Do You Need Water In The Smoker Pan?

From GrateTV.com we answer an email on water and water pans in smokers. Plus using carrots in BBQ. Your GratePlate pictures and Kingsford has a new thermometer for the grill surface.
GrateTV is a weekly BBQ and Grill show airing weekly with hosts Jack Waiboer and Bill West
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[@AndreLederer]

Wow! This was soooo helpful! The person on the right is very well spoken and really knows his stuff! He said with ribs and chicken (smaller cooks/proteins) he will use a water pan but on larger cooks like brisket and pork butt he wont because their moisture content keeps the cooker environment humid enough. This is experience talking! I'm going to start using a water pan on my ribs and chicken. This is simply excellent!

[@SAK59]

Awesome show! Thanks for all the great tips.

[@TangoSpiceCompany]

Great to see you guys again, always a lot of good info in your videos!

[@danr5239]

This was a very helpful video. But I think it’s funny they’re talking about carrots being healthy at the same time drinking a beer! 👍👍

[@mybipolarsucks6051]

Water pan or no water pan
When you don't have your smoker properly seasoned it causes rust in the inside from the moisture.
So then, all of the contamination from the wood sticks to the rusty smoker walls. And you taste that.
When you think you do have it properly seasoned the smoke will still eventually dry and burn the oiled seasoning on the walls, and not properly work.
The water pan will help keep the oil seasoning on the inside of the smoker moist, like a lubricant. It will help heat travel through and out rather than smoke sticking to the inside and making food taste like burnt up oil from the inner walls.
The water pan will keep the meat moist.
It will also make the taste difference because the juices are not being sucked out by just smoke. The juice sits in and on the meat.
Make sense? Or am I talking out my ass?
That's what happens when you're smoking food and have nothing to do.
I use a water pan.

[@t-mac6061]

hey ya good old boys, I want a good offset cooker like a Yoder but people keep on trying to talk me into Weber Mountain. just doesn't seem as fun

[@CaptGus]

Lol, Just found you guys, I live in Mount Pleasant by the old village, Just side fire box smoker from Lowe’s the other day and smoked my first brisket yesterday. It came out great. But I have to say the firebox is a son of a gun. Gonna have to use I wood for sure from now on for briskets. And where do you get your hardwood splits from around here.

[@BarbecueTricks]

Jack has some friends/ contacts. For splits... easiest to get Chunks ( vs. chips) at Walmart or similar store.

[@HeetXS]

Here I'll shorten it for you, if you have a shit smoker that leaks smoke too much the moisture of the meat leaks with it, the water pan is an old timers fix for this. IF you have a smoker that seals well, you dont need it. This is also why some dudes wrap it in foil for an hour or so.

[@carlitocash]

Thanks

[@ElCajoia]

Thanks for this, as a rookie I need all the help I can get.

[@BarbecueTricks]

Appreciate the comment- just experiment and have fun with the grill / smoker / BBQ

[@jaycharles9548]

I have used a pellet grill for many years and I have gotten great results and have never used a water pan. This brings me to my question / recent failure. I recently purchased an Electric Smoker and everyone says that you have to use the water pan. I did so and both my ribs and butt were total failures , tough , far from being the “fall off the bone” that I’m use to achieving. I should mention that it was also raining ALL day long while I was cooking. Is there such thing as too much moisture while cooking ? My ribs and butt were tough like they had been steamed.

[@BarbecueTricks]

I don’t think empty or full water pan would matter that much... I might test this but doubt it would change texture of anything

[@hopediamond8010]

I made the mistake of spending 120$ on meat and had it wrapped in foil ... Made my meat tough but the next time I smoked it without foil and it was falling off the bone and delicious.. I used water in the pan both times

[@pattifaucher4223]

Where does the water pan go in a smoker. First lava rock than wood chips than water?

[@BarbecueTricks]

There is usually a bowl you can fill just below the grate

[@binzsta86]

What kind of beer you guys drinking?

[@bigglefty75]

looks like there drinking Bohemia which is a Mexican dark beer- good stuff

[@barelymakingit79]

Modelo Especial and it is a Mexican beer

[@bunkelops]

Negra Modelo

[@cyrusdavirus007]

audio is too low

[@tbillyjoeroth]

Brine the meat.

[@juliankirby9880]

No, you don’t need water in the water pan, but it really helps with temperature control. I guessed right!