Water in pan / Clay saucer / Other / Nothing

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fritz

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Didnt see this as a Poll Question. It would be interesting to see what everybody uses.
 
I have never cooked with water . Used empty water bowl mostly, then just a clay wrapped saucer large size 16 inch... Also 14 inch clay saucer setting on top of water bowl...


The 16 inch saucer keeps temps way low 200-240... Combo saucer and bowl 225-275... Empty water bowl 230-300...

Now I am only a rookie but that seems about the way my WSM cooks with different set ups
 
All of the above. Anything cooked much over 250*, I just foil across the top of the pan...except for chicken. Depending on how much I'm smoking, I like chicken without a pan. For ribs or overnight butts/briskets, water in the pan. Only thing I can think of that I'd still use my clay pot base in the pan for is foiled ribs.
 
If i'm cooking anything say under 275 I use water (i figure that's the way it is designed). otherwise no water. i'm a newbie though.
 
Foiled clay pot, no water pan. I cook from as low as low 200s to low 300s, most cooks are in the 235 to 275 zone. Controlled by vents.......................d
 
I started with water. I found it a major pita to dispose of the after-smoke greasy water. I bought a clay pot, wrapped it in foil and have not looked back.
 
Clay saucer mostly, sometimes a dry pan if I want high temps, water with ribs. Going to hang some ribs this weekend not sure what I wll be doing as a full rack will interfere with water in the pan.
 
Foiled dry pan.

I did water a few times, hated dealing with it after the fact. I just don't want to cook direct, so the water pan stays there.

I might try the clay pot thing one of these days.

A heat sink like a pan full of water helps temps stabilize, but I've found the WSM will stabilize pretty easily no matter what. And I burn less fuel since all that heat is going to heating up the inside of the smoker, not boiling water.

I cook in the 230 range. Sometimes that means my top vent and one bottom vent are open a sliver and the other two bottom vents are fully closed.
 
I used to fill the pan with water but now I do this because it was suggested by Harry Soo...
- I double wrap my pan in foil and cook dry.
- After cooking, I throw the grease/fat covered top layer of foil away giving way to a pristine bottom layer.
- The next cook, I re-wrap the 2nd layer.

This allows me get my cooker up to temp faster and maintain higher heat. So far, this method has served me well.
 
I use no pan at all, i only use the top grate, if i need a 2nd grate i place the 2nd grate above the top grate.
 
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