Not A New Topic I Know


 
Michael M.

Michael M.

TVWBB Fan
My new 18.5 WSM arrived today and I'll have my first smoke session this weekend. The question is: Water in the waterpan or foil it and leave it dry? There is no set answer I know and there are always factors in these deals.
My first time out I plan on doing two racks of baby- back ribs and will do a spray and foil wrap for the last hour to keep them moist. But does the WSM handle the process differently?
The pan: To water or not to water? That is the question.
 
But it's "new" to you.
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For newbies, it's more important that learn how *your* WSM heats up and stabilizes. Practice makes perfect.

I would recommed you do a "test burn" or two before you cook. The goal is to bring the WSM up to your target temp and hold it there. Without meat on, you can concentrate on stabilizing your temps.

Water absorbs lots of heat energy and helps reduce over-temps. Without water, the risk is greater. For newbies, it might be better to use water until you 'know' your WSM.

Foiling helps to keep the pan clean. But it's not necessary to use foil to run it dry.

Personally, I hate dealing with the fatty water after a cook, especially after doing a load of butts. I first switched from water to sand to nothing. But by that time I had lots of cooks under my belt.
 
I agree with Travis, get to know your WSM with H2O ... then try different techniques
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I've tryed virtually every method, ... all good, but I prefer water for all but poultry
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I've never used water, only the foiled saucer. I can pretty much dial in any temp I want by varying the number of lit I place on top of the minion pile. Twelve lit K for 225* and 25 for 325*. No right or wrong answers, just lots of different opinions.
 
You can't go wrong with water and baby backs. They turn out great at high heat and low heat. As long as you cook them till they are done the way you like them... Your golden. Don't be afraid to check them every 30 min to 1 hr. You won't always do this, and it will add some time to your cook, but it satisfies your curiosity as you get to know your cooker. Just build a big pile of coals and put some lit ones on top.(minion). That alone will make life easy. Have fun!
 
Go with water in the pan for the first several smokes just like the instructions say. It acts like a dampener for heat fluctuations which you don't need when you're just getting started. Later on when you get comfortable with working with your WSM then try dry, clay saucer, etc. methods.

I personally use a dry, foiled pan.

Russ
 
I started with a dry, foiled pan and never looked back. Good advice about the minion method and how to regulate it. Never had any trouble getting the smoker to sit around 250 or so for hours on end. The wsm is pretty boring to operate, really. I like the advice about checking the ribs every so often and not worrying about adding a little time to the cook. It's a good way to develop a feel for what's going on without any adverse side effects.
Good luck and don't forget pics.
 
I always use water except with poultry here too....and I've even started experimenting with it on poultry since I can't get a good "skin" w/ or w/o water anyway.

My logic (and I'm sure some will disagree) is that the water increases the humidity in the cooker and helps keep the meat from drying.

But I can definitely tell that the water takes a lot more fuel.
 
Thanks for all of the input! Will decide which way to go for smoke #1 and will post pics when it's done.
 
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