Has anyone tried the WSM without the water pan?


 
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Erik Snyder

TVWBB Fan
I'm just curious what would happen if you remove the water pan to smoke. This would be similar to using a drum-type smoker. I have read before that the fat flareups from cooking add fat dripping add flavor. Just wondering.
 
I do, but more for grilled/grilling items, not for low and slow smoking. I've done high heat briskets without the water pan in there, to get a more crispy bark. But say on a 12-15 hr. pork butt cook, you'd have to constantly keep flipping it or you'll have a lot a waste due to inedible crispy pork. Even with the water pan in on a long smoke, I get some bark in spots that's too crispy sometimes. Here's a link for you on one of my posts about the no water pan grilling method I've been using for a few years now. I never use water in my water pan when it's in there, just put a sheet of HD wide foil an inch or two up off the bottom of the water pan. Hope This Helps Link to thread.
 
i thought most of us on this board actually put the clay flower pot bottom into the water pan... that's what i do, or sand then cover with aluminum foil. both act as a heat sink that doesn't evaporate away. anyway, i've never tried doing pork butt with water quite frankly... so i've only known of a strong bark i guess... but I wrap my finished pork butt in foil and into a cooler for a couple hrs, as described on various threads.. and so when i pull, the bark is totally softened and flavorful... i gues if dont wrap it, some parts of bark would only be good for mixing in w/ beans as they would be rehydrated.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by danmarks:
i thought most of us on this board actually put the clay flower pot bottom into the water pan... that's what i do, or sand then cover with aluminum foil. both act as a heat sink that doesn't evaporate away. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, but a clay saucer, sand in the pan, or an empty foil lined pan, blocks the direct heat from below. Big, Big difference than nothing in there at all and the meat having direct hot heat blasted from below for many hrs.
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it will create good smelling smoke but enough drips can put your fire out. it can also flare up when the lid or door is open. grease is extremely flamable. the waterpan, in my opinion, is more a method of keeping the drippings out of the fire than anything else.
 
Yes for grilling (Roadside Chicken!!!). And foiled empty for smoking when using the BBQ Guru for temp control.
 
Erik
I do that a lot but most of the time it is for grilling not smoking they do make for a great grill that way
 
When using the WSM with no water pan, dripping fat definitely adds a flavor. It's not a flavor I am generally fond of, though. Kind of burnt-greasy. Lots of drum smokers in use out there suggest that this is a personal preference issue, with many who would disagree.

Chicken done this way can be good, though, and that's my usual method.
 
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