More Hickory Flavor Without The Water Pan?

[Rusty James]

Does anyone smoke pork butts without the water pan? Is it possible to get more wood / hickory flavor this way?

Some local BBQ restaurants cook racks of butts over nothing but hickory coals, but that would mean starting a separate fire and shoveling hot coals in the WSM. Not sure if I wanted to go this route though. I was thinking about doing the usual Minion Method without the pan for a change.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Smoke particles stick to the moist surface of meat. Keep the meat moist via water in the pan or spritzing frequently once the crust has set.

 

[Rusty James]

Thanks for the spritzing suggestion, Chris.

Have you ever tried smoking a butt without a water pan? What kind of results did you get?

 

[timothy]

It gives you that fat hitting the coals flavor similar to a drum or pit barrel cooker.
I tried it once on a butt and a few times on chicken and a chuck eye roast.
The flavor is different ( in a good way) but you have to watch it when you lift the lid.
The sudden burst of fresh oxygen will quickly ignite all that fat if you leave the lid off for too long.

Tim

 

[Rusty James]

I'll give it a go and see what happens.