Usually, in a vertical cooker of some kind, particularly a wood-fired cooker, the fire is directly under the food you're cooking. It’s not uncommon to end up with about 1-1/2 cups of drippings. As water in the pan boils, water vapor fills the cooking chamber and surrounds the meat. Stand back from the cooker and wear long barbecue gloves to protect your arms. It takes a lot of energy to heat water to the boiling point of 212°F at which point it turns into steam. I tried a mixture of Fresca, tequila, and olive oil, but it didn't appear to affect the flavor of the meat much. Injury from hot water and/or steam is possible if pan is not used properly. Poultry skin turns out soft, not crispy, when cooked in the presence of water. This fat will be the first thing to overflow into the hot coals if the pan is overfilled, potentially causing a grease fire…another reason to take care when refilling the pan. Are we wasting our time? If you are using a smoker you will want to put the 2-3 liters of water, beer, apple juice or wine in the water pan. I always change my foil out before every cook. How? Some folks scoff at the notion of doing anything beyond just rinsing out the pan after each use, but I like to run a “clean machine” and keeping the pan clean is important to me. I know that some people swear by alternative fillings and water pan substitutes, but several competition barbecue teams have proved that you can make championship barbecue in the Weber Bullet with an empty, foil-lined pan. The pan catches the drippings that would otherwise hit the coals and flare up to create the taste that some people associate with grilled meat, not barbecued meat. If you like the results and you’re comfortable with the process, don’t feel like you have to change anything. To collect pan drippings when smoking a turkey, cook the turkey on the top cooking grate. (Mims, Fl.). As a new owner, your most important objective is to get some success under your belt and feel confident in controlling cooker temperature. And if it's hot outside and the smoker is getting to warm, adding cold water will help keep the smoker temperature where you want it. On the coldest winter days, you may want to use hot water to help keep the cooker temperature up. The water pan is suspended by the four grill straps at the bottom of the middle cooking section. I put it on the grill above the deflectors. If there is a lot of meat in there. But here’s my advice after many years of experience with this cooker. These include: Despite these things, I still believe that the advantages of using water outweigh the disadvantages for new WSM users trying to maintain “low & slow” cooker temps in the 225-275°F range. When you foil the inside of the pan, water can get past the foil and into the pan through pinholes, small tears or seams created when piecing together two pieces of foil. Two disposal aluminum serving pans stacked together filled with water. When filling the pan, make sure to keep the water level below the foil. In a vertical smoker like the Weber Bullet, an indirect cooking environment is achieved by using the water pan as a physical barrier between the meat and the heat. Water level must be checked and refilled. When heated, the water under the foil can expand up and over the edge of the pan and into the fire, making a mess in the charcoal bowl and sometimes causing a funky smell. Cold Water In The Pan, How Often To Check And Refill The Water Pan, Disposing Of Water/Grease And Pan Cleanup, Foiling The Pan To Collect Drippings For Turkey Gravy. Finally, I do sometimes fill the water pan with other things but generally when I'm cooking indirectly (but not smoking) such as fruit juice. This temp range is often used when barbecuing high-heat versions of chicken, turkey, brisket, pork butt and tri-tip. Fill it once at the beginning and you’re done. It doesn't get crazy hot but does in fact create moisture as it steams and evaporates. The goal is usually to create a heat sink that helps moderate cooker temperatures but does not evaporate like water and cleans up easily after cooking. Location Of Pan In The Smoker. Water vapor can also keep meat moist and prevent it from drying out. So, if doesn't help with your cook, what does a water pan do? Don’t worry about the negative things some people say about using water in your smoker (e.g. This video demonstrates the safety tips for using water that are described in this section. To achieve cooker temperatures in the 325-375°F range, you must leave the water pan empty. My advice: Drink your beer and use plain tap water in the pan. This may be especially helpful for tough cuts like brisket and pork butt, but poultry skin may turn out soft, not crispy, when smoked in the presence of water. If you insist on wrapping the inside of the pan with foil, use a single sheet of wide, heavy-duty aluminum foil whenever possible, and inspect carefully for small holes or tears.