Quote:
Originally Posted by wahoowad
With all the talk of the Slow and Sear I wonder if I should get a 22" Performer instead of a 22 WSM? The Performer seems a little more versatile and I wouldn't have to deal with stacking/unstacking of the WSM on those occasions when more cold are needed or adding water. I rarely use the lower rack of the WSM, and that seems the only think I would lose switching to a Performer.
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NO. If you can adjust your cooking style so you don't need the water pan you can get get a WAY longer cook and shouldn't need to add any more coals.
I don't ever cook with a water pan, so I made taller charcoal ring so I can double my fuel capacity. A few months ago I did a 15+hr cook and still had coals left. That was 12hrs at 220-240 and the last three at 300+. I use lump, not briquettes.
Besides the water pan taking up space that could hold more charcoal, it wastes energy - you're using heat to boil water instead of cooking your food. Set the vents right and the WSM will chug right along at whatever temp you want, you don't *need* the water pan to even out the temps - it may not hold an exact precise temp, but it'll stay in a small enough range as to not effect the cook. Mine likes to yo-yo back and forth in a ~20*F window, and it'll do it all day.
