Water pan


 
Chuck Fry

Chuck Fry

New member
I plan on using my 18 1/2 wsm for the first time with a pork butt. I've read several different views on putting water in the pan or not. Thoughts?
 
I am a water pan guy. Use it most of the time. It is whatever you feel the comfortable doing. As long as the food turns out to your liking, you win.











:blackkettle::wsm22:
 
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I'm just a rookie but I went minimal water on my first cook and filled the pan on my second.

Yes clean up is a pain but the temps held rock solid.

I just asked Jamie Purviance in the ask Jamie thread and he said use water, it IS a water smoker after all.
 
I am also a water guy. As Bruno said, "it IS a water smoker after all". Just my 20 cents worth.
Enjoy that WSM and welcome to the forum.
 
I used water once, and clean up was more than I wanted - then sand, then stainless steel chunks, now a terra cotta platter- I think that I am done.

The water is a heat sink, reducing temp variations. I really liked the stainless steel - easy to clean, but the terra cotta is easy and seems to work as well.

My issue with the water is cleanup. I'm on a septic system and didn't want to put that down my drains - I could put it in the woods around my house, but then my dog would be wearing it.
 
I use water because it helps the smoke stick / penetrate the meat. My clean up consists of dumping the water in a hole, and putting the pan back in the smoker before shutting it down. It burns off all the gunk. Next time I fire it up I run my grill brush around the bowl to knock the burnt stuff off.
 
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I use water and line the bowl with foil. Dump it in the woods and throw away the foil. Quick rinse to the bowl--done.
 
I am pretty new to this WSM stuff also. I use water with every cook except a whole chicken when I am trying to keep my temperature high around 350. I spray my water pan with a water hose in the yard right after I take the meat in to rest. When the water pan is still hot it is super easy to clean.
 
if you hate the cleanup on the water pan you can just wrap it in heavy duty foil top and bottom and it makes cleanup super easy, i usually run mine dry just foiled but have also ran it foiled with water in it, yes the water will probably still get into the pan, as well as some greases but it still makes it 10x easier to clean.
 
Also a water guy. Creates a moist environment (Franklin uses a water pan in his smoker btw). and regulates the temp. Cleanup is way overblown. I foil the entire pan and cleanup takes me minutes
 
Many do not use water and get great results. But Weber designed this to be used with water. I figure they know what they're doing.
 
You won't find a right or wrong when it comes to using water in the pan. Try both ways and decide. My opinion; Harry Soo doesn't use water so I don't either.
 
Honestly, I go back and forth on this issue. I have cooked good food with the water pan (won second place in chicken catagory using it) and have cooked good food with out it. I am currently not using it, but I may go back. My only issue with it is that in the 18.5" that I have the water pan is deep and doesn't offer much clearance to the fire for long cooks.

The one take away I have is, when using ATC like my BBQ Guru DidgiQ, I think I like no water better. When going without the ATC, I think I like water better.

My advice is pick one way, get comfortable cooking with that method, produce good food with that method, then try the other method. If you are proficient at cooking both ways, than just pick the method you like most.
 
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