Getting water IN the pan?

[JeffB]

On my first few smokes, I filled the pan with hot water from my tap and then carried the pan VERY carefully down 5 steps, around the house, across the yard, and set it onto the WSM hooks over the hot coals, trying not to burn myself. I then saw a video of Chris filling his water pan by putting the pan in empty and then pouring water from a jug without splashing onto the coals. I thought this is the simple solution.

Now I am reading to try boiling water in the pan. For those of use who use water, is there some "trick" to getting THAT much boiling water into the pan? The pan is pretty big, so it would take a number of trips back and forth from the stove (and a number of large pots) to fill the pan with boiling water. And pouring boiling water from a large pot into the pan seems like a recipe for disaster.

So, is there a tested and true approach to getting boiling water into the pan?

 

[Mike_M]

I usee a big jug or a watering can.


can

 

[JeffB]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike_M:
I usee a big jug or a watering can.


can </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

But doesn't that only get your pan way less than 1/2 way full? I was under the impression for a long cook that you want the pan filled pretty high, maybe within a few inches of the top?

 

[Greg Powers]

I just got my WSM last night, so this is not tested yet. My plan is to use my Coleman water heater to put hot water in the pan.......

 

[timothy]

I'm a no water guy. Spring has sprung so why would you use boiling water, warm, maybe hot if it's really cold out but boiling water sounds dangerous IMO.

Tim

 

[Mike_M]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeff Bryson:
But doesn't that only get your pan way less than 1/2 way full? I was under the impression for a long cook that you want the pan filled pretty high, maybe within a few inches of the top? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I wouldn't fill the pan that high. 2.5 gallons was more than enough when I used water.

The water can is helpful for adding H2O during cook through the access door as well, hence why I used it.

 

[Mike_M]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by timothy:
I'm a no water guy. Spring has sprung so why would you use boiling water, warm, maybe hot if it's really cold out but boiling water sounds dangerous IMO.

Tim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I wouldn't/don't use water. Only reason I would use boiling hot water instead of cool is because it woudn't use up as much of your fuel to get up to temp.

 

[Dave/G]

Keep a few filled gallon milk jugs near your smoker in the sun. It'll be hot enough when you want it

 

[Rita Y]

What am I missing here? Why would one add hot or boiling water to the pan? I thought the water is supposed to be a heat SINK, meaning to absorb excess heat in order to keep temperatures more steady and to allow them to be regulated more easily. I wouldn't want my cooker to get to temperature too quickly. A lot of good things happen to meat during the time it's in the low temperature (internal) range.

A large long-spouted garden watering can or even a garden hose (low pressure, please!) would work to fill the water pan.

Rita

 

[JeffB]

I need to go back and find that thread about boiling water. It sounded funny to me but I'm a relative NewB so I don't question much.

 

[timothy]

Ask all the questions you want Jeff, as we all benefit from the answers.

Tim

 

[timothy]

Rita. I'll defer to the regular water users, but from most of what I gather is the users from up north in frigid temps use hot water as a way to cut down on fuel consumption to slowly get the WSM up to temps like Mike M pointed out.

Tim

 

[DennisM]

I only used a water pan a few times (I like the clay saucer..works great for me), and I think I filled it after the pan was already in the smoker, and then I was carefully lifted the pan to assemble the smoker. To refill, I had a couple magnum wine bottles filled with water.

 

[Jeff R]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rita Y:
What am I missing here? Why would one add hot or boiling water to the pan? I thought the water is supposed to be a heat SINK, meaning to absorb excess heat in order to keep temperatures more steady and to allow them to be regulated more easily. I wouldn't want my cooker to get to temperature too quickly. A lot of good things happen to meat during the time it's in the low temperature (internal) range.

A large long-spouted garden watering can or even a garden hose (low pressure, please!) would work to fill the water pan.

