Question For All You Clay Saucer Advocates


 
K

Ken Hendrix

New member
I am going to try the 'clay saucer in the water pan' for the first time. As I have read elsewhere in this forum I purchased a 14" clay saucer at Home Depot. The clay saucer I purchased has a flange that causes the saucer to sit on the rim of the water pan resulting in the top of the saucer to be higher than the water pan as can be seen in the picture below. I set the water pan/saucer in place on the water pan brackets to see how it sits in the smoker. When I did this I discovered that when I put the lower cooking grate in place it sits on top of the clay saucer. The lower cooking grate as it rests on top of the saucer is maybe 1/8" to 1/4" higher than where it normally sits on the lower grate brackets. I realize that all 14" clay saucers may not be exactly alike so Im wondering if I need to find a different one that will fit inside the water pan and not exceed the height of the water pan. Is this an issue or is it OK to use the combo I have with the lower grate resting on the top of the saucer?


 
I don't use my water pan at all. I wrap my saucer with two or three layers of foil and rest it on the water pan brackets. There is just enough room on the brakets to keep the saucer in place, so I'm very carefull to make sure it's stable. Maybe one day I'll add extensions or someting to the brackets to be certain the saucer stays put. It's never yet fallen into the fire, but ya never know. After the cook I peel off one layer and I'm ready to go the next time.
 
Mine doesn't have as big a lip as yours but it does sit on top like yours. BUT foil the saucer, not the bowl. The grease will soak into the saucer if you don't. Doesn't matter about the bowl.Nothing will get in there.

Careful with the foiling as the acid in the grease will eventually eat through the foil. Change it out every 5-6 smokes if needed. Also, where you fold/crinkle the foil to fit will develop a weak spot and will eventually allow the grease to soak through.
 
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Ken Hendrix said:
The clay saucer I purchased has a flange that causes the saucer to sit on the rim of the water pan resulting in the top of the saucer to be higher than the water pan as can be seen in the picture below.
Click to expand...
That's the saucer I've been looking for. You don't need the bowl if you have that saucer, just foil it up and give your bowl the day off. Lucky you, I've been looking for that saucer forever
 
Len Dennis said:
Mine doesn't have as big a lip as yours but it does sit on top like yours. BUT foil the saucer, not the bowl. The grease will soak into the saucer if you don't. Doesn't matter about the bowl.Nothing will get in there.
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Len-
Thanks for the reply. I did have the saucer wrapped but unwrapped it to take the photo so it would be more clear what I was referring to. It will be wrapped when I start the cook.

ChuckO said:
That's the saucer I've been looking for. You don't need the bowl if you have that saucer, just foil it up and give your bowl the day off. Lucky you, I've been looking for that saucer forever
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Chuck-
After reading your reply I tried the saucer by itself. Unfortunately it is not the saucer you have been looking for. It will just barely catch the edges of the brackets. Any movement of the smoker and the saucer will fall. I like that idea though of the saucer by itself. I will see if I can come up with something to extend the brackets. I bet somebody has already done it. I will do a search to see what I can come up with. Thanks!
 
I like the title of the thread. "Clay Saucer Advocates" made me laugh. I use the water pan with water so can't really help in your question. Good luck and let us know what works out.
 
Len, when you use the foil more than once do the previous drippings ever smoke and affect the flavor of the next cook? I'm guessing they don't since that's what you do, but I just wanted to ask before I try it. Would save on foil and that's good!
 
Linda said:
I don't use my water pan at all. I wrap my saucer with two or three layers of foil and rest it on the water pan brackets. There is just enough room on the brakets to keep the saucer in place, so I'm very carefull to make sure it's stable. Maybe one day I'll add extensions or someting to the brackets to be certain the saucer stays put. It's never yet fallen into the fire, but ya never know. After the cook I peel off one layer and I'm ready to go the next time.
Click to expand...

Linda-
Sorry I missed your reply earlier. Thanks for the feedback.

Robert-R said:
My clay saucer cracked after several uses. :(
The metal one I have now is indestructible.
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Robert -
So you have a metal saucer? What size is it and where did you get it? Does it fit on the water pan brackets by itself?
 
Linda said:
Len, when you use the foil more than once do the previous drippings ever smoke and affect the flavor of the next cook? I'm guessing they don't since that's what you do, but I just wanted to ask before I try it. Would save on foil and that's good!
Click to expand...

I've never noticed it smoking (kinda difficult to tell with everything else smoking ;) ). The splotches naturally turn black and hard but I have never noticed any kind of weird smell or taste. I usually change it out either when the foil rips or the entire foil is really soiled. Been doing this for the last year with no ill effects.
 
Ken, in my opinion I would remove the water pan.
You will get much more space for charcoal, splits ecc.
As sayd before just triple foil and go!
 
Ken Hendrix said:
Chuck- After reading your reply I tried the saucer by itself. Unfortunately it is not the saucer you have been looking for. It will just barely catch the edges of the brackets. Any movement of the smoker and the saucer will fall. I like that idea though of the saucer by itself. I will see if I can come up with something to extend the brackets. I bet somebody has already done it. I will do a search to see what I can come up with. Thanks!
Click to expand...
That's odd, sure looks wider than the bowl, would think that it would sit nicely on the lands that the bowl sits on. If I ever find a saucer that fits on the lands, I'm buying it. If I were to need additional stability, I would simply stack another saucer on top of the other
 
Ken Hendrix said:
Robert - So you have a metal saucer? What size is it and where did you get it? Does it fit on the water pan brackets by itself?
Click to expand...

It's home made for the 18.5. Made a similar one for the 14.5. It's a 1/4" thick 14" dia. metal disk that I got at a local metal yard & welded a 1/8" x 1" flat stock to it for the rim (1/16" would have been fine for the rim). Added some tabs.

I'm very happy with it. The 1/4" plate holds heat very well in addition to being a diffuser. Pretty EZ to make if you can weld or have a friend that welds.
I change the top layer of foil after every cook. The bottom one gets changed as necessary - not that often, really. The material cost is less than 2 clay saucers.

A few pix:

PICT0899_zpski72kfcj.jpg


PICT0901_zpstkr43a2h.jpg


PICT0906_zpsrg5ebyua.jpg


PICT0907_zpsm1f1pfy2.jpg


PICT0911_zps2lc8hf7x.jpg


I have read posts where the bottom heat shield for the 18.5 can be used for a diffuser, although it probably wouldn't function very well as a heat sink.
Haven't tried that - no need to.
 
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ChuckO said:
That's odd, sure looks wider than the bowl, would think that it would sit nicely on the lands that the bowl sits on. If I ever find a saucer that fits on the lands, I'm buying it. If I were to need additional stability, I would simply stack another saucer on top of the other
Click to expand...
Chuck- If you look closely at the picture in my original post you can see that the flange around the top of the saucer is just not quite as wide as the rim on the water pan. At first glance in the photo it looks like the top of the saucer is the same diameter as the water pan but its just a bit shy. I even looked at the saucer from the bottom side to see where it contacts the brackets. Looking at it from the bottom the very widest part of the flange on the saucer will just barely touch all four brackets if you line it up just right but even the slightest bit of movement is enough to cause it to fall through. Bummer. That would have been too sweet if the diameter of the saucer where the flange is would have been a bit larger so that it would sit securely on the brackets.

Robert-R said:
It's home made for the 18.5.
Click to expand...
Robert- nice work. I wish I had the resources to do something like that.
 
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