Foil on the drip tray?

[Big Grouch]

Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi pellet grill, first cook tomorrow. I understand many cover the drip tray with aluminum foil for easier cleanup. What about the louvers punched in it? Perforate the foil over each one or leave them alone? Thank you for any advice.

 

[SmokyMose]

Not familiar with that smoker but why would a drip tray have holes in it?

 

[Coreymacc]

I've got an older lux 36" and it has no louvers in it. They must have added that feature. I put foil on mine from day 1 and it's nice and clean. Odd they would have louvers, the grease would just flow right into the holes, or do they have raised edges or something? I would just cover the whole thing and try it. Are the hole supposed to get more smoke through. My pan is about 3 inches smaller than the bottom of the smoker and fits into a track. The smoke goes around the pan.

pics if you are able, I'm curious what this looks like.

Corey

 

[Fueling Around]

Does it have a searing system?
If just smoking I would cover it with foil?

 

[Big Grouch]

Here are photos of the drip tray. The louvers are punched from the back, they are slightly raised, and the opening is on the downhill side so theoretically grease would run past the opening. This smoker has a plate that slides over for direct heat, perhaps that's the reason for the louvers.

 

[Coreymacc]

Wow, have they ever changed the design of the smokers. At any rate, I would think if the foil was put on the pan, and slots were carefully added, then all would be well. It would just be very labor intensive. The design of the smoker wouldn't be changed and you would have foil down.

Sure would be curious to know why they went with such a different design.

Corey

 

[Winterrider]

My guess would be additional smoke directly to the meat. I would cover it and find out if you end up with grease pooling, if so may not be a good thing then leave uncovered.

 

[Fueling Around]

Here are photos of the drip tray. The louvers are punched from the back, they are slightly raised, and the opening is on the downhill side so theoretically grease would run past the opening. This smoker has a plate that slides over for direct heat, perhaps that's the reason for the louvers.

I got curious on function of the louvers in the drip pan so I went to the Camp Chef website for one of the grills and found:

• "Slide and Grill Technology's direct flame grilling reaches 650°F" listed in the features/specs.

The heat shield over the burn cup is on a slide so it can be pushed back and direct heat will hit the drip pan and go through the louvers.
I read the CF manual for the same grill and it did not say to cover the drip tray with foil (my pooper manual recommended foil over the drip pan) nor did it state DO NOT cover drip pan in foil.

My original recommendation stands, "If just smoking, cover it in foil."
Additional thought is a combo of C Coreymacc and Winterrider comments. I would push the foil down between the louvers on the downhill slope to give a channel for the grease to run toward the bucket. Do not cut slots over the louvers.

That should help when you do a full brisket cook and leave most of the fat pack. The grease control is a pia.

 

[Big Grouch]

Thanks everyone. I'm doing loin ribs using 3-2-1. I will wrap the whole drip pan and see how it goes. Results will be posted.
Took some fiddling to pair the grill to my phone but I finally got it. Ran at 350 for an hour to burn up any schmutz. Will this replace my WSM? Time will tell.

 

[Fueling Around]

Next time look into a Smoke tube
Filled with pellets of your choice for a true thin blue smoke to enhance the smoke flavor from the pellets burned to heat the cook chamber

 

[bill1]

The foil-on-tray folks tend to have the Traeger style flat pans that just slide all the grease/fats in one direction. Sounds like you have a searing type that rolls the fats to a front or back groove, and then those grooves angle down to a side grease catcher. To get that all covered in foil may be more work than a bit extra clean up at the end.

It probably depends on just how clean you want to maintain the inside of your cooker. For me, clean grates maybe...my food sits on them. But cooker insides, lid, heat diverters, grease management, etc. not so much. However your mileage may vary.

 

[dubob]

I have used foil on the drip tray since day one - I hate having to clean the tray. I never cut holes in the foil. I do use a smoke tube on all cooks for a tad more smoke flavor. Works just fine for me - YMMV. Good luck with your loin ribs.

 

[Jersey Jimbo]

I have the CC Smoke Pro SG. I cover my tray, if I am planning to sear something I will open up the slits in the foil where they are on the tray. I use a putty knife and it is easy to do and saves on cleaning the tray, Good luck with you CC grill. they are nice units.

 

[Big Grouch]

I realized I didn't have much foil, didn't feel like fighting the crowd at Costco and needed the foil I had to wrap the ribs. Drip pan not foiled, it's going to take a bunch of cleaning. Anyway, the ribs came out good, 3-2-1, Famous Dave's Devils spit sauce, Barbecue 3000 rub from Penzeys. Maybe a little smoke ring.
Big thank you to everyone who replied.

 

[Fueling Around]

Nice job on the ribs.
I stopped wrapping when I cooked them on an offset or the kettle.
I've done 6 racks on the pooper and started thinking I should try wrapping again.

 

[dubob]

Ya done good Bubba!

 

[tx pitmaster]

i've had a traeger, and yes i did line the flat grease catcher with foil. as i look at the grease catching surface on his unit, i would and will cover in foil.. as it just makes the clean up so much easier. of course thats just mho..

r-

 

[agaffer]

Personally, I have always cooked with my food either in a rack inside of a pan or a pan on the shelve under my food. I have done that with every smoker I have owned. With the exception of my very first one. I quickly learned that I didn't like scraping grease out of a smoker. Just my 2 cents.