• working on DNS.. links may break temporarily.

Sand in WSM

motoeric

motoeric

Babbling Farker
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Messages
3,242
Reaction score
1,377
Points
0
Location
huntington, ny
Hi,

What can I expect in a switch over to using sand in the waterpan for the WSM?

I understand that the temp will rise quicker and that you will use less fuel (to go along w/ ease of cleaning and a lack of a need to refill the pan halfway through a cook). Is that accurate? Anything else I should look out for?

Eric
 
With sand, it will be very hard to correct any downswing in temp control. Why do you think you need sand to control temps in the WSM?
 
Smoked said:
With sand, it will be very hard to correct any downswing in temp control. Why do you think you need sand to control temps in the WSM?
Click to expand...

I did my first sand cook yesterday and I had that issue but I guess if you're use to it it will work.
 
Sand is my preferred method for all of the reasons mentioned in the original post.

Water drains a lot of energy during the cook that is otherwise focused on the meat with sand in the pan. There is more than enough humidity without water. Adding aromatics to the water does nothing to benefit the meat IMO.
 
I use gravel over sand... Works pretty good.

Cheers
 
I've been using sand since I got my WSM's and love it. I use lump charcoal and get quick response times both heating up and cooling down. With briquettes it can be a real bear to bring the temps down. It makes for easy cleanup. Have never felt a need to change up this method it works so well for me.
 
I just foil the water pan with about 3 layers of foil (fold the seems together to prevent grease from leaking into the pan).
 
when using sand, how much sand? fill the waterpan? halfway?

is it necessary for the sand to be bone dry? I have a bag of playground sand that I purchased to use in the waterpan but it's gotten condensation in the bag....
 
i agree with sand or anything but water. its too much a pain to clean or foil in advance. and half the time when i fill up the water when its gone, it ends up just getting under my foil job.

now making a hard foil pan that fits exactly in the wsm water pan, now thats an invention waiting to happen. who wants to help me develop that?
 
I use about 3" of sand. Clean up is a breeze and temp control hasn't been a problem. It does seem to run a tad hotter but it's easily adjusted by closing the botton two vents and the third vent I open it just a crack.
 
StellaBean said:
when using sand, how much sand? fill the waterpan? halfway?

is it necessary for the sand to be bone dry? I have a bag of playground sand that I purchased to use in the waterpan but it's gotten condensation in the bag....
Click to expand...

doesn't need to be bone dry. Plenty of condensation during the cook anyway.
 
I use the Brinkmann Charcoal Pan instead of the pan that came with the WSM (I think newer WSM's have deeper pans though). I fill mine halfway with sand to give plenty of room to catch drippings, yet also have plenty of sand to even out those temps.
 
snakyjake said:
Does the steam help add more smoke to the meat?
Click to expand...

No the steam does not. Some feel the steam helps keep the meat moist. I don't think it plays that big of role, the water is simply a heatsink same as sand, clay pots, gravel, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

KC Smoke
Chicken and 40 cloves
Replies
11
Views
958
KC Smoke
KC Smoke
T
New Backwoods Cabinet - How do I get more smoke flavor?
Replies
13
Views
785
snadamo
snadamo
geoff7877
BBQ Island Build
Replies
10
Views
669
geoff7877
geoff7877
Headgear
Shirley and Shirley
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
Bury Me In Smoke
B
W
Noob-ish Stick Burner Question
Replies
10
Views
721
Seefyre
Seefyre
Back
Top