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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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11-14-2012, 10:00 AM | #16 | |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 03-15-12
Location: Flushing, Queens NYC
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Bubba Grill Super Cooker. Bringing Carolina Whole Hog BBQ to NYC www.arrogantswine.com |
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11-14-2012, 11:45 AM | #17 |
Take a breath!
Join Date: 08-22-12
Location: Rockaway New Jersey
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When using sand, do you dump it after each cook? cover it with foil? I'm thinking otherwise the drippings would make it nasty.
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11-14-2012, 12:38 PM | #18 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-03-12
Location: Chanute, KS
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I am an empty pan type. I used water the first couple of times but went dry once and never turned back. I have found the WSM is just as stable without water and it gives me a wider range of temps to work with. The only issue I might have problems with would be lower temps for cold smoking. Then I would probably add water to the pan.
For the ones wanting to use water and cannot get the higher temps. There is a mod out there that props your firebox door open and that will help with the higher temps with water. SPRFree - As far as the sand I have never done it but I am pretty sure they cover it with foil after they have added it to the pan.
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22.5" WSM 22.5" OTS w/Smokenator [B][COLOR=Purple]Super Fast[/COLOR][/B] [B][COLOR=Purple]Purple Thermapen [/COLOR][/B]Maverick ET-732 |
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Thanks from:---> |
11-14-2012, 12:48 PM | #19 | |
is Blowin Smoke!
Join Date: 04-13-12
Location: On Lake Michigan
Name/Nickname : ...
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Humphrey Battle Box | WSM | Grilla Chimp | Weber Q1200 |
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11-14-2012, 12:55 PM | #20 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 10-06-10
Location: Austin, TX
Name/Nickname : Roger
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It's only a safety valve against high temps if you consider cooking at 300 degrees a failure. It's not failing at all no matter what some so called experts say. Using water with kingsford, it's difficult if not impossible to maintain 300+ in a WSM or UDS. So any type of hot n fast cook is out of the question.
Now if you feel you can't make good BBQ cooking at higher temps, water is for you. For me, it's a waste of fuel energy in any cooker.
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22.5" WSM nicknamed Fuel Hog! Rescued 22.5" OTS. 18.5" OTS. SJS Mini-WSM. Building UDS ver 2.0. HEB briqs (rebranded Royal Oak). Pecan/Hickory/Cherry/Apple/Peach woods. 2016 Fuji Absolute 2.0 LE (for burning off all the great BBQ) |
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11-14-2012, 01:44 PM | #21 | |
is Blowin Smoke!
Join Date: 04-13-12
Location: On Lake Michigan
Name/Nickname : ...
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Quote:
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Humphrey Battle Box | WSM | Grilla Chimp | Weber Q1200 |
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11-14-2012, 01:51 PM | #22 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 10-14-09
Location: Kalispell, Montana
Name/Nickname : Head KnucklHed
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I'm running a Cajun Bandit modded 22.5 kettle and have been wondering about this whole question since I started using it this summer. The CB uses a large pan like the WSM, and I've always run it with water.
I've heard/read all of the suggestions here before, but still left with this... When I cook 4 packers or 6 butts in it, I end up with several cups of fat combined with meat juice and rub in the water pan - if/when I've let the pan run out of water, the fat burns (I don't like that flavor on my meat) and sticks to the pan really bad. If I just foil line the pan, won't I still have the same problem of fat burning (clean up would be easier tho) how does everyone prevent fat from burning? if you use foiled sand, eventually the sand will come up to temp and burn the fat, right?
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1967' Int'l Harvester M1100 Food Truck, 220ci 6cyl - 5' ABS Judge - Plethora of Weber Kettles - 2 WSM 22.5's – Bunch of Thermapen Mk's - 36” BlackStone - 3 Bayou Classic Fryers - Ice Cold Kegerator “We shall throw our bacon wrapped all beef justice upon the wooden skewers of truth to be held on high and let them know that we will not stand for this.” ~Butz |
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11-14-2012, 02:08 PM | #23 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 08-11-03
Location: St. Louis
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I've used them all. I've settled on the terra cotte pot base. Allows for low and slow and hot and fast. Easy to clean (pull it out, scrape with paint scraper). I drilled a small hole in the bottom of my water pan that lets anything that accumulates there drain out.
