Has anyone told you yet today how awesome you all are?

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jessakill

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 6, 2013
4
10
San Diego, CA
If not, then I'm happy to be the first.   I did my first smoke yesterday and found you guys on google, and all of my questions had been asked and answered here already, and it helped me a ton!!!!    

I'm not normally one to join forums, but you all seemed so nice and friendly that I decided to give this one a go  :)  

So HELLO from San Diego!  

And I suppose I should stay on topic and talk about my smoke.... I have what I am tickled pink to see that you have dubbed the ECB  (it makes me giggle so much!) and did the test run yesterday.   I had the temperature control issues that I've seen listed and am going to look into those mods I've seen linked.   BUT the food still came out great...  I did a chicken with a lemon herb rub, and a tri tip with a cayenne/orange/corriander rub.   Looking forward to my next experiment.

Random question:  What do you all do with the water/fat/bubbly goo left in the water pan?  I'm afraid to dump it down my toilet for fear of clogging my pipes... and i'm afraid to dump it on the ground for fear of it turning rancid and stinking.... so i currently have a pot of icky goo outside that i'm avoiding but need to deal with before it starts to stink!   
 
Save the ashes in a bag. Pour the used water in the bag. You'll be amazed how much water those ashes absorb. Chunk the bag in the trash can. Caution: make sure the ashes are dead. You'll also be amazed how long the ashes stay hot and can burn through the bag.

I got this from TVWB:

Dispose Of The Water Pan Waste

Let the water pan cool enough to handle safely before removing it from the cooker. There are several proven methods for disposing of the contents:

Separate the fat from the liquid: Allow the fat to solidified on the surface of the water, skim it off and place it in the trash, and pour the remaining liquid down the sink. The success of this method depends on the type of fat and whether it gets cold enough to solidify.

Bottle the fat and water: Using a funnel and ladle, put the pan contents into a plastic milk jug, cap it, and dispose of it in the garbage.

Bag the fat and water with the cold ashes: Put several plastic bags one inside the other, place the cold ashes in the bag, and then carefully pour the pan contents into the bag. The ashes will absorb the liquid. Tie the bag shut and dispose of it in the garbage. Thanks to Doug D on The Virtual Weber Bullet Board for this idea.
Do not dispose of cooking fat by running it down the drain. This can clog your plumbing and your neighborhood sewer system over time.

Some folks that live in wide open spaces simply dump the pan contents somewhere on their property. This practice can attract a variety of insects and critters that you probably don't want around.

Clean The Water Pan

Soak the pan in hot, soapy water to loosen gunk inside the pan and smoke residue on the outside of the pan. A non-abrasive cleanser like Soft Scrub can also be used. Scrub, rinse, and dry thoroughly.

To make cleanup of the water pan easier, cover it with heavy duty aluminum foil before use. See Using A Water Pan In The WSM for details.

Dispose Of The Ashes Safely

Remove the middle cooking section and set it aside. Remove the charcoal chamber and charcoal grate and brush them off.

Ashes that seem cold on the surface may still be hot deep inside, even after sitting for two days, so take care when handling and disposing of them.

The safest way to dispose of ashes is to put them in a small galvanized metal trash can that is dedicated to the purpose of ash storage. Keep the can away from any flammable materials, including your house, wood pile, dry grass, or weeds. Let the ashes sit for a good, long time until there is absolutely no doubt they are fully extinguished, then dispose of them in your regular household garbage.

If a dedicated ash can is not an option, stir through the ashes to make sure they are absolutely cold before placing them in the garbage.
 
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:welcome1: to SMF!!! We're happy you found us! You've come to the right place, we have over 50,000 members who just love to share their experience and over 1,000,000 posts describing it! Yea that’s right over 1,000,000!

The search bar at the top can be your best friend when you are trying to find answers to your questions but don’t hesitate to start threads and ask also!

We have an ”Articles” section that is full of great information about smoking to include a lot of recipes and instructionals. Check it out there is a lot to learn in there!
 
