18.5" WSM Inside Sweating?

[Chileno]

Hello all...

I've got a 22" WSM that I've been using for a little over a year; works great. So much so, that I decided to buy my dad a WSM as a Christmas present. Well, TBH, I bought it so that I would have something to smoke with when I visited my parents. In any event, I bought an 18.5" WSM for him, and hauled it to their home for Christmas. On Christmas day, I used it for the first time (after seasoning it) to smoke a packer brisket. I set the 18.5" WSM up quite similar to how I would with the 22" using a chimney of fired Kingsford Blue on top of about another chimney's worth mixed with small blocks of cherry wood placed inside the pit. I also filled the water pan with hot water (as I usually do) so that the pan was about 1/2 full. Everything was going as it normally would, but one thing I noticed was that I was getting water at the bottom of the fire pit. Once I had completed the smoke, when it came to cleaning, I learned where the water had been coming from as I noticed that all of the insides of the middle section and cover were stained with condensation. The boiling water must have condensed on the inside of the walls of the cover and middle section, so much so that it began to seep downwards and into the bottom section. It was cold out (~0F), but the cover and middle section were always warm to the touch, so probably not below dew point, but obviously there was condensation occurring inside. I have never had this happen before when using my 22" WSM under similar conditions. Was wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them.

Thanks,
~Chileno

 

[JeffB1961]

i don't have a WSM but i would try it without the water pan and see how it does .
take care , jeff

 

[sandyut]

That can happen especially when using water in the water bowl. Since you have been at it a while with the WSM, you might try skipping the water - just foil the pan and leave it empty. Fuel will last much longer. The temp swings will react slightly different, but you will pick up on it real fast. Also start with less starter coals to keep the initial temp spike under control.

 

[noboundaries]

Moist hot inside air touches cooler metal and you get condensation on the inside. Water in the water pan limits the inside chamber temp to 212F due to the physics of water. The purpose of the water pan is to limit chamber temps. Yes, it can run a little hotter, but not by much until it runs dry.

So, there's nothing wrong with the smoker. I never use the water pan in mine and control temps with the vents.

 

[sandyut]

Moist hot inside air touches cooler metal and you get condensation on the inside. Water in the water pan limits the inside chamber temp to 212F due to the physics of water. The purpose of the water pan is to limit chamber temps. Yes, it can run a little hotter, but not by much until it runs dry.

So, there's nothing wrong with the smoker. I never use the water pan in mine and control temps with the vents.

Well said!

 

[Chileno]

Moist hot inside air touches cooler metal and you get condensation on the inside.

Yes, I understand the concept. However, as I stated, I've never had this happen with my 22" WSM, even at temperatures at or about 0F.

 

[bauchjw]

I read randomly a while back from a guy who foiled his water pan and got water below in the coals because there was hole in the foil. water was steaming up underneath, then traveling up and out underneath the foil and cooling at the edges to drip down. Were you foiling your water pan?

 

[Little-m]

The pit was probably running hotter than what you are used to causing a more rapid boil. 22" vs. 18.5" is a pretty big difference in area, larger pan holding more water, etc. etc.