Smoking 3 7lb whole breast tomorrow, question

[Bryon Piequet]

Do I keep the empty water pan in the smoker during the smoke?

 

[Greg Carrier]

I always keep the water pan in place, regardless of the amount of water in it. For this week's turkey runs, I placed a disposable aluminum pan in the water bowl to catch drippings - much easier to clean that way, even if you foil the water pan (which I do).