because if I am going for high heat why have a heat sink at all? I do not see the point.

For low/slow the dynamics are - or should be - different. One is trying to limit the rise and also to hit some point of 'stability'. Water or sand/saucer will absorb heat. When it can hold no more, water will release the heat as steam. The conversion to steam is one of the things that keeps water at no higher than 212, adding to the stability issue. Sand or saucer will release heat at whatever temp it is when it can hold no more. If the temp below is stable on the low side the saucer/sand will emanate similarly, relative to its mass and the heat it has absorbed thus far. If the temp below is high - or becomes higher due to increased air intake, wood combustion, etc., neither sand nor saucer will do much to moderate the problem and the cooker's temp will rise. If the problem is not addressed soon it will continue to rise. Once the problem is addressed it the issue of higher temps emanating from sand or saucer will prevail for some time, until it releases enough heat (in this case high heat) for the sand or saucer to cool.
 
Kevin,
If I'm reading you correctly, then my fire was realtively stable...correct? Considering the temps stayed stable for most of the cook, I would think so.
I was just pointing out that the clay, from one observation/use, relatively, did little to keep the temps from rising,considering the mostly closed vents for the cook.
I'm now starting to wonder if I would have achieved similar results with nothing but just the pan.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tim Y:
Kevin,
If I'm reading you correctly, then my fire was realtively stable...correct? Considering the temps stayed stable for most of the cook, I would think so.
I was just pointing out that the clay, from one observation/use, relatively, did little to keep the temps from rising,considering the mostly closed vents for the cook.
I'm now starting to wonder if I would have achieved similar results with nothing but just the pan. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Probably similar results. The clay saucer is just another thing to heat within the smoker. So, with a clay saucer your temps will still rise, faster than water in the pan, since water has a higher specific heat than the terra cotta, but slower than an empty pan, since air has a lower specific heat than terra cotta.
 
Thanks for the info guys.
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