Jason Batters Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 Hi all. Seen lots of people advising putting sand in the water pan of a bullet smoker. Apart from the fact it doesn't need refilling, what's the pro's and con's of sand vs water? Cheers, Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 Hi Jason The water/sand tray in the bullet smoker is predominantly there for temperature control. It helps smooth out any heat spikes from the fire before it reaches the food in the cooking chamber. I use water if I am smoking at about 110 C but I use sand if I am cooking hotter so as to avoid refilling. To be honest though I don't notice any difference in the end result for the food when using water or sand. If you are smoking something for a longtime that will drip fat or juices then sand is the cleaner option. Meat juices in the water pan when it dries out can make a real mess in the bowl. If you are using sand then you can just throw the top layer out and replace it with clean sand next time. If using sand you do need to make sure that you are using a washed sand as some of the builders sands can have quite a strong smell. Something like play pit sand or kiln dried sand are ideal. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Batters Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 Thanks wade. I figured the water didn't really add any moisture to a cook. Do you think sand or water helps keep the temp down best? I had sand in the other day and was struggling to get temp up to where I needed, so took the tray out and it leapt 40F immediately at the cooking surface level. Had the other problem then of closing all the vents down to keep temp low. Fire/temp management is fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 Hi Jason The water/sand bowl is not really about keeping the temperature down - the air control over the coals does this. It is more about evening out the heat that is produced by the fire before it reaches the cooking chamber. The sand acts like the bricks in a storage heater - absorbing heat from underneath and then radiating it back out again. The water will actually absorb some of the heat though as it turns from water into water vapour giving additional stability which is why I use water when I am cooking at the lower temperatures. As well as acting as a heat buffer the water bowl will also act as a baffle reflecting a lot of the direct heat from the coals. This leaves the circulating hot air to heat the cooking chamber. When you take out the water bowl you will then get the radiating heat from the coals reaching the cooking grate directly and so it is not surprising that you saw the 40 F rise. Yes learning the quirks of temperature management in your different smokers can be a challenge at first. Patience is important though when bringing it up to temperature and it is important to resist the temptation to keep opening up the lid. One thing to remember is that it is easier to raise the temperature than it is to lower it again after it has overshot. Wade 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 I've personally felt that meat done with water in the pan came out with less dried out bark. I can't imagine that the moisture of the steam doesn't have any effect on the finished meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 One of the by products of the combustion of the fuel is water and so there is already a lot of moisture in the form of water vapour passing through the cooking chamber with the smoke. I have tried cooking with and without water in the water pan and have noticed no real difference. I guess it could depend on what you are cooking and how it is being cooked. Larger slabs of meat I will usually foil after about 3 hours so the moisture content in the smoker is not really an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motocrash Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 I agree with Genevieve.There is undoubtedly moisture/humidity added to the smoker by using liquid in the pan.I use liquid when cooking lean meats and poultry,not so much for fattier meats as they are self basting from the breakdown of fats and collagen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaza the Instructor Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 The so called experts, whoever they are say that water in the pan does not affect the moisture content in your food. Some are using Lava Rock in the pan and covering with Tinfoil.That like the Sand makes sense for keeping temps level and ease of cleaning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggy Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 I will tell everyone to ditch the water pan every time. Get a 2-3 mm steel disc to replace. I will never go back to a water pan in my wsm.. in fact I have just ordered a disc for my newly acquired callow. I honestly don’t think a water pan adds anything but trouble to a smoker. A thick disc is a very reliable heat sink and keeps temps incredibly stable, ok it takes a while to heat up but can be assisted via blow torch or even cooker ring if you’re in such a rush.( need good gloves ) Doesn’t need cleaning either 😉 unless you wanna preheat on your cooker I guess, never done it myself. Today I cooked 2 brisket joints of around £12 each size on my wsm .. took around 9 hours but as a last minute thing I cooked some cheese and chilli stuffed mushrooms with barely any charcoal left due to the disc holding it’s heat. Cooked great. I add fluid via sprays and brush on sauces, never let me down yet!! I think a lot of this water pan stuff is an American over the top thing as I’ve not found any reason to need it in quit a few years of bbq’ ing. It’s all about learning your equipment and doing what works for you!!! But then I’m an idiot that knows nothing but cooks great bbq for me and mine multiple times a week 😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaza the Instructor Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 first cook tomorrow with a heat shield on the WSM also insulated door and top. Most of all using a Tip Top Temp jobbie let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin39 Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Im using a 1.5 mm stainless steel baffle across the bottom of my offset, varying the gaps , it held heat well and the variation from left to right was only 5'f which is the best so far. And our £7.0 brisket came out ok, only used 3 chimneys full of bricket/lumpwood mix over 8hours And the temp dropped a lot slower than without the baffle plates👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggy Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 12 minutes ago, Gaza the Instructor said: first cook tomorrow with a heat shield on the WSM also insulated door and top. Most of all using a Tip Top Temp jobbie let you know. Why the insulation? Just curious.. I have the mid sized WSM and have changed nothing other than the heat sink (disc) today’s cook used just over half a bag of heat beads approx 2-2.5 kilo. Hear a lot of problems regarding door but mine seems fine as is 🤷♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaza the Instructor Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 Yes its the door and around the base of the lid. My WSM is about 13 years old and well used. These leaks have got worse over the last 5 or6. A bit of this tape bought off Ebay for £5 should cure. Also running baffle plate and tip top temp today. 4 racks of ribs 3-2-1 method using own rub Jack Daniels sauce and Butchers paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaza the Instructor Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 by the way mine is a 22", wish it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valve90210 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 On 7/11/2020 at 7:30 PM, Sluggy said: I will tell everyone to ditch the water pan every time. Get a 2-3 mm steel disc to replace. I will never go back to a water pan in my wsm.. in fact I have just ordered a disc for my newly acquired callow. I honestly don’t think a water pan adds anything but trouble to a smoker. A thick disc is a very reliable heat sink and keeps temps incredibly stable, ok it takes a while to heat up but can be assisted via blow torch or even cooker ring if you’re in such a rush.( need good gloves ) Doesn’t need cleaning either 😉 unless you wanna preheat on your cooker I guess, never done it myself. Today I cooked 2 brisket joints of around £12 each size on my wsm .. took around 9 hours but as a last minute thing I cooked some cheese and chilli stuffed mushrooms with barely any charcoal left due to the disc holding it’s heat. Cooked great. I add fluid via sprays and brush on sauces, never let me down yet!! I think a lot of this water pan stuff is an American over the top thing as I’ve not found any reason to need it in quit a few years of bbq’ ing. It’s all about learning your equipment and doing what works for you!!! But then I’m an idiot that knows nothing but cooks great bbq for me and mine multiple times a week 😉 I've some how missed this post, I'm liking the sound of the steel disc, I've been using sand (clean dried play pit sand) in the pan for a while and it works well but I have had a couple of issues with the sand picking up moisture leaving it smelling bad once it's gotten hot, which has tainted the meat. A disc sounds like a great idea, much easier to keep cleaned and if it has the same effect as the sand that would be great. Has anyone else used this method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrbandBullet Posted August 6, 2023 Share Posted August 6, 2023 (edited) On 7/27/2023 at 1:06 PM, valve90210 said: Has anyone else used this method? Yep. Been using a 3mm stainless steel disc that sits on the water pan tabs for a number of years. That greasy mess which is the waterpan was a PITB! I put a foil tray on the disc to catch any drippings. It's a no-brainer imo. It also allowed me to use an extended charcoal ring for longer cooks. Having to re-fuel is not even on my radar. . Edit: I also found a titanium camping grill on Amazon that was the exact size of the OEM charcoal grate. I attached with 4 x stainless steel zip ties to the charcoal basket and it makes it a breeze to sift out the ash, and any unburnt briqs gets re-used on the next cook. Edited August 6, 2023 by OrbandBullet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valve90210 Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 I might have to get myself a disc, it sounds like a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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