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Neil -- "Easy Bake Master" NB Bandera [gone to heaven...conveniently located in Long Island, NY] Rebel 23, WSM A, WSM B, UDS, Easy Bake Oven Pork Pistols BBQ MOFO Illuminati MOINK...It's what's for linner. |
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11-14-2012, 02:29 PM | #24 |
Got Wood.
Join Date: 09-04-12
Location: Richmond VA
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I have been wondering about this myself. I always use water, but want to try going without. Will there be a tendancy for less stablization in temperatures?
Is the advantage of going without water being able to use less coal per hour? Thanks |
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11-14-2012, 04:04 PM | #25 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 10-06-10
Location: Austin, TX
Name/Nickname : Roger
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Greazy, it's all about catching temps on the way up and closing the supply of air to the coals at the right point. It's easy to cruise at 250 with no water, just have to know the right time throttle air intake. Lump will run hotter, so you close it off a bit earlier, briqs not so hot, so you can get away with cutting the air later in the process (and not close intakes quite as much).
On the issue with grease burning in the pan, people will place a terra cotta pan wrapped in foil on top of the empty foil wrapped water pan, so there is a buffer of air to keep the grease buildup from burning. Heck you could try putting some sand in the water pan, then stack the terra cotta pot on top for more of a buffer. Either way, it'll work better than a huge arse pan of water.
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22.5" WSM nicknamed Fuel Hog! Rescued 22.5" OTS. 18.5" OTS. SJS Mini-WSM. Building UDS ver 2.0. HEB briqs (rebranded Royal Oak). Pecan/Hickory/Cherry/Apple/Peach woods. 2016 Fuji Absolute 2.0 LE (for burning off all the great BBQ) |
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11-14-2012, 04:12 PM | #26 | |
is Blowin Smoke!
Join Date: 05-08-12
Location: Iowa
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Third cook, I put foil wrapped saucer in. Better, still messy. Bought a wide roll of foil and put a new sheet on before every cook.
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18.5" WSM ; 22" Kettle ; Weber E-330 ; Weber Q200 (for tailgating), Weber Performer |
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11-14-2012, 05:43 PM | #27 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 04-17-11
Location: Charlotte,NC
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I also tried a few different things to replace the water. I couldn't find a clay saucer big enough at any of the hardware stores and I seemed to be spastic about adjusting the vents using sand and I didn't want to use just a foiled pan because I wanted just a little more of a barrier between the grates and the fire but I do work in a fab shop and had one of the laser operators cut me a disk from 1/8th steel which fits inside my bowl, I just foil over it and for me it works better than anything else I tried, but catching the temps on the way up and being patient for the temps to stabalize between adjustments is really the key.
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WSM 22.5 - Chargriller pro |
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11-14-2012, 05:50 PM | #28 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 02-16-12
Location: Long Island, NY
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I used water the first year I had my 18 1/2" WSM. I now have a 22 1/2" model as well. I use a foiled clay flower pot base in the foiled water pan in both WSMs. I find it much better.
Bob
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"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin | [COLOR=RoyalBlue][COLOR=Red]Weber[/COLOR] 18 1/2" & 22 1/2" WSM[/COLOR], [COLOR=SeaGreen]22 1/2" & 26 3/4" OTG[/COLOR][COLOR=DimGray][COLOR=Black],[/COLOR] [COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]Genesis S-330[/COLOR][/COLOR] |[COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Black]|[/COLOR] BBQ Guru CyberQ WiFi [/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkOrange]Maverick ET-732[/COLOR] | [COLOR=Gray]Gray Thermapen[/COLOR] | |
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11-14-2012, 06:05 PM | #29 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 06-18-12
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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i water the first couple of times, then went dry. i cook hot n fast most of the time, so not being able to get the temp above 270 was frustrating. haven't tried sand or a pot base and probably won't.
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