Drip Pan Maintenance/Cleaning?

[splendorlex]

So what do you guys do with your drip pans? I have a red electric ECB and so far it works just great. (I can see I'll want to "graduate" at some point, but for now it works just fine!) One issue I have is that the drip pan tends to get really nasty. I normally fill it up with water, and by the time I'm done smoking a pork butt or something all the drippings have gone into it and turned it into some kind of sludge. Also, one time when smoking my first ribs I had a bigger problem where some of the sugary rub had run down into it, and burnt into this nasty, smoking black stuff. :)

The real problem, though, is that it's REALLY hard to clean after. How do you guys clean yours? Or is it necessary to clean it every time?

 

[bama bbq]

I foil my pan but if I am not using both racks on the WSM I add a disposable pan on the second cooking rack to catch drippings. Better yet I add a pan of beans to catch the drippings.

 

[palladini]

Yep, when my bottom pans, water pan included, both of them are wrapped in foil before I begin smoking, but usually some crap gets under the foil and gets turned into a goey burnt on mess.  What I do is remove the foil and if cannot be washed off, I use Oven cleaner on it. works good.

 

[splendorlex]

Thanks guys, the foil and the extra pans when possible both sound great. I also love the thought of using those drippings. :)