Nada in the WSM Pan!

[thunter]

I am home this afternoon cooking a couple of butts for an office lunch tomorrow. I decided not to use anything in the WSM water pan. I foiled it and put an extra layer of foil on top of it to catch drippings. It may be me but it seems much easier to control the temps this way. I have one butt on each rack and they are both running the same internal temp almost exactly. I got the smoker up to 250*, put the meat on, threw on some wood and the temp recovered 250* very quickly. I close the bottom vents to 50%, the temp stabilized at 240* in the lid (225* at the grate) and that is where it have been for hours! Easy peasy! I like this way. I may never go back to water again. Oh, and I am using the new K for fuel.

 

[icemn62]

Seems like somebody is having fun today, and a group of people will enjoy the fun you are having today. Will there be any pics?

 

[seth711]

I too love no water in the wsm pan. I think that the temprature adjustments are a lot more responsive due to the lack of the huge thermal mass of water thats in there. I have better fuel usage and I have not noticed any drier meat from the lack of water. I am a natorious fiddler and canoot stand temprature swings. I have even made the jump recently to lump, with no water pan and a guru and I am never going back.......

 

[hrchdog]

We need pics! Hope it turns out like you want. Almost done with my new smoker Tony.

 

[tigger]

My only concern would be the potential of a grease fire...This speaking from experience.

 

[thunter]

Yep, pics are coming! I am waiting until my first basting before I put some up.

Wes, I cant wait to see the finished product. I am going to go back to your link to see more pics.

 

[thunter]

My only concern would be the potential of a grease fire...This speaking from experience.

Tigger,

I never even considered that, but I dont think I have to worry because the top layer of foil is depressed fairly deep. I dont think there will be any spillage; but it never hurts to be watchful. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[tigger]

Things were OK until I took the lid off......On the upside the flames did add the bark that we all so desperately try to get, well on the bottonm side of the meat.

 

[The_Kapn]

Tony--My WSM has never had water in the drip pan and sand only once.
I use a double wrap of HD alum foil and cook away.
My last cook, I tried the trick of putting the second layer on with a couple of inches air space under it.
WRONG!!!
Greasy mess with the real potential for a grease fire.
With the foil tight on the bottom--the drippings just burn up and produce that extra great smoke cook flavor :lol:

Side note--my Dera has not had a pan of any kind in it for 15 months.
Works wonderful also. :lol:

TIM

 

[Bigmista]

No water pan in my barrel and it works great.

 

[thunter]

I just did my first basting 7 hours into the cook. My temp has been holding at 225* for the 98% of the cook. The other 2% was the initial tweaking to get the temp stable at the beginning of the cook. You gotta love the WSM, especially with nothing in the pan. Again, I just double wrapped the pan in heavy duty foil and put an extra layer of foil on to catch any drippings. This is absolutely great! I feel like I have a new smoker - I never putting anything else in the pan.

Here are some pics so far, more will follow...

Here is the raw product; two 7.5 lb. butts. Pic 1 is the packed goods, pic 2 is the untrimmed victims and pic 3 is the trimmed and happy campers!


Here is the rubbed product...


This is a glory shot of Miss Piggy in action! What can I say, she a big ham! Pun intended! :lol:


Here are the butts 7 hours into the cook and just before my first basting. Looking good in the hood!


I will post more pics tomorrow.

 

[Kirk]

My last cook, I tried the trick of putting the second layer on with a couple of inches air space under it.
WRONG!!!
Greasy mess with the real potential for a grease fire.

Really Tim? I do this for every high-temp cook and have never had any problems. I leave about 1 - 1 1/2 inches of airspace between the foil and the bottom of the pan. Even with a ring of fully lit lump it's never looked like it's in danger of flaring up. I've never had enough grease dripping so as to fill it to overflowing and once it's cool I crumble up the foil and throw it away. No futher cleanup required. I used this method to speed-cook a few small butts recently. Worked great!

 

[Brauma]

I dont have a WSM but I'll add my 2 cents anyway. I figure the engineers or maybe the drunk red necks who invented the Bandera and all other water smokers put the water pan in the design for a reason. So I use it mainly to add moisture. The thermal mass effect is just a kicker for me. When I smoke my garlic I put dry sand in the pan because I dont want moisture added.

Thing is, Im not a Myth Buster so Ive never tried to scientifically debunk the moisture or thermal mass theories.

If no water in the pan works for you and you like it, Smoke on Brother! We're here to make good Q have fun and thats all that counts. I'll continue to put water in my pan along with beer and herbs and whatever else I feel like experiementing with on that particular day. Enjoy your WSM. From what I understand they are the cat's ass of bullet smokers.

 

[kcquer]

The last time I cooked on my BSKD was late last summer at a local non-sanctioned charity cookoff. I was running all 3 cookers, cooking both contest foods and sample stuffs for the benefit.
No advance plan to experiment that day but sometimes chit just happens. I got busy and just forgot to put water in the waterpan. I cooked 4 racks of ribs, sausages and a couple bushels of chicken wings in the BSKD that day and it never worked better for me.

If I get a wild hair to cook on it again, I'll try it without water, on purpose this time.

 

[FatDad]

I dont have a WSM but I'll add my 2 cents anyway. I figure the engineers or maybe the drunk red necks who invented the Bandera and all other water smokers put the water pan in the design for a reason.

ROTFLMAO.......... Engineers love to experiment
and they want to know what fails so they can invent the next
phase 2.

Very good answer Brauma........

 

[thunter]

Hey y'all,

The butts got done at 7:30a this morning - that would be 18 hours of cooking. I used hickory wood on the new Kingsford.

This is butt #1. It got to and internal temp of 200* on the top grate...


This is butt #2. It got to and internal temp of 204* on the bottom grate...


I will take my last pic after I pull them at the office this afternoon.

Tony

 

[thunter]

Success!!!!! Everything went great at the office lunch today. I pulled the pork right here in front of everybody and they so hungry afterwards that they jumped right in; so, I did not get a pretty pic of the two butts pulled. Oh yeah, its all gone now too, except for the little bit I am taking home for a snack or two.

The people were raving and you could smell the Q on all over this floor even out into the hallways and elevators!

I invited the top managers and directors (as a courtesy of course) and they actually came! They loved it so much that they even kicked around the idea of me doing the next department picnic! What a day! I am going to sleep very well tonight!

 

[kickassbbq]

If you try a smoke with water and then one without water, you'll probably find the water is a waste of time and a mess to clean up. Done it both ways on MANY occassions and could never tell the difference. If there isn't enough moisture in your meat already, water in a pan ain't gonna help. IMHO.
If ya like that water, go for it. If I want more moisture in my meat, I INJECT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Smoke On!!!!!!
ed

 

[ThomEmery]

No water pan in my barrel and it works great.

X2 Bro.

 

[Solidkick]

Congrats on a great cook!

They loved it so much that they even kicked around the idea of me doing the next department picnic!

And thus...this is how it begins.........word of advise....be sure you cover you're expenses and trouble.......