WSM Water Pan

[pull_my_butt]

Hi Everyone,

I'm kind of getting tired of this water pan in the bullet. It's hard to clean up and there's no good place to dump the left-over water. What are some of you guys doing about this? Where are you dumping the left-over water? I killed a spot of grass dumping it there.

[Meatguyver]

I used to pour it down the garbage disposal. I now go with no water and foil the pan before using it.

[pull_my_butt]

I used to pour it down the garbage disposal. I now go with no water and foil the pan before using it.


Have you noticed a difference in how the meat turns out w/o the water in the pan?

[yakdung]

I would recommend a terra-cotta saucer that sits in the empty water pan. I use Super Strength Reynolds aluminum foil, foiling the empty water pan and the saucer. Great setup. :thumb:

[Harbormaster]

Some golf balls sized balls of foil in the pan, then cover the whole pan with foil.
When your cook is done, let the grease set up, take the foil and grease out and toss it.
Easy peasy.
Save the foil balls for your next cook. (I use crushed aluminum cans in mine).
Any difference in the meat? Nope. I just burn a lot less fuel. keeping that water hot requires a LOT of energy.

[DetTigersFan]

Just make a foil layer over the pan and don't bother with the water... You're right, it is a hassle to deal with.

[Joe Black]

When I first got my WSM a number of years ago, I used water for about 3 times, then sand a couple of times. I bought a clay saucer and used it for about 6 or 8 times. Since then,I used it dry with only foil on the pan to keep it clean. I actually got better temp control with the naked pan and used it that way for several years until I sold it.

[USMC]

Like others have said, just foil it. I use the clay pot saucer in the water bowl and foil across the top for easy clean up. Try it and if you don't like it, you can always go back to the water. Weber's claim is that it makes for more stable temps, but my temps are actually more stable without it for some reason.

[jjjonz]

I fought the dreaded leftover water clean up for about a year. Then just started foiling the pan and then no pan at all on most cooks .

[Meatguyver]

Have you noticed a difference in how the meat turns out w/o the water in the pan?

Yes difference was better bark, and higher temps. I decided to try it due to recommendations from the fellas and gals here. I also read Harry Soo's blog, been using his donut charcoal method too. Try it and be the judge

[Smoking Bruin]

Just make a foil layer over the pan and don't bother with the water... You're right, it is a hassle to deal with.

^ what he said

[krex1010]

I've been using nothing, no water, no pan, nothing between the meat and coals, I guess I might use some kind of heat shield if I need to use the lower rack or if I don't want fat dripping in the coals.

[Jeff H]

I've been using nothing, no water, no pan, nothing between the meat and coals, I guess I might use some kind of heat shield if I need to use the lower rack or if I don't want fat dripping in the coals.

I've been using an empty pan for a while, but yesterday was my first cook with no pan at all. Worked great for turkey at a higher temp. Need to try on pork next to get the feel for how it does on a longer cook but I think it will be fine.

The issue now: where to store the pan since I'm not using it. :wink:

[TosaJake]

What Harbormaster says

[RDOwens]

Another clay saucer guy here. I wrap everything individually and then the pan and the saucer together with two layers of HD Reynolds wrap. Like someone above stated, I remove the outer layer of foil and toss it and then re-wrap.

Every now and then I re-wrap everything as grease does seep through the layers somehow.

I haven't had water in either of the WSMs in the seven years I've owned them.

[Dmakkk]

Agree with the no water on the pan. Just wrap in foil

[THoey1963]

Another vote for no water, just foil up the water pan. I have a planter base also wrapped inside and this helps with heat stabilization. I throw a cheap aluminum turkey roasting pan on top to catch most of the drippings.

I remove the pan completely for high temp cooks like chicken.