12lb brisket. Punctured water pan in wsm22

[woundupintx]

So I smoked some chicken two days ago and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Tonight I started the wsm and realized there was water dripping out of the dead center on the water pan. After several hours of messing around somehow there is a leak in my water pan. Only had about a year. Anyone heard of any issues with this? Guess ill have to get a new one. Never tried a smoke without water other than doing chicken at 350 or so. I got it hovering around 225 finally, well see how it holds throughout the cook. I've go a 12lb brisket on the top and 9lb Boston butt on the bottom. Done this several times in the past with excellent results, but never tried a 12-15 hr cook without water in the pan. We'll see how it goes!

 

[bama bbq]

I have never heard of an issue with the water pan developing a leak like this. I recommend a call to Weber Cust Serv. I have faith they'll make it right. But that's your 300 meter target.

Your 25 meter target is the cook you have going right now. I have cooked MANY times with no water. Though I do normally use a terra cotta clay flower pot saucer in the water pan. First thing is get the water pan empty and back in place as a heat deflector. I believe you're going to find that your temps will react to vent positions a lot quicker without water. Your lower vents should be barely open. In fact two may be completely closed and one barely open. If that still doesn't control your temps you may have to close the top vent some but I wouldn't close it more than 50%.

I also believe you'll be amazed at how slowly the charcoal burns without having to heat all that water.

 

[smokeusum]

I also believe you'll be amazed at how slowly the charcoal burns without having to heat all that water.

I'll second that; the best advice I got regarding my water pan was to toss the water, fill with play sand, cover with foil. My temp issues immediately disappeared! My temp spikes are a thing of the past.

The sand creates a stable consistent heat (I am using a vertical propane smoker that gets utilized as an almost straight wood smoker) so the sand pan is also a barrier between my meat and my heat.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I'll second that; the best advice I got regarding my water pan was to toss the water, fill with play sand, cover with foil. My temp issues immediately disappeared! My temp spikes are a thing of the past.

The sand creates a stable consistent heat (I am using a vertical propane smoker that gets utilized as an almost straight wood smoker) so the sand pan is also a barrier between my meat and my heat.

Yep that is exactly what you need to do. I used to use the water pan. Would have terrible temps spikes, especially when the weather was crummy ( I smoke year round rain, wind, snow and temps in the teens). About 8 years ago I filled the pan with sand and haven't looked back.

 

[woundupintx]

To add to it. My mav et 732 took a shit on me a month or so ago. Both probes quite working at same time and one intermittently (when it does is off by 30-50 degrees) soni bought an igrill. What a pain in the ass. Anyone used one? It looses signal with my phone in my room (about 50 feet away) all the time. If I send a text or make a phone call its for sure lost signal, but even when I don't it drops out all the time. This is my first smoke that has been quite a disaster in the year I have had my wsm. After reconnecting my phone to the main thermometer, I have now found out my grill is at 270 degrees 10 hours into the smoke....when I woke up (after 4 hrs of sleep!) it was at 220!