Adding Moisture

[geek with fire]

Not trying to start an argument here. I'm very much a rookie and will force myself to accept what I'm told.....given I can wrap my brain around it. In a recent post, I noted that I use a water pan to control temperature, and that I felt that it also added moisture to the meat. I saw responses that mentioned that meat comes with all of the moisture that it will ever have, and water pans don't add any more.

Now, I've heard discussions on this in the past, but have never heard any smoking guns pointing in either direction. What I don't understand is, if you can't add moisture to the meat, why do we spritz every hour and why does "beer can chicken" work. Are we adding moisture, or is it all about flavour in those examples.

I've used water pans for years. I cook a lot of chicken (mostly boneless, skinless breasts), and really do feel like I can tell a difference with and without the water pan.

If you don't mind educating a rookie, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[kew_el_steve]

Moisture moves around a lot, especially when heated. The idea is to get as much moisture in to the meat as possible, when possible (brining or marinating). Then the idea is to keep the moisture relatively as high as possible as the meat cooks (water pan, beer-can-butt and spritzing). Then the idea is to let the moisture even-out (resting). That's my story and I'm stick'in to it.

 

[richoso1]

My money is on what Kew el steve just said.

 

[chrish]

water pans are good for most meats, chicken to beef, mainly on briskets but helps in all acasions.
Pork on the other hand i still use a water pan but pork is so fatty it doesnt need it. but it depends on what your smoking the meat in, a GOSM or larger laydown offset smoker.
the offset smokers probly dont use waterpans and depend on the fat on the meat or mopping to keep the meat moist.
Longer smokes over say 10 hrs need something like mopping or a water pan depending on the meat.

hope this helps alittle bit

chrish

 

[smokebuzz]

They are correct, to help retain moisture, and you can put a water pan in a offset, if you have room for meat you got room for a waterpan.

 

[schultzy]

My opinion is that the water pan doesn't add moisture but it raises the humidity level in the smoker and decreases moisture loss in the meat. Either way, I use one, and if you think it works then it works.

 

[peculiarmike]

What Schultzy said!
Not arguing, but -
You CAN NOT "add moisture" to meat. You can only try to retain as much of what it already has inside (decrease moisture loss). A water pan, filled with water, sand, bricks, concrete, whatever, is simply a buffer between the heat of the fire (1400-1500 deg. F. fire temp. VS 225°-250° smoking temp) and what you are cooking. That is what decreases moisture loss by keeping high heat away from the meat. You are SMOKING the meat, LOW & SLOW, not grilling.
Dry meat is overcooked. Your cooking method determines the outcome. Learn to regulate your heat. That is what "watching the smoker" is all about. You can't just set it and forget it.
But then........... what do I know?

 

[deejaydebi]

I'm with Shultzy on this one too. You can only add moisture by pumping or injecting. Brining helpd retain moisture.

Water pan add humidity and help control the heat level but don't add moisture to the meat.

Spritzing only adds flavor, sugars to sweeten and carmalize the bark. It's also like the meat sweating delaying the time it looses moisture it has to dry off before it can extract the water from the meat. Did that make sense? Looks weird.

 

[geek with fire]

Thank you all; that was very informative.

So the basic premise that I gather from all of the comments is, humidity in the smoking chamber does not add moisture to the meat, but rather aids in avoiding further moisture loss. That seems logical.

Thanks again,

 

[mossymo]

I also feel hot water helps keep the temperature of the smoker at a steady level. Without it I think the internal smoker temperature's will jump up and down more. Not sure I worded this right, but hope you understand what I am trying to say.....