Rule of Thumb for Drip Pans?

[Jon B]

I haven't been following the SmokeFire until recently and now that I have one on the way I'm trying to learn everything I can about it.

Is there a rule of thumb for drip pans? Would you every use while grilling or would the flavorizer bars take care of most of the drippings?

 

[RichPB (richlife)]

If it's equipped with drip pans, USE THEM! Flavorizor bars can never be counted on to handle all drippings let alone possible heavy droppings. My Genesis has flavorizor bars and heat shields over the drip pan. No way would I consider ever running without the drip pan.

 

[Bob Erdman]

Low and slow I use cheap cookie sheet with foil to handle the drips. I do most of my smoking on the top rack so I don't have to lift my grates to put a drip pan in.

 

[Jon B]

Thanks - good advice. If you can just pop a drip pan under the grate, what was the Wet Smoke kit for?

 

[TimA]

I don’t run drip pans, I see no reason to personally.

 

[Lew Newby]

Low and slow I use cheap cookie sheet with foil to handle the drips. I do most of my smoking on the top rack so I don't have to lift my grates to put a drip pan in.View attachment 75323

I do the same. I do birds on the top rack at 350 and up and I use a drip pan for them. At Thanksgiving dinner my daughter used the Turkey drippings for Giblet gravy and noticed the smoke flavor in the drippings. Who wouda thunk it. I do not use drip pans when grilling.

 

[Lew Newby]

Thanks - good advice. If you can just pop a drip pan under the grate, what was the Wet Smoke kit for?

The wet smoke kit is an income producer for Weber but all that's needed is cheap foil pans..

 

[Shane - glitchy]

Thanks - good advice. If you can just pop a drip pan under the grate, what was the Wet Smoke kit for?

I had two for the EX4, it worked well, but I actually ended up using the upper rack for food and had a variety of foil pans where I put the smallest one than would catch everything under the food on the main grate. I used the wet smoke kits when I needed more capacity for food on both grates. If you scrape all the junk out every cook, you can probably get by without any, but it can depend on the amount of grease and if your pellets produce a lot of ash. enough ash and grease could clog the drain on a long cook tempting a fire.