Howdy, jessakill!

:welcome1: to SMF.

I think if you let the pan sit until the grease hardens you will be able to scoop it out and dispose of it in the trash then pour the liquid down your drain. I use the toilet, not my kitchen sink.

HTH
 
Thank you so much for your reply!    Also, the fact that someone has written about it in such length makes me feel (slightly) less stupid for being stumped on that point. LOL  

I had already thrown away my ashes and so had to sacrifice a half a 2L bottle of soda (RIP Ginger Ale) to bottle that gunk... but it is now taken care of,and I will do the ash thing next time.   

Thank you again :) 

(PS ~ what is TVWB?  I'm very very very new here!)
 
Thank you Rabbithutch for your advice as well  :) 
Unfortunately it's too freaking hot outside for the fat to harden (mid 90's in Oct?  WTF?) otherwise that would be a great option :) 

Thank you for the welcomes, guys :)    You all rock :)
 
welcome1.gif
to SMF!  We are so glad you joined us! 

We love to see pictures of what you are cooking (or what we call q-views here at SMF).  To "upload the q-views" just follow the directions here and it will be easier. If you are using a cell phone, an IPad or a kindle, go to the main SMF page and click the Mobile button. Will make the uploads a bit faster too.

If you didn't read the "Terms of Service" notes.....please do.  There are a few things that everyone should know about those pesky little rules before plunging into the forums and some guidelines of how to interact within the forums. Off site links are not allowed here at SMF per TulsaJeff. Not that you have done anything wrong....just a little bit of FYI for new members!

If you need any help roaming around the forums....just holler!  Happy to help out!

Kat
 
Welcome ! As you browse around the Forum think you will find the information and "secrets" of some of the best smoking chefs (amateur and professional),lots of great recipes, and just good ol plain folks who you feel like you have known all your life. Everyone likes to see the pictures and the play by play !   If you are looking for advice or criticism, just ask....everyone here is here to enjoy their passion for smoking and cooking and making new friends.

Hoity Toit
welcome1.gif
 
Welcome to SMF. Im glad to hear that you had great help from the great people on the forum. Def the best around.
 
Glad you joined the group. The search bar at the top of any page is your best friend.
About anything you wanna know about smoking/grilling/curing/brining/cutting or slicing
and the list goes on has probably been posted. Remember to post a QVIEW of your smokes.
We are all smoke junkies here and we have to get our fix. If you have questions Post it
and you will probably get 10 replies with 11 different answers. That is because their
are so many different ways to make great Q We all have our own taste.

Happy smoken.

David
 
texas.gif
Hello and welcome from East Texas. This is a great site, lots of information and great people that are willing to throw in their two cents worth on about anything.   


Gary
 
. . .
(PS ~ what is TVWB?  I'm very very very new here!)

Our host doesn't like for us to give off-site links because it distracts from the real purpose of SMF. I tend to agree with his position; however, I'm an independent old cuss and don't always play well with others.

TVWB is such an off-forum web site. Do a search with your favorite search engine and you will find it.

I know what you mean about the hot weather. We've had it here in Texas until last Saturday when a cool front blew in. While we didn't have as many triple digit days as we've had in years past, the mid to high 90s lingered until October. That wreaks havoc on letting grease harden. My work around when it need to get rid of just the grease, is to put the pan in the extra refrigerator (we sometimes call it a 'reefer') in the garage.

HTH
 
Welcome aboard, Jessakill!  You've found the best place I know for sharing ideas on smoking, grilling, curing, etc.  There are plenty of friendly, knowledgeable folks here who really enjoy helping one another.  Looking forward to your input here, and just ask when you need anything...someone here will surely have the answer.

Red
 
I had already thrown away my ashes and so had to sacrifice a half a 2L bottle of soda (RIP Ginger Ale) to bottle that gunk... but it is now taken care of,and I will do the ash thing next time.   

The ashes are a good way to soak up that gooey water , and if you need a little extra help you can use kitty litter. Works well. :welcome1: , by the way.
 
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