Foil Tip from a Newbie

[Scotty W.]

Bought my 22.5 WSM first part of June and have done about 20 cooks. Call me lazy and cheap but I got tired of foiling the water pan outside using water and both sides without water. Kids are all grown, just my wife and I so do alot of small cooks. I decided to try another approach.

Bought a pack of 3 foil pans from Dollar General. Size is 16.5" long x 11" wide x 3" deep and cost was around $5. Set a foil pan on the lower cooking grate and DID NOT use the water pan. Have cooked 2 slabs of BB's several times and a 6 1/2 lb pork butt once. Ribs and butt turned out excellent. Used the same amount of KB I would have used with the water pan. Foil pan caught all the drippings and temps were very close to what I'd seen with the water pan. If you want to cook with water just pour it in the pan but be careful when lifting out as they are a bit flimsey. Just let the WSM cool completely before removing and support the bottom with your hands.

Plus you can soak the pan in soapy water for a day and the gunk will wash out easily. I have used the same pan for 4 cooks and they held up well.

You can get foil pans in all different sizes but don't know if you can find a size that would work in a 18.5 WSM. I just know the foil pan can't interfere with air circulation thru the cooker.

 

[Mike P.]

Scotty W., I'm all for lazy

I do have to ask, If you are washing the foil pans, why not save $5 and just wash the supplied WSM water bowl instead?

 

[Jerry N.]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike David P:
Scotty W., I'm all for lazy

I do have to ask, If you are washing the foil pans, why not save $5 and just wash the supplied WSM water bowl instead? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's what I was thinking. Seems like the porcelain enamel WSM pan would clean up easier than an aluminum pan.

 

[Len Dennis]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike David P:
Scotty W., I'm all for lazy

I do have to ask, If you are washing the foil pans, why not save $5 and just wash the supplied WSM water bowl instead? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Reminds of:

"Penny wise, pound foolish".

Having said that, it's always good to think of different ways to do things. Most if not all of us have tried different ideas at one time or another.

Bouncing the idea off folks here usually will confirm or reject your idea b4 implementation.

 

[Scotty W.]

Thanks to all of you for your input.

I agree it's pretty much a wash (pun intended

) on cleaning the water pan or the foil pan. I just don't like to foil the water pan and having to change the foil after one cook. And a foil baking pan is quicker to use for small cooks and I can reuse it. But that's just me and my opinion.

Another thing I didn't mention in my OP was I don't care for the top lip design of the water pan in that if not handled carefully it can cut fingers or hands. Having an HVAC background I've seen (and had) plenty of sheet metal cuts caused by the same gauge steel as the pan is made from and they can be quite nasty. I would like to see Weber manufacture them with a rolled edge to the inside so the top edge is essentially rounded thus minimizing the chance for cuts.

 

[Dave Russell]

Scotty, sometimes we just make things more complicated than they need to be, and I'm world's worst.

Just spray some Pam in your pan if cooking with water, and don't worry about seasoning buildup on the outside other than just "hitting the high spots", just like you should with the rest or your cooker. It's another part of the smoker, and besides, it won't smoke if you keep water in the pan. You'll get significantly better results with water where it's supposed to be, right over the coals so it can simmer and add moisture to the cook. Never thought about the pan edges before, but wear some gloves if you're afraid of the edges.

 

[Dave O (Alaska)]

I never foil my pan, inside or out. I just leave it in the smoker after I finish cooking. The residue that remains is pretty easy to scoop out and toss(don't want to clog drain) or if burned down, a quick soak in hot water dissolves it pretty quickly.