when i designed the "great northern manifold" for my brinkmann/charbroil offset, i deliberately made sure there would be room on the primary manifold to accomodate a waterpan:
i even went so far as to move the handle back far enough so that one would fit, even though it resulted in the handle being slightly off the center of balance.
this, of course, was a sentimental nod toward my barbecue beginnings, using an ECB. i figured that it would be good to at least have the option there, in case i ever needed a little extra buffer of protection from direct heat, or to help stabilise temperatures a bit when using lump charcoal.
but, since getting the manifold, i never actually USED a water pan in there - i did my smoking "dry," and things seemed fine, so no need to change, and no real reason to speculate or fiddle with things....
at least not until recently, when i did go ahead and give the water pan a try. the decision to do so wasn't based on the considerations above, but rather because i got to reading a discussion about "wet bulb temperatures" and their effects on barbecue:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards....topic2373.html
(there's a link within the link above that is also worth reading)
anyway, i'll be the first to admit that i only understood about half of what i read, but it did get the wheels turning, and i reasoned that, as long as cooking temperatures are high enough to avoid the formation of creosote, a good amount of moisture might improve smoke penetration, smoke ring formation, texture and, ultimately, flavour.
so, with that in mind, i added boiling water to a large foil breadpan at the head of the manifold during my last two smokes (a pork butt and a picnic shoulder) and maintained my cooking temperatures well above 225 at all times (an average of 242). with both of these, i did perceive some significant improvements in the "smokiness" of the meat, in that it seemed sweeter-smelling and more wrap-around-your-mouth savory as if the smoke did penetrate better. no creosote problems, no "smoky ash tray" smells or tastes that my wife sometimes complains about. the meat was also good - juicy, tender and moist, but this is to be expected with pork shoulders and all of their juicy fat and collagen breaking down. I didn't really notice a huge improvement in the smoke ring itself, but then again, i wasn't really looking and comparing, either. i can tell you that one was there, for sure, and it was, at the very least, reasonably deep as any other i've done.
the next step in this journey will be to try it with ribs and, ultimately, a brisket, if my wife will ever let me buy one again (they're getting EXPENSIVE!).
any thoughts, observations or experiences from anyone else?
i even went so far as to move the handle back far enough so that one would fit, even though it resulted in the handle being slightly off the center of balance.
this, of course, was a sentimental nod toward my barbecue beginnings, using an ECB. i figured that it would be good to at least have the option there, in case i ever needed a little extra buffer of protection from direct heat, or to help stabilise temperatures a bit when using lump charcoal.
but, since getting the manifold, i never actually USED a water pan in there - i did my smoking "dry," and things seemed fine, so no need to change, and no real reason to speculate or fiddle with things....
at least not until recently, when i did go ahead and give the water pan a try. the decision to do so wasn't based on the considerations above, but rather because i got to reading a discussion about "wet bulb temperatures" and their effects on barbecue:
http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards....topic2373.html
(there's a link within the link above that is also worth reading)
anyway, i'll be the first to admit that i only understood about half of what i read, but it did get the wheels turning, and i reasoned that, as long as cooking temperatures are high enough to avoid the formation of creosote, a good amount of moisture might improve smoke penetration, smoke ring formation, texture and, ultimately, flavour.
so, with that in mind, i added boiling water to a large foil breadpan at the head of the manifold during my last two smokes (a pork butt and a picnic shoulder) and maintained my cooking temperatures well above 225 at all times (an average of 242). with both of these, i did perceive some significant improvements in the "smokiness" of the meat, in that it seemed sweeter-smelling and more wrap-around-your-mouth savory as if the smoke did penetrate better. no creosote problems, no "smoky ash tray" smells or tastes that my wife sometimes complains about. the meat was also good - juicy, tender and moist, but this is to be expected with pork shoulders and all of their juicy fat and collagen breaking down. I didn't really notice a huge improvement in the smoke ring itself, but then again, i wasn't really looking and comparing, either. i can tell you that one was there, for sure, and it was, at the very least, reasonably deep as any other i've done.
the next step in this journey will be to try it with ribs and, ultimately, a brisket, if my wife will ever let me buy one again (they're getting EXPENSIVE!).
any thoughts, observations or experiences from anyone else?
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