SC_Dave
Knows what a fatty is.
Son has one but I am curious. Can you cook without the water pan? Like we do who have a UDS?
SC
SC
The water pan is (IMO) most useful for those learning the tricks and nuances of temperature control. Since water boils at 212°F it keeps temperature from going too much higher than that. OTOH if you want higher temps, water in the pan is not your friend. My recommendation is for new owners to follow the directions until they get the hang of things. If you have experience with a UDS this is not necessary.
I will note that Aaron Franklin uses a water pan in an offset in his videos and I am reluctant to suggest that I know better than him (because I don't!)
I tried it once on a cool fall day (low 50s/upper 40s) and breezy, and I could not get the temp above 150 or so, even with a full load of coals and a DigiQ running constantly. I can't say for sure that the empty water pan was the culprit, but now I fill it 2/3 of the way with playground sand and block the wind. Temp holds steady, even in single-digit temps.
My thought is that, once it is a temp, the sand (or water) is a big 250 degree thing that helps to regulate the temp inside the smoker.
EDIT: I bet I could get away with no pan in, say, July when the outside temps are nice and warm.