Rita </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Trust me, I'm no water expert but since you do want to cook above 212*, boiling water will keep you from wasting fuel to get there, but then the water will continue to absorb temp spikes. I believe though that regardless of the season, HOT from the tap is hot enough to start with. But with that said, I'm not a water fan. You can thank smoking on the OTS to that.

As for the original question, I found that I was able to pour from a bucket into the pan in the 22

 

[Mike P.]

Jeff Bryson, I too use water and will continue to. I fill the big pan with hot tap water and set in in the mid section of the WSM set off to the side of the coal pit while the coal is heating in the uncovered base. I did not see what type of equipment you have in your sig though. I have an 18 WSM and installed handles on the sides opposite each other. After loading the coals, I sit the full bowl in the mid section and lift the mid section onto the base.

Here's a pic of one handle that double as a holder for the Maverick ET 732 with a piece of scrap wire for a hanger.

Also, consider the amount of energy you are using getting water up to 212* F., then losing some BTU's with the walk to the smoker. I'll bet charcoals cheaper.

Just my .02 and Good Luck!

 

[Diane Kent]

I am new to this smoking stuff but found on my second cook that a clean, deep funnel, like the type you use to add oil to your F350, works great when adding HOT water to the pan through the WSM access door...just pour it right in and yer done.
Di

 

[K Kruger]

One uses hot, very hot or near boiling water if, among other reasons, one wants to shorten the time (and fuel use) to hit target or one has cool or cold ambient temps. Regardless, water will always act as a heat sink.

 

[Dave Russell]

For long smokes, my two large tea kettles will almost fill my Brinkman charcoal pan. I only start with one tea kettle if doing a rib or chicken cook. Just put the pan in place and carefully pour the water in, but not too quickly. There should be no rush if you've put your wood around the perimeter of the ring, not in the middle under the lit. Even then, if you have trouble with the wood catching fire before getting set up and dome on, try nut woods or fruit woods that aren't kiln dried. Adding wood on after meat and dome is on is ok. Much better smoke than having your wood that's mixed in the charcoal catch fire before getting the dome on, and then starting to smolder bad.

Before going to bed on long cooks, I'll top off the pan with some hot tap from a 2 liter soda bottle through the door. Same way to fill pan during rib and chix cooks. I see no reason to run with the pan full, and bet most folks would be surprised at how effective just 1/2 pan of water is as a heat sink. Maybe that's why Weber left the shallow pan alone for so many years.

Hope that helps. You'll find that the cooker comes up to temp much faster if using boiling water vs. just hot tap, and of course, this makes timing cooks and charcoal useage less of an issue. Using water is no big deal, and not nearly as dangerous as getting on the freeway. Use grilling gloves to protect from the steam, and as long as you avoid alcohol or too much caffeine, you shouldn't have a problem with dousing the coals.

As an aside, helped smoke chicken up at the church just yesterday on a pull behind stickburner. The kitchen chef wanted to smoke the legs first and then finish in the oven. Lady that owned the pit does the same and told me that chix cooked to serve off her pit end up dry. Big pits aren't always all that.

 

[David B.]

personally i don't boil my water. i just use hot tap water and keep it simple. for filling up the water pan, you can use anything you might already have lying around the house: some milk or orange juice gallon jugs (washed of course, apple juice jugs, watering pot, tea kettle.
i use a long funnel when needing to add water during a cook.

 

[Ron G.]

I've gotta' agree with Jeff R. and David B. -

When starting-up the ol' WSM for a cook - I like to start with Hot TAP water, but boiling it would be a waste of time and energy IMHO.

I'm keeping my eyes peeled for one of those "old-school" galvanized metal watering cans. This way, I would have a spout (un-screw any "soft sprinkle" attachment - and then I could pour water in from the side, via the firebox door. (Without worrying about melting the plastic milk jugs that I use now.)

When I'm just "topping-off" the water pan, when I check the stuff that's cooking, I just use room-temperature water. At this point, the amount that I'm usually adding is unlikely to adversely affect the running temperature of my WSM.