How do you deal with the water pan?


 
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Kent

TVWBB Member
The water pan is deep vertically to the point where you can't see and tend the charcoal bed behind it. How do you deal with this? Do you use the water pan, with water, or with sand? I'd like to find something to replace it. A pizza stone, by itself or on top of a 16" pizza pan might work.
Thanks for your help.
 
Kent:
I'm too lazy to clean my water pan especially after it's filled with water, grease, and goop. I prefer to foil it and replace the foil when done. Makes cleanup much easier. We should start a Toss-the-Water support group. What do you say?
 
Harry, my problem is that when, in the 18" WSM, you open the side door to tend the charcoal you can't see to the opposite side. The water pan obstructs your view. You have to blindly add charcoal 180 degrees in front of you. This is a major design flaw of the 2009 version of the WSM that Weber won't recognize. I'm thinking that at some point, in your position, you would have to have had to address this.
 
I'm from the camp that blindly adds lit briquettes through the side door when I need to refuel. I don't need to refuel unless I'm cooking in 40 degree weather (see the brutal conditions at the Dover Downs episode). A full load cooks my butt and briskets without having to refuel.
Hope I understood and answered your question.
 
Just noticed you mentioned the 2009 WSM. Sorry, my WSMs are from the 2007 era so I may have missed your question. Help me out someone!
 
The 18" WSM prior to the current one had a water pan that was felt to be too small. The water evaporated too quickly. Weber, in response to this, created a larger water pan for the current 18" model. The pan was, I'm told by Chris, the body of the Weber Smokey Joe. When that's in place, and you open the door where you would tend to charcoal and wood you can only see one half the charcoal bed. I think this is a major design flaw that Weber won't recognize, or address. The reason for my query to you is that I assumed you have seen this and addressed this in the past.
 
sorry me bad. I'm completely clueless of this problem as I've never seen it nor addressed it since I'm using the older model.
Good luck finding a solution.
 
Kent,

Ditch the water. Go buy a 14" clay saucer from a hardware store. Foil it, place it in the water pan. I did it for the first time yesterday and was able to control the temp MUCH better than water (and I really didn't have a problem with water in the 18")... I was able to rock on at 250°F for hours with a single load of charcoal...as in 10 hours and it was still going after I was finished with chicken and ribs. This was a level charcoal ring after adding 2/3 Weber chimney of hot coals.

I'm going to get a clay saucer for the 22" WSM, too.

It can't be too wrong. It's the exact same idea as what goes on with an Egg. They use a plate setter" which is nothing but a modified pizza stone.


As far as adding charcoal, I think you are bit uptight about that. Look for a small "cute" shovel at the hardware store and you will be able to load charcoal in with it. Even a fire place ash shovel will work. I've used that, tongs and a gloved hand to just "toss" them in. It does NOT need to be PERFECTLY placed.
 
Terre, thanks very much for your post. That's exactly what I needed to know and that's what I'm going to do. I wanted to know if it worked.
1. What size clay saucer did you get that wouldn't fall in to the coals below? Did the mass of the saucer by itself even out the heat enough?
2 Where on earth are you going to find a clay saucer that will work with the 22" WSM?

Thanks again,
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dennis Stilwell:
Do you use the factory Weber water pan? Do you use water in the pan? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>In another thread, I believe Harry said he does not use water in the pan, so I suspect he's using the stock, pre-2009 WSM water pan just wrapped in foil for easy clean-up.

Regards,
Chris
 
I have a 18.5 WSM and I don't use water either. I just foil my pan. While I think my cooking would be a lot easier with a stoker or DIGI-Q, I am getting better managing my temps as follows: Start your fire with all bottom vents open. Leave the top vent fully open too. Cover the WSM and let the temp rise until it get 30 degrees from your mark, then fully close two bottom vents, leaving the winward vent open. Always leave the top vent open. Wait about 15 minutes to see if your temp stabilizes.
 
All of the instructions I have read about using a power draft control with a WSM state that you should not use water in the pan.

I have a new Guru that I haven't used. I have used a clay saucer in my 18" for the first time on Sunday and I like the way it performed. The warmer, less windy weather was probably also very helpful, too.

I will probably use a clay saucer with the Guru on the first time.
 
Kent,

I used a 14" Clay saucer. I wrapped it in HD foil and laid it in the water pan (foiled). It fits in the pan nicely.

For the 22", I am looking for an 18" clay saucer. If I don't find one, I'm looking at using a pizza stone. BGE sells a stone, I need to measure the diameter.
 
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