Harry Soo's Water Pan


 
Alan F

Alan F

TVWBB Pro
Over the weekend I had a great time taking Harry Soo's bbq class.

While I'll protect his class material, there is one idea which I doubt he would mind getting out; one I've not heard of before.

We all know Harry is a proponent of not using water in the pan. So...he foils the heat shield from below and uses it as a barrier. I'm thinking this is a better solution than the popular brinkman charcoal pan as it provides significantly more space for fuel and wood.

If I ever need to replace the charcoal pan, I'll give this a try.

Thanks Harry :cool:
 
Great, glad you had a good time in the class, sounds cool. :)

I don't use water either. I use a foiled clay flower pot base in the foiled water pan. In my 18 1/2" WSM (2009 model), I do use a Brinkmann charcoal pan instead of the stock water pan. The Brinkmann pan is shallower than the water pan and gives much better access to the charcoal ring.

Bob
 
Correct. And the heat shield is dramatically more shallow than the Brinkman charcoal pan.
 
The heat shield is the aluminum pan that sits on the legs between the bottom of the smoker (outside the base) and the ground surface.
 
No pan and no heat shield? You're not really indirect cooking if heat can radiate directly from the fire to the food. Do you have to flip the food?
 
Bob Mann said:
Great, glad you had a good time in the class, sounds cool. :)

I don't use water either. I use a foiled clay flower pot base in the foiled water pan. In my 18 1/2" WSM (2009 model), I do use a Brinkmann charcoal pan instead of the stock water pan. The Brinkmann pan is shallower than the water pan and gives much better access to the charcoal ring.

Bob
Click to expand...

Does anyone know what diameter clay plate the 22 1/2 inch Weber uses to foil and sit on top of the water pan for an easy clean up ? I have the diameter of the 18 1/2 but am buying a 22 1/2 and would like to get a clay plate to lay on top of the water pan. I have NEVER used water. It just messes with your temperature. Thanks for any advice on this.

George
 
I want to buy a clay plate to foil and lay on top of my water pan on a new 22 1/2 inch WSM but I don't know the diameter yet. Does anybody know ? Also, on the 22 1/2 WSM, is there plenty of room to load it up with charcoal without having to get a much more shallow water pan ? I've heard there is adequate room but mine has not arrived yet for me to look. I have the Brinkman charcoal pan in my 18 1/2 inch WSM and it sure made it better to load it up with fuel. Thanks for any advice.

George
 
Why is everyone foiling clay pots to sit in the water pan. I ball up a piece of foil, put it in the pan and then foil the water pan itself. I can see the clay acting as a heat sink but is it really all that necessary?
 
George Payne said:
I want to buy a clay plate to foil and lay on top of my water pan on a new 22 1/2 inch WSM but I don't know the diameter yet. Does anybody know ? Also, on the 22 1/2 WSM, is there plenty of room to load it up with charcoal without having to get a much more shallow water pan ? I've heard there is adequate room but mine has not arrived yet for me to look. I have the Brinkman charcoal pan in my 18 1/2 inch WSM and it sure made it better to load it up with fuel. Thanks for any advice.

George
Click to expand...

George, unlike smaller 18.5", the big bullet has all kind of room under the pan. You want a 16" clay saucer from Lowes or HD. I wrap it up in foil good, lay it flat in the pan, and then stretch a piece of foil across the water pan, letting it dip down a good bit. It's obviously not big enough to cover the entire pan, but it you line it up right, it should catch any drippings that make their way through the folded seam made by connecting two pieces of foil for the top layer. FYI though, if you like to smoke ribs without foiling them, you really need to try using water in the pan, not for keeping temp at 225 but for helping control the bark. That's how I like to smoke my St. Louis ribs. Butts, poultry, foiled brisket or back ribs....sure, a dry pan work great, and the clay pot base does help.
 
Tom L said:
Why is everyone foiling clay pots to sit in the water pan. I ball up a piece of foil, put it in the pan and then foil the water pan itself. I can see the clay acting as a heat sink but is it really all that necessary?
Click to expand...

No, but it certainly helps the temp come back up quicker after taking the lid off and replacing, especially if at the end of a cook where you somehow ended up with little more left than a few embers for coals. That sometimes happens, to me at least, and if I have nothing but an empty foiled pan, it can be frustrating and I'm much more likely to need to add some charcoal when I'm almost done with the cook.

Only downside to a heat sink in the pan is that sort of like steering a ship, temp adjustments aren't near as fast and easy as if just cooking over a foiled pan. You have to be a little more patient and know what's going on with your fire. Of course, for the same reason, temp spikes and dips aren't as bad, either.
 
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Tom L said:
Why is everyone foiling clay pots to sit in the water pan. I ball up a piece of foil, put it in the pan and then foil the water pan itself. I can see the clay acting as a heat sink but is it really all that necessary?
Click to expand...
I use the clay bases, but I'm not convinced they do much. They obviously get up to whatever the temp of the cooker is so the heat sink part is pretty much gone. Same would be true of sand in the pan. I do try to get air space under the base by rolling up 2-3 pieces of foil into long rolls and sit the base on them before foiling the base. My opinion, fwiw, is that whatever type of sink you use, it is meant to keep direct heat away from the center and divert it around the pan as the cooker was designed. Water is the best, and everything else is a compromise.
 
J Hoke said:
I use the clay bases, but I'm not convinced they do much. They obviously get up to whatever the temp of the cooker is so the heat sink part is pretty much gone. Same would be true of sand in the pan. I do try to get air space under the base by rolling up 2-3 pieces of foil into long rolls and sit the base on them before foiling the base. My opinion, fwiw, is that whatever type of sink you use, it is meant to keep direct heat away from the center and divert it around the pan as the cooker was designed. Water is the best, and everything else is a compromise.
Click to expand...

I agree. I have one but not sure a clay saucer does much.
 
I use the foiled clay plate, and always have, just as a first defense of catching the drippings. After all, they cost about $5.00 bucks at Lowe's, so it's worked well for me for about 3 years I've been using it. I will say if you don't refoil it fairly often, the thing gets pretty hard to un-foil and clean up. Even with the plate, I've had small amounts of drippings get to the foiled pan. I do foil my ribs for about an hour after putting some honey, brown sugar and some liquid in the foil. I've had great luck doing that, and now that I'm going up to a 22 1/2 inch WSM I may un-foil them and put them back on for a little while to help with the bark. The 18 1/2 was just too tight and frustrating for me to want to put them back on. Thanks for the advice on the water. I might try it some day.
 
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