Water and sand

dirtsailor2003 · Aug 8, 2013

GITNBY said:
Appreciate your input.

Regarding the brine: doesn't the brine also serve to allow the smoke to better penetrate?

At least, that's what I have heard?

All meat contains moisture already right? So if that's what makes smoke penetrate it then the meat is already set to go!!!

I smoked a blob of tofu for my fiancée which is wetter than any piece of meat I've smoked and it had less smoke flavor than any meat I smoke!!!

fwismoker · Aug 8, 2013

GITNBY said:
Appreciate your input.

Regarding the brine: doesn't the brine also serve to allow the smoke to better penetrate?

At least, that's what I have heard?

No sir, there is no correlation between brining and smoke penetration.

gitnby · Aug 19, 2013

Update on using heat sink:

Filled water tray with combination of sand and gravel, covered it with foil and placed under bottom rack on MES 30.

Smoked a bunch of wings, using wood chips in tray and everything worked out great!

Temp stayed solid, only losing 10 degrees when I opened door to rotate racks.

However, when I used the AMPS on a brisket, the tray seemed to limit the ability of the AMPS to do it's thing?

Almost went out a couple of times?

Not sure why, but when I took the tray out, the AMPS worked perfectly!

Good smoke came from it for 7 hours.

chuckles · Oct 29, 2013

So, does the sand or brick heat sink help keep the box hot, or at least warmer, when you open the door? Does that help temp recover faster?

dirtsailor2003 · Oct 29, 2013

Chuckles said:
So, does the sand or brick heat sink help keep the box hot, or at least warmer, when you open the door? Does that help temp recover faster?

Yes to both questions. The additional these mass also helps stabilize temps in windy wet and cold weather.

grimm5577 · Oct 30, 2013

Man i feel like such an idiot for never thinking about the foil. I always have such a mess after a cook.

luv2qandgrill · Oct 31, 2013

Do you use an empty pan or do you put something in it for a heat sink (or water)? My terracotta pan finally cracked so I picked up some 12 in aluminum deep dish pizza pans. I know several mini WSM owners have posted that they stopped using terracotta and switched to pie pans, etc., I'm going to smoke some very thick pork chops this Sunday and I'm debating on whether to put sand or bricks in the pan or just use the pan alone as a diffuser.

bigdaddydon · Oct 31, 2013

Do you put your meat directly into foil pans, or foil pan on grate below the meat? I too am thinking to try meat in the foil pan. I hate clean up after a smoke the next day.

bikenstein · Nov 1, 2013

I foil my pan which is always below the meat. I only put water in to lower my temp when it gets too hot. Think I will try the sand though to help stabilize and maintain the temperature. Maybe the sand will absorb the heat on start ups and prevent the temp from rising too high initially. I have found that liquids in the pan do not seem to moisturize the meat.

hambone1950 · Nov 1, 2013

luv2qandgrill said:
Do you use an empty pan or do you put something in it for a heat sink (or water)? My terracotta pan finally cracked so I picked up some 12 in aluminum deep dish pizza pans. I know several mini WSM owners have posted that they stopped using terracotta and switched to pie pans, etc., I'm going to smoke some very thick pork chops this Sunday and I'm debating on whether to put sand or bricks in the pan or just use the pan alone as a diffuser.

What you put in the water pan really depends on what temp you want to cook at. If I put a brick in my water pan the smoker will run at 250 degrees because of the heat sink properties of the brick.... The empty water pan will act as a heat shield or diffuser , but the smoker will run at 300 or higher.

SO... If you want to cook those thick chops fairly slowly and let them take on some smoke , I would go with the heat sink of your choice. If you want to roast them as if in an oven , then you could go with just the water pan. You could sear them after if you go low and slow or you could sear them first (obviously)
But if you cook them to an IT of around 150 , I don't think you can fail. Good luck.

elkmaster101 · Nov 1, 2013

yep its time of the year for me to start thinking about smoking.

just did a test burn in the hearth she is ready, really not. this was last year but then again i got excited thinking about Butts

IMGP0338.JPG

elkmaster101
Jan 4, 2012

IMGP0342.JPG

elkmaster101
Jan 4, 2012

IMGP0522.JPG

elkmaster101
Mar 12, 2012

dave17a · Nov 1, 2013

How much sand in WSM, water pan? Thanks Dave

bama bbq · Nov 1, 2013

dave17a said:
How much sand in WSM, water pan? Thanks Dave

Hambone1950 said:
I would just fill it 2/3 full or so....no need to make it too hard to handle....that way you can leave a depression in the foil to catch drippings and they won't go all over. :grilling_smilie:

hambone1950 · Nov 1, 2013

Thanks , bama. I didn't even realize this was that same thread. LOL

cekkk · Nov 2, 2013

This is a great thread for me. I thought the MES 30s water pan was for moisture. Living at a high altitude the cold temperatures have given me problems maintaining temp when I opened the door. Our "dirt" is merely decomposed granite, and there are tons of future DG on the property. I'll pick up a couple chunks for the water pan.

What would be wrong with putting unfoiled granite in the bottom pan which now just collects drippings and funnels them out the rear? I can just throw them awayinstead of cleaning them.

Water and sand

Epic Pitmaster

Master of the Pit

Fire Starter

Meat Mopper

Epic Pitmaster

Meat Mopper

Newbie

Newbie

Fire Starter

Master of the Pit

Smoke Blower

Smoking Fanatic

Master of the Pit

Master of the Pit

Smoke Blower

Similar threads

Hot Threads

Featured A couple thick strips please!