Water pan???

[Otis857]

This may sound like a dumb question, but I'll get a few of those in from time to time. My Masterbuilt has a water pan, as do most upright smokers that I know of. My old stick burner, an offset, didnt use one. I've seen no reference to anyone using a water pan in a pellet smoker, but would there be any real benefit to using one? I see plenty of Youtube videos of extra juicy meat coming out of pellet smokers, which may make this a moot point, but I've also taken out some dry meat out of my Masterbuilt even with a water pan.

I used a mix of apple juice, beer and whatever else came to mind in my Masterbuilt water pan. Whether it really did impart any flavor to the meat, I dont know. I also know it doubles as a heat sink, and some have filled their water pans up with sand just for the heat sink purpose alone.

[Richtee]

Water pans are mainly a temp regulation thing... keeping temps down. The evap of the water removes heat from the surrounding air. I think it's pointless to put anything but water in the pans... most any "flavoring" is not gonna come out much in the steam. Perhaps some aromatics...like rosemary might have some small effect.

by filling with sand you get a heat "holder" and higher cooking temps. The "holder" part helps when you open the unit to do whatever..it helps get it back to temp faster.

[tenacious bee]

All kinds of opinions on this. My take is it serves as heat sink on the uprights more so than adding moisture. Most uprights like my ECB are fairly compact so a buffer between the coals and food is pretty much a must. Especially when using the bottom rack. I don't know enough about thermodynamics to be certain but I am thinking very little moisture from the pan will make into the meat. Plus the water cooks off . That means opening the smoker to refill. That means dealing with temp spikes. The sand will do a great job as a heat sink while needing no tending during the cook. My dry meat issues are always a result of overcooking and or not brining or marinating. That's my $.002 .

EDT: See above. He knows a bit about thermodynamics.

[Otis857]

Thanks Rich & TB. I listen to everyone's $0.02.

I do know that the steaming from the water pan has made for a slightly soggier bark on long smokes, and I was never really convinced that any flavor was really added to the meat by using apple juice. Guess I was following the crowd on that and I should trust my instincts more often.

[Walking Dude]

yeap, heat sink. I have used sand, covered with foil, river stone, etc. just to keep heat close to smoke temp, for when you open up smoker.

[Walking Dude]

I do know that the steaming from the water pan has made for a slightly soggier bark on long smokes,

never had that problem

[ALX]

Depends on smoker IMO.........A reverse flow double insulated upright like a Backwoods is going to have a much different effect with water then say a Webber smoker mountain upright/direct style smoker......

My older brother always filled his WSM with Mickeys beer in pan........not sure if it imparted much,but we would get drunk on the leftover beer.....

[DDave]

I don't know enough about thermodynamics to be certain but I am thinking very little moisture from the pan will make into the meat.

Actually zero percent of the moisture from the pan will make it into the meat.

The moisture content of the meat is already much higher than that of the air. Cooking it in a humid (steamy) atmosphere can only slow the rate at which the meat loses moisture. It can't add moisture to the meat.

Unless of course at the beginning of the cook, the moisture content of the meat was below the moisture content of the air. In that case, at some point the meat and the cooking atmosphere would reach EMC or equilibrium moisture content. But that would be unusual and, I'm betting, not very tasty.

The only way to add moisture to the meat would be brining or injecting.

Dave

[Bearcarver]

I'm in the "Heat Sink" only camp, at least for my MES Watt Burners.

I tried Beer, Apple Juice, and a few other things, including water, but I got no flavor from it, and all I got was a little quicker recovery if I open the door.

Most of the time mine is empty, but covered with foil.
I do leave it in though, because I figure the MES was designed to have it in, and they tell you to always have your pan in place, even if it's empty.

My 2 pennies,
Bear

[Richtee]

Unless of course at the beginning of the cook, the moisture content of the meat was below the moisture content of the air.

At that point..what IS your jerky doing BACK in the smoker?

[crusty ol salt]

pack it with sand cover it in foil and call it a heat sink... at least thats what works for me...

[ALX]

It can make a difference sometimes if you look at your smoker like a pressure cooker....wont make a lick of difference on a UDS or WSM...MES deal................

[Hippy]

= heat deflector. ..........Pellet burners got them built in

[Otis857]

Thanks for the discussion. I'm trying to get some friends to take the Masterbuilt off my hands cheap when the Yoder arrives, so I guess its just background info for me now. If I cant hock it to a friend, I guess it gets condemned to Craigslist Hell

[gwapogorilla]

Rich nailed it. You won't have any problems with the Yoder, I can't believe how moist the meat is comint off that thing.