glazed clay saucer


 
Gary S said:
I did use clay but broke them from the thermal shock.
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Huh??? How did you produce a thermal shock and break the clay? I've been using a 16" clay saucer for over a year now (22.5") and a 14" maybe a month (18.5") and still yet to break one.
 
Chad Bman said:
Huh??? How did you produce a thermal shock and break the clay? I've been using a 16" clay saucer for over a year now (22.5") and a 14" maybe a month (18.5") and still yet to break one.
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Well Chad I'm not sure how to interpret the multiple question marks and the bolded underlined "you" so I will assume nothing from the way your question is written other than curiosity.

I use mostly lump which does burn hotter than briquettes but I also have Nomex in my WSM. I have absolute control except for windy days with my smoker. I have a second dome vent I often do increase my airflow ratio. I can raise and lower temperatures almost similar to a kettle depending on the amount of lit I'm using at the time. I consider my WSM to be an outdoor oven but have never had it over 350. I cracked both saucers in higher heat brisket cooks. I'm not the only one who has cracked clay saucers on this site. They are pretty low grade pottery

http://pottery.about.com/od/potteryglossarytv/g/thermalshock.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_shock
 
I'll 'splain... Yes, curiousity and a willing to learn something new. I use 3 ???...,,, when there's a 'pause' afterwards. As in, I read your post and sat in my chair for a few seconds, dumbfounded, after saying - huh... So, I posted your quote and Huh??? as I was really confused. And I wanted to highlight you because I wanted to know how you broke the saucer, not how a saucer breaks. As in, I understand what and how thermal shock works. What I don't understand, is how you have thermal shock in your WSM. Do you keep your saucer in the freezer before putting it into the hot WSM??? See, there's the 3 question marks again. :D I've had my WSM well north of 350 and haven't broken a saucer, but you've broken 2 by staying under 350?!? <------ 3 more

The only posts I recall reading on this site about others breaking the saucers were used in the mini and 18" WSM. The mini is too close to the coals and while I have a clay saucer in each of my WSM's, I went with a metal pan in the mini. Some had issues using the saucer in an 18" WSM when they removed the water pan and simply set the saucer on the water pan supports. Having the clay saucer in the water pan, both the 18 & 22, I've yet to read about a single one of them breaking. Were you part of the crowd that didn't use the saucer in the water pan?
 
Not sure why anybody would put a saucer in the freezer. :confused: I see no logic in that whatsoever and know of nobody who does that. I did suspend my saucers on the metal pan supports. They were secure in fact I shimmed the supports in the thickness of two 1/4" washers on each grill strap so they sat very securely but they were also exposed to the direct heat from the coals.
I have a Brinkman pan which I consider to be a much lighter gauge of metal so I do not like to expose it to any amount of heat unless there is water in it. Neither of the saucers cracked immediately but they did crack as a result of the direct exposure to the heat from the coals. I switched to a heavy metal tray and I found it basically acted in the same fashion as the saucer but of course was more durable. I have had similar issues with pizza stones on occasion as well but they have been supported on a grill and exposed to much higher heat.
 
Gary S said:
Not sure why anybody would put a saucer in the freezer. :confused: I see no logic in that whatsoever and know of nobody who does that. I did suspend my saucers on the metal pan supports. They were secure in fact I shimmed the supports in the thickness of two 1/4" washers on each grill strap so they sat very securely but they were also exposed to the direct heat from the coals.
I have a Brinkman pan which I consider to be a much lighter gauge of metal so I do not like to expose it to any amount of heat unless there is water in it. Neither of the saucers cracked immediately but they did crack as a result of the direct exposure to the heat from the coals. I switched to a heavy metal tray and I found it basically acted in the same fashion as the saucer but of course was more durable. I have had similar issues with pizza stones on occasion as well but they have been supported on a grill and exposed to much higher heat.
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I wonder if it is the reason/factor they cracked as it was the direct exposure to the coals vs indirect exposure with people putting them inside the water pan and using both...I have had a few clay patio stones crack from the direct heat of a chimney starter sitting on them but none of the concrete ones ever have...
 
Mike Leiter said:
I wonder if it is the reason/factor they cracked as it was the direct exposure to the coals vs indirect exposure with people putting them inside the water pan and using both...I have had a few clay patio stones crack from the direct heat of a chimney starter sitting on them but none of the concrete ones ever have...
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Yes Mike that's what I chalked it up to. I decided to try steel instead because I liked the narrow profile and of course there was no interference with the bottom grill. I took the idea from one of the members.
It's like I said earlier different people will have their reasons for choosing different methods. There are some on this site that are of the opinion a heat sink is of no real value at HH temps. I have no opinion on that except I do not like my drippings going into the fire so I want something to catch the drippings which does act as a diffuser of sorts.
I do more smoking now in my 26" kettle because I like the indirect heat method which does not require any diffuser.
 
Gary S said:
... I decided to try steel instead...
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Has the steel had any effect on flavor???

I ask because I know that some prefer cooking raised over the fire with nothing between the meat and coals because the vaporized drippings can give a different flavor, in the past I have thought about trying to replicate this effect by using something that would act as a griddle when the drippings hit it. I would appreciate your thoughts on this idea.



PS: I use a clay saucer in the stock water pan now
 
Hi Eric, I line my heavy steel plate with foil like I did the saucer. It is shaped somewhat like the saucer and sits nicely under the lower cooking grate. I can't really say I've noticed any difference between the saucer or the plate flavor wise or the way they work. My plate does not vaporize drippings on contact if that was what you were thinking.

I have cooked UDS style letting the drippings fall into the fire. I don't mind it with chicken but did not like the taste with pork...at all. Again my preference but I found the smoke to be black & greasy from the pork fat. Some people do that all the time especially if you are hanging your meat. I've never done it with beef other than direct grilling with steaks and burgers which probably is not the same as using the smoker. I've cooked 16 briskets now and all but two I've done in my WSM using either water, the clay saucer or my steel pan. I can't say to you anyone of the three made much difference in taste. It was more the wood smoke and rub.
 
Thanks Gary, results like you would get with a UDS would be the goal but I didn't think there would be enough space between the grate and fire in a WSM to just remove the pan altogether. One day I'll have to just try it and see what happens.
 
Eric W said:
Thanks Gary, results like you would get with a UDS would be the goal but I didn't think there would be enough space between the grate and fire in a WSM to just remove the pan altogether. One day I'll have to just try it and see what happens.
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Eric when I have cooked over the fire I have only used the top rack and a middle rack. I say middle because I welded tabs for a middlle rack. On that cook I did wings. They turned out pretty good. There is plenty of room to try it when you decide too but I would not use the bottom rack.
 
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