sand in the water pan??


 
Robbie T.

Robbie T.

TVWBB Member
I have noticed in some posts about filling the water pan with sand, or not using water at all in the pan. Curious if someone could explain these techniques, or lead me to a thread/topic on the site explaining.

Thanks!
 
The sand in the pan was popular about 10 years ago. It acts just like water in the pan a heat sink. The clean up is easier because you just foil over the top of it and just throw the grease and foil away. Save the sand and re-foil for the next cook. I have not tried the no water in the pan yet so I can't tell you about that first hand. You can go to the questions and answers section and read the Harry Soo section. He uses this style and is a proven expert. I personally would love to attend one of his classes. I just posted a question about all the new styles of cooking these days and am waiting for more answers. I have not been keeping up with all the changes, I learned everything I know about 10 years ago and never changed from those methods because they worked just fine.
 
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Sand is a heat sink and Dale described the process/method well. I have used sand and went to using the clay saucer instead just because it was easier to handle than sand. I haven't taken a survey, but I think most people on this forum use a waterless method. If you're still using water, I suggest you try a waterless method. It makes clean up a lot easier. Some swear by water and that is certainly a good method so I'm not saying don't use water, but with the easier clean up and in my opinion, no discernible difference in the end product, I recommend waterless.
 
Agree with the above comments. I used water for my first double cook (chicken for lunch then ribs for dinner)
Then I switched to the clay saucer and gave that a try. Haven't used water since...
Not saying "my" way is right and the "other" ways are wrong, but my system works well for me.
 
I foil an empty pan - no water, no sand, and no clay. I have no trouble maintaining temperatures. That applies to all three of my smokers.

I have no quarrel with how anyone else does it. Use what works for you. Waterless, works for me. I don't use an ATC, either. I use a Maverick 732 when it's working. If it isn't, I do without it. It sure makes things easier to "keep in touch" with the smoker, but is not really "necessary".

FWIW
Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
So the cooking process in the bullet style smoker doesn't necessarily depend on the moisture from the water to keep the meat tender then? no problems drying out the meat
without having water in the pan, eh?
 
There's a lot of discussion about that but the consensus is that it does not effect the meat. Moisture is from the fat and connective tissue breaking down and rendering. I don't know if all that's true, but what convinced me was that you can boil a piece of meat in water and if you overcook it, it will be dry. Can't imagine water in a pan could do any better at keeping meat moist. I think it's more a matter of cooking it to the right level (not over cooking it) than anything to do with the water in the pan.
 
well, I don't have any sand to put in the pan, and I am going to use my new WSM for the first time tomorrow morning, just doing a small 5lb pork butt for me and the wife. I think I am going to try just foiling the water pan and no water to experiment, that's half the fun! We'll see how she goes.
 
New WSM's run a little hot at first until you build up some seasoning on the inside. Start closing your lower vents when shy of target temp 25 degs. If she does run hot , no worries, butts can handle a wide range of temps. 275 is usually where mine settles in with an empty foiled pan.
To your OP, I never tried sand, but have read that if you do get a leak through the foil, the sand becomes greased soaked and gets as hard as concrete.
Good luck on the maiden voyage:wsm:

Tim
 
If it's not too late, or for in the future, if you're just foiling a pan (no water, sand, clay . . .), leave a little air space between the pan and the foil. That will keep the grease from burning and allow the water pan to act a little more like a heat shield. Good luck.
 
yeah, I wrapped the foil pretty tight to the water pan before I saw your recommendation about the air gap, but will remember for the next time Jerry, Thanks.
 
IMO, the heat sink keeps the temperature more stable, i.e. might add a 10 minute delay before you notice a change if you make an adjustment or your coals finally burn up. Water is about the same but it forces the temp to stay closer to the boiling point (~212F, depending on your elevation). Waterless with no heatsink, what you see is what you get. If I open the lid & the fire's fed, the temp will bump up, but there's no heatsink other than what you're cooking, and it'll get right back into line very soon after you put the lid back on.

It's all fire management - you'll figure it out soon enough. Just don't sweat it and keep it easy, you have to try pretty hard to mess anything up.
 
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