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bean pot

  • Thread starter Thread starter chathorne
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chathorne

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ok i got a nice cast iron pot for beans and such

found it at a friends in the attic of his shed RUSTED bad
but i'm gonna clean it and cure it

now i know that some of you guys use water some use sand , i know it's just a heat sink(still not sure bout that)

pot is bout 14" round bout 6"-8" tall with a lid gonna put it in the bottom of the smoke chamber

but would you guys still put the water pan in the bottom ?
or say the hell with the water pan and just use the bean pot full of beans) as a heat sink and spray ?
 
great question

I plan on doing a big ass pot of beans on Thanksgiving, so I need the answer to this too.

Just thinking out loud, I think if I do use it in place of the water pan, I need to support it somehow about 2 inches off the bottom, just like the water pan height, since the baffle will still need to throw air under it to disperse. Otherwise, straight up the side if the pot sits on the floor.

Secondly, and this answer will answer whether or not you can do it, is there too much heat hitting the side of the cast iron pot when you are right next to the firebox like that. The pot might have to be turned a few times, and the side by the opening might get burned.

So if it gets too hot, the answer will be to put in the water pan, with the beans right above them.

Wait, I just answered my own question. Since you are really only reheating the beans and adding smoke flavor through stirring, you don't need that high of a temperature, so I think it might go up higher in the box. Chili, on the other hand, you might want to cook a little hotter to cook the meat thoroughly.

Just my 2 pennies.

Someone else (with experience and not just me babbling) chime in on this.

Already planning my Turkey Day feast!!
 
I've made both chile and beans......Both in the existing water pan, and in a dutch oven in place of the pan. Prepare it inside, get it hot, then bring outside to finish cooking and pick up some smoke.

If you want to cook IN the existing water pan, move it up 2 notches. Its thin, so stuff can burn easy once they thicken like beans & chile do. Those railings that the water pan sits on... move. Just move them up. We forget they come off cause we never touch em.

I also use a dutch oven like the one Al sold. I remove the water pan, and put the dutch oven on a rack just ABOVE the opening to the firebox. It works at that lower level for beans until they start to thicken up, then move it 2-3 levels higher up so they dont burn to the pot. No need for a water pan here, unless your just looking to heat and downt want to keep having to stir.

Usually, when just cooking with the water pan I put my fire next to the opening. Who cares if the water boils, but I found that if Im using a dutch oven on the bottom in place of the waterpan, I make the fire on the far side of the firebox, then stuff doesnt have a tendancy to burn from getting whacked with the flame, its just with heat.
 
far side, meaning close to the side door, or far side meaning close to the opening to the smoke chamber.

Assume its the side door, but want to be sure
 
Far side meaning far away from the opening to the cookchamber... as close to the damper as feasible. Keeps the direct heat from the bottom of the pot. I know some of us(like colt), always puts there fire there.. but i usually butt it up against the wall to the cookchamber.
 
Thanks Bro.

Now i just got to season the farking thing.
 
I used the Cast Iron pot filled with 5.5 inches of water and Turkey bones and sitting on the fire bricks in place of the water pan. I won't do this again! Took hours to get smoke chamber temp above 120 F. Also had a 12.5 lb brisket @32 F.

Had to toss turkey "soup" never got hot enough to remove meat from bones! :oops:
